Education of a Fitness Trainer

If you are an aspiring Fitness Trainer you are most likely an extremely active person with a sports or fitness background. You may also be someone who has been inactive or overweight in the past but has become a fitness convert. In my previous blog I discussed the ways of adding accreditation to your practical experience with certification. Before getting certification, a grounding in some level of exercise science should be necessary! There are a number of paths to attaining this background. They are as follows:

University: The conventional way would be to obtain a Bachelor Degree in Kinesiology or Physical Education. This would provide good grounding in Anatomy, Physiology and Movement Mechanics. However, it should be noted that this process will take four years and will not be totally specific to the goals of becoming a Fitness Trainer. Such degrees are often designed to turn out Physical Educators or gym teachers. There may be unrelated arts options, a course minor, and courses on recreation or sports administration. There is not likely to be much class time devoted to teaching how to sell the product of Fitness Training. On the plus side, university teaches the skill of critical thinking. The university graduate will then require one of the standard accreditation certificates.
   In the USA, an aspiring Trainer could get a Bachelor degree and continue through the National  Strength and Conditioning Association with a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist designation or any of their other certifications. In Canada, a university grad could complete the requirements of the Canadian Society of Exercise Physiology and become a Certified Exercise Physiologist,

College: The college where I took Personal Fitness Training was the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology in Edmonton, Canada. It was a pioneer in the Fitness Training field. The mandate was to streamline the university route and present a curriculum specific to the skills needed to be successful as a Personal Fitness Trainer. Colleges with a Fitness Training program may have up to 100 hours of practicum time. These are actual training sessions with clients. My college course went for a year and a half and we attained a certificate when we successfully finished. We also took the Canadian Society of Exercise Physiology  course for what is now the  Certified Personal Trainer certificate. We were also expected to have a provincial certificate that required a weekend seminar, a practical test and a written exam. The graduate wound up with three certificates in fitness and a sports first aid certificate.
My Alma Mater now runs the Personal Fitness Training course for two years and give a diploma plus a CSEP certificate. The provincial certificate is now optional................ Are you still with me?
   A perspective employer or a potential client MAY NOT know the difference between a mail-order certificate, a weekend seminar certificate, or a certificate from a college. 

Continuing Education / Adult Education Schools: Some of these institutions offer 40 weeks of Fitness Training courses along with a practicum. The graduate will receive,....guess what,.....a certificate. Grads will also be required to take an accreditation course for another certificate if they want to qualify for insurance. Many of these institutions are strip mall colleges but that may be the route that you decide to take.

Other Certification Courses: There are numerous other courses that can be done by correspondence, online, or by attending a seminar. They will award you a Fitness Training Certificate, for what that's worth,

Now where does all of this leave us? Let's take an example from my hometown of Ottawa, Canada. What are my choices if I want to become a qualified Fitness Trainer?
1. I could take Kinesiology at University of Ottawa and follow up with the CSEP certificate.
2. I could take the 2-year Diploma course at Algonquin College then get a CPT certificate.
3. I could take 42 weeks plus a 4 week practicum at Algonquin Careers Academy. This is no relation to Algonquin College. It is situated in a small industrial park. I would wind up with the Academy certificate plus a Can Fit Pro certificate.
4. I could take any advertised course and call myself a Fitness Trainer.


There is obviously a market for teaching courses for aspiring Fitness Trainers.
My question would be "Is the demand from potential clients that huge?"
Remember, my college course has about 6 Personal Fitness Trainers actually earning a living at it from a class of 40.
If you decide on this career path, be prepared to have to hustle. You also want to do your research! Be careful where you spend your money learning your trade! Make it count!

Until next time,.......keep fit!

Now that you're accredited you can get ready to move all that money to your
Swiss bank account. Remember to use your legs,  not your lower back!

Little Bobby Strong!
Bachelor of Arts (Not fitness related but I earned it so I'm putting it after my name)
Northern Alberta Institute of Technology- Personal Fitness Trainer Certificate  
Canadian Society of Exercise Physiologists- Certified Personal Trainer
Ontario Society of Health and Fitness (OSHF)
Alberta Fitness Leadership Certification Association (AFLCA) ( Okay, this one expired.)
Sports First Aid Certificate
Emergency Medical Responder
(EMR) (Just in case I work my client too hard)

P.S.Trying to make sense of all of this has made me truly 'certifiable'.

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Getting Accredited as a Fitness Trainer

Ideally a Fitness Trainer will actually take the time to earn some proper qualifications for the profession.
There are many ways to receive accreditation.Here are some of the more reputable organizations that can help a Fitness Trainer on the road to a standard of professionalism.

U.S.A.

American Council on Exercise (ACE): ACE certifies Fitness Trainers and Group Fitness Instructors.

They offer opportunities for ongoing education. Participants must complete a course of studies, pass a practical component and successfully write a comprehensive exam. ACE certified trainers are eligible for liability insurance.

National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA): NSCA cerifies Fitness Trainers. They also certify Strength and Conditioning Consultants( CSCS) that specialize in sports and athletic training. A CSCS requires a Bachelors degree in a sports science related field as a prerequisite.. NSCA requirements also include a practicum and an exam.They are a partner with the School of Human Kinetics, a publisher of Fitness manuals and textbooks. NSCA insures their certified trainers for injury liability and also for sexual abuse and molestation charges. Without accreditation you may not be able to get fitness training insurance.

Both ACE and NSCA offer advanced courses for those who may want to work with special populations such as injury rehabilitation clients.

National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM): NASM has a Certified Personal Trainer designation plus a number of supplementary certificates for training special populations or specific niches such as groups
or seniors. Their certificate can be earned online or in a classroom seminar setting.

International Sports Science Association: (ISSA): This one shows up frequently if you do an internet search for fitness certification. This certificate can be earned online by doing the prescribed course of studies at home.

Canada

Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology (CSEP): CSEP claims to be the 'gold standard'  for accreditation in Canada- the recognized national certification. CSEP trainers are required to have an educational background in some form of exercise science. For example, if you have a Bachelor degree in Kinesiology or Phys-Ed you can become a Certified Exercise Physiologist (CEP). A CEP is qualified to work with special populations such as seniors or those with certain medical conditions. Someone with a related diploma or college certification can become a Certified Personal Trainer (CPT). A CPT is qualified to work as a trainer with regular clients but not special populations.
   CSEP automatically provides fitness training liability insurance for up to one million dollars for all fully qualified CEP's and CPT's. I cannot emphasize this enough. Always be insured! Never rely only on a waiver form as your sole legal protection!

Can Fit Pro: This is a rapidly growing organization. Can Fit Pro provides certification for Fitness Trainers and Group Fitness Instructors.

Each province in Canada also has a provincial certification body that is closely aligned with the Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology. For example in the province of Alberta there is the
Alberta Fitness Leadership Association (AFLCA).The province of Ontario where I currently live has the
Ontario Society of Health and Fitness (OSHF).

For those living elsewhere, do your research. Your nation of residence may have have different rules governing what constitutes being a qualified Fitness Trainer. The internet may be your most useful tool.

Numerous other organizations provide fitness accreditation,They likely produce trainers with varying degrees of proficiency. There are certifications that you can get online. There is a Fitness and Nutrition course advertised on a matchbook. The actual value may be dubious.There is even an instant fitness training credential that you can send away for online for a small fee. Unfortunately, many people shopping for a Fitness Trainer don't understand the difference between a weekend certificate course or a comprehensive  course rewarding a certificate from a recognized, reputable organization.
   You would also think that a course that requires personal attendance with an instructor present would hold more weight than a certificate that can be earned online.
   Crack open the pages of any muscle magazine and you will see numerous ads for various ways of becoming a trainer to aspiring bodybuilders. This may be the way to go for hard core muscle aficionados.
Keep in mind that hard core bodybuilding has different goals and expected outcomes than fitness!
Your average client may want to look more like a Beyonce than an Arnold in his prime.
Stay tuned for more on Fitness Trainer education. It's not done yet! Not by a long shot!

You want want accreditation and certificates. How about this arsenal?  

Until next time,........keep fit!

Little Bobby Strong CSEP, CPT

 

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What is a Fitness Trainer?

   So you want to be a Fitness Trainer!  It would be an advantage to know exactly what the job title represents. It would also be beneficial to understand some basic definitions. I'll do my best to give a shot:

Fitness Trainer: A person who offers their services as a fitness expert. They provide exercise supervision and guidance to people that want to improve their physical fitness. A Fitness Trainer should be qualified to perform fitness tests and prescribe exercise programs  This usually involves a payment for services rendered. (You will hear more about this point from me in the future)

Personal Fitness Trainer: The fitness services are often provided in a one-on-one setting. Therefore the term Personal Fitness Trainer or Personal Trainer is synonymous with the term Fitness Trainer.

Fitness Consultant: This title is also interchangeable with Fitness Trainer. The use of the word  consultant somehow implies that there are official credentials behind the title. This is not necessarily the case. Anyone can call themselves a consultant - or a trainer.

Strength and Conditioning Consultant:  A trainer specializing in conditioning for sports and athletics.
Most professional and university/college teams have a strength and conditioning consultant or coach on staff.

Fitness Instructor: This term can refer to a Personal Fitness Trainer or a Group Fitness Instructor.

Group Fitness Instructor: This refers to someone that teaches group fitness classes. The classes could include weight training, aerobics, box-stepping, spin cycling or even yoga. A person can be a Group Fitness Instructor and a Personal Fitness Trainer. They should have extra accreditation to do both. Someone who is qualified to do one-on-one training and Group Fitness Instruction may be better positioned to actually earn a lucrative living in the fitness field.

Fitness and Wellness Consultant: Corporations or businesses may contract out to a person to provide some sort of workplace stress relief program. This may involve fitness training services, exercise classes,
meditation seminars or some form of holistic type activity. However, the term can also be just another name for a Fitness Trainer or a Personal Fitness Trainer.

Fitness Professional: This can be any of the above.  Anyone in the fitness business can theoretically call themselves a Fitness Professional.

Fitness Expert: Someone with advanced fitness knowledge. Any of the above could be a Fitness Expert.

Athletic Trainer: A person working with sports teams. Athletic Trainers diagnose and treat minor injuries, prescribe remedial exercises, tape ankles, knees, and other joints. They are the the first response for casualties in games and practices. Athletic Trainers would have advanced sports first aid training. They may work as a tandem with a Strength and Conditioning Coach.

There are also fitness related sub-categories such as:

Yoga Instructor: Teach a holistic, meditation, strength, and flexibility - oriented version of an eastern discipline..

Pilates Instructor: Pilates uses systems of cables and pulleys to stretch and strengthen.

Pilates and Yoga have their own systems of accreditation for their instructors.

   There are related positions such as Physical Therapy Assistants or Physio-Aides. They may perform some similar functions to those of a Fitness Trainer.They work under the direct guidance of a Physiotherapist. They would need specialized training depending on the rules governing that jurisdiction.

   You may have noticed that I have used many indecisive words such as usually, should be, somehow, often and theoretically.
That is because there are no distinct definitions in the fitness world!
Anybody can call themselves a Fitness Trainer without having any formal qualifications. Any muscle bound gym rat can set up shop and work in the profession. That would be akin to the no-neck, knuckle-dragging Neanderthal bouncer at a seedy gin joint claiming to be a dentist because he likes to rearrange teeth. I wouldn't recommend it for long term molar health. I also would be reluctant to recommend the unaccredited gym rat for long term, injury free fitness results.

   Fortunately, insurance companies that deal with Fitness Trainers are now requiring certain levels of accreditation. Most Fitness Centers now insist on measured levels of competence as well.
The danger of liability is just too serious!
   That does not mean that there is a formally accepted level of what constitutes the claim to be a Fitness Trainer. The whole business can still be a convoluted assortment of accreditation and certifications. Fortunately there is a movement towards consistent standards.
In future postings, I will try to find a path through this maze.

 Personal Fitness Trainer? Fitness Consultant? Wellness Coach?  Fitness Influencer?                       

             

Until next time,............keep fit!

Little Bobby Strong

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