Personal Training
By: Riley Armstrong
History of Personal Training
The world of Personal Trainers began in Greece, before the Olympics began. To better prepare children for soldiers, people were hired to give the children a leg up in training. The true profession of Personal Trainers started in the early 1900's when Jack Lalanne, a founder of modern personal training, created his own chain of gyms. And after the ACSM was established, personal trainers started popping up all over the place in a hope to increase physical health and wellness in the country.
Duties of a Personal Trainer
Some of a Personal Trainers responsibilities include meeting with the client to discover their goals, customizing exercise plans for clients, and pushing the client to reach their goal in the gym. They also give diet and lifestyle suggestions relevant to the fitness plan. Specializations are open to just about anything from Olympic Lifts to Pregnancy health.
Certifications:
Regular Personal Trainers are required to be certified in CPR and must be 18 years old with a Highschool Diploma or GED. To specialize, you can attend college and go as far as you want with the specialization you choose.
Annual Salary
According to predictions from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), jobs for fitness trainers and instructors should increase 24% from 2010-2020. This above-average level of job growth is partially due to the growing emphasis on the importance of good health for people of all ages. In May 2012, the BLS listed the median annual salary of fitness trainers and instructors at $31,720. (Keep in mind this is without a specialization.)
Top 3 Companies/Businesses for Personal Training
Personal Trainers are not taken into companies, they build their popularity and career based on books, magazines, and training they do in standard or high quality gyms. Also depends on certifications.
Why This Career?
I have always been a fan of working out, as well as being healthy. As a child (4-13) I wasn't particularly thin or strong, I was actually pretty fat and wasn't physically able to do things well with my friends. I took a change and decided to start eating healthier and working out more to be both emotionally and physically healthy. I'm not at my full goal yet, but I want to pursue this as a career to help other people reach their fitness goals, as many people want to but do not have the personal drive.