What Does a Personal Trainer Do in 2026?

What does a Personal Trainer do?

A Personal Trainer (PT) is a certified fitness professional who designs safe and effective exercise programmes to help clients achieve goals such as fat loss, strength development, sports performance, and improved health. PTs provide one‑to‑one coaching, small‑group training, and ongoing progress monitoring to keep clients motivated and accountable.

The job also involves monitoring the clients’ progress and it requires constant updating and continuing education via CPD courses.

Can Personal Trainer give nutrition advice?

 

How long do I need a Personal Trainer for?

Again, it depends on your goals for fitness and nutrition. You might have a deadline for an important sports event and start doing personal training 3 or 6 months beforehand. Or you might decide to try personal training for 1 month to see if you have any results. The decision normally depends on what your desired results are going to be.

Why work with a Personal Trainer?

Old Latins used to say “Mens Sana in corpore sano”, usually translated as “a healthy mind in a healthy body“. This means that getting a Personal Trainer to help you reach your fitness goals is one of the best things you could do to improve your quality of life. However, some people have special goals such as preparing for a competition, a marathon or because they are professional athletes so they hire personal trainers to help them train more efficiently and with better results.

How many times a week do I need a personal trainer?

This should be agreed between you and your personal trainer, on average 1 or 2 times per week is what most clients do.

How do I choose a Personal Trainer?

Our recommendation is to enquire within your local gym or use search engines to find personal trainers near you. We have trained more than 40,000 students since 1993 across the U.K. so we know a thing or two about the best personal trainers out there.

In terms of credentials, here is what you need to check before hiring a personal trainer:

• Experience: some personal trainers are specialised in a particular aspect of fitness, such as football, kettlebell, sports coaching, weight loss or nutrition. Others are more generalists and suit a wider range of clients.
• Availability: since you need to meet personally with your personal trainer, we recommend you find someone close to your location to minimise travel. Also, when do you prefer training? Mornings? Evenings or weekends? Have a chat with your personal trainer to agree on dates and times.
• Presentation: personal trainers are role models, they normally should have a healthy lifestyle and lead by example. Would you like to be trained by an overweight personal trainer? Probably not. You want to train with someone who is serious and committed about fitness as much, or as more, as you are.
• Qualifications and credentials: All personal trainers are required to complete the Level 3 course in personal training as a minimum requirement to enter the industry. To find out which qualifications they have, just get in touch with a personal trainer and find out more.

How to prepare for my first personal training session?

After you have purchased your first personal training sessions, this is what you should do:

• Save the date: set up your initial appointment with your Personal Trainer on your calendar. Some booking software does this automatically. This may be accomplished over the phone or by email. Don’t give in to the temptation to cancel — it may seem scary at first, but your PT will be there for you every step of the way.
• Find your way: whether you have booked your appointment at the local gym or somewhere else, make sure you have the correct address and leave on time.
• Equipment for fitness: from running lights to comfortable shoes and other gym-suitable clothes, you should have your equipment ready to use on your first session.
• Water and drinks: remember to drink before, during and after your training session and stay hydrated the whole time. Don’t drink too much otherwise you start hitting the bathroom too often.
• Be there on time: getting to your appointment 10-15 mins earlier before your session starts, is a good idea.
• Relax and enjoy: don’t be nervous and try to enjoy yourself. If you have never done a PT session before, you might feel a bit rough after your first sessions, but with personal training, you quickly get into shape.

Can a personal trainer tailor to my specific needs?

Yes, they can. By completing a Level 4 Specialist Personal Trainer Course, trainers will have highly specialized skills that can tailor to your needs;

• Exercise Physiologist
• Sport Nutritionist
• Corrective Exercise Specialist
• Performance Enhancement Specialist
• Behaviour Change Specialist
• Youth, Women, Senior Fitness Specialisation
• Strength and Conditioning Specialist

For example, do you want to run your first marathon? Maybe do you want to shed a few minutes off your mile? Your trainer can help design a fitness program specific to your needs, which will increase your performance and help prevent injury. If your answer to any of these questions was ‘yes’, you should consider hiring a Performance Enhancement Specialist. Their unique skill-set can help improve client’s athletic performance including their power, speed, and agility.

Below is a list of additional goals, and problems that personal trainers can help you with:

• Post-surgical recovery, osteoarthritis, scoliosis
• Cancer patients, pre-treatment and post-treatment
• Distance running (marathons, ultramarathons)
• Chronic conditions e.g. obesity, lower back pain, multiple sclerosis etc.

Our CPD courses provide the training solution for all the continuing professional development needs of every serious fitness professional.

How much does a personal trainer cost in 2026?

The cost of a personal training session can vary anywhere in the region of £35-£65 per session. You can expect an average session to last between 45 minutes to one hour.

But why such a difference in the price range? As with any industry, those with a proven track record tend to charge more, with more experience, qualifications and client success stories. Some personal trainer’s offer a more cost-effective approach to paying per session. Instead, you can purchase training packages based on the number of sessions. A few factors which may affect the cost of hiring a personal trainer include;

• The Frequency of Your Sessions
• Your Session Length
• The Location
• The Specialization of the Trainer
• Experience and Qualifications
• Type of Training

If you want to hire a Personal Trainer in a gym, you have to add the gym membership on top of the fees. If you buy bulk sessions, you normally get a small discount, so speak to a personal trainer to find out more.

How to Become a Personal Trainer?

Are there any additional qualifications to become a Personal Trainer?

Personal Trainer’s can study for a Level 4 PT course and additional continuous personal development (CPD) courses such as:

• Circuit training instructor
• Kettlebell Instructor
• Suspension exercise instructor
• Exercise referral
• Strength and conditioning