Take workshops.
Visit websites like ptonthenet.com and acefitness.org.  Various workshops are usually
offered throughout the year. You can also find workshops offered locally at health clubs in
your area. Workshops offer practical experience whether it is working with different
muscles or working with different age groups.

Buy books and/or DVD's.
Go to the book store. You will find several books that explain a variety of exercises. Find
ones with photographs that display the exercise. Choose books that show you workouts
you can use with beginners or whichever target market you will be working for.  You can
also find DVD's with various workouts.

Get a job in a health club.
Health clubs are great training grounds for new personal trainers. Watch the more
experienced trainers at work and remember one or two exercises that they do. Ask them
to show you one of their favorite training exercises. Health clubs will also train you in sales
and you will get alot of practice gaining sales skills. And let's face it, you can't train
unless you sell your services first. You can also spend lots of time in the health club
(since you get the free membership) trying out all the machines and practicing
exercises which will build your confidence.

Write out a standard workout session for a beginning client.
Most of your first time clients will be people who are new to exercise, who have never
worked with a trainer or who haven't exercised for a long time (or perhaps never!). Put
together 7 or 8 standard exercises that workout each of the major muscle groups: upper
body, lower body, core and flexibility. Add an 8-10 minute cardio warmup at the start of
the weight training. Be aware that you may have to modify some of these according to the
individual needs of the client you are working with at the time. So, for example, have some
alternate exercises available for people who have bad knees, people who are obese, or
for older people with limitations. Don't forget to take assessments in the beginning which
should include health history, any injuries the client may have, any medications they are
taking and a fitness assessment to determine their weaknesses. Also measure their body
fat percentage and discuss healthy eating. Finish off by asking them to list their fitness
goals.

Practice on a friend.
Now take your standard workout session and practice it on a friend. You will find this
run-thru very valuable.

Learn to listen.
As a personal trainer you are really a coach. People come to personal training sometimes
as a last resort or because of doctor's orders. They are usually unhealthy physically and
then as a result they are also not healthy emotionally. Becoming a good coach and
listener just takes practice. Learn to listen for what the client is asking for and addressing
those needs.

Find out what is your niche.
Every trainer has something special to offer someone. Are you good with older people?
Do you have experience losing alot of weight yourself? Have you overcome an illness
through working out? Can you offer yoga training to help people with flexibility?  Do you
know how to especially work with women who have just had children? Find out what it is
that is special about your training and then tell people how you can help them!
Learning to be a Personal Trainer
Once you have your certification you have to learn how to actually train people! When
you get certified through ACE, for example, you can study a book and pass a test and be
certified. But how do you get the practical experience?