Thinking of starting a career in the fitness industry? In the last five years, the fitness sector in Australia has boomed into a $3bn industry with more people than every hitting the gyms or accessing fitness resources like PT’s to look and feel better. I mean, with all the social media expectations these days, people simply want to look good.
So now you know that fitness is THE industry to be in, where to from here? Before you get started, a thing we highly recommend doing first is finding a great mentor in this industry. This might be a trainer that you've used before or a trainer that you've admired for a while. They will be able to help with the ins and outs of the industry and point you in the right direction before and after getting qualified. If you’re looking at getting certain qualifications to kickstart your fabulous fitness career, here’s a breakdown of 3 institutions that may be best fitted for you. We’ll be looking at the popular Cert III and Cert IV qualifications to become a Fitness Coach or Personal Training for all these institutions since they are the most common courses students take.
Australian Fitness Academy
The Australian Fitness Academy is a fitness education organisation that’s been around since 1993. Here, you can study and train to get your Certificate III or Certificate IV in fitness which is nationally recognized. But this institution offers many additional courses to boost your qualification portfolio after you graduate. They offer further courses in Professional Development, Mental Health and even First Aid to give your that extra advantage heading into the workforce.
This fitness academy has flexible study options to endure students complete their qualifications. Online courses and face-to-face classes are both available for students who prefer to study one way or the other.
Course Length
Students have up to 12 months to complete their Cert III and Cert IV, so students can study at their own pace.
Personal Training Course Syllabus
Cert III Topics:
- Principles of Nutrition
- Introduction to Exercise Science
- Lower Body/Trunk Anatomy Exercises
- Resistance Programming & Instruction
- Cardiovascular Physiology, Programming & Instruction
- and more…
Cert IV Topics:
- Applied Nutrition
- Motivational Psychology
- Athlete Strength & Conditioning
- Principles of Functional Movement
- Business Operations & Marketing
- and more…
Pricing and Payment
Course prices vary depending on the mode of study and if the student in eligible for Government Funding. Some State Government initiatives could be available for eligible student’s, but this varies with each individual applicant.
AFA has payment plans from as little as $50 a week or $100 a fortnight with only a $100 deposit required to help students achieve their fitness educational goals.
For more information you can visit fitnesseducation.edu.au or call them on 1300 973 342.
Australian Institute of Fitness
The Australian Institute of Fitness or AIF is Australia’s largest fitness training organisation. Starting in 1979, AIF started when 6 fitness enthusiasts came together to create a quality program. Today AIF has campuses in all major cities across Australia so there’s bound to be a campus near you.
If Personal Training is not your thing. AIF offers a variety of courses in categories of Fitness, Massage, Nutrition and Business with all courses in these categories available for study online, in-person or both combined.
Being one of the largest fitness educators in Australia, AIF has partnered with many established gyms and health clubs to help commence graduate’s careers by giving them opportunities with these businesses. We’re talking big name gyms like Goodlife, Snap, Anytime Fitness and Fernwood to name a few.
Course Length
There are too many courses to go through but, for a Cert III and Cert IV in Fitness, the course can be studied online and has a duration of 25 weeks.
Study areas for the course includes:
Fitness Coach
- First aid
- Instruct fitness programs
- Provide quality service
- Training for older clients
- Health promotion and special populations
- Bones and muscles
- Provide healthy eating information
- Client consultations, screening and fitness testing
- Instruct group exercise sessions
- Instruct children’s movement programs
Personal Trainer
- How to set up a home-based PT business
- Marketing and operation of your fitness business
- Present, secure and support sale solutions
- Liaising with allied health professionals
- Training young clients ages 13-17 years
- How to positively influence exercise behaviour
- How to instruct long term and endurance exercise programs
- Select and use technology for sport and fitness
- Understand scope for nutritional advice as a PT
- Programming for body composition
- Strength and conditioning techniques
- Functional training and injury management
Costs and Payment Options
Tuition costs varies depending on which course and which payment benefits the student is eligible for.
There are numerous payment options for a student including flexi plans, student loans, VET loans, Government assistance and even a discount if the course is paid upfront.
Eligibility for all payment options varies depending on individual’s application.
For more information you can visit fitness.edu.au or call them on 1300 669 669
Australian Institute of Personal Trainers
The Australian Institute of Personal Trainers (AIPT) was established in 1999 and have since grown to have over 150 campuses and mentors in all major cities across Australia.
Priding themselves with their focus on practical and hands-on education, AIPT caters for all learning styles and offers courses in the categories of fitness, nutrition and sports management.
AIPT also has a great portfolio of partners which include well established gyms and health clubs. This is a huge benefit for students after graduation with the graduate placement assistance program, giving their careers a head-start in the industry.
Course Length
Although AIPT offers multiple courses in different categories, Cert III courses are studied within a period of 12 months with required 30 practical hours with an AIPT mentor and an additional 30 hours with a selected mentor of the student’s choice. With Cert IV, the course is also 12 months but the student is required 52 practical hours on campus, 40 hours theory and 40 hours practical with a mentor.
Units of the Cert IV course includes:
- Provide health screening and fitness orientation
- Recognise and apply exercise considerations for specific populations
- Instruct fitness programs
- Incorporate anatomy and physiology principles into fitness programming
- Provide healthy eating information
- Conduct fitness appraisals
- Instruct exercise to older clients
- Provide quality service
For more information your can visit apit.edu.au or call 1300 616 180
You will be able to get your Cert III or IV of Fitness at all three institutions, but if you are looking for more qualifications then the Australian Institute of Fitness may be the educator for you. But just know that all three institutions are nationally recognised and will all give you the knowledge and support you need to become a fitness professional.
Joining the fitness industry is an exciting time, but the commitment requires life and schedule adjustments for a short period so it might be a good idea to look further into all institutions to find the one that suits your current situation.