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Personal trainer and group fitness instructor skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025

2 min read

Quoted experts

Kevin Rooney Ph.D.,

Kevin Rooney Ph.D.

Below we've compiled a list of the most critical personal trainer and group fitness instructor skills. We ranked the top skills for personal trainer and group fitness instructors based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 31.2% of personal trainer and group fitness instructor resumes contained group training as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a personal trainer and group fitness instructor needs to be successful in the workplace.

12 personal trainer and group fitness instructor skills for your resume and career

1. Group Training

Group training is a training arrangement where a company employs or train apprentices or trainees under apprenticeship or traineeship contract and assign them with host employers. They are trained as a group on the company's daily work with the regular employees' supervision or assigned trainer. Group training can take you to your specific goals but still attending to individual needs or skills. In group training, participants have higher motivation, form a better camaraderie, and practice with a group often challenges everybody to perform better.

Here's how personal trainer and group fitness instructors use group training:

Awarded Group Training Instructor performance award for two consecutive quarters
Own and operate a small group training facility.

2. Course Curriculum

Here's how personal trainer and group fitness instructors use course curriculum:

Contributed to course curriculum and development and course presentation.
Specialize in Executive Protection, Counter Terrorism Tactics, Firearm Training, SWAT/HRT course curriculum, Polygraphs, and Criminal Investigations.

3. Group Fitness Classes

Here's how personal trainer and group fitness instructors use group fitness classes:

Instructed group fitness classes in different modalities for students while incorporating educational concepts Assisted in modification of class curriculum and textbook selection
Cultivated positive relationships with class participants by teaching a variety of challenging and entertaining group fitness classes.

4. ACE

Here's how personal trainer and group fitness instructors use ace:

Assessed and augmented each student's progress to ensure they met necessary credentials to obtain school accreditation and ACE national certification.
Provided education to students seeking an AOS in personal training as well as an ACE certification

5. Motivational

Motivational is defined as something related to the reason or drive behind why a person does what they do. It is related to the motivation behind why a person or an animal acts a certain way. Motivation is the practice through which a person finds the drive to do a certain task.

Here's how personal trainer and group fitness instructors use motivational:

Instructed camps and taught girls ages 8-15 Motivational Speaking.

6. Training Programs

Here's how personal trainer and group fitness instructors use training programs:

Develop personalized training programs for each individual including weight lifting, cross training, cardiovascular fitness and meeting weight loss goals.
Conducted Pre-Exercise Screening/Testing -Designed Resistance/CV training programs -Detailed instruction on exercise execution and human movement -Hosted Upper/Lower Body Training Seminars

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7. NASM

Here's how personal trainer and group fitness instructors use nasm:

Maintain NASM Personal Trainer and Performance Nutrition Specialist Certifications through continuing education credits.
Renewed NASM - personal training certification Skills Used Communication Social Media Encouragement Organization Leadership

8. Circuit Training

Here's how personal trainer and group fitness instructors use circuit training:

Prepared educational information and circuit training for clients.
Provided efficient endurance and circuit training.

9. Training Sessions

Here's how personal trainer and group fitness instructors use training sessions:

Provided ongoing one-on-one individualized coaching/personal training sessions.
Provided one-on-one training sessions and periodic re-assessments to monitor the effectiveness of the individual program and progressing towards goals.

10. Cardio

Cardio is defined as any type of exercise that gets your heart rate up and keeps it up for a prolonged period. The term is short for cardiovascular or cardiopulmonary. It is a form of aerobic exercise during which your respiratory system will start working harder as you begin to breathe faster and more deeply. This exercise helps keep your heart, lungs, and circulatory system healthy.

Here's how personal trainer and group fitness instructors use cardio:

Conducted cardio blast and Unit Physical Fitness courses/assessments designed to target the core competencies of rigorous military physical fitness tests.
Teach individuals beginning or advanced calisthenics, cardio and reducing or corrective exercise.

11. Program Design

Program design is a procedure or a process that an organization uses to develop a program. The process is extensive and requires elaborate research, consultation, rough design, testing, and redesign.

Here's how personal trainer and group fitness instructors use program design:

Evaluated and assessed individual s fitness levels in order to accurately prescribe a personalized program design catered to client specific goals.
Constructed and implemented individualistic program designs and nutrition plans according to specific individual needs and goals.

12. Bootcamp

Here's how personal trainer and group fitness instructors use bootcamp:

Trained new instructors and increased scheduled availability of BootCamp 4-fold
Create and instruct classes that include TRX Bootcamp, Cycle, and HIT that cater to every fitness level and capability.

What skills help Personal Trainer And Group Fitness Instructors find jobs?

Tell us what job you are looking for, we’ll show you what skills employers want.

What skills stand out on personal trainer and group fitness instructor resumes?

Kevin Rooney Ph.D.

Associate Dean, School of Sport Science, Clinical Coordinator of Athletic Training, Endicott College

The obvious skills are one's knowledge of anatomy and physiology, biomechanics, nutrition, and exercise. However, I believe that the most important skill is a person's ability to synthesize their scientific knowledge and effectively apply it in practice.

What soft skills should all personal trainer and group fitness instructors possess?

Kevin Rooney Ph.D.

Associate Dean, School of Sport Science, Clinical Coordinator of Athletic Training, Endicott College

Communication is the most important soft skill any new and seasoned professional can have. Effective communication demonstrates your command of the information and situation at hand and assists in earning the trust and respect of your clients and peers.

What hard/technical skills are most important for personal trainer and group fitness instructors?

Kevin Rooney Ph.D.

Associate Dean, School of Sport Science, Clinical Coordinator of Athletic Training, Endicott College

Exercise scientists are well-versed in various areas, including exercise assessment, exercise programming, biomechanics, exercise instruction, and patient/client education.

What personal trainer and group fitness instructor skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?

Matthew Sabin PhD, LAT, ATC, SMTC, CIDN

AT Program Director | Professor, Eastern Kentucky University

Adaptability is the first skill that jumps to mind. Graduates need to know the foundational knowledge but I believe how we apply the knowledge and skills will continue to change. Kinesiology is a broad field that is often a starting point for individuals interested in athletic training, exercise physiology, fitness and wellness, physical therapy, and many other possible fields. Each of these fields requires the professional to know their information but more importantly, how to relay that to the client/patient in a way that impacts and brings change. With that being said, graduates need to work on the soft-skills as much they do in understanding the content of their field.

What technical skills for a personal trainer and group fitness instructor stand out to employers?

Dr. Michelle Gray Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Exercise Science, University of Arkansas

Employers are looking for individuals that can do it all. In my own gym, the owner/manager is seeking applicants that have knowledge in group fitness, personal training, and general facility management. Most employers are ok training on the specific aspects of their gym, but need self-driven and internally motivated employees that will help move the gym to the next level.

Do you want to know more?

List of personal trainer and group fitness instructor skills to add to your resume

The most important skills for a personal trainer and group fitness instructor resume and required skills for a personal trainer and group fitness instructor to have include:

Group Training
Course Curriculum
Group Fitness Classes
ACE

Motivational
Training Programs
NASM
Circuit Training

Training Sessions
Cardio
Program Design
Bootcamp

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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