How to Become a Gym Instructor
Thinking about starting your career in the fitness industry?
Becoming a gym instructor is often the first step into the fitness industry. It’s a role that puts you right at the heart of the gym floor, working with clients, building confidence, and learning the foundations of fitness instruction. Whether you’re fresh out of education, changing careers, or looking to turn your love of fitness into a job, here’s your guide on how to make it happen.
Understand the Role
First things first, you need to know what a Level 2 Gym Instructor can do. As a gym instructor, you’ll be the go-to person on the gym floor. Your role includes welcoming members, demonstrating exercises, creating safe training plans for group sessions, and supporting clients in reaching their fitness goals. While you won’t yet be working 1-to-1 like a personal trainer, you’ll still be helping people build confidence, stay safe, and feel motivated.
It’s a rewarding career on its own, but it’s also the launchpad for becoming a qualified personal trainer. There is a difference between a gym instructor and a personal trainer, but they both have value within the fitness industry.
How Do You Qualify as a Gym Instructor?
To work in a gym in the UK, you’ll need to complete the Level 2 Gym Instructing qualification. This course covers anatomy, exercise technique, client interaction, and health & safety.
There are two main routes:
Level 2 Gym Instructing Course – A flexible blended-learning course combining in-person workshops with online learning.
Apprenticeships – Some gyms and leisure centres will offer apprenticeship job roles so that you can earn while you learn the Level 2 qualification alongside other qualifications like the National Pool Lifeguard Qualification (NPLQ).
Our parent company, FLM Training Ltd, offers these types of apprenticeships to numerous providers throughout the North West.
What do you learn?
Gym Instructing qualifications give you everything you need to start working as a gym instructor in commercial or independent gyms teaching you;
Anatomy & physiology essentials
Health & safety in the gym
Principles of exercise and fitness
Customer service and communication
Practical gym-based instruction
How to deliver a workout
What you won’t learn is how to do Spin, Zumba or Boxercise. The reason for that is that they are separate qualifications themselves, and often, Gyms will want to train you to deliver the group classes they want to offer.
What happens after you qualify?
Completing Level 2 is also your stepping stone to the Level 3 Personal Trainer course, which unlocks the ability to work 1-to-1 with clients.
Once you’ve qualified as a Level 2 Gym Instructor, you can:
Start working in gyms and leisure centres
Progress onto the Level 3 Personal Trainer course
Consider CPDs such as Group Exercise, Exercise to Music, or L3 Exercise Referral (formerly known as GP referral).
This role isn’t just about supervising or being a gym cleaner. It’s about starting your journey in the fitness industry and laying the groundwork for bigger opportunities. You can do so much even before you qualify as a personal trainer.
Ready to Get Started?
At Fitasylum, we deliver the Level 2 Gym Instructing course in a blended format, combining in-person practical workshops with online learning, making it flexible around your lifestyle. Or, if you’d prefer to earn while you learn, you can look into fitness apprenticeships with our partner company, FLM Training.
Whichever path you choose, this is your first step toward an exciting career in fitness. Whether that’s staying in gym instructing or progressing onto the Level 3 Personal Trainer course to work 1-to-1 with clients.
Kick-start your career today
👉 Explore our Level 2 Gym Instructing course