Personal Training Qualifications

Premier is one of the most recognised PT qualifications you can get, and covers many different aspects as well as PT (body massage, sports massage etc) However, it does cost a fair bit (about 4k)

Dear Belinda

There are many companies that offer teaching qualifications Like YMCA, Premier, BAWLA etc but I went with YMCA because it is the biggest teaching training company in the uk. I can only speak of my experience and I found the YMCA staff to be helpful and interested in the individual student, I was even recommended by them for a job with an organisation.

Of course the thing to decide is what you want and how to pay for the modules. Most companies are not really interested in what qualification you have for general fitness instructor jobs, most gyms are staffed with very young fitness staff who are very much finding their feet as teachers.

I recommend YMCA because of my time doing courses with them.

George Laird
University of Glasgow

I completed mine PT and instructor Q's with YMCA too. Found them to be very good as well.

Premier are good as it seems to be more hollistic with the massage therapy you can do with it.

Both are well respected within the uk fitness industry.

There are some really good correspondant courses from the states like the NSCA's certified personal trainer (CPT) and NASM CPT. They seem to give a greater variety of exercise knowledge and technique with the NASM CPT being much more postural orintated. They also run some good add on correspondant courses which are worth looking at.

All good advice, I used YMCA too.

If you are in full time ed. Mention this to your local college, or your own if they offer the courses, you might get a discount. I'm at lufbra uni and lufbra college over the road gave me a half price discount. (£185 instead of £370, for YMCA gym instr' level 2)

Good Luck :D