How Much Training Does Your Trainer/Coach Have by Rob Maxwell
Filed under: General Information
HOW MUCH TRAINING DOES YOUR TRAINER HAVE?
How much education would you like your attorney to have? What about your doctor? Or how about I hit you where it hurts… I’ve done a pretty good job with my own mutual funds, so how about you let me invest your money for you? Isn’t that like “No, but I slept at a Holiday Inn last night”? It sounds ludicrous, doesn’t it? So how is that any different than the majority of fitness “professionals” out there? Are most of them turning a dime because they’ve gone through some kind of personal transformation and now they want to show you how? That’s a start, but that’s all it is. I went through one of them myself at a young age, but I still needed my education if I was really going to be a true fitness professional.
I’ve been in this field for 16 years, and frankly it bugs me to no end how little value is placed on education and proper training for personal trainers and/or other fitness professionals. I wanted to change this in my own small way, so I took the job as the Director of Sports Medicine for the A.S. degree of Sports Medicine and Fitness Technology at Keiser’s Daytona Beach campus. I jumped at a chance to be a part of making and turning out true fitness professionals. Now we have an A.S. degree program in the fitness field right here! And I also took an instructor position for Fitness Resource Associates, which is the workshop company who prepares trainers to be ready for the ACSM Certified Personal Trainer exam. Again, we are hosting these workshops right here in Daytona Beach. I am committed to helping change my industry for the better in my own small way.
What to look for… Does your trainer have a degree in exercise science, exercise physiology, or related curriculum? A true fitness professional should have, at least, an A.S. degree in a fitness related curriculum. Of course, the higher the education, the better. Next, are they certified? And I mean really certified? There are only FOUR accredited certifying bodies: The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA), American Council on Exercise(ACE), and National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM). And that’s it. If the trainer you know has something else, it’s not recognized. Don’t be bashful about asking questions. Make sure your trainer has the credentials they should. Yes, it makes a difference. Can you put a price on your health and fitness? Do you really want to put this huge priority in the hands of someone who has not taken the time to educate themselves as high as they can?
Rob has a Master’s degree in Exercise Physiology and is certified by the American College of Sports Medicine. Rob is the Sports Medicine Director for Keiser University, Daytona Beach campus. Rob also hosts workshops preparing candidates for the American College of Sports Medicine Certified Personal Trainer exam.