YMCA Gym Instructor

Training as a Gym Instructor

The gym floor is vibrant, varied, often challenging and most of all, fun. You will have the opportunity to improve customers' overall well-being, enhance their fitness levels, improve their confidence and help them train for specific sports or events. You will be designing tailored gym programmes, encouraging gym users to train effectively and ensuring that they work out safely.

You will be taught by our highly qualified tutors who tailor their delivery to suit your individual learning style. You will receive comprehensive learning resources and all the guidance and support needed to pass the course.

Our Gym Instructor course will give you the skills, knowledge and confidence you need to begin your fitness career. It will also make you desirable for employment in any gym across the UK.

Career options once qualified

• Work full-time or part-time as a gym instructor within a health and fitness club
• Become a gym supervisor or fitness manager within a health and fitness club
• Deliver popular group classes (by taking CPD modules) including Circuit Training, Keiser Cycle or Core Stability
• Build towards becoming a personal trainer by completing the remaining personal trainer modules
• Specialise in working with older adults or prenatal and post-natal women

YMCA Gym Instructor

Learn to:

• Identify the major bones, muscles and muscle actions of the body
• Explain the workings of the body's cardiovascular (CV) and energy systems
• Identify the components and principles of fitness
• Relate the Health and Safety at Work Act to the gym environment
• Identify excellent teaching skills in order to deliver safe and effective exercise programmes
• Identify good customer care and strategies for the adoption and maintenance of physical activity
• Plan, teach and evaluate a gym programme
• Demonstrate good personal technique on a range of CV equipment, fixed resistance, free weights and body weight exercises
• Apply specific health checks
• Apply basic skills that will enable you to include older adult, disabled, and antenatal and post-natal client groups in your sessions

Format

There are two format options available, face-to-face (intensive) or blended learning. Both options will take into account your preferred learning style and you will be taught at a pace you find comfortable.

• Face-to-face learning
  
  Intensive: 10 days over 3 weeks plus 1 day assessment. The course runs week on (5 days) - week off - week on (5 days)
  
  
• Blended learning
  
  Face-to-face: 5 days practical plus 1 day assessment
  Distance: theory via eLearning

The weekend option is offered on the blended learning format. Weekends may not always be consecutive. Courses may also include some Fridays.