Are you looking for more information on personal training courses?
Are you finding it difficult getting all the answers you want?
There's so much conflicting information out there it's difficult to know where to start!
So… to make your life easier I've put together a quick blog on the “7 Tips To Avoid When Choosing a Personal Trainer Course” and added a little information on what EPTI have to offer.
Use these 7 inside tips to guide you on finding the best Personal Training course for your requirements and to make an informed buying decision when you choose your course.
#1 “Empty” sales talk:
Okay, so you speak to a salesperson of “Corporate PT Training Company” on the telephone and they instantly promise you that if you take their certification, they will “guarantee” you an interview with “such and such health club” when you graduate.
What are they actually giving you here?
Lets look at this guarantee more closely…….
You’ve done all the hard work, you studied, passed the theory and practical assessments and gained a level 3 REPS/CIMSPA approved certification.
If a gym/ health club has vacancies, why wouldn’t you get an interview for a job that you are qualified to do? – you hold THE industry standard qualification! Certificates on their own don’t get you jobs… You do!
Our argument at EPTI is it’s all very well being given a guarantee to attend an interview, but we want you to nail that interview!
How do you do this?
Well, actually being prepared to become an effective personal trainer might be a good start. We concentrate on training people to be the best personal trainers, so that you can demonstrate your skills and knowledge during any interview.
Keep reading the points below to see how we do this….
On another point, because EPTI is not a huge corporate PT training machine, we open your eyes to the many possibilities available to a modern day PT and the methods to manage your own successful PT business.
Our PT Diploma courses include business acumen modules, that gives our graduates ALL the necessary tools to choose whatever career path suits them best.
Large corporate companies employ pushy sales reps to reach sales targets
#2 Large student class sizes:
Do you want to be part of the PT training production line and be taught as part of a large student group?
Or would you prefer to receive tutoring in small class sizes which focus on you as an individual?
Ask the question when signing on for a course about average class sizes and the number of tutors who will be on hand during the practical part of the course; and say no to courses that have a high ratio of students: tutor per course.
At EPTI, we only enrol small groups of students onto each of our practical courses, so you can be assured that you will receive unparalleled individual attention before, during and after your attendance.
Small groups of students receive unparalleled individual attention
# 3 No access to tutors before the practical course begins:
With online blended courses, students are required to do the theoretical study part of the course from an online learning platform at home. This is fine, as most examining boards provide fantastic study resources for their online students.
Find a course that provides access to tutors who offer support & guidance throughout all of your study
As part of your homework towards selecting a course, we suggest you find a training company that goes the extra mile for its students, one that gives a personal service and provides access to tutors who offer support and guidance throughout all of your study and learning.
Ask to speak with course tutors about the course content and the level of distance support that you can expect to receive from them. Look at testimonials to see if this is validated by past students. If tutors are not readily available to speak with you when you are making your decision, what does that tell you about the speed and level of support you can expect to receive during YOUR study once you have signed up and they have your money?
If you are buying the course from a telesales person, are they looking to sell you a course that best suits your needs or are they suggesting a course date that allows them to hit their sales targets and maximise their commission?
At EPTI, you deal with the tutors every step of the way. We discuss where you are currently at with regards to your experience levels and study schedule; and then advise and agree on the best course for you. Each student is assigned a personal support tutor that will be readily available to provide assistance with all aspects of your study and coursework preparation and who will also be part of the tutor team when you arrive to do your practical training.
We are proud of the many testimonials and reviews from past students that acknowledge and endorse this.
#4 Tutors with little “real” industry experience
Personal Training delivery is a practical, technique based profession. These skills are developed over time through experience and further industry based education.
So, who are your tutors? – do you know anything about them? and what is THEIR own record of success in business as a personal trainer?
Many training providers make great claims about employing academic sports scientists as tutors , but they may have little “real” industry experience. They could be little more than school teachers, able to teach you the theory behind sports science and personal training, but backed up with very little personal experience. In our opinion, if you want to be a successful PT then you need to learn from a combination of successful PTs AND sports scientists.
EPTI founders are internationally recognised personal trainers
Our 3 lead tutors EACH have over 23 years experience in the fitness industry and continue to run very successful PT companies. They are successful personal trainers in their own right and continue to PT day in, day out in the field and are passionate about the industry. EPTI have a hand picked team of tutors which complement the blend of experience and scientific knowledge.
Toby Clay provides online PT and strength and conditioning warm weather training camps for professional sports teams in Spain. He is a British, European and World Indoor Rowing Champion decorated athlete.
Mike Wilson runs his own 1:1 and online PT business from the UK and is an Amazon Best-selling fitness author.
Caroline Clay owns her own group training fitness business in Spain.
We share their innovative, proven and up to date training techniques to take away with you.
#5 Short (and cheap) Assessment only courses:
Remember, CHEAPEST rarely goes in the same sentence as BEST.
There are cheap courses out there that will do little more than assess you to make sure that you meet the assessment criteria laid down by REPS. They favour speed over substance and neglect to teach you how to become the best in a competitive marketplace.
EPTI students perform at a level that far exceeds the REPS standards
At EPTI, we train our students to perform at a level that far exceeds the REPS standards for a fitness professional, but which are sought after by prospective clients.
Would you take a driving test by just reading how to drive and without actually driving a car first?
Of course not, you’d quickly end up in a car crash! At EPTI, we don’t want your career to end up in a wreckage too!
We offer the very best and most thorough tuition that you can expect to receive.
All students receive detailed Business Acumen learning, where the secrets to creating a successful PT career and business are shared. This allows you to be industry-ready immediately and the best possible PT version of yourself.
#6 Beware of hidden fees and additional costs:
This really bugs us!
Does the fee that you pay up front include the Examining Board’s registration and certification fees?
Do they charge a sky-high fee for re-assessment should you not pass an assessment? (They usually do!)
At EPTI, all our fees are transparent and available to you before you sign on with us. Our fees include all registration and certification with the examining board, all tuition (before/during and after the course), access to the e-Learning platform and digital manuals; airport transfers to and from the training campus (t&c apply); and self-catering apartment accommodation at our Spanish training campus locations.
What’s more, once you have arrived at our residential campus, you are free from the daily commute and parking costs (money or time). The expense of living here is far cheaper than a residential course equivalent in the UK where you may have expensive hotel/ food costs to pay.
In the event of a student failing an assessment, they will be allowed to return on one course convenient to them to do the re-assessment for free if it cannot be completed on their current practical course (but thereafter there is an admin. charge).
Beware of Hidden Fees!
#7 Avoid Uninspiring and stressful learning environments:
Some training courses try to pack their course into an overly intense learning timetable, putting profit above the welfare and benefit of the student.
Many residential courses fail to programme sufficient (or any) rest days into their courses. PT training courses are exhausting both physically and mentally and in our opinion, students respond and perform better with appropriate relaxation to balance the intense nature of the course.
Couple this with a stressful commute to and from a city centre venue and the raised stress levels all round are going to diminish your learning experience by the time you reach the end of the course.
Many personal training courses also take place in busy gym or health club venues, where students may be pushed into “quiet corners” of the gym.
EPTI training takes place at the local sports stadium or on the golden beaches
EPTI provide stress-free training campuses where the accommodation and learning/ gym training takes place within the same building complex.
The fantastic year round sunshine provides the perfect opportunity to practise outdoor personal training techniques at the local sports stadium or on the golden beaches.This ideal setting provides our students with all the skills needed to run bootcamps or mobile PT for clients when they embark on their new career.
Thank you for taking the time to read my post, if you have any questions that I can help you with please feel free to WhatsApp me on +34 633 094 619 or click here to request more information.
Yours in health,
Toby Clay
European Personal Training Institute
