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Personal training CPD courses

Keep your personal training knowledge and skills fresh with our range of continuing professional development (CPD) courses

HFE Tutor teaching battle rope exercises
HFE Tutor teaching battle rope exercises

Professional development courses for PT's

Our personal training CPD courses are expertly designed and delivered by leading industry experts to ensure that you reap maximum benefit in your future career. Whether you're a seasoned PT looking for some inspiration, or you're new to personal training and you want to expand your knowledge, skills and confidence, we're confident you'll find what you need with our range of personal raining CPD courses.

Short CPD courses for personal trainers

Give your career in the personal training business a boost with our range of short professional development courses specifically designed for those passionate about their personal training careers. These CPD courses have been meticulously designed and are passionately delivered to help you to develop the specialist knowledge and skills to support your personal training ambitions.

Level 3 Kettlebell Training Instructor Course

Level 3 Kettlebell Training Instructor Course


Become a leading kettlebell coach and take your personal training career to new heights with our online kettlebell instructor course. This engaging programme is essential for any PT looking to use kettlebells for function and performance.

Level 3 Foam Rolling Instructor Course

Level 3 Foam Rolling Instructor Course


Discover the underlying science behind self-myofascial release and how to safely plan, deliver and adapt foam rolling techniques to address adhesions, trigger points, and other factors that influence performance and recovery.

Level 3 Business Skills for Personal Trainers

Level 3 Business Skills for Personal Trainers


Learn how to run a personal training business and master the art of marketing and selling personal training services with this intensive and informative home study course. This course will equip you with all the tools to launch your own PT business.

Level 4 Sport and Exercise Nutrition Coach

Level 4 Sport and Exercise Nutrition Coach


Equip yourself with the latest evidence-based sport and exercise nutrition knowledge. This advanced nutrition course will teach you how to help your clients and athletes to achieve peak physical condition.

Level 3 Nutrition Supplements for Sport and Exercise Performance

Level 3 Nutrition Supplements for Sport and Exercise Performance


Discover how to cut through the marketing fluff by getting knowledge to be able to handle questions from your PT clients about the evidence-based benefits of using nutritional supplements to support training and exercise.

Specialist personal training CPD courses

If you want to become a specialist personal trainer that is able to work with a broader range of clients that have much more specialist needs, then we have a range of special population and exercise specialist courses to suit your needs.

Level 3 Pre and Postnatal Instructor

Level 3 Pre and Postnatal Instructor


Develop the specialist knowledge, skills and confidence to new and expectant mothers with this pre and postnatal qualification for fitness professionals.

Level 3 Exercise Referral Practitioner

Level 3 Exercise Referral Practitioner


Work with clients that have a range of long-term health conditions that can improve from increasing their exercise and physical activity levels with specialised programmes.

Level 3 Exercise for Disability Instructor

Level 3 Exercise for Disability Instructor


Make your personal training and fitness programmes more inclusive with our specialist exercise for disabled clients instructor programme.

Level 3 Exercise for Older Adults Instructor

Level 3 Exercise for Older Adults Instructor


Get the specialist knowledge and skills to support the ageing population with our exercise and fitness training for older adults specialist qualification.

Low Back Pain Specialist Instructor

Low Back Pain Specialist Instructor


Master the art and science of designing corrective exercise programmes for clients with various types of low back pain.

Obesity and Diabetes Specialist Instructor

Obesity and Diabetes Specialist Instructor


Become a specialist obesity and diabetes exercise instructor and discover how to better manage and support clients affected by these life-changing conditions.

Setting the standard in CPD

We are passionate about raising standards throughout the active leisure sector and we understand that personal trainers play a vital role in supporting the health, fitness and wellbeing goals of the nation. That's why we have developed a comprehensive range of CPD training products to support your career development.

Group of girls on CPD course at HFE

We’re passionate about delivering high-quality training solutions that are accessible, fit for purpose, and which help our students to become more, both personally and professionally. Where training and qualifications are concerned, application and impact are everything, which is where our programmes stand out from the rest.

Our CPD training courses for personal trainers provide the perfect solution for qualified PT’s looking to broaden their skills and deepen their knowledge. All of our programmes are delivered by leading fitness industry experts, many of whom include medical doctors, dieticians, midwives, and other clinicians, ensuring that your training experience aligns with the highest technical and professional standards.

Our delivery methods are second to none and we’ve developed one of the most flexible yet robust learner journeys in the health, fitness, and wellbeing sector. While each CPD course differs slightly from the next, in terms of content and delivery method, most courses include engaging eLearning, online theory lessons, on-demand practical workshops, and all the templates you need to complete your course work. Essentially, everything you need to succeed is included as standard.

You're in safe hands

Thousands of learners have rated our support team 5 stars for their knowledge, professionalism and commitment. Our dedicated team are here to help and guide you through your CPD course, whether you're studying online or in person.

You can contact them when you need to via:

  • Phone

  • Email

  • Webinars

  • Video calls

HFE support tutor on phone in HFE head office

Frequently asked CPD questions

Professional development is an integral part of any personal training career and we understand that with the number of training opportunities, and the range of certification and regulatory bodies involved, understanding what is required can often be challenging to grasp. We've features a range of common questions we get asked by our personal training students about CPD courses and qualifications. If you don't find the answer to your question, feel free to reach out to our Careers team on the number above.

  • What is CPD?

    Continued Professional Development (CPD) is the formal process of gathering more knowledge and skills to allow you to better perform your professional role (e.g. personal training). Most professions require the people working in those roles to undertake regular CPD to keep industry-specific knowledge and skills up to date. In this regard, the fitness industry is no different.

    CPD can take many forms, and it doesn’t always have to be related to a formal course or qualification. For example, if you subscribe to a specific publication (e.g., research journal), or you want to undertake some research around a particular subject, that can be considered CPD. The major challenge with these activities however is evidencing them to employers, professional bodies (e.g., CIMSPA), or other regulators. This is where formal training and qualifications can be useful because you get an official certificate on completion to evidence the knowledge and skills you have acquired.

    CPD can involve a range of learning and training activities, including workshops, courses, conferences, independent learning, and formal qualifications. These activities usually sit outside of what is covered by the standard personal training qualification. By undertaking regular CPD, any professional can demonstrate to their employers, clients, insurers and any other stakeholders that they are seriously committed to professional practice.

  • Why do I need to complete CPD as personal trainer?

    CPD is an integral part of any professional role and there are a variety of reasons why it’s important. The fitness industry is a face-paced sector and things move and change quickly and often. If you don’t engage in regular CPD training, it really won’t be long until you’re left behind. Nothing says “I’m committed to being a professional PT” than somebody who regularly invests in gaining more knowledge, skills and confidence in what they are teaching.

    In addition to becoming a better personal trainer, many employers also require their staff to complete regular CPD, usually on an annual basis. Where these employers (health clubs, leisure centres, gyms and private studios) are members of professional organisations like CIMSPA for example, they also need to evidence that their staff are completing such training. Similarly, if you’re a CIMSPA registered personal trainer, you too will need to evidence to CIMSPA that you are completing regular training to stay current.

    Finally, if you want to teach specific types of fitness (e.g., kettlebell training, foam rolling, suspension training) and you want to demonstrate that you have the knowledge and skills to do this, then completing a short CPD course in one of these areas can really help to demonstrate to employers, clients and insurers alike you are competent in these areas. It might not be a legal requirement, but it is best practice!

  • How many CPD points do I need for CIMSPA?

    At the time of writing, CIMSPA requires all of its members to achieve a minimum of 10 points every year and 5 of these points must be achieved from CPD training that has been directly endorsed by CIMSPA. This means that the training provider delivering that CPD course has:

    • mapped their programme to CIMSPA’s professional standards
    • submitted it to CIMSPA for validation
    • has paid the appropriate endorsement fees to CIMSPA

    Those who join CIMSPA will be listed on the Exercise and Fitness Directory on the CIMSPA website. This is public facing and demonstrates to anyone that wants to see what knowledge, skills and qualifications all registered personal trainers hold. This is another reason to ensure that you are regularly completing CPD, so that potential employers and clients can see you are committed to high standards and ongoing learning and development.

  • Why do YMCA Awards endorse your CPD courses?

    Here at HFE we have a longstanding relationship with YMCA Awards and we have worked with them continuously for almost 20 years. Many of our systems and quality assurance practices are streamlined, which makes the endorsement process a little more efficient to manage.

    YMCA Awards were the first awarding organisation in the health and fitness sector and they have a strong commercial reputation throughout the sector for awarding excellence. YMCA Awards have their own endorsement process that sits outside of the CIMSPA professional standards framework. Currently, we feel that this offers us a little more flexibility and freedom to develop CPD courses for personal trainers that better meet our customers needs.

    The YMCA Awards kitemark is recognised around the world as an emblem for quality and you can rest assured that any CPD training you complete with us will be recognised.

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