As a health club owner and fitness professional I am constantly asked questions about working out. “What type of work out is best for me”, “how long should I do cardio for”, “I don’t want to get too big”, “I have spondylolishesis in my L5 so what type of training should I do?”
And the most popular question, “Why should I use a Personal Trainer? Do they really know what they’re doing?”
These are all very common concerns for a consumer when looking for fitness professional. You are spending your hard earned money for someone to train you in a safe, relevant, and effective manner. You would like to think that the person designing your work out has some knowledge of the human body and knows more then a bunch of “cool” exercises. Don’t get me wrong, I love cool exercise too but a trainer must know the time and place for everything in order to get you to reach your fitness goals.
With the decline of overall health in the United States due to a variety of factors that will be discussed later, many new careers have been created to fill new demands. Fitness authorities are concerned about the qualifications of personal trainers, and rightfully so. College and university educators contend that the physical education/exercise science profession has been bypassed by the growth of the fitness industry; as a result, quality instruction and training have been generally absent. In an effort to keep their overhead down, facility owners and/or managers frequently hire instructors/trainer staff at minimum wage while dismissing college-educated exercise science majors as “overqualified.”
It would seem that many fitness facility entrepreneurs have jumped on the fitness band wagon for financial gain at the expense of their clientele’s health and safety. Unfortunately, the same entrepreneurial fever and greed that has led to the hiring of untrained staff within the fitness industry have also led to disappointment within the arena of fitness instructors/personal trainer certification. It has been estimated that there are over 300 certification programs, most conducted by self-appointed fitness authorities who have no formal or very limited training in exercise science themselves. One must remember that a certificate is no more valuable than the training behind it and the standards used for awarding such a credential.
Becoming a competent personal trainer requires an in-depth knowledge of human anatomy, physiology, kinesiology and exercise science combined with practical training and experience. This cannot be achieved through a weekend cram course and certification programs during which students are typically primed for specific questions to which they regurgitate the answers on the examination. There is never sufficient time for practical training and thorough testing to ensure that candidates are capable of safe and effective exercise programming for the public.
To develop the knowledge, skill, and abilities of a competent personal trainer, one must undergo formal instruction in exercise science through an accredited university or a credible vocational school that provides comprehensive theoretical education and extensive practical training taught by a qualified exercise physiologist. Upon completion of academic instruction, coupled with substantial practical training in the areas of health assessment, fitness testing, performance evaluation, program design, and client supervision, serious and knowledgeable students seek certification through truly nonprofit professional associations such as NSCA and the ACSM.
“[A study] showed when personal trainers were administered a nationally validated survey test examining their knowledge base in exercise science, instructors with ACSM certification scored significantly higher than those who possessed other personal training certifications, not including NSCA- Certified Personal Trainer certification, which did not exist at the time. This same study also reflected that formal education, not experience, was the most significant factor correlating with a sound knowledge base including an understanding of exercise safety. In fact, this study demonstrated that the knowledge base of commercial fitness instructors within the state of Florida was no greater than that of members in the facilities where instructors were employed. More recent research has supported this observation by concluding that the formal education in exercise science coupled with certification from either NSCA or ACSM, versus other certification, was a strong predictor of a personal trainers exercise knowledge base, whereas years of experience was [not necessarily] related to such knowledge.”
(Page 610 of NSCA Essentials of Personal Training)
As the director of personal training at Maxim Health and Fitness here in Williamsburg, I take your safety and goals as a top priority. Every new member has my business card with my contact information, so if you are interested in a personal trainer I can meet with you, see what your goals are and set up your sessions with a qualified trainer. I take this very seriously and I put my heart and soul into the personal training program here. The trainers at Maxim are given extensive opportunities to further there education in exercise science. This year we are focusing on Active Isolated stretching, Flexibility and Corrective Exercise, and for the more athletic person the USAW sports performance Coaching.
Working with a exercise professional can help you reach your full potential.
