Last updated: November 23, 2022
You want to become a qualified personal trainer. But perhaps, you don’t have relevant work experience or education. That doesn’t mean you can’t pursue your passion. We have a list of some of the best affordable personal trainer courses in Australia with minimal entry requirements. It’s never too late to kickstart your personal trainer career!
Do you wish to become a personal trainer but have no idea how?
Well, the first step would be attaining a personal training qualification. To practice personal training legally in Australia, you need a nationally recognised qualification.
But don’t worry. It isn’t as complicated as it sounds—you’d just need to complete a relevant course to get that qualification.
With hundreds of choices available, it’s hard to pick the best personal trainer course that’ll give you the upper edge in landing your dream job.
The good news is that we’ve done that for you! We’ve done a great deal of research to shortlist and find the top personal trainer courses in Australia. These courses don’t require any relevant training, experience, or education for you to start them. Yup! You heard us. But wait, there’s more.
Many of these courses also offer online learning for extra convenience—not to mention that subsidies are also available for Australian students.
You want the best, and we’ve found them.
We’ll also explore everything you need to know about becoming a qualified personal trainer in Australia.
The most common route into this industry is via a Certificate III and Certificate IV course.
But what’s the difference between a Certificate III and Certificate IV in Fitness? Let’s take a look.
A Certificate III in Fitness is an entry-level qualification to get one foot in the door. If you haven’t got any official education or experience to show, a Certificate III course is the most common way to jumpstart a new career in the fitness industry.
It equips students with the foundational knowledge and skills to take up a role as a fitness professional, group fitness instructor, or gym instructor. There are very minimal entry requirements for this type of fitness course. But it doesn’t offer in-depth or advanced learning content.
First aid will be an integral unit within a Cert III course. So if you opt for a completely online course, you will have to complete a First Aid Unit with a provider in your location.
Note: The SIS30321 Certificate III in Fitness has superseded the SIS30315 Certificate III in Fitness.
The main differences between a Certificate III and Certificate IV course are:
A Certificate IV in Fitness is a higher-level qualification than the Cert III—and you will need to complete a Cert III course before getting into a Cert IV one. The main goal of a Certificate IV in Fitness is to train, teach, and empower students to deliver effective one-on-one fitness coaching and become professional personal trainers.
A Cert IV is a must if you wish to have a successful career as a qualified personal trainer in Australia. The Cert IV course will further enhance and build on the skills and knowledge you learned in Cert III, so you can expect to dive deeper beyond the fundamentals in this course.
You can typically command a higher pay with this qualification—not to mention that it will open up more fitness career options as you move forward.
Note: The SIS40221 Certificate IV in Fitness has superseded the SIS40215 Certificate IV in Fitness.
If you’re very keen on taking up a personal training course, these are some factors to keep in mind.
If you’re looking to find a comprehensive, nationally recognised course to kickstart your personal training career now—we’ve got your back.
Here’s a list of the top personal trainer courses in Australia. For that added convenience, we’ve chosen online courses (and one with a blended delivery) that cater to at-your-own-pace learning.
Looking to upskill, get ahead of your competitors, or spruce up your resume?—How about trying out these short online courses?
You’ll have lifetime access to all their resources and materials!
12 months
Online(with physical work placement)
~$1800 Approximate fees
The Certificate III course is the best way to enter the fitness industry as a gym instructor or group exercise instructor. You’ll learn how to conduct health and fitness assessments for clients and analyse movement to guide gym-goers with proper techniques and equipment usage.
Their online course delivers all learning content online but does not cover the compulsory first aid training costs. You’ll have to pay $100 to complete the first aid unit at their campus in Victoria or arrange for it with another provider. You’ll also have to attend 32 hours of practical placement at an approved fitness centre of your choice.
This online course will take up to 12 months, depending on your pace. You can work through all their materials and assessments at your own timing and schedule (suitable for part-time or full-time study). In other words, you’re given complete freedom to manage your own learning timetable. Their readily-available student support services will provide any assistance if you hit a roadblock during your study journey.
12 Months
Online(with physical work placement)
~$2800 Approximate fees
The Online Personal Trainer Course by AFA includes a Certificate III in Fitness and a Certificate IV in Fitness.
This is yet another course with minimal entry requirements that gives you all the qualifications and training you need to become a personal trainer or gym instructor. To complete both the Cert III and Cert IV courses, you will need to undergo work training at an approved fitness centre.
The First Aid unit is not included in the course if you opt for the online option. But you can complete this unit at their campus (Victoria, Melbourne) or with another provider.
You’ll be given up to 12 months to complete your Cert III and another 12 months to finish your Cert IV. If you choose to complete this program online, all learning will be entirely self-managed and done at your own pace and schedule. Since the program is delivered this way, you can choose to take it part-time or full-time.
11-14 Months
Online
~$5000
The Master Trainer Online Program includes the Fitness Essentials Prerequisites (units you must complete to satisfy the entry requirements for a Certificate IV) and a Certificate IV in Fitness.
If you want a complete program that helps you land a job as a fully qualified personal trainer or fitness coach—this is it. The Master Trainer program will cover all the fitness fundamentals, including nutritional guidance, physiology, anatomy, and exercise prescription. Additionally, this program will teach you how to set up your own fitness business and marketing to acquire clients.
You can opt for full-time or part-time study, either face-to-face (on-campus) or online. Their e-learning (online) campus allows you to study at your own pace and schedule and will give you access to virtual classrooms and interactive webinars. This self-paced online learning program takes up to 52 weeks (one year), but they have a graduation rate that’s four times the average industry rate!
2 years
Blended
~$7000
The Complete Personal Trainer program includes a Certificate IV of Fitness and all entry requirement units, as well as a Diploma of Nutrition.
You’ll get the full suite of skills, knowledge, and training needed to become a personal trainer, nutrition advisor, or nutrition coach.
The comprehensive program covers everything from learning how to construct personal training programs for clients and providing healthy nutrition advice. You’ll also learn how to build and run your own business. The Diploma of Nutrition further teaches you to provide nutritional advice and support and help your clients structure their dietary habits to meet specific fitness goals.
All theoretical elements are delivered online, while practical components will be delivered on campus and during physical work placements. The course may take up to 2 years to complete.
This course dives into the concept and science behind advanced dieting and meal planning. Some content you’ll cover include:-
You’ll learn the ins and outs of fitness and dieting through video lectures, printable resources, eBooks, and handy printables. With this knowledge, you can empower your clients to utilise nutrition as a tool for achieving their personal fitness goals.
If you’d like to upskill in exercise routine designing, this top-rated course will give you the skills and knowledge to create workouts that meet different fitness goals.
Some areas you’ll cover in this course include:-
This course will equip and train you to expertly design workout and fitness routines that line up with your client’s goals.
As a personal trainer, you’ll take on the fulfilling role of supporting and motivating people to reach their health, wellness, and fitness goals. You’ll be the helping hand for your client in certain areas, such as:
A personal trainer can specialise in providing training and education to a specific group of people, such as older adults or women. As a personal trainer, you can run your own gym business, conduct group exercise activities, do one-on-one training, or even become a fitness influencer!
The average salary for a personal trainer is around $30-45 per hour.
With a Cert III, you can already take up a role as a group exercise instructor. This is definitely a job to consider if you enjoy choreographing Zumba dances or leading a group in pilates, conga, or boxing!
Your job scope will typically involve:
The average salary for a group fitness instructor in Australia is around $40-50 per hour.
If you want to build a successful fitness career, getting the proper certifications and qualifications will help you land jobs and clients. These PT courses will equip you with a slew of skills, empowering you to provide clients with safe and effective fitness support and education.
To become a personal trainer in Australia, you’ll need a Certificate IV in Fitness. The most common route to meet the entry requirements for a Certificate IV course is via a Certificate III in Fitness course. But some programs do offer the complete package: A Certificate IV plus the prerequisite units.
It would take around a year to become a qualified personal trainer in Australia. But this could take up to 2 years depending on your own pace of study.
You will need an official qualification or certification to become a personal trainer in Australia. The most common type of certification is the Certificate IV in Fitness.
An online Certificate III in Fitness could cost up to $2000, while an online Certificate IV in Fitness may cost up to $3000—depending on the duration of your program and the institute you opt for.
