Becoming a Personal Trainer in Rhode Island

Rhode Island may be a small state, but it is big when it comes to outdoor enthusiasts. Whether it is beach activities in Newport, hiking in East Greenwich or getting in some winter skating at Kennedy Plaza, as a personal trainer in Rhode Island, your challenge will be keeping your clients fit and ready to do a little bit of everything.

As Rhode Island is the birthplace of the X-Games, you are likely to encounter clients whom are athletes that push the extreme. Whether you are working with one of them or a mom looking to lose some baby or get in shape for the summer camping season and all the activities that entails, clients will turn to you to develop a workout regimen that works for them.

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Personal Trainer Career Diploma

One of the benefits of being a personal trainer that is often overlooked is that as you work to get your clients in shape, it helps you stay in shape also. Part of your job as a personal trainer is not just telling clients what to do, but showing them how to do it and in some cases, doing it along with them.

The US Department of Labor surveys show that as a personal trainer in Rhode Island, you can expect to earn a very strong salary. Top trainers earn upward of $72,000 annually! By the end of 2022, it is expected that the ten-year growth rate for personal trainers will have shown a 13% increase. Between the expected growth rate and strong average salary, everything indicates a very promising career.

Becoming a Personal Trainer in Rhode Island

As a personal trainer in Rhode Island, it is quite possible that you will find yourself working in a variety of environments. Some days may be filled with one-on-one clients in outdoor settings and others may have you leading large classes in a fitness club.

In order to provide yourself with the best career prospects possible, you will need to secure the kind of education and certification that demonstrates you have the skills to design and lead your clients through safe and effective workout programs.

Formal Training and Education

Most employers of personal trainers in Rhode Island are beginning to require either and Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree of their employees. Here and there you will find some who accept workshop and online program certificates, but that is becoming less common.

To provide yourself with the best career opportunities possible, completing a degree program in a major that is related to the personal fitness industry is one of the best things you can do to facilitate this. Degree majors include sports medicine, exercise science, kinesiology, dietetics and nutrition and personal training.

Examples of courses for associate degree courses in sports medicine include:

• Health & Fitness Appraisal and Wellness

• Exercise Leadership

• Principles of Health and Fitness

• Sports Psychology

• Exercise Physiology

• Sports Medicine and First Aid

• Sports Administration and Law

Upper division courses for a bachelor degree in sports medicine may include:

• Applied Kinesiology

• Strength Training and Conditioning

• Stress Management

• Substance Abuse

• Nutrition in Health and Exercise

• Sports Business Management

• Basic Therapeutic Modalities for Musculoskeletal Injuries

It isn’t just the skills you will gain from your classes in anatomy, exercise science and nutrition that will help you perform your job, it is the associated courses that help you develop and improve communication and time management skills that will benefit you greatly on a day to day basis.

National Certification Options

Rhode Island does not require that personal trainers possess a national certification, however many fitness clubs and personal clients do. A national certification is your tangible proof that you have the ability to perform the duties of a personal trainer and it also helps separate you from the competition. Minimum qualifications for most certifications are:

• High school diploma or equivalent

• 18 years of age or older

• Adult CPR/AED CED certified

Specialized certification programs are available in a variety of subject areas including, but not limited to the following:

• Fitness Nutrition

• Exercise Therapy

• Senior Fitness

• Youth Fitness

• Sports Nutrition

• Strength & Conditioning

• Elite Trainer

• Master Trainer

Among the most respected institutes that provide personal training certification are:

• International Sports Science Association (ISSA)

• Aerobics and Fitness Association of America (AFAA)

• National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA)

• National Exercise Trainers Association (NETA)

• National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM)

• American Council of Exercise (ACE)

• Professional Personal Trainers Association (PROPTA)

• The Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND®),

As you begin sorting through your options regarding national certifying agencies, you will quickly realize that most have their own individual criteria for admission. Some will require a college degree; others will require CPR certification or possibly both. Take some time to see which best fits needs and long term goals.

Working as a Personal Trainer in Rhode Island

Regardless of what type of fitness facility you choose to work in, the following list includes the basic responsibilities you will have as a personal trainer:

• Teach safe, effective, challenging, and modifiable fitness programs

• Create rapport with customers that leads to sales of personal training sessions

• Monitor participants’ progress and adapt programs as needed

• Attend & participate in all staff and individual development meetings, including continuing education and training sessions

• Review client progress on a regular basis

A survey of job openings for personal trainers in Rhode Island in March 2015 is included here to help illustrate what employers are looking for and what you can expect to encounter as an applicant:

SYNRGY Health & Fitness is a premier luxury health club in Providence which offers an upscale fitness center. Requirements that SYNRGY is looking for from personal trainers include:

• Must be able to manage time effectively

• Must be able to market personal training and obtain clients

• Must have current CPR, First Aid, & AED certifications

• Nationally recognized personal training certification

Maxx Fitness Club in Providence offers both full and part time personal training positions. Salary potential is based on your ability to attract and keep clients so basically you will set your own salary. Qualifications at Maxx include:

• College Degree in Exercise Science or Human Performance is a plus

• An outgoing positive attitude

• Preferred certification from NASM, ACE, AFAA or ISSA

Manic Training in East Greenwich offers High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) with intense and challenging sessions. A group trainer at Manic must be able to meet the following requirements:

• Ability to learn the Manic Training program/exercises (both teach and perform)

• Excellent customer service and communication skills

• Positive attitude with a high energy level

Ready for a career you’ll love? Think about becoming a personal trainer in Rhode Island.