Free Sample
The Complete Guide to Becoming An Exercise Trainer and Group Fitness Instructor
What you'll really do, what you'll really earn, and how to decide if this career is the right fit for you
by Alumigogo Books
Chapter 1: What Does a Exercise Trainer and Group Fitness Instructor Actually Do?
What you actually do all day (and night)
The first thing you need to understand is that this is not a 9-to-5 desk job, and it's not a job where you get to work out all day. You are paid to help other people work out, which is a completely different thing. A typical week for an exercise trainer and group fitness instructor is a patchwork of early mornings, lunchtime rushes, and evening classes, with a few odd gaps in the middle of the afternoon that you use for planning, cleaning, and admin.
Your core responsibility is to lead exercise sessions. In a given week, that could mean a one-on-one personal training session with a client who wants to lose 30 pounds, a small group class of eight people doing circuit training, or a larger group fitness class of 25 people doing high-intensity interval training (HIIT) in a studio. In every session, you are simultaneously three things: a teacher, a motivator, and a safety monitor. You have to explain how to do each exercise correctly, show them what it looks like, and then walk around and correct their form so they don't hurt themselves. You are also the energy source in the room. If you are low-energy, the class is low-energy. If you are precise and encouraging, the class follows your lead.
Let's get specific about what a session looks like. If you are teaching a group