Athletic Trainers vs. Personal Trainers: What Sets Them Apart?

By Dr. Matthew Loux and Bryce Loux  |  09/11/2025

There are individuals who assume that personal trainers and athletic trainers perform the same role, but that is far from the truth. Both professionals help improve someone’s fitness, but they greatly differ in education, objectives, and duties.

Athletic trainers’ work involves the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of injuries and medical conditions. They work with athletes and other physically active people.

Personal trainers, however, work with clients who hire them. Their mission is to help clients achieve physical fitness goals and make appropriate behavioral changes.

What Do Athletic Trainers Do?

Athletic trainers receive extensive training and must be certified to work with and help manage health conditions. They assist physicians and work with patients after a clinical diagnosis.

Athletic trainers formulate health programs that aid in the avoidance of injuries and in rehabilitation. They perform injury assessment, provide immediate care (especially during sporting events when players become injured), and manage multi-stage rehabilitation.

While these trainers usually work with athletes, they work with other people in different industries as well, including:

• Industrial workers
• Military personnel
• Actors and actresses

They provide and monitor the recovery of therapeutic interventions and often manage the treatment plans of allied health professionals, such as physicians and physical therapists.

What Do Personal Trainers Do?

In contrast to athletic trainers, personal trainers work with individuals or even groups to help them improve their fitness levels. Their work involves:

• Assisting the client in improving overall physical fitness
• Helping the client to improve strength or endurance as the result of more efficient physical activity
• Providing nutrition advice (within certain limits) and recommending a nutrition plan
• Assisting the client in achieving personal health objectives, such as weight loss

A personal trainer does not have the educational qualifications to diagnose or treat sports injuries. This type of injury usually involves rehabilitation from an athletic trainer.

Training, Education, and Certification Paths

Due to the increasing demands in the athletic training field, most athletic trainers hold at least a college degree (such as a master’s degree) and have a certification from the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE).

Athletic trainers are required to have a knowledge of:

• Human anatomy
• Physiology
• Biomechanics
• Sports medicine
• Kinesiology
• Nutrition
• Emergency care

Supervised clinical work is also an essential component tied to the advanced graduate degrees athletic trainers must pursue.

After graduation, an aspiring athletic trainer is required to take the Board of Certification exam ( BOC) to be certified as an athletic trainer. Most states require an additional license that certifies them to provide medical care, which varies across jurisdictions.

To maintain certification and state licensure, continuing education is a must. An athletic trainer must:

• Complete an evidence-based practice program
• Stay current with other healthcare fields

These requirements serve to strengthen athletic trainers’ position as genuine medical healthcare professionals.

Personal trainers take a very different path. While some personal trainers earn degrees in exercise science, physical education, or kinesiology, it’s not a necessity.

Certification is the key credential for a personal trainer. Certain organizations have personal trainer certification programs, with some focusing on general fitness and others on sports performance or corrective exercise. These certifications usually come from:

• The National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM)
• The American Council on Exercise (ACE)
• The International Sports Sciences Association (ISSA)
• The National Council on Strength and Fitness (NSCF)
• The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM)

Usually, certifications require passing a written certification exam and possessing a valid CPR/AED certification. These credentials are recognized as a form of national certification within the industry.

Continuing education is often encouraged or required by trainers’ certifying organizations. However, having up-to-date knowledge is essential.

Where Do Personal Trainers and Athletic Trainers Work?

An athletic trainer can be employed in various settings, such as:

• High schools
• Colleges
• Professional sports teams
• Physicians’ offices
• Hospitals
• Rehabilitation clinics
• Industrial workplaces

Athletic trainers’ work is often limited to injury prevention and injury treatment. For instance, they might deal with:

• First aid to treat athletes' sprains, concussions, and fractures
• The long-term management of injuries related to the musculoskeletal system

An athletic trainer must maintain legal records of the injuries athletes sustain and keep coaches, physicians, and patients informed about legal and medical guidelines for treatment. In addition, they provide preventative services designed to prevent injuries before they occur.

In contrast, a personal trainer typically works in:

• Gyms
• Fitness centers
• Health clubs
• Wellness centers

Personal trainers’ workdays are limited to the fitness goals set by their clients. Personal training work involves:

• Conducting a body assessment of the client’s physical health
• Suggesting health and fitness goals with consideration for any injuries or chronic medical issues
• Encouraging and motivating the client
• Tracking the client’s progress throughout his or her fitness journey

The B.S. in Sports and Health Sciences at AMU

For interested adult learners seeking a greater knowledge of sports nutrition, kinesiology, and other topics related to physical fitness, American Military University (AMU) offers an online Bachelor of Science in Sports and Health Sciences. For this academic program, students will take courses in human anatomy and physiology (with labs) and sports psychology. Other courses include exercise physiology and exercise programming and testing.

For more information, visit AMU’s health sciences degree program page.

Note: Material for lab courses will only be provided once. If you need replacement lab equipment for any reason or need to retake the course later, you will need to purchase your own lab refills.