Personal Training versus Gym Instructing

Working in the fitness industry is a highly enjoyable and lucrative career move. Personal Training and Gym Instruction are the most popular career choices for people new to the industry, but is there any real difference between the two roles?

Round One: What does each job offer?
Gym Instructors work in health clubs and gyms and advise clients on how to exercise and use equipment properly. Becoming a
Gym Instructor is a useful first step into the industry but without any extra qualifications, your career options are limited.

Personal Trainers are multi-skilled and have knowledge in many areas of the fitness industry. They prescribe fitness and diet plans for clients and work closely with them to achieve their health and fitness goals. This not only means their work is much more varied, but as a result much more rewarding as they have affected people’s lives. You may even get the chance to train a celebrity or two!

Scores after round 1: Gym Instructors 0 Personal Trainers 1

Round Two: Job Prospects

Personal Trainers have a multitude of options available to them in terms of their careers. They can work for a gym or health club as a Personal Trainer or as a Gym Instructor training clients that are gym members. Personal Trainers can even start their own business, working freelance either for themselves or a gym. Some people even choose to use their skills on cruise liners or on the beach in Ibiza like Future Fit Training student Kev Grant (click for more).

Becoming a Gym Instructor provides an essential foot into the fitness industry and gives a good foundation of experience, however, many people find themselves wanting to expand into other areas teaching clients one-on-one and therefore will need to add to their qualifications if they wish to progress.

Scores after round 2: Gym Instructors 0 Personal Trainers 2

Round Three: How much do you earn?

As Gym Instructors working for a gym can only teach in one area, their potential earnings are limited. They can typically earn around £5.50 - £7.50 per hour and are restricted to the opening hours of the gym they work at and the shifts they are given..

Personal Training is a thriving, lucrative market and one that is already benefiting from London's successful bid to hold the Olympics in 2012 and the Government's publicity drive to improve the health of the nation.

Personal Trainers can usually command an annual salary of over £30,000, if working for an employer, such as a major gym chain or health centre.

For freelance Personal Trainers, who set up their own businesses, the sky really is the limit! It is up to you how much or how little you want to work and how much you can charge. Some people even choose to work as a freelance Personal Trainer alongside another job to further boost their earnings.

Scores after round 3: Gym Instructors 0 Personal Trainers 3

Summary
Personal Training is a fantastic way to enter the fitness industry and offers better earnings and career prospects than just Gym Instructing alone. Becoming a Gym Instructor is a good way of getting a foot in the door in the industry and getting used to teaching members of the public. However, most Gym Instructors aspire to become a Personal Trainer eventually.

Therefore, to maximise your earning potential and career prospectus, why not consider booking a Personal Trainer Diploma or Advanced Personal Trainer Diploma.

Read about the Personal Trainer Diploma or call 01329 829444.