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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