Start Bodybuilding

One of the best things about bodybuilding is that, for a certain amount of time, doing nothing is required. Weight training tears your muscles down, and you have to give them time to repair themselves and become stronger. You can lie on the couch, remote in hand, and tell everyone you're hard at work building your muscles.

Begin with a good diet. All the bodybuilding you do will be wasted if you're carrying around so much fat that no one can see the muscles. Eat a lowfat, high protein diet that includes fruits and vegetables for overall health. Drink plenty of water and avoid sugar, salt, alcohol and anything else that's unhealthy.

Consult with a qualified personal trainer for an efficient routine. Learn how to do each exercise correctly to maximize the benefit and minimize the risk of injury. Don't take advice from other bodybuilders because they might not know what they're talking about.

Train your entire body, and then take two days off. Keep in mind that it isn't just your muscles that need time to recover; your liver, kidneys, and other organs also need rest.

Get eight hours of sleep every night and take steps to manage the stress in your life. If you are running yourself ragged at work or partying all weekend, your body will be too worn out to build muscle.

Remember to do aerobic exercise for general fitness. Lift weights first, then hit the track or elliptical machine.

Keep a training log. Write down how many sets and repetitions you did of each exercise and how much weight you lifted. Whenever you can complete 2 sets of 10 repetitions, increase the weight.

Create a Fitness Boot Camp

A fitness boot camp has low overhead expenses, and can return high profits. When you decide to start your boot camp, remember you are not only a fitness professional, but a small business owner. Don't treat your boot camp like a hobby. Create your business with a passion for health and fitness, and remain confident in your ability to succeed.

Get and maintain credentials to sell yourself as a fitness expert. Not only is certification important to the safety of your clients, you can use the credentials as a marketing tool. Your certification will give you a strategic edge over those without formal training and certification. The American Council on Exercise offers personal training certification.

Develop a fitness program around the type of fitness approach you want to take. Do you want to create a boxing based workout, a workout with kettlebells, or a yoga-infused workout?

Address the nutrition component. Since ultimate health is based on proper exercise and diet, decide if you want to offer nutrition advice to your clients by bringing in a certified nutritionist.

Create a business plan. It takes more than passion to create a successful business. Even though a fitness boot camp has low overhead, it is a highly competitive market and you need to do the proper research and planning. The Small Business Administration and the Service Corps Of Retired Executives offer guidance on creating a viable business plan.

Get a business license. Operating a small business without a business license proves to the public that you are a serious business person. It shows that you are so committed to the fitness of your clients and that you report your profits to the government. Visit your local city hall to get information.

Pick a place to safely conduct a boot camp. Many schools and parks host boot camps; get permission to use these places.

Market your boot camp. After creating your business plan, you should have a clear idea of who your target audience is. Use social media, word-of-mouth marketing, referral programs and first-time promotions to get people to try your program.

Bodybuilding & Bananas

For some reason, bananas are often times feared by people because they are high on the GI (glycemic index). This is a chart listing how fast a carbohydrate spikes the blood sugar. There is no need to fear a substance that is natural and packed full of health-promoting nutrients. Bodybuilders know this and eat them daily. Learn why they do.

Function
When it comes to bodybuilding, it is essential to have the right amount of fuel to power workouts. The main fuel source utilized during exercise is carbohydrate. Carbohydrates are made up of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. They are stored in the body as glycogen which in turn is what drives muscle contractions.
This is where the GI comes into play. If you eat foods that are high on the GI chart, then the pancreas is forced to keep releasing insulin to balance out rising blood sugar levels. This is a vicious cycle that can ultimately lead to diabetes.
In bodybuilding, the main objective is to gain lean muscle mass, so spiking the blood sugar is not the overall strategy.
With that being said, there is a time and place for high GI carbs. That would be the hour after a workout. It is at this point that the muscles are like a dry sponge and are in need of fast glycogen replenishment. Other than that, low GI carbs are the way to go. Bananas are actually a great source of nutrient-dense carbs and they fall right in the center of the GI chart. See Resources below.

Function
Bananas can also be integrated into a body builder's training table. Eating every 2 or 3 hours means eating smaller meals that are nutrient-dense. This gives the body a steady supply of nutrients and keeps blood sugar levels in check so there is no chance of unwanted fat gain.
Many bodybuilders eat this way to build lean muscle and not gaining unwanted fat. See Resources for the second link in which bananas are included in the meal plan.

Benefits
The actual nutritional content of a banana is very bodybuilding friendly. They have 3 gm of fiber, 2 gm of protein, 27gm of carbs, and are loaded with potassium. Potassium helps to relieve muscle soreness. If the diet is lacking in this key nutrient, then muscle soreness will persist causing workouts to suffer. This is never the goal of a bodybuilding routine.

Types
Bananas actually come in several varieties ranging in size from 3 inches up to 8 inches or longer. The most popular one is the Cavendish or Chiquita banana as these are the most heavily recognized and consumed variety in the U.S.

Plantains are a version that are most popular in India and they need to be cooked as they are really bitter. They have gained some acclaim recently in the states, but are not as user friendly as other types.

The Red banana is sweeter than a conventional banana and has more vitamin C and beta carotene. These are a good addition to a bodybuilders diet as they help increase immunity which gets compromised during intense weight training. They also have a pleasant sweeter taste somewhat reminiscent of raspberry.

The Baby or Nina banana is the runt of the litter. They stand in at about 3 inches in length, but they are a powerhouse of nutrition. They have all the benefits of the regular banana with the added addition of a high amount of Vitamin B-6. This is also quintessential for bodybuilding as vitamin B-6 helps with brain function and converting protein to energy. This would be a good reason to eat a banana slathered with peanut butter.

Misconceptions
As I mentioned in the introduction, there are a lot of people who fear eating bananas. There is no reason to fear them especially if you are a bodybuilder. They are a quick, easy snack, pre-workout meal, post-workout meal and an all around great supplement to add to the diet. They are universal enough to be used in any dynamic of a diet plan. They can be used for additional calories if you're looking to bulk up or they can be used by themselves if cutting weight is the goal.

Another myth is that bananas cause tooth decay. What causes tooth decay is simple carbs and sugars that lie on the teeth for long periods of time. Likely culprits are cookies, cakes, bagels and all day sipping of coffee sweetened with sugar. This causes bacteria and bacteria causes destruction and breakdown of enamel. Any residue that is left in the mouth from a banana can easily get rinsed away within a glass of water.

Make Your Own Sandbags for Fitness

Sandbags provide a different way to participate in both aerobic and anaerobic training. Making your own sandbags for fitness is not very difficult, and can be accomplished in a couple hours at most. Sandbags can replace the majority of weight lifting movements, such as deadlifts, squats, bench presses, and shoulder presses, and can also be used to perform cardiovascular training. Purchasing sandbags from a retailer can cost you several hundred dollars, so making them yourself can save you a great deal of money.

Purchase all materials from a hardware store. If you wish to make more than one size and weight of sandbag, purchase one canvas bag, one box of Ziploc bags, one roll of duct tape and the appropriate amount of sand, based on how heavy you want the bags to be.

Fill up one Ziploc bag at a time about 3/4 of the way full with sand. Seal the top of the bag and reinforce the seal by lining a piece of duct tape along it. Wrap two more pieces up duct tape around the bag perpendicular to each other, forming a cross shape.

Fill the freezer bags with the smaller bags until the freezer bag is 3/4 of the way full. Use the duct tape to seal the top, and then wrap a tape "cross" around the freezer bag, until the bag is thoroughly sealed.

Set the canvas bag on the scale. Begin filling the canvas bag with the individual freezer bags until the sandbag is the weight you want it. If there is too much slack inside the bag, then stuff old clothes or pillowcases inside the canvas bag until the sandbag is comfortable to pick up.

Test the bag before using by picking it up and slamming it against the floor and against the wall. Open the canvas and check for leaking sandbags and any tears or rips. If everything appears to be intact, then your sandbags are now ready to use.

Repeat the process above for each additional sandbag you would like to make.

Write a Fitness Resume

A fitness resume, like any other resume, should be eye-catching and should highlight your credentials as a fitness professional. In many ways, a fitness resume is similar to resumes written for other industries, but it needs to be specific to your time spent in the industry as well as include your training certifications. Industry professionals tend to recognize, however, that a standard resume will not always suffice for a career in the fitness industry.

List your contact information at the top of the resume. Include your full name, address, phone number -- both home and cell -- and email address. You want to make sure prospective employers know how to get in touch with you.

Create a list of your most impressive accomplishments. You will only list three to five of these skills on your resume. Place these skills under your contact information as a "Skills Summary" section the reader can peruse before continuing. This section acts as a brief glimpse into your greatest accomplishments and will set your resume apart from others. List each skill as a bullet point, and use actionable wording to catch the reader's eye.

Write your career or resume objective, which describes what you want to accomplish by submitting your resume in specific regards to the company or organization viewing your resume. Not having a resume objective can mean you just hope a person will look over resume. Stating a specific objective lets the reader know you have a specific purpose for applying with the company or organization. For example, if your hope to work as a personal trainer with a chain organization like Gold's Gym, your objective should include wanting to improve your status as a trainer by working for the top gym in the country. It should also state what kind of contribution you expect to make.

Create a functional resume rather than a chronological essay. Most resumes begin with your most recent job and then move backwards chronologically. If, however, you have obtained several certifications in the fitness industry, trained high-profile clients or have additional education or management skills, you can create a resume based on your skills and certifications rather than the chronology of your work history. You can also combine the functional format with the chronological format to create a resume that moves through the progression of your skills.

Assess Fitness Level

Knowing your current level of fitness means you can set goals. And followup assessments can reveal the effectiveness of your current workout program. Branches of the military, first responders, sports teams and leagues measure the fitness levels of their members and referees, and often set minimum levels. You may want to track cardiovascular fitness, muscular strength and endurance, flexibility or other aspects of fitness.

Before You Get Assessed
While some fitness assessments, such as the three-minute Harvard step test, are relatively gentle and use calculations to predict your fitness level, many tests require an all-out effort. Such high-intensity effort can result in injury. Warm up thoroughly before performing any kind of maximal fitness test. For example, assessing strength using maximal weights is generally not recommended for novice or elderly exercisers.

Cardiovascular Fitness Assessments
Cardiovascular fitness assessments measure your ability to take in, transport and utilize oxygen during exercise and there are several ways to do this.

In the multi-stage running test, participants are required to shuttle between two cones placed 20 meters apart. Beeps on a CD or tape indicate the start of each shuttle. The beeps get faster as the test progresses, and when you can no longer keep up with the beep, the level you reach corresponds to a VO2 max score.

The Cooper 1.5-mile run test and the Cooper 1-mile walk test require participants to cover the allotted distance as fast as possible. The Cooper 12-minute run test requires you to cover as much distance as possible. All results are then compared to the relevant charts to reveal the results.

Other cardiovascular fitness tests include the Astrand cycle ergometer test, the 2,000 meters/2,200 yard rowing ergometer test, the Chester step test and the Balke treadmill test.

Muscular Fitness Assessments
Muscular fitness can be measured in terms of strength, endurance and power. Strength is the ability of a muscle or muscle group to exert maximal force, and is assessed by using a dynamometer, a device that measures force. Strength can also be assessed by lifting maximal weights for a single repetition of, for example, the bench press or the squat.

Endurance is the ability of a muscle or muscle group to exert a sub-maximal force for an extended period of time. Common tests of endurance include performing as many pushups or abdominal curl-ups as possible in 60 seconds.

Power is the ability of a muscle or muscle group to exert force quickly. The two-footed long jump, the standing high jump and standing triple jump all provide effective ways to test power.

Flexibility Assessments
The ability of a joint or joints to move through a range of movement, flexibility is affected by joint health and the elasticity of the muscles crossing that joint. Flexibility assessments involve measuring the range of movement available at a particular joint. This can be done using a device called a goniometer, or by performing functional movement assessments and comparing the results against accepted norms. To assess hamstring flexibility, you can perform a sit-and-reach test, which measures how far forward you can bend using a measuring board or ruler. Alternatively, lie on your back and lift your straight leg up toward the ceiling. Ideally, you should be able to raise your leg to around 80 to 90 degrees.

Become a Fitness Coach

A professional fitness coach is trained to provide personalized coaching and training to individuals who want to improve their level of physical fitness. Fitness coaches must have a varied skill set that allows them to understand where a person's level of fitness lies and guide them to where they would like to be. This includes proficiency in education, athletic training and exercise and health sciences. Professional fitness coaches can choose to work predominately with amateurs looking to improve their physique and overall health or with professional athletes seeking to improve their performance.

Begin an exercise plan, and take up a healthful diet. Preaching to others as a fitness coach while engaging in the same behaviors you would dislike seeing in your clients is the easiest way to lose credibility. The healthier you are, the easier it will be for your future clients to walk in your steps.

Hire your own fitness coach, if even for only a month or so. Seeing a professional trainer regularly will not only help you improve your own level of physical fitness, but you will also begin to absorb some of the techniques professional fitness coaches use to keep your motivation high and your growth steady.

Begin your search for local colleges or universities that offer fitness coaching programs to develop a solid foundation for your profession. Take classes in everything ranging from physiology to gerontology (how the body changes with age). Find an area of specificity that strikes you as interesting, and deepen your studies in this field. Also, consider taking adult education classes, which will provide you with the skills to coach others about fitness.

Begin offering fitness coaching services to your friends and family, and people around where you live, for a reduced cost. Check with professional coaches to get a feel for their prices, and adjust yours to about 50 percent to 70 percent of what they charge. This will provide your first opportunity to put your fitness knowledge into practice and will give you a feel for what it is like to coach an individual. You might also consider signing up as a coach for a youth sports league, which provides invaluable experience in what it takes to keep others motivated.

Once your program of study is complete, arrange for certification through the National Athletic Trainer's Association Board of Certification. Once you are a certified trainer, the next step is to complete your professional process by either working for a firm of fitness coaches or setting up your own coaching business. Contact the clients from when you were still learning, and let them know that you have been certified and are now a legitimate coach. They will likely understand your need to raise your prices, and often know friends who can be referred to you.

Nutrition Affect Fitness?

Whether your fitness goals are to improve strength, run faster or lose weight, you need to pay attention to your diet. What you eat not only affects the numbers on the scale, but also how your body responds to your workout. For better fitness, eat a diet that includes a variety of nutrient-rich foods and creates a healthy balance of carbs, protein and fat.

Carbs for Energy
While low-carb diets are popular for weight loss, they are not the way to go when trying to improve fitness. Carbs provide your muscles with the energy they need to run, stair climb and lift weights. Nutrient-rich, high-carb foods include fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans and low-fat milk products. Depending on your fitness goals, you should get 2.7 grams to 4.5 grams of carbs per pound of body weight per day. For example, if you weigh 150 pounds you need 405 grams to 675 grams of carbs a day.

Protein for Muscle Repair and Growth
When it comes to protein, more is not always better for the fitness enthusiast. Your body needs protein to repair and grow the muscles you just worked out. Getting more protein than your body needs does not mean bigger muscle gains and may lower your energy levels. Protein needs depend on the amount and type of exercise you do, ranging from 0.5 gram to 0.8 gram per day, or 75 grams to 120 grams for a 150-pound person. Poultry, seafood, lean red meat, low-fat dairy, eggs and soy foods are all high-quality sources of protein.

Fat for Health and Energy
When it comes to fitness, your body needs fat, just not too much. Fat provides energy for your workout and is also a source of fat-soluble vitamins, as well as essential fatty-acids. To maximize fitness and performance, 20 to 35 percent of your calories should come from fat. You can meet your daily fat needs and improve the nutritional quality of your diet by including healthy sources such as fatty fish like salmon, olive oil, avocados, nuts, seeds and tofu.

Meal Planning Tips
To keep energy levels up, eat regularly throughout the day, and include a source of protein and a fruit or vegetable at each meal and snack to maximize nutritional intake. Before you exercise, eat a low-fat, high-carb snack such as a low-fat yogurt or a banana to fuel your muscles. To replenish and promote muscle repair, eat a carb and protein snack after your workout such as a turkey sandwich on whole-wheat bread or low-fat chocolate milk.

Become a Fitness Guru

To become a fitness guru requires a life style overhaul. You may be on your way there, or you may be a beginner. Either way, being a fitness guru will make you healthier and more lively.

Before you start any diet or exercise program, learn about nutrition basics. It is also important to learn about proper exercise, workouts and workout effectiveness. To become a fitness guru, you must have the knowledge of an expert and be able to take healt and safety precautions to ensure that your fitness and health training is properly implemented.

Eat a healthy and well balanced diet. The key to healthy eating and nutrition is the time-tested advice of balance, variety, personalization, proportionality and moderation. You want to eat a wide variety of foods without getting too many calories or too much of any one nutrient. It is recommended to eat the following from the food pyramid: 6 to 11 servings of bread, rice, cereal and pastas (half of which should be whole grains), 2 to 4 servings of fruit, 3 to 5 servings of vegetables, 2 to 3 cups of milk or dairy, 5 to 6 oz. of meat or beans and 5 to 6 tsps. of oils. Strive to eat foods low in fat and calories.

Check out www.calorie-count.com to use their simple allowance calculator. Figure your daily allowance based on your personal information and level of activity. This simple calculator will help you learn what calorie intake you should obtain. Keep track of your calories and food consumption to make sure that you are on track to the recommended amount.

Get in shape with exercise as part of your daily life style. Adults should get at least 30 minutes of moderate level activity most days. Longer or more vigorous activity can lead to greater health and physical transformations as you become a fitness guru. If you want to become a fitness guru develop a work out schedule and plan that is appropriate for you. Increase your level of vigorous activity by changing your workouts by targeting certain areas on certain days. Also incorporate cardio workouts, strength building and weight loss administration.

Become a fitness guru to serve others. Adapt your knowledge to help other people become healthier and in better physical condition. Whether this is in a new career path or simply educating and motivating others, you now have the knowledge and expertise to train others toward achieving a better life.

Use Life Fitness Treadmills

A treadmill is a piece of exercise equipment which has a belt (usually powered by an electric motor) that runs over a platform on which you walk, run or jog. Treadmills allow users to get a cardiovascular workout while they are indoors. One company that manufactures treadmills and other exercise equipment is Life Fitness. Proper use of a Life Fitness treadmill can help you develop and maintain a physically fit lifestyle.

Stand on the treadmill when the conveyor belt is not moving. Make sure that your clothing (like your pant legs) is short enough that it won't get caught in the belt, and that any towels you are using will not fall onto the belt.

Hook the clip attached to the emergency stop magnet to your shirt. If you fall, the magnet is pulled off of the treadmill and will immediately turn it off to prevent you from suffering from further injury. If your treadmill has a heart monitor, place it on your body.

Choose your workout. You can either scroll through the pre-programmed workouts on the treadmill and choose the one you want, or just hit the start button (this may be called "Start" or "Quick Start") to begin a manual workout.

Follow the prompts on the screen to set the time and treadmill speed. For a manual workout, you can also change the incline of the treadmill to make your workout easier or more difficult (the incline changes automatically in the pre-programmed workouts).

Enter your weight when prompted by punching it into the keypad. Combined with the speed of the treadmill, the incline and the length of time you work out, this will calculate a rough estimate of how many calories you're burning during your workout.

Complete your workout. If you use a pre-programmed workout, the treadmill will automatically enter a cooldown phase after the workout is over.

Train for a Woman's Fitness Competition

A woman’s fitness competition challenges its female participants to not only appear, but be, physically fit. The competition features both a swimsuit and a fitness routine round. The swimsuit round involves performing a series of quarter turns in front of the judges while wearing a two-piece swimsuit and high-heeled shoes. The fitness round requires each competitor to do two minutes of physically challenging dance, aerobics, gymnastics and other fitness moves. Because of the time it takes to safely develop your body, select a fitness competition four months to a year in advance.

Lifting for a Lean, Fit Body
In the swimsuit round, you’ll be judged on poise and presence, body condition, femininity and appearance. Your lifting program should focus on developing lean muscle. A fitness competition is different from a bodybuilding event in that it promotes muscle definition and symmetry instead of extreme muscle mass. Professional fitness competitor Linda Cusmano recommends beginning with a three-day weekly workout including the squat, overhead press, lat pulldown, pec deck, leg curl, hyperextension, calf raise, triceps pushdown, biceps curl, knee raise and hip extension. Perform two to four sets of eight to 12 reps during the off-season to put on lean muscle. Leave at least 48 hours between training a particular muscle group to allow for muscle recovery and growth. As you get closer to the competition date, increase your workout frequency to four days per week. Focus on the upper body two days and your lower body the other two days while also increasing the number of exercises you perform for each muscle group. During this period, Cusmano recommends doing 12 to 20 reps of each exercise.

Preparing for the Fitness Routine Round
In the fitness routine round, you’ll be judged on your execution, the difficulty and creativity of your routine and your appearance. Consult a trainer experienced in women's fitness competitions to help you organize the program and then use one day per week during the off-season to practice your routine. Most competitors incorporate dance, cheer, aerobics and gymnastics to display their endurance and flexibility, as well as extreme fitness moves such as planche pushups to show their strength and coordination. In the off-season, emphasize plyometric movements -- such as box jumps, burpees, tuck leaps and jump squats -- to develop functional fitness and powerful muscles to perform cartwheels, aerials and isometric holds during your routine. You'll also focus on mastering technique and developing your showmanship. During each practice run, imagine you're performing in front of a panel of judges so you can envision yourself looking them in the eyes. Consider videotaping yourself so you can see where you need to make improvements. As you get closer to the competition date, practice the routine three or more times per week.

Lowering your Body Fat Percentage
A low body-fat percentage, along with an increase in lean muscle, will give you the fit, toned appearance the judges prefer. Cardio will help lower your body fat percentage efficiently and also condition your body in preparation for the fitness round. Interval training -- which involves alternating between higher- and lower-intensity activities, is particularly effective in burning fat. Exercises such as jumping rope, stair climbing, sprints and circuit workouts lend themselves to interval training. During the off-season, when you’re working to build mass, limit your interval training to two to three days per week. These sessions should last 30 to 45 minutes each. Bouts of cardio longer than 60 minutes may start to eat into your muscle mass. As you get closer to the competition, increase interval-training frequency to four days per week to burn more calories and increase leanness.

Training in the Kitchen
You’ll either boost or limit your fitness and body developments by what you eat and drink during training. During the off-season, when you’re focused on putting on muscle, increase the amount of calories and protein that you’re consuming to fuel the muscle-building process. Shoot for 1 to 2 grams of protein per day for every pound you weigh and gradually increase your calories until you’re taking in about 2,000 per day during this period. As you get closer to the competition, reduce your calorie intake to about 1,200 to 1,800 to help lower your body fat. Focus on consuming mostly leafy vegetables, fruits and lean protein. Eat a serving of protein at every meal, including one to three hours before you go to bed to help your body recover and build muscle as you’re sleeping. In addition, drink about 2 liters of water every day, which will increase blood volume and thus facilitate the muscle-healing process.

Become a 24 Hour Fitness Personal Trainer

According to its Website, 24 Hour Fitness is the largest fitness chain in the United States, with more than 400 facilities throughout the country. The company employs more than 19,000 people, many of whom work as personal trainers. In this article you'll discover how you can become a personal trainer for 24 Hour Fitness.

The first step in becoming a personal trainer at 24 Hour Fitness is to make sure you meet the job requirements for the position. Personal trainers at 24 Hour Fitness must have a high school diploma or a GED, must be certified in CPR and must be able to lift at least 50 pounds. All personal trainers must also be older than 18 and legally able to work in the United States. In addition, 24 Hour Fitness prefers -- although it is not required -- that its trainers have a college degree, previous personal training experience and a training certification from a recognized organization. 24 Hour Fitness recognizes the personal training certifications from the following organizations: AFAA, ACSM, ACE, Cooper Institute, ISSA, NASM, NCSF, NESTA, NFPT, NPTI, NSCA, PFI and PFIT.

If you meet the criteria for the personal trainer position, the next step is to search for open positions. 24 Hour Fitness uses an online employment center at http://24hourfitnessjobs/jobboard. On this Website you can search for open positions based on your location.

Once you find an open personal trainer position, submit your personal information and upload your resume to the 24 Hour Fitness Eebsite. The 24 Hour Fitness application requires a Social Security Number in addition to a resume, employment history and three professional references. Applicants will also have to disclose if they have ever been convicted of a crime, although 24 Hour Fitness says this will not automatically disqualify an applicant. 24 Hour Fitness also conducts background checks on its potential employees.

Those whose job applications are approved will be required to attend a new employee orientation before they begin working as personal trainers at 24 Hour Fitness.

Become a Fitness Instructor

Being a fitness instructor can be a dream job for many people. If you love fitness, you'll not only get paid to work out as a fitness instructor, but you'll also feel great about motivating hundreds of people to meet their wellness goals. Fitness instructors teach a range of disciplines, from spinning and cardio kickboxing to yoga and Pilates.

Take many different fitness classes. The best way to learn to teach classes is to observe others teaching them. Take notes of what appeals to you as a student so you can later incorporate those things into your instruction style. You can also note what you dislike.

Read articles from credible publications and organizations that cover fitness-related topics. These may include such topics as exercise psychology, basic anatomy and weight loss. You should be well-informed. Students will ask you questions, and you need to be able to answer them accurately.

Get certified in cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Health clubs generally require that their instructors have current CPR certifications. You'll need to get this renewed every year or two.

Look into fitness associations that offer primary fitness certifications. This is a general certification that covers you as an instructor. Most facilities will require that you have this primary certification. Two main associations that offer it are the Aerobics and Fitness Association of America and the American Council on Exercise.

Prepare for physical and written tests on your fitness instructor certification exam. Most certifications involve a one-day workshop that culminates in these two exams. The physical exam requires that you briefly teach a group.

Determine the type of fitness classes you'd like to teach. Don't feel that you have to limit yourself to one discipline. Many instructors teach a variety of classes.

Look into getting certifications in the particular disciplines you wish to teach. Many programs offer certifications in such niches as cardio kickboxing, indoor cycling, yoga, Pilates, core-body work and body sculpting.

Accumulate a fitness music library. You'll need lots of music to use in your classes. Start making mixes now.

Inquire at local gyms to see if they are hiring new instructors. If they are not currently hiring, see if you can get on their substitute instructor lists.