If you are considering a career as a personal fitness trainer, you may already know that there are two options that you can take when it comes to getting the right skills, namely online personal trainer vs. in-person certification.
You can either choose to have online training or you can opt for in-person training. Both of these modes come with distinctive advantages. The choice of which one you select depends largely on your circumstances as well as your career goals.
In this article, we are going to explain what each option entails and how to go about selecting between the two options.
Understanding Online Learning
Online training typically involves engaging with the course largely or completely over the Internet. When you select to get your personal fitness training online, you get course content delivered to you online, and assignments as well as exams may be delivered in the same way.
One aspect about online learning is that there is typically no schedule. This means that you get to learn at your own pace, and you can complete assignments whenever you have the time to do this. It is important to note that the curriculum in online learning is the same as in-person learning. The only difference is the mode in which this training is delivered, as well as the scheduling.
Benefits of Online Learning
Since online learning means that you get to study at your own pace, it is very convenient and suitable for students who have scheduling issues. For example, if the nature of your job does not allow you to attend in-person training such as would be the case if you travel a lot, this might be the way that you get the fitness training skills that you desire.
Learning at your own pace allows you to take the time you need to fully understand the courses and review them as often as necessary to develop the right skills. For students who may find a personal fitness training course challenging, this is a great option as it gives them the space to pace their learning.
If you are facing financial constraints, and you still want to get your personal fitness training course done, online learning is a great option. As there is no travel involved, you can save significantly on these expenses. You also get to save time that would typically be spent on commutes and other related processes.
In-person Learning
As the name suggests, in-person learning involves physical interaction with your instructors and following a scheduled course with set timings. Unlike online learning, you have little to no control over the pace of learning, as this is scheduled with set timings for classes.
It’s an ideal approach for students who prefer traditional classroom settings for learning. This format of learning will often include hands-on practice sessions, which could include the use of any equipment that is involved in personal fitness training.
Benefits of In-person Learning
There are many reasons why in-person learning may be right for you. As mentioned, it provides direct access to instructors, which can be important for some students. Direct interaction helps instructors explain complex concepts clearly and identify areas where students may need extra support.
Another reason why many people consider in-person learning is the fact that you get hands-on experience and demonstrations. Personal fitness training is a very hands-on process. Being able to implement the concepts you are learning can greatly aid the process of learning.
People also overlook the social aspect of in-person learning. In a classroom, learners get to interact with their peers and this can help establish life-long networks that can later be very useful for you. The structured nature of in-person learning also helps students who struggle with self-discipline and procrastination. You are forced to work on your studies, which, for some learners, is a great way to overcome some of these bad habits.
Online Personal Trainer vs. In-Person Certification: A Comparison
Evaluating The Content in Both Systems
As someone looking to get the right personal fitness skills, you may be wondering if there is a difference in the curriculum between the two modes. Generally speaking, the content is the same.
Personal fitness training education mostly focuses on physiology, anatomy, and exercise programming. Also covered are areas such as biomechanics, safety, and nutrition, among others. As technology improves, the differences between the two modes in terms of delivery are reducing. For example, group interaction used to be only for students enrolled in in-person learning.
However, with live video technology becoming more common and accessible, online students can sometimes participate in group sessions remotely, significantly enhancing learning. Video technology also allows online learners to participate in live practice sessions and interact in real-time with their lecturers.
All this is dependent on the facilities that are available in your training institution and so if you are planning to be an online learner, understanding their use of technology is really important. It can make all the difference to the quality of learning that you receive there.
Getting Practical Skills
For any accredited learning program, getting hands-on skills is an important aspect of the process. While in-person learners typically have no problem in this area, it may pose a challenge to online learners. However, learning institutions work around this problem by using live demonstrations on video. Some may also offer in-person sessions for their online learners to cover practical aspects of their course.
Another common way that institutions get around this problem is through mandated practical hours at an external facility. This helps give learners the practical skills that they need. Just as with the theoretical content, learners need to have a clear idea of how any training institution gets around this problem before enrolling.
For example, if you live in an area that is far from any gym or any facility where you can get hands-on experience, you may want to evaluate their use of technology before enrolling in an online program.
Cost Consideration
Apart from the lower expenses associated with online learning, this mode of content delivery also tends to be cheaper than in-person learning. This is because online learning has less overhead cost than in-person learning, and organizations can pass these cost savings on to their students.
However, while the monetary costs may be less, students learning online are required to have a higher level of self-discipline relative to in-person learning. Since learning is generally unscheduled, it is a lot easier for students using this mode to procrastinate, and this can hurt their learning.
Choosing between these two modes of learning depends on a variety of factors, including cost and time considerations. However, effective learning is still possible in either of the two. Programs such as HyFlex, which is offered by National Personal Training Institute of Florida, offer an excellent online training curriculum with hands-on experience for students.
We are a highly accredited learning institution with years of experience in both in-person and online learning. Our students have gone on to be industry leaders, and we take pride in our rigorous approach to personal fitness training education.
Get in touch with us today to learn more about our personal fitness training courses.
