We get a lot of questions about our courses and qualifications, so we’ve put together a list of the most frequently asked ones. If you have a question about a specific course, you’ll tend to find the answers on the individual course pages. If you don’t find what you’re looking for, feel free to get in touch directly and we’ll be more than happy to help.
YMCAfit is the UK’s first and leading provider of fitness education. As a charity, helping you be your best is our top priority. We’ll train you for a longstanding career, not just to pass a test. We know not only what employers and the industry want but also what your clients will need from you. We’ll help you become the best fitness professional, so you can help transform lives and inspire communities.
At YMCAfit, we offer a range of funding support to help you start and continue your fitness career. This can include Advanced Learn Loans, 0% finance and early bird discounts on various courses.
We also run a number of sales and offers, which you can access through signing up for our newsletter or by requesting a callback with one of our specialist course advisors
CIMSPA (the Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity) is the professional body for the United Kingdom’s sports and physical activity sector. CIMSPA’s focus is on inspiring the nation to become more active through supporting, developing and enabling professionals and organisations to succeed.
Many employers will only employ those with a CIMSPA qualification.
As a CIMSPA partner, it means that we deliver quality-assured courses that are endorsed by the sport and physical activity’s only chartered professional body.
To ensure that fitness professionals remain up to date with training, CIMSPA members are required to earn 10 or more CIMSPA points through a variety of activities. CIMSPA-accredited Continued Professional Development courses (CPDs) help you earn these points to keep accreditation and learn useful skills.
By being a member of CIMSPA, fitness professionals are able to show that they have the necessary knowledge, skills and qualifications to practise.
To book one of our entry level courses you will need to talk to one of our course advisors. This is to ensure that you are enrolled on the best course for you and they will be able to answer any key questions that you might have.
To get the best advice and help, we recommend talking to our course advisors over the phone. Based on your needs, current skills and experience, they will be able to help advise you on what would best meet your requirements and budget. They will also be able to answer any questions that you might have concerning the courses.
You can also attend our free open evenings. You will be able to find out more about the different training routes available to you, the training and support you’ll receive whilst studying, career paths once you’ve qualified and continuing professional development.
CPD stands for Continuing Professional Development. For various organisations, to keep your professional membership, you are required to earn a set number of points per year. For CIMSPA, you are required to earn 10 points annually, while Merrithew requires 0.6 poits for STOTT PILATES®.
Professional membership organisations ensure that accredited professionals maintain a good level of regular training to ensure that the quality of professionals within the sector is high.
Our Tutors are the best in the industry (82% of our students have said they are “exceptional”) and we have invested in an incredible support team to help our students to qualify and thrive.
We’ll give you all the support and advice you need to complete your qualification and go on to have an amazing career. With our on-hand support team, designated learning support tutor, online kickstart session, support workshops, revision tips hotline and graduate job board, we are here to support you throughout your journey.
The first qualification you’ll need is the Level 2 Gym Instructor Course, which will equip you with the basic tools that you need to plan, instruct and assess one-to-one programmes with potential and established clients.
The next stage is the Level 3 Personal Trainer Certificate, which cannot be taken without having already passed the Level 2 qualification. It’s the most widely-recognised personal trainer qualification and represents the next stage in starting your own business.
Gym Instructors are generally employed within fitness clubs or facilities and can provide general exercise prescription for clients.
Due to the scope of the Level 2 qualification, Gym Instructors are not allowed to work with specific members in gym. Instead, their range of duties extend to helping clients with equipment, giving
workout advice and tips, and interacting with members of the gym.
Personal Trainers are able to take the valuable skills of their Level 2 training and apply those to working with individual clients to reach their fitness and wellness goals. This includes exercise programming, exercise adherence, motivation, assessments, and proper movement instruction.
