Fitness Industry Education: Top Courses & Training Providers

If you’re looking for fitness industry education, courses, certifications, or training providers, there are endless options to choose from. With so many qualifications and education companies out there, finding the right one for your needs can sometimes feel overwhelming. So, we’ve done the research for you and put together a comprehensive list of fitness industry education options to make things easier.

In this guide – find the perfect fitness course, certification, and training company for your career goals and learning needs.

Beginner fitness pro courses
Personal trainer certifications
Group exercise qualifications
Fitness specialisms
Continuing professional development
FAQs

Trainer Essentials articles are written by qualified personal trainers with 15+ years of fitness industry experience. We’ve helped thousands of PTs to embark on their careers, level up their coaching, sales, and marketing skills, and grow their own training businesses.

Our list of fitness industry courses will help you research and compare all of your training options in one place. Choose from live in-person courses, educational workshops, or online programmes. Simply scroll through the list or use the short-cut links above to review the best training courses for your needs.

Education For New Fitness Professionals

For people who are just starting out in the fitness industry and want to learn the ropes, there are beginner courses that are ideally suited.

Fitness instructor, gym trainer, and health coaching courses are typically well-suited to people with little to know experience and will teach you all of the basics. These educational options teach you about fitness training and qualify you to work as a fitness professional in a gym or with one-to-one clients.

The best fitness instructor, gym trainer, and health coaching courses include…

These entry-level fitness instructing courses will teach you the basics of exercise and workout programming. They’re perfect for people just starting out in their fitness career and looking to learn the fundamentals.

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Personal Training Certifications & Courses

If you’d like to become a personal trainer, then it’s crucial to get certified. You’ll need to study an accredited personal trainer certification that’s well-regarded by employers. This will get your training career off to the best possible start.

The most recognised and respected personal training certification courses are…

Personal training courses typically involve in-person lessons, self-study, and an assessment.

Many offer online options where you can study from home which are convenient and cost-effective. But you’ll get a lot of benefits if you can attend at least some practical sessions.

The physical nature of personal training means you’ll get to practice the movements and learn the correct techniques with expert guidance from your lecturer. While the online training is excellent, it can be harder to get the precise feedback on whether you’re performing a movement correctly. This is really important for preventing injury which is why we highly recommend in-person fitness training courses where feasible.

Group Fitness Courses

For people who want to teach group exercise classes or small group personal training, there are other courses available. Anyone who wants to be an aerobics instructor, circuit trainer, spin class teacher, or any other type of group class leader, should opt for one of these certifications.

Group exercise instructing courses differ from gym and personal training certifications because they teach you how to train large groups. Instructors learn exercise movements, demonstration techniques, cueing, class choreography, and group management.

The top fitness education courses for group training include…

Completing one of these courses will set you up to become a confident group fitness instructor. From there you can specialise in different types of classes or teach a range of workouts.

Specialist Fitness Industry Education Courses

Once you’ve mastered fitness instructing, personal training, or group classes, you may want to develop specialist expertise.

Learning how to work with different populations or support specific training goals can help you become a more successful fitness professional. It develops your knowledge and skills, differentiating you from other generalist trainers and allowing you to charge higher rates.

If you want to become certified or work on medical-related health issues, then you’ll need additional fitness industry training. Whether you’d like to specialise in functional exercise, become a nutrition coach, or coach older adults, there’s a dedicated course to show you how…

You’ll typically need to be a certified personal trainer (or equivalent level 3 fitness professional) to become accredited in these level 4 specialist areas. They’ll enable you to become an expert in your chosen fitness specialism.

You might also like… this guide to nutrition certifications for fitness professionals.

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Continuing Professional Development

As fitness professionals, we should always be improving and developing our skills. It can be time-consuming to stay up-to-date with ever-evolving training techniques, health promotion methods, and new scientific studies. But there are plenty of fitness industry education options available to help you out.

Continuing professional development (CPD) workshops are an ideal way to maintain up-to-date fitness knowledge when you don’t have a lot of time. Rather than committing to a multi-day course you can spend an hour or two watching a video lecture.

Most fitness training providers require you to undergo regular CPD to maintain your accreditation. You’ll get points that are added to your learner record for every course or seminar you participate in.

Professional development courses for personal trainers and fitness professionals include…

These fitness CPD courses will help you build your training repertoire and develop your career long-term. Whatever your location, budget, or learning style, you’ll find an educational resource to meet your needs.

We hope this fitness industry education and gym courses list is helpful. If you have questions then use our contact form to get in touch or message us on social media.

Are we missing any top training options? We thoroughly research our articles and lean on our 15+ years of fitness industry experience to ensure they’re comprehensive. But if you know of a high-quality fitness training provider that’s missing from this list then get in touch via our contact form.

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Fitness Industry Education FAQs

We’ve collated the most frequently asked questions about fitness courses and education below. If you have a query that isn’t answered then get in touch to ask us directly…

What’s the Best Fitness Course?

The best fitness course is one that meets your career objectives, learning style, and budget. Any course that is accredited will be of high quality and valued by potential employers. ACE, NASM, Future Fit, and AASFP run some of the best instructor and personal trainer courses around the world.

What Jobs Are In the Fitness Industry?

Some of the most popular jobs in the fitness industry include…

Fitness instructor/exercise coach
Group exercise instructor
Personal trainer
Strength and conditioning coach
Sports nutritionist
Gym manager

Most of these jobs require some kind of formal training in order to become qualified.

How Do You Become an Exercise Coach?

To become an exercise coach, you’ll need to complete a level 2 certificate in fitness instructing or coaching.

How Do You Become a PT?

In order to become a personal trainer, you need to complete a PT qualification, get a first aid certification, and adequate insurance coverage.