By CMS Fitness Courses

Active IQ Level 3 Diploma in Gym Instructing and Personal Training


Start Date: Multiple options (to be agreed once booked) - variable to suit learner

Total Qualification Time: 660 Hours

Guided Learning Hours: 294 Hours

Format: Online

Course Type: Regulated Qualification

Industry Area: Exercise and Fitness

Venue: Online

Region: National


You will gain all the essential knowledge and skills to become a qualified Personal Trainer with the Active IQ Level 3 Diploma in Gym Instructing and Personal Training. This course provides an in-depth understanding of anatomy, physiology, and nutrition, enabling you to design personalised fitness programmes tailored to the specific needs of your clients.

You will develop the ability to carry out comprehensive client consultations, create effective training plans for a wide range of goals, and understand how lifestyle and medical factors influence health and fitness. Additionally, you'll enhance your professionalism and business knowledge, equipping you with the skills to set up and successfully manage your own personal training business.

By the end of the course, you'll be fully prepared with both theoretical and practical expertise to deliver safe, effective, and motivating personal training sessions, whether working in a gym or running your own business.



Regular price £1,299.00
Regular price Sale price £1,299.00
Tax included.
Regular price £1,299.00
Regular price Sale price £1,299.00

Training Overview


Course details

The Active IQ Level 3 Diploma in Gym Instructing and Personal Training consists of eleven mandatory units, each designed to equip learners with comprehensive knowledge and skills to succeed in the fitness industry. Below is a breakdown of the key learning outcomes for this qualification:

Unit 1: Principles of Anatomy, Physiology, and Fitness

You will gain a thorough understanding of the body’s structure and functions, including the skeletal, muscular, cardiovascular, and respiratory systems. This unit also explores how exercise affects these systems and introduces energy systems used during physical activity.

Unit 2: Professionalism and Customer Care for Fitness Instructors

Learn how to deliver exceptional customer service while maintaining professional standards. This unit emphasises the importance of communication and customer retention in a fitness environment.

Unit 3: Health and Safety in the Fitness Environment

This unit covers the key health and safety protocols necessary to maintain a safe gym environment for clients and staff. You will learn about risk management, emergency procedures, and how to ensure client safety during exercise sessions.

Unit 4: Conducting Client Consultations to Support Positive Behaviour Change

Develop the skills to conduct client consultations effectively, helping clients set achievable fitness goals. You will also learn motivational techniques to encourage positive behaviour change and long-term adherence to fitness plans.

Unit 5: Planning and Instructing Gym-Based Exercise

This unit focuses on the practical side of instructing, teaching you how to design and deliver safe, effective gym-based exercise sessions. You’ll learn how to tailor workouts to meet the specific needs of individual clients.

Unit 6: Applied Anatomy and Physiology for Exercise, Health, and Fitness

Advance your understanding of how different types of exercise impact the body’s systems, helping you to design more effective fitness programmes for clients with various goals.

Unit 7: The Principles of Nutrition and their Application to Exercise and Health

This unit covers the essential role of nutrition in fitness and overall health. You will learn how to provide tailored nutritional advice to clients to support goals such as fat loss, muscle gain, or overall health improvement.

Unit 8: Understanding Lifestyle, Health, Wellbeing, and Common Medical Conditions

Explore how lifestyle factors and medical conditions like diabetes and hypertension impact client health. This knowledge will enable you to design exercise programmes that consider these factors, ensuring safe and effective outcomes.

Unit 9: Encouraging Positive Health and Fitness Behaviours in Clients

You will develop consultation and coaching skills that support clients in making positive lifestyle changes. This unit focuses on goal setting, building rapport, and implementing strategies that drive long-term success.

Unit 10: Programme Design and Delivery for Personal Training

Master the art of designing and delivering personalised exercise programmes that cater to the diverse needs and fitness goals of your clients. You’ll learn how to adapt training techniques and environments to suit individual preferences.

Unit 11: Professionalism and Business Acumen for Personal Trainers

Gain the essential knowledge to run your own personal training business. This unit covers legal requirements, managing client relationships, and creating business strategies to ensure long-term success and sustainability.

Together, these units provide a comprehensive foundation for a career in gym instructing and personal training, combining both practical skills and professional development.

Course features

  • Flexibility: Study when and where it suits you, fitting around your lifestyle.
  • Comprehensive Support: Benefit from expert tutors guiding you through every step.
  • Career Advancement: Gain a recognised qualification to boost your career prospects in the fitness industry.
  • Practical Skills: Acquire the skills to confidently instruct and support clients in a gym setting.
  • Fast Track Options: Complete the course in as little as 2 months, or take up to 6 months depending on your schedule.

Prerequisites - what's required to participate?

To enrol on the Level 3 Diploma in Personal Training you need to:

• Be at least 16 years old
• The course requires physical exertion and individual participation is essential, therefore a degree of physical fitness is necessary.
• There is an element of communication (discussing, presenting, reading and writing) and maths involved, so learners should have basic skills in communication and maths pitched at level 2 (as a minimum).

In addition, to complete the 100% online pathway you will:

• Complete the course over a duration and speed that suits you
• Have 24/7 access to our high-quality digital technology learning platform and regular support from your personal tutor
• Learning can be completed in your own time and at your own pace but the attendance of some live webinar sessions is required
• Need to have access to a commercial/professional gym environment
• Be required to complete all practical delivery sessions within a gym setting
• Need to have access to a video camera/smartphone to record some of your assessments

Career Development

Completing the Active IQ Level 3 Diploma in Gym Instructing and Personal Training opens up a wide range of career opportunities within the fitness industry. With this qualification, you can pursue the following roles:

  • Personal Trainer: Work independently or in a gym, offering one-to-one training sessions tailored to clients’ goals, such as weight loss, muscle gain, or improving overall fitness.
  • Online Personal Trainer: Expand your reach by delivering personalised training programmes and support to clients remotely.
  • Specialist Trainer: Focus on niche areas such as pre- and postnatal fitness, older adults, or clients with specific medical conditions, providing targeted exercise plans.
  • Freelance Personal Trainer: Run your own personal training business, managing your own clients, and designing bespoke fitness programmes to meet individual needs.
  • Corporate Wellness Trainer: Work with companies to provide fitness and wellness services for employees, enhancing workplace health and productivity.
  • Progression to high level 3/4 Qualifications: With the Level 3 diploma, you can progress to further qualifications such as:
  • Level 3 Diploma in Long Term Conditions (Online)
  • Level 3 Award in Designing Pre and Post Natal Exercise Programmes (Online)

Looking for your next role in the sport and physical activity sector?