What does a personal trainer do?
A personal trainer is responsible for monitoring the client's fitness goals by assisting the client with specific and customized routines and exercises to promote healthy well-being. Duties of a personal trainer also include evaluating the client's fitness progress, creating safe programs to improve the client's stamina, educating the client with workout benefits, suggesting on a client's best nutrition plans, and motivating clients with their capabilities. A personal trainer should have excellent knowledge of the fitness industry to support the client's needs.
Personal trainer responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real personal trainer resumes:
- Help clients achieve fitness goals through diet and heavy weight lifting with HIIT cardio.
- Achieve high customer satisfaction and budget efficiency in the group fitness department and yoga department.
- Provide market research and generate leads using social media (facebook) in order to target prospective clients.
- Shape the social media aspect of the facility which include Facebook and Instagram.
- Ensure trainers and team members are consistent in punctuality, dress code, compliance, and customer service.
- Follow ACSM guidelines ensuring safe and healthy exercise technique for strength training and cardiovascular activity.
- Restructure and direct membership-feeder program integrating physical therapy patients into the fitness center for membership and personal training.
- Teach yoga and fitness classes.
- Keep up facebook and constant contact newletter.
- Prepare smoothies promoting weight loss and post workout recovery.
- Treat clients that are diagnosed with ADHD utilizing Neuro-feedback.
- Maintain appropriate cpr/a credentials as well as, AFAA certification.
- Start a fitness bootcamp company that see amazing growth in the Dallas market.
- Provide fitness services such as personal training, aerobics, Pilates and body toning techniques.
- Instruct gym patrons in group classes such as kickboxing, cycle, bootcamp, body works and aqua fitness.
Personal trainer skills and personality traits
We calculated that 23% of Personal Trainers are proficient in CPR, Customer Service, and Resuscitation. They’re also known for soft skills such as Customer-service skills, Communication skills, and Listening skills.
We break down the percentage of Personal Trainers that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- CPR, 23%
1Certified personal trainer CPR and First aid certified Motivate clients to work out safely and keep working toward their individual goals.
- Customer Service, 21%
Provided quality customer service-innovative/adaptive personal training, fitness assessment/orientations.
- Resuscitation, 7%
Obtained Basic Life Support certification in Cardiopulmonary resuscitation and automated external defibrillation.
- Fitness Programs, 7%
Provided a comprehensive one-on-one educational fitness program that promoted a health and fitness program through realistic goal setting and education.
- NASM, 5%
Maintain NASM Personal Trainer and Performance Nutrition Specialist Certifications through continuing education credits.
- Physical Fitness, 4%
Trained individuals using a high-intensity strength and conditioning program that combines a variety of exercises and promotes overall physical fitness
Most personal trainers use their skills in "cpr," "customer service," and "resuscitation" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential personal trainer responsibilities here:
Customer-service skills. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for a personal trainer to have is customer-service skills. Their role and responsibilities require that "many fitness trainers and instructors sell their services, motivating clients to hire them as personal trainers or to sign up for the classes they lead." Personal trainers often use customer-service skills in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "organize personal training sessions, programs, and nutrition programs for customers. "
Communication skills. Another essential skill to perform personal trainer duties is communication skills. Personal trainers responsibilities require that "fitness trainers and instructors must be able to clearly explain exercises that they demonstrate to clients." Personal trainers also use communication skills in their role according to a real resume snippet: "developed and provided instruction for exercise and nutrition programs maintained clientele communications and accounts"
Listening skills. Another skill that relates to the job responsibilities of personal trainers is listening skills. This skill is critical to many everyday personal trainer duties, as "fitness trainers and instructors must listen carefully to what clients tell them in order to determine the clients’ fitness levels and desired fitness goals." This example from a resume shows how this skill is used: "listened to clients needs, goals and physical limitations. "
Motivational skills. A big part of what personal trainers do relies on "motivational skills." You can see how essential it is to personal trainer responsibilities because "to keep clients coming back for more classes or to continue personal training, fitness trainers and instructors must keep their clients motivated." Here's an example of how this skill is used from a resume that represents typical personal trainer tasks: "train personal training clients to reach their fitness goals with comprehensive assessment, safe program design and motivational coaching. "
Physical fitness. A commonly-found skill in personal trainer job descriptions, "physical fitness" is essential to what personal trainers do. Personal trainer responsibilities rely on this skill because "fitness trainers and instructors must be able to lead classes and to demonstrate exercises to participants or their clients." You can also see how personal trainer duties rely on physical fitness in this resume example: "designed and monitored exercise/nutrition programs based on clients' anatomy, personal needs, and fitness ability. "
Problem-solving skills. Another skill commonly found on personal trainer job descriptions is "problem-solving skills." It can come up quite often in personal trainer duties, since "fitness trainers and instructors must evaluate members’ or client’s fitness levels and create appropriate fitness plans to meet their needs." Here's an example from a resume of how this skill fits into day-to-day personal trainer responsibilities: "supported membership sales, encouraging add-on fitness services by providing high-quality fitness assessments and customized workout solutions. "
The three companies that hire the most personal trainers are:
- AEA Investors230 personal trainers jobs
- Massage Envy127 personal trainers jobs
- Anytime Fitness119 personal trainers jobs
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Compare different personal trainers
Personal trainer vs. Strength and conditioning internship
Strength and conditioning interns are students, under an internship scheme, who provide assistance to staff in a comprehensive strength and conditioning programs' teaching and implementation. The programs integrate diverse curriculum focusing on the science and techniques associated with strength and conditioning. The interns supervise the rehabilitation sessions and workouts of varsity student-athletes. They execute motivational tasks in program implementation with the student-athletes. The skills necessary for the job include weight training, proper technique, and program design.
These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of a personal trainer are more likely to require skills like "cpr," "customer service," "resuscitation," and "fitness programs." On the other hand, a job as a strength and conditioning internship requires skills like "student athletes," "program implementation," "softball," and "soccer." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.
On average, strength and conditioning interns reach similar levels of education than personal trainers. Strength and conditioning interns are 1.5% more likely to earn a Master's Degree and 0.5% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Personal trainer vs. Fitness attendant
A fitness attendant oversees the daily operations of fitness establishments, ensuring that clients receive optimal services. They are primarily in charge of opening and closing facilities, setting up and sanitizing equipment, monitoring supply inventory, and maintaining the cleanliness of areas. They also greet and interact with clients, answer inquiries, provide instructions on how to use equipment safely, and assist them by spotting. It is also their responsibility to respond to distress and emergencies, resolving issues promptly and professionally.
In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, personal trainer responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "nasm," "cardiopulmonary resuscitation cpr," "physical fitness," and "program design." Meanwhile, a fitness attendant has duties that require skills in areas such as "general supervision," "aed," "emergency situations," and "fitness facility." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.
On average, fitness attendants earn a lower salary than personal trainers. Some industries support higher salaries in each profession. Interestingly enough, fitness attendants earn the most pay in the education industry with an average salary of $30,796. Whereas personal trainers have higher pay in the retail industry, with an average salary of $44,663.In general, fitness attendants achieve similar levels of education than personal trainers. They're 2.5% less likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 0.5% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Personal trainer vs. Yoga instructor
A yoga teacher or instructor is an individual who teaches yoga lessons and works at yoga studios, gyms, or fitness centers. Yoga teachers are wellness and fitness professionals who lead yoga classes. They teach their students a variety of practice meditation, promote mindfulness, and stretching poses. It is expected of them to know about mindful meditation and Chakra system implementation. They should be equipped with energy, inspiration, authenticity, attention to detail, and diligence.
Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from personal trainer resumes include skills like "resuscitation," "fitness programs," "nasm," and "cardiopulmonary resuscitation cpr," whereas a yoga instructor is more likely to list skills in "class attendance," "teacher training," "pilates," and "yoga. "
Yoga instructors make a very good living in the education industry with an average annual salary of $49,905. On the other hand, personal trainers are paid the highest salary in the retail industry, with average annual pay of $44,663.yoga instructors typically earn higher educational levels compared to personal trainers. Specifically, they're 6.9% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.6% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Personal trainer vs. Fitness coach
A fitness coach specializes in mentoring clients in their journey for a healthier lifestyle, assisting them in reaching their individual goals for physical fitness. Their responsibilities include developing training programs based on the clients' needs, facilitating physical fitness training sessions in an individual or group setting, learning the clients' medical histories for risk prevention, and monitoring the progress of clients, adjusting programs as needed. Furthermore, as a fitness coach, it is essential to build rapport with clients, motivating them to reach their goals.
Types of personal trainer
Updated January 8, 2025
