If you think that completing a Certificate III in Fitness involves working up a sweat, think again. Getting your qualification is surprisingly easy once you know how. Check out the following eight tips:
Tip #1: Take A Work Placement
The best way to learn your craft as a fitness instructor is actually to go down to a gym and start training people. The more you can interact with clients, the better prepared you’ll be for your career.
This experience, however, isn’t just helpful for the long-run – it’s vital for getting your Certificate III in Fitness too. The more practical experience that you can get on the ground, the more confident you’ll feel when it comes to the functional assessment.
Tip #2: Create A Schedule That Suits Your Lifestyle
Professional fitness instructors depend on their routines. Everything from when they eat to their client appointments follows a schedule.
Even if you’re not an instructor yet, however, having a routine will still help you during your studies. Most students find that it is helpful to set aside a couple of evenings a week to dedicate to their Cert III. Knowing in advance that you can’t go out on, say on Mondays and Wednesdays, will help you develop discipline – something you’ll need as a professional trainer.
Tip #3: Choose Your Study Space Wisely
Because Cert III is a gateway qualification to the fitness industry, there’s a lot to learn. It’s vital, therefore, that your study space is quiet, peaceful, and free from distractions. If possible, leave your smartphone in another room and disable social media pop-ups on your notebook. You’re there to study!
Tip #4: Always Remind Yourself Why You’re Working So Hard
Completing a Cert III can be an uphill struggle, but only if you lose sight of why you’re doing it in the first place. Successful fitness professionals who battle with the academic side of things find it helpful to remind themselves of why they’re working so hard. Yes, learning the material might be challenging, but the effort is worth it if you get the opportunity to help clients turn their lives around.
Tip #5: Don’t Be Afraid To Ask Questions
It’s natural for students to get stuck from time to time. Sometimes the answer is not apparent.
If you find yourself stuck on a concept, topic, or practical exercise, don’t be afraid to approach your instructor. Often, they’re able to provide helpful advice and input that allows you to make a breakthrough.
Tip #6: Aim To Learn About Fitness, Not Just Pass The Theory Exam
The school system is responsible for many fitness students’ lousy learning habits. It taught many of us that the best strategy is to cram just enough to pass the exam and then forget everything afterward.
When you’re training to be a fitness instructor, however, what you learn will come in useful in your career. You’re not just learning for the sake of passing an exam; you’re studying because you want to provide your clients with an excellent service.
Don’t, therefore, take the approach that some students do towards their Cert III and see it as yet another school qualification. Instead, view it as a vocation – a tool that you can use to create the life that you want for yourself.
Tip #7: Set Strict Deadlines For Yourself
Your course organizer should already be setting deadlines for handing in coursework and getting practicals done. However, having your own deadlines can also help enormously too. Setting deadlines motivates you to get work done before it becomes overwhelming.
Remember, a Cert III qualification in fitness covers a breathtaking array of topics including screening and fitness orientation, healthy eating information, first aid, how to conduct fitness appraisals, how to run community fitness programs, and how to instruct older clients. The more that you can organize your time, breaking the course up into chunks, the easier it will be when you come to the final assessment.
Tip #8: Learn Alongside Other Students
Learning isn’t a solo activity: it’s something that is best done alongside other people going through the same thing. The more that you can form relationships with other people on your Cert III training course, the more you’ll get out of the experience.
People on your course, for instance, can help you bust through plateaus in your understanding. They can also motivate you with healthy competition and rivalry. Making friendships today will allow you to create relationships that will assist you as you build your career in the future.