Becoming a Personal Trainer in West Virginia

From mountain biking to rock climbing, for personal trainers, West Virginia has a little bit of everything for the outdoor enthusiast. If you like working outside and you enjoy a challenge, from Morgantown to Wheeling, you will be hard pressed to find a better fit for what you want than West Virginia.

Whether you are hoping to work with young athletes, expecting and newly minted mothers, or seniors that are looking to stay fit enough to continue enjoying their favorite outdoor activities, now is the time to pursue those dreams as a personal trainer in West Virginia. Diversity in clientele and beautiful surroundings are both factors that contribute to a rewarding career.

Penn Foster Career School's Online Personal Trainer Programs

Take the first step towards preparing for your career in the fields of personal fitness and nutrition through Penn Foster Career School's online programs:

Personal Trainer Career Diploma

Becoming a Personal Trainer in West Virginia

Typically, the best way to prepare for a career as a personal trainer in West Virginia is to obtain a two or four-year college degree. Complemented by a professional certification. Your career goals will ultimately determine your educational path, however, you will need some form of formal training from a comprehensive program to work in the health and fitness industry as a personal trainer.

Personal Training Degree Programs in West Virginia

Degree programs in personal training, which are typically offered at the associate and bachelor degree level, are designed to prepare you to:

• Perform health and fitness-related assessments on clients

• Design and implement fitness plans to train a variety of clients

• Instruct clients to perform safe and effective exercise techniques

• Communicate exercise science-related principles

• Exhibit a foundation of professional and business-related skills

Though there are associate and bachelor degrees available with a major in personal training, most of the relevant programs are in closely related majors, such as:

• Exercise science

• Kinesiology

• Sports Medicine

• Exercise physiology

• Physical education

Core coursework in a degree program in personal training often includes:

• Anatomy and physiology

• Fundamentals of fitness

• Fitness center skills

• Exercise techniques

• Power development

• Flexibility, posture, and core

• Nutrition for fitness

• Structural kinesiology

• Exercise physiology

Professional Certification Programs in West Virginia

While nationally recognized professional certification is not a legally mandated requirement for working as a personal trainer in West Virginia, most employers will expect it. Just a few of the certifying organizations that offer personal training certification include:

• The Cooper Institute

• National Council on Strength and Fitness (NCSF)

• National Council for Certified Personal Trainers (NCCPT)

• National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM)

• American Fitness Professional and Associates (AFPA)

• American Council on Exercise (ACE)

• American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM)

• Academy of Applied Personal Training Education (AAPTE)

To help stand out from the field, you may wish to pursue certification for specific disciplines to complement your general certification. You may choose, Spinning, Pilates, yoga or CrossFit just to name a few.  

The National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA) is the major accrediting agency for personal training certification programs. With that in mind, you are well advised to ensure any program you begin is recognized by them.

Obtaining your professional certification will generally be as simple as completing a course of study and then passing an examination which demonstrates you have grasped the knowledge which has been presented.

What to Expect from a Career in Personal Training

In West Virginia, most personal trainer jobs will be found in larger gyms and fitness centers, although there are some boutique fitness clubs as well. We have included a sampling of jobs posted in March of 2015, for illustrative purposes only, for personal trainers throughout West Virginia.

A Bridgeport fitness studio is seeking a personal trainer who is responsible for:

• Formulating customized training programs based on the fitness needs and health of their clients

• Helping clients with exercises through demonstrations

• Recording the progress of clients

• Analyzing client results and making necessary changes to the personal training programs

Applicants should have a thorough understanding of fitness concepts, human anatomy, and psychology

A Charleston fitness center is seeking personal trainers who possess a degree in a health-related field (preferred) or certification through a nationally recognized organization

A Huntington gym is seeking a personal trainer who possesses CPR/AED certification and current certification in one of the following:

• ACE

• AFAA

• ACSM

• NCSA

• ISSA

They also want to see leadership and supervisory abilities as well as an entrepreneurial spirit and enthusiasm.

A fitness center in Teays Valley is seeking a personal training manager who possesses personal training certification or a fitness-related degree and previous personal training experience. A bachelor’s degree is preferred for this position.

Just a few of the many fitness centers and personal training studios throughout West Virginia where you may find a wealth of professional opportunities include:

• Extreme Family Fitness, Martinsburg

• Planet Fitness, Bridgeport

• Anytime Fitness, Charleston

• Lakeview Fitness Center, Morgantown

With hard work and dedication, anyone can make a good living as a personal trainer in West Virginia. Find out more today.