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SIS30321

Certificate III in Fitness.

The hands-on SIS30321 Certificate III in Fitness provides you with the knowledge and skills to enjoy an active role as a Gym Instructor or Group Exercise Instructor in a fitness environment.

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Start your career in fitness with confidence.

Unlock potentials with the SIS30321 Certificate III in Fitness, your starting point for a rewarding career helping others move, feel, and live better. Designed as an entry-level fitness qualification, this nationally recognised course gives you the skills and confidence to become a qualified gym instructor or group exercise instructor.

What is the SIS30321 Certificate III in Fitness?

The SIS30321 Certificate III in Fitness is your first step into the fitness industry. It gives you the practical skills and confidence to work with people in a gym setting, support their movement safely, and contribute to a positive training environment.

You’ll learn the fundamentals of anatomy, movement, and exercise design while gaining hands-on practical experience in a real fitness setting. This course is nationally recognised, meaning your qualification is respected across Australia, wherever your fitness career takes you.

The Role of a Fitness Instructor

This course sets you up for a range of opportunities in the fitness world, not just one job title. You might find yourself supporting members on the gym floor, helping run group sessions, or even building the confidence and know how you’ll eventually use as a personal trainer.

Along the way, you’ll also learn how to work safely with people, understand what makes a great training experience, and feel comfortable stepping into real fitness environments. It’s a solid starting point that gives you room to explore, grow, and decide which direction you want to take as your career develops.

Skills You Will Gain

Throughout this course, you will:

  • Learn exercise science, anatomy, and nutrition basics.

  • Gain experience in gym equipment use and safety.

  • Build skills in communication, leadership, and motivation.

  • Develop the ability to tailor programs for different fitness levels.

  • Understand how to support clients through structured group training.

Course Outcomes.

The SIS30321 Certificate III in Fitness will prepare you to work as a: 

Group Exercise Instructor teaching class

Group Exercise Instructor

Plan and deliver group exercise sessions and develop gym-based programs for groups of individuals where the level of personalised instruction and ongoing client monitoring is limited. Group Exercise Instructors often work in settings such as fitness facilities, gyms, and leisure and community centres.

Gym Instructor training a client

Gym Instructor

Work as part of a team of fitness professionals in a gym providing advice on using gym equipment and writing exercise programs, while also contributing to daily operations.
  • Education: You will need to have completed year 10 or equivalent (i.e., a qualification at Certificate II level or higher, or 2 years of industry experience in a role that requires the use of written documentation and communication)
  • Minimum Age: You need to be at least 16 years of age. If you’re under 18, a parent or guardian will need to sign your enrolment form.
  • Residency Status: You need to be a permanent Australian resident or equivalent.
  • Working with Children Check: For the work placement portion of your course, you may need a current “Working with Children Check Clearance” issued by the relevant authority in your state/territory.

Course snapshot
Qualification

Certificate III in Fitness.

Delivery structure

Practical Elements:

  • Campus Club
  • With a 1-to-1 Flexible Mentor
  • With a Mentor of Your Choice

Theoretical Elements:

  • Are completed online
Duration

Up to 12 months

Study load
  • 23.5 hours of practical experience in a real gym   
  • 15 course units to complete   
  • Complete one course unit every 3 weeks to graduate in 12 months.  
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Delivery Structure.

Studying the Certificate III in Fitness with AIPT is flexible and you can tailor it to suit your needs. The course is broken down into two parts:

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1. Practical.

The practical elements of your course can be undertaken in one of two ways:

Campus Club

Learn in a small group environment inside one of Australia’s leading gyms and be mentored by the best in the business.  

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Undertake 23.5 hours of face-to-face practical learning following a set timetable.  
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Learn inside a leading gym and be mentored by a real fitness professional.

Campuses near you

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2. Theoretical.

Study the theoretical elements of this course anywhere and anytime through our online learning platform.

Components.

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15 course units to complete.
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Complete one course unit every 3 weeks to graduate in 12 months.

Resources Required

For the online part of the course, you may need regular access to:

Computer: Laptop or desktop computer with working speakers or headphone points.
Internet:
High-speed internet such as Broadband or ADSL, T1/T2, fibre optic (Dial-up access is not recommended).
Windows:
Operating system – Windows 8 or above.
Mobile Phone with video capability
or Video Camera: Some assessments in your course will require you to take and submit videos of you undertaking tasks for assessment.
Office Equipment: Printer and scanner to print and upload some of your assessments.
Internet Browser:
Google Chrome, Firefox or Microsoft Internet Explorer 11.
MAC:
Operating system - OS X 10.14 Mojave or later.
Software:
Flash, Adobe Reader, Microsoft Word (or Open Office which is free to download).

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Who Should Study This Course?

Entry-Level Fitness Professionals

If you’re taking your first step into the industry, the SIS30321 Certificate III in Fitness offers the perfect blend of theory and practice. You don’t need previous qualifications, just a passion for health and a desire to help others.

Fitness Enthusiasts Exploring Careers

Thinking about moving from a gym enthusiast to a recognised fitness professional? This is the right course for you because it guides you through the essentials and helps you graduate with a qualification that employers across Australia recognise.

Units.

Achieve your qualification by completing the following units of competency:

Certificate III in Fitness

This unit describes the performance outcomes, skills and knowledge required to screen clients for participation in exercise programs and to provide general advice about programs and services suitable to clients. 

It requires the ability to utilise industry standard pre-exercise screening systems, questionnaires and guidelines to collect and evaluate health information, and to determine suitable levels of exercise intensity for clients. This includes determining risk factors and providing referrals to medical or allied health professionals for guidance. 

Screening may occur prior to clients beginning an exercise program, before changes to programs and when their health status changes. Outcomes are used by fitness instructors to plan client programs. Skills for planning are covered in complementary units. 

This unit applies to group fitness instructors, gym instructors and personal trainers. It can also apply to other fitness facility staff members who screen clients and provide service information prior to clients participating in exercise activities. They practise in settings such as fitness facilities, gyms, leisure and community centres, client workplaces and homes, and outdoor locations, depending on their job role. 

The skills in this unit must be applied in accordance with Commonwealth and State or Territory legislation, Australian standards and industry codes of practice. 

This unit describes the performance outcomes, skills and knowledge required to assess current fitness capabilities of clients using information from industry standard pre-exercise screening as the starting point. It requires the ability to complete assessments using a range of activities and measurements and to document outcomes.

Assessment may occur prior to clients beginning an exercise program, before changes to programs and when their health status changes. Outcomes are used by fitness instructors to plan client programs. Skills for planning are covered in complementary units. 

This unit applies to gym instructors and personal trainers, who work unsupervised when interacting with clients using discretion and judgement to provide individually tailored client assessments. They practise in settings such as fitness facilities, gyms, leisure and community centres, client workplaces and homes and outdoor locations, depending on their job role. 

The skills in this unit must be applied in accordance with Commonwealth and State or Territory legislation, Australian standards and industry codes of practice. 

This unit describes the performance outcomes, skills and knowledge required to provide general, and not individualised, information about healthy eating to fitness clients. Information is based on the main recommendations of the current Australian national dietary guidelines which aim to promote optimal health and wellbeing for generally healthy people.

The unit requires the ability to recognise situations that are beyond the scope of practice for fitness instructors, and to provide information about the types of medical and allied health professionals with expertise to advise on nutritional needs. 

This unit applies to group fitness and gym instructors who practise in settings such as fitness facilities, gyms, and leisure and community centres. 

The skills in this unit must be applied in accordance with Commonwealth and State or Territory legislation, Australian standards and industry codes of practice. 

This unit describes the performance outcomes, skills and knowledge required to assess movement capacity in individual clients and provide advice on exercises to achieve optimal movement and safe and effective exercise technique. While this assessment may be completed as a separate dedicated activity, outcomes and recommended exercises may then be integrated into overall fitness programs for individual clients. 

 Assessment and advice are provided to clients who do not have unstable health conditions, pain or injury identified through pre-exercise screening and fitness assessment. The unit does not include assessment for the purposes of providing advice or treatment of injury or disease. In this case the fitness instructor refers clients to relevant medical or allied health professionals. 

This unit applies to personal trainers who work independently with clients using discretion and judgement to provide individually tailored client movement assessments. They practise in settings such as fitness facilities, gyms, leisure and community centres, client workplaces, and homes and outdoor locations. 

 The skills in this unit must be applied in accordance with Commonwealth and State or Territory legislation, Australian standards and industry codes of practice. 

This unit describes the performance outcomes, knowledge and skills required to plan group exercise sessions designed for participation by mixed ability groups, or by groups that predominately comprise a particular profile, for example, older people. It requires the ability to account for the participation of individuals from specific population groups and of diverse abilities and allow for modifications that can be made during instruction. 

It covers skills for evaluating and improving sessions in response to participant and instructor feedback, noting that sessions might be delivered by self or others. Skills for instructing group exercise sessions are covered in a complementary unit. 

Exercise sessions are diverse in nature. They could combine or specifically concentrate on cardiovascular, resistance and flexibility exercises, and be delivered with or without music. 

This unit applies to group fitness instructors and personal trainers who use discretion and judgment when planning sessions to meet diverse participant needs. Instructors practise in settings such as fitness facilities, gyms, leisure and community centres, client workplaces and other locations, depending on their role. 

The skills in this unit must be applied in accordance with Commonwealth and State or Territory legislation, Australian standards and industry codes of practice. 

This unit describes the skills and knowledge required to identify customer needs, deliver and monitor customer service and identify improvements in the provision of customer service.  

The unit applies to those who apply a broad range of competencies in various work contexts. In this role, individuals often exercise discretion and judgement using appropriate knowledge of customer service. They provide technical advice and support to customers over short or long-term interactions.

This course offer includes the units BSBOPS304, HLTWHS001 and SISFFIT036 as part of the cluster GE01 Group Exercise. Students who complete this cluster and submit a copy of their statement of attainment for HLTAID011 Provide First Aid are eligible to receive the skill set SISSS00128 Group Exercise Leader. This skill set is targeted toward group exercise leaders who lead predesigned group exercise sessions in settings such as fitness facilities, gyms, and leisure and community centres.

This unit describes the skills and knowledge required for workers to participate in safe work practices to ensure their own health and safety, and that of others. 

The unit applies to all workers who require knowledge of workplace health and safety (WHS) to carry out their own work, either under direct supervision or with some individual responsibility. 

This course offer includes the units BSBOPS304, HLTWHS001 and SISFFIT036 as part of the cluster GE01 Group Exercise. Students who complete this cluster and submit a copy of their statement of attainment for HLTAID011 Provide First Aid are eligible to receive the skill set SISSS00128 Group Exercise Leader. This skill set is targeted toward group exercise leaders who lead predesigned group exercise sessions in settings such as fitness facilities, gyms, and leisure and community centres.

This unit describes the performance outcomes, skills and knowledge required to prepare for and deliver land-based group exercise sessions according to predesigned session plans which may have been developed by self or others. 

It requires the ability to use exercise instructional techniques, and cater for different participant needs, in a mixed ability group situation within the confines of session guidelines. 

Skills for planning group exercise sessions are covered in a complementary unit. 

Exercise sessions are diverse in nature. They could combine or specifically concentrate on cardiovascular, resistance and flexibility exercises, and be delivered with or without music. 

This unit applies to group fitness instructors who work unsupervised when instructing groups, using discretion and judgement to solve routine problems and are guided by policies and procedures. It also applies to personal trainers working independently with groups. Instructors practise in settings such as fitness facilities, gyms, leisure and community centres, client workplaces and other locations, depending on their role. 

The skills in this unit must be applied in accordance with Commonwealth and State or Territory legislation, Australian standards and industry codes of practice. 

This course offer includes the units BSBOPS304, HLTWHS001 and SISFFIT036 as part of the cluster GE01 Group Exercise. Students who complete this cluster and submit a copy of their statement of attainment for HLTAID011 Provide First Aid are eligible to receive the skill set SISSS00128 Group Exercise Leader. This skill set is targeted toward group exercise leaders who lead predesigned group exercise sessions in settings such as fitness facilities, gyms, and leisure and community centres.

This unit describes the skills and knowledge required to provide a First Aid response to a casualty in line with First Aid guidelines determined by the Australian Resuscitation Council (ARC) and other Australian national peak clinical bodies. 

The unit applies to all persons who may be required to provide a First Aid response in a range of situations, including community and workplace settings. 

Specific licensing/regulatory requirements relating to this competency, including requirements for refresher training should be obtained from the relevant national/state/territory Work Health and Safety Regulatory Authorities. 

*This course contains the unit HLTAID011 Provide First Aid which must be completed through an external RTO. AIPT has an agreement in place with Red Cross Australia (RTOID 3605) which allows students to receive training for this unit at a reduced price or you may source your own training provider. Please note that the cost of this external training is not included in your course fee. Upon completion, you will need to submit a copy of your First Aid certificate for us to process a Credit Transfer against this unit of competency on your student record.

This course offer includes the units BSBOPS304, HLTWHS001 and SISFFIT036 as part of the cluster GE01 Group Exercise. Students who complete this cluster and submit a copy of their statement of attainment for HLTAID011 Provide First Aid are eligible to receive the skill set SISSS00128 Group Exercise Leader. This skill set is targeted toward group exercise leaders who lead predesigned group exercise sessions in settings such as fitness facilities, gyms, and leisure and community centres.

This unit describes the performance outcomes, skills and knowledge required to develop tailored gym-based exercise programs for individuals where the level of personalised instruction, ongoing client monitoring and program evaluation is limited. Clients are provided with initial instruction and then largely self-manage their own exercise sessions at the gym, according to the program, without ongoing one-to-one instruction. 

It requires the ability to integrate information from pre-exercise screenings, fitness assessments, and any medical guidance that may have been received for particular clients, to design suitable programs. 

This unit applies to gym instructors and gym-based personal trainers who work unsupervised when interacting with clients using discretion and judgement and are guided by policies and procedures. They practise in settings such as fitness facilities, gyms, and leisure and community centres. 

The skills in this unit must be applied in accordance with Commonwealth and State or Territory legislation, Australian standards and industry codes of practice. 

This unit describes the performance outcomes, skills and knowledge required to identify the role of anatomy and physiology knowledge in fitness instruction, and to use that knowledge to develop and instruct safe and effective exercise activities. 

Knowledge of anatomy and physiology underpins effective performance in a range of work functions for fitness instruction. This unit has direct links to, and supports, a range of units for planning and instructing group and personalised exercise programs. 

This unit applies to group fitness instructors, gym instructors and personal trainers. They practise in settings such as fitness facilities, gyms, leisure and community centres, client workplaces and homes and outdoor locations, depending on their role. 

The skills in this unit must be applied in accordance with Commonwealth and State or Territory legislation, Australian standards and industry codes of practice. 

This unit describes the skills and knowledge required to work respectfully with people from diverse social and cultural groups and situations, including Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people. 

This unit applies to all workers. 

This unit describes the performance outcomes, skills and knowledge required to maintain facilities within a sport, fitness and recreation context. 

This unit applies to activity or administration assistants who work under direct supervision in a range of roles and settings in the sport, fitness and recreation industry. This includes providing support in the provision of grounds and facilities maintenance; routine housekeeping; or administrative assistance in locations such as fitness centres, aquatic centres, or outdoor sporting grounds or complexes. Work is performed according to relevant legislation and organisation policies and procedures.

No occupational licensing, certification or specific legislative requirements apply to this unit at the time of publication.

This unit describes the skills and knowledge required to undertake work activities in compliance with organisational procedures that prevent and control infection. It involves implementing standard and transmission-based precautions, identifying infection hazards, and assessing and responding to infection risks. 

The unit applies to all workers required to undertake their activities in compliance with the infection prevention and control procedures in place in their workplace. 

This unit describes the skills and knowledge required to organise personal work schedules, to monitor and obtain feedback on work performance and to maintain required levels of competence. 

The unit applies to individuals who exercise discretion and judgement and apply a broad range of competencies in various work contexts. 

Course Structure and Learning Outcomes

This nationally recognised qualification is delivered through a mix of online study and practical experience, making it accessible for busy learners or those new to the field.

You’ll gain a solid foundation in exercise programming, anatomy, and client service, giving you both technical skill and professional confidence.

Still wondering if SIS30321 Certificate III in Fitness is for you? This certificate is the first formal step towards becoming a qualified fitness professional and opens doors to a wide range of roles in gyms, fitness centres, and wellness facilities.

Study Format and Duration

This course is designed to be flexible. You can complete it online with practical components delivered through an approved fitness facility or partner gym.

Most students complete the course in up to 12 months depending on their pace and study schedule.

Career Opportunities with SIS30321 Certificate III in Fitness

Completing your SIS30321 Certificate III in Fitness opens the door to a wide range of opportunities in Australia’s growing health and wellness industry. Whether you’re drawn to the energy of group classes or the structure of gym-based instruction, this qualification prepares you to take your first professional step with confidence. It’s the start of a rewarding career where you can inspire, teach, and make a real difference in people’s lives every day.

Course outcomes

After completing your SIS30321 Certificate III in Fitness, you can work as a:

  • Gym Instructor

  • Group Exercise Instructor

Those roles let you apply your skills in real-world settings while supporting clients to stay active, motivated, and safe during their workouts.

H3: Stepping Stone to SIS40221 Certificate IV in Fitness

This course also sets the foundation for the SIS40221 Certificate IV in Fitness, the next step towards becoming a qualified Personal Trainer.

You can also choose the Complete Personal Training and Business Course if you’re looking for a qualification that includes both fitness training and essential business skills.

Cost & payment.

Choose what works for you. Pay upfront via VISA, MasterCard, or bank deposit, or opt for a flexible instalment plan paid weekly or fortnightly.

Your course fee includes

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Delivery and assessment of your qualification

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Study materials (including all resources)

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Ongoing support from our Education Team

We offer two payment methods

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Full fee upfront

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Instalment plans

For more information about the course costs, please call us on 1300 616 180.

Why Choose AIPT for SIS30321 Certificate III in Fitness?

Choosing the right training provider is key to starting a fitness career on the right foot. At AIPT, we combine practical experience, industry connections, and flexible learning to give you the skills, confidence, and support you need to succeed. This ensures that your SIS30321 Certificate III in fitness is not just a qualification but a springboard into a rewarding career in health and fitness.

Our mission

Industry Partnerships

AIPT partners with Australia’s leading gyms and fitness organisations to ensure your learning experience is practical, industry-relevant, and backed by real employment pathways. You’ll gain access to hands-on training in professional gym environments.

Mentor Partner

Student Support and Flexible Options

You’ll enjoy ongoing support from qualified trainers and dedicated student advisors. Whether you study full-time or part-time, our flexible delivery model helps you balance your education with your lifestyle.

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Pathway to Further Study

After completing your Certificate III in Fitness, you can continue with the:

Take the First Step Towards Your Fitness Career

Ready to begin your journey in the fitness industry? The SIS30321 Certificate III in Fitness is where your professional path starts. Build your skills, gain a recognised qualification, and start making a real impact on people’s lives.

They have an excellent range of courses on offer, as well as superb customer service that made me feel welcomed and supported throughout my studies.

I spoke with Tamara, who was wonderful. She gave me all the information about the course and kept in touch right throughout the enrolment process.

Studying my theory online and at my pace allowed me to continue working full-time. The face-to-face component was amazing, working with an experienced instructor.

AIPT supported me from the moment I joined. Even through COVID times, they carried on and were always there for me if I needed anything.

Studying with AIPT allowed me to study while working 5 days a week and at university. It allowed flexibility while ensuring I received the best education possible .

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