Course
Gym Instructing
The Level 2 Certificate in Gym Instructing aims to provide learners with the knowledge and skills that are needed to plan, deliver and supervise safe but effective exercise programmes within a gym or health club environment.
This qualification is accredited with the world-renowned awarding organisation Active IQ. Once qualified, you'll be able to take your certificate to any employer with the confidence that you're a competent gym instructor.
All our Active IQ qualifications are recognised by the Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity (CIMSPA).
Next Course Dates
- Sheffield - Start Date: 23rd May 2026
- Sheffield - Start Date: 1st Aug 2026
- Sheffield - Start Date: 23rd Sep 2026
- Sheffield - Start Date: 17th Oct 2026
Click "Book Now" for full course dates
Cost: £625.00
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Course Summary
If you want to follow a career path in the active leisure industry, the Level 2 Certificate in Gym Instructing is the qualification you need to get started. It's known as the 'entry' qualification needed to supervise and deliver in a gym-based environment.
This qualification allows you to register with CIMPSA, meaning that the qualification is industry-recognised.
Once you've completed this course, the next logical and most popular progression route is to become a Level 3 Personal Trainer (or PT). You have to complete the Level 2 Certificate in Gym Instructing qualification first as it's a direct pre-requisite for the Level 3 Technical Occupational Entry in Personal Training (Diploma).
If you’re interested in completing a course programme which includes both the level 2 and level 3 courses, then please visit our COMBINED Gym Instructing and PT course page, get there quickly by clicking this link. Click here
There are other routes of progression too as not everyone wants to become a PT. You might be more interested in the health and wellbeing side of the industry and would prefer to progress to Level 3 Exercise Referral, Level 3 Performance Massage, Level 3 Teaching Pilates and/or Level 4 Advanced Nutrition.
There are other courses available at Level 2 which may be of interest. Some examples include: Strength and Conditioning (Trainer), Health Related Exercise for Children, Circuit Training, Group Indoor Cycling, Kettlebell Training and Suspended Movement Training.
Take your first step into your leisure career with this qualification.
How You're Taught
This course is taught in-person by an experienced tutor who will support and guide you through the 5 day programme. A mixture of theory-based lectures and practical-based workshops will be delivered each day.
We heavily value in-person delivery as it gives us the chance to directly answer any questions you have and also to provide you with constructive feedback on your performance during the course.
After booking the course, you will be sent login details to to our learning portal so you can start working on the anatomy and physiology unit, we would just like you to have a head start on this topic. Don't worry if you want to start the course tomorrow, you will still be able to start without having completed this task. Your course tutor is on hand to provide support via email, telephone or in-person, if needed.
The course is delivered over 5 full days, starting at 9am and finishing at 5pm each day. We typically run the course over two and a half weekends, however, we do sometimes offer mid-week courses (usually on Wednesdays and Thursdays) if this is better for you
Assessment
There are a number of different assessments which we integrate throughout the course, some are done online some are in-person, some are theory-based, some are practical. The assessments are all specifically designed to check your knowledge and skills across are range of the courses units.
Here is the list of assessments:
Theory Exam
- Open-book theory exam consisting of 50 multiple choice anatomy, physiology and fitness questions
Worksheets
- Professionalism and customer care for fitness instructors
- Health and safety in a fitness environment
- Conducting client consultations to support positive behaviour change
Assignments
- Personal and professional development
- Risk assessment, maintenance and handover
- Health promotion poster
Observation x 3
- Consultation with client
- Small group delivery
- Gym coaching session (Intro, Warm-up, Cardio, Resistance Training, Cool-down and Ending)
Theory Exam
The theory exam is conducted under exam confitions. It is open-book which means that you are allowed to use your course manual and workbook to assist you with the questions. The questions are focused on anatomy, physiology and fitness. You have 1 hour and 45 minutes to complete the exam and must achieve a minimum of 35 out of 50 marks to pass. If you do not achieve 35 marks, you can resit the exam after 36 hours.
Assignments
This method uses clearly constructed tasks and marking schemes to assess your abilities and practical competencies. This assessment method allows you to demonstrate problem solving, analytical, research and planning skills.
We will support you with the written questions by providing learning materials and tutor advice and guidance.
Observation
An observation assesses the learner’s competence, skills and behaviour through the application of knowledge in a practical setting.
If we don’t observe something that is required, we can ask questions to support the assessment, The focus of the questioning will be on the knowledge, skills and behaviours that are assessed within the observation and in particular on criteria that the learner was unable to demonstrate competence in due to them not occurring naturally.
This assessment is a valid way to assess your knowledge, skills and behaviours in a real-life context, and suitably prepares the learner for the role and demands of a fgym instructor. Observations are either pass or refer against set criteria.
Feedback will be provided both verbally and in written format to support the assessment decision.
Progression
Once you have achieved this qualification, you will be able to apply for Gym Instructor jobs at any fitness facility, such as a private gym or a local authority-run facility, for example.
The Level 2 Gym Instructing qualification is the direct pre-requisite for the Level 3 Technical Occupational Entry in Personal Training (Diploma), which is our most popular progression route.
You can also progress onto a range of other courses including: Level 3 Exercise Referral, Level 3 Performance Massage, Level 3 Teaching Pilates and/or Level 4 Advanced Nutrition.
You may even wish to complete a more specialist Level 2 qualification, such as: Circuit Training, Group Indoor Cycling, Kettlebell Training, Suspended Movement Training and/or Children's Fitness.
Entry Requirement
You must be 16 years+ to enrol on this qualification. If you are due to turn 16 before the end of the course, please get in touch to check your eligibility.
There are no pre-requisite qualification requirements for this course.
Some experience of gym-based exercises, including free weights, is recommended.
The course requires physical exertion and individual participation is important, therefore a degree of physical fitness is necessary.
There is an element of communication (discussing, presenting, reading and writing) involved and learners should have basic skills in communication at level 2.
Some level of IT Skill is also desired; some assessments are completed online using a device. We can support you with this throughout the course.
Modules
Ofqual Accreditation Number - 603/2692/X
This qualification has been approved by IfATE, Ofqual and DfE.
Units:
- Principles of anatomy, physiology and fitness
- Health and safety in the fitness environment
- Professionalism and customer care for fitness instructors
- Conducting client consultations to support positive behaviour change
- Planning and instructing gym-based exercise
Fees & Funding
The fee for this course is £625.
A £100 non-refundable deposit is required to secure your place on the course.
You can pay for this course yourself (self-funded) either in full or over a maximum of 6 interest-free monthly instalments (using an Envisage Payment Plan).
If somebody else is paying for the course on your behalf (e.g. your employer or another organisation), please select "Invoice" at the payment section of your booking and we will be in touch for more information about this.
OFFER – You will receive this course FREE if you booked the combined Gym Instructing and PT Course, which includes both the Level 2 Certificate in Gym Instructing and the Level 3 Technical Occupational Entry in Personal Training (Diploma).
How to Apply
Click the "Book Now" button on this screen.
You'll be taken to a booking page where you'll be asked for your personal information and preferred payment method.
Payment methods include:
- Pay for your course
- £100.00 deposit, then pay the remainder before you start
- Or pay in full now
- Envisage Payment Plan
- Arrange a payment plan with us so that you can spread the payments over a maximum of 6 monthly, interest free instalments.
- Invoice
- Is your employer or another organisation paying for the course for you? If so, choose "Invoice" and you'll not be charged anything up front. We'll then contact you for further details.
If you have any questions about booking a course, please get in touch.
FAQs
No - there is a level 1 gym assistant qualifcaition but you DO NOT need it to enrol onto this course. There are no pre-requisite qualifcations needed before you can start.
It is in your best interest to attend as much of your course as you can. However, if you do need to miss a day or two, don't worry, we will help you to catch-up. We will send you the work that you miss over email or you may even be able to pop in to our office so that we can go through the missing bits with you. All that we ask is that you notify us of your absence as soon as you can so that support can be put in place. If you miss a large chunk of your course, we may transfer you onto a later course so that you are able to attend as many days as possible.
Each day starts at 9am and finishes at 5pm at the latest. Sometimes you may finish a little earlier, but you will bever leave before 4pm as there is so much content to get through. Please arrive for 8.45am each day so that we can start on time.
This course on its own is not available on the Advanced Learner Loan scheme. HOWEVER - If you book this course along with the Level 3 Occupational Entry in Personal Training course (as a combined package), we will give you this course for free and you can pay for the Level 3 Occupational Entry in Personal Training qualification with an Advanced Learner Loan.More information about this can be found on the "Gym Instructing and Personal Training (Combined)" page.
- Wear clothing and footwear suitable for exercise
- Notepad and pen
- Food and drink (microwave and refrigeration facilities are available)
- Electronic device (phone, tablet or laptop) as some assessments are online
Yes, designated lunch breaks are provided. We advise that you bring lunch with you to save you having to leave the venue during your lunch break. Microwave and refrigeration facilities are available.
Click on the "Book Now" button above and all of the course dates will come up for you to view. Don't worry, you will not be booked onto the course at this stage.
It is recommended (but not a requirememnt) that you complete the Online Anatomy & Physiology Workbook BEFORE you start your course. Instructions to access and complete this task will be emailed to you upon booking this course.
No - this is the entry level qualification that you need to work in the fitness industry. Once you have this qualification, you can then progress to a range of other fitness qualifications.
Most tasks are completed on-course, however, we do set home-study tasks on all of our courses. These typically take 2-3 hours per week.
