Wanna answer some questions????? :)

P

pixie9

Cathlete
Hi everyone! I was hoping you all would give me some opinions about personal trainers. I'm writing a paper about certification vs. licensure of personal trainers and I'm interested in your opinions about the matter. The questions are as follows:

If you're looking to work with a personal trainer:

Does it matter to you if they're certified? Why or why not?
Does it matter to you if that certification is accredited by a third party organization? Why or why not?
Would you feel differently about trainers if they were licensed (like massage therapists, doctors, physical therapists, etc)?

If you are or want to be a personal trainer:

Does is matter to you if you're certified? Why or why not?
If so, do you care if your certification is accredited?
Would you like to be licensed?
Do you think licensing would make a 'more quality' trainer?

TIA to everyone who answers! I've been doing some research on the subject and I though you guys would have some interesting opinions on the subject.

ETA: if you want to answer both portions, please feel free!:)
Carolyn:)
 
I'll take a stab at this. :)

Yes to all the questions. If I were to spend $$$$ on a PT (and in this area it's big money--I don't know about the rest of you guys but here the average is $70 an hour) I'd want to feel secure in knowing they were up to date on all the latest fitness innovations & had the educational background to know what they were doing. That they weren't just giving me a template workout that they gave everyone, regardless of age, gender & physical condition.

Licensing is an interesting idea b/c I would imagine it'd change insurance for health clubs as the PTs would be more accountable--they wouldn't just have to answer to their bosses, they'd have to answer to someone their bosses had to answer to. So I would think a health club's liability insurance would be less if there was a so-called "higher power" regulating them, which would translate into less expensive membership fees.

Also, not one of your questions, but again if I were to spend $$$$ on a PT I'd want her to be in great shape. If someone is basically saying "if you do what I do you'll look like this" they darn well better look good!

If I were to go back to PT I'd want as much education/certifications/accreditations as possible. Just b/c I think it'd leverage me more money. ;-)
 
Ok, so no takers huh?

At the risk of beating a dead horse, I'll ask a different question in hopes of an answer. Question: why would you choose a specific personal trainer over another (provided you're in the market for a trainer)?

If you are a personal trainer...why did you become one? Are you interested in being certified? Do you know if your certification is accredited? If you're not sure what that entails, are you interested?

Any opinions at all on the subject of trainers would be appreciated. If I don't get any, I'll take my questions back to my classmates. I was hoping to get some different views here though...;-)

C
 
>I'll take a stab at this. :)
>
>Yes to all the questions. If I were to spend $$$$ on a PT
>(and in this area it's big money--I don't know about the rest
>of you guys but here the average is $70 an hour) I'd want to
>feel secure in knowing they were up to date on all the latest
>fitness innovations & had the educational background to know
>what they were doing. That they weren't just giving me a
>template workout that they gave everyone, regardless of age,
>gender & physical condition.
>
>Licensing is an interesting idea b/c I would imagine it'd
>change insurance for health clubs as the PTs would be more
>accountable--they wouldn't just have to answer to their
>bosses, they'd have to answer to someone their bosses had to
>answer to. So I would think a health club's liability
>insurance would be less if there was a so-called "higher
>power" regulating them, which would translate into less
>expensive membership fees.
>
>Also, not one of your questions, but again if I were to spend
>$$$$ on a PT I'd want her to be in great shape. If someone is
>basically saying "if you do what I do you'll look like this"
>they darn well better look good!
>
>If I were to go back to PT I'd want as much
>education/certifications/accreditations as possible. Just b/c
>I think it'd leverage me more money. ;-)


Thank you LM! This is the kind of answer I'm looking for!! Interesting perspective about liscensure lowering the membership fees. Hadn't thought of that one. In terms of trainers who work for gyms, that may be the case.

As a side note, have you thought about getting certified as a side job?
 
I'd be happy to answer your questions:)

Does it matter to you if they're certified? Why or why not?
Yes, it matters to me. I think certification should be the bare minimum requirement for a PT because it's an indication of at least some instruction. One of my cousins was hired at a Bally's many years ago -- she had a bachelors degree in English and absolutely no training in fitness whatsoever -- yet she was expected to "train" customers. She said it was terrible and she felt sorry for the customers who assumed she was knowledgeable simply because she worked there. When you hire a PT you expect them to know more than you.

Does it matter to you if that certification is accredited by a third party organization? Why or why not?
I would prefer third party accreditation because it sets the standard and raises the level of professionalism.

Would you feel differently about trainers if they were licensed (like massage therapists, doctors, physical therapists, etc)?
Well this would be the ideal but I wonder how affordable it would be for consumers. The last time I used a PT, about 3 years ago, it ran around $45/hour. I guess at the end of the day it all boils down to money. I started out with 3 sessions per week, then dropped to twice weekly because it simply was not affordable long term.

ETA that I'm not sure if licensure would result in lower fees. It would be great if you could get your insurance to pay for your trainer, though!!

HTH:)
 
Michele, thank you!:)

I agree that accreditation does set a higher standard. I think it probably works for the fitness field, but from what I've recently read, not so much for colleges.

I think that Lauramax brought up an interesting point about licensure bringing down the costs of gym memberships. It may however bring up the costs for self employed trainers as they now have license fees and that would of course raise their customer fees. You're right that is is expensive. People were charging upwards of $70 an hour in Virginia when I was there!

C
 
Yes, it matters to me whether someone is certified or licensed. The certification should come from a recognized organization, a leader in the industry, and should be specific to the fitness activity. I have 3 examples of what I consider scary situations: my nephew became a trainer at a club when he was in college ... he had no training nor education, he just looked fit (good genetics, as he hadn't worked out since he was a sophmore in high school). I've known 2 other people who were personal trainers, they had no training or eduction, just worked out themselves. That is not enough to lend a person credibility IMO, but the unknowning public believed these 3 guys knew what they were doing. And maybe they did know the basics, but, you you just don't know.

I have a masters degree in health education and worked for a large university doing fitness testing and exercise prescriptions and knew the "basics", I wouldn't consider myself an "expert" and I have more formal training/education than the 3 guys with the title. I have various "certifications" ... the training/education are adequate for the those certifications. Some of those cerfitications are specific to the local organization that sponsored the training, some are nationally recognized certifications -- I value those more. I also have a counseling license (another master's degree) ... which requires licensure. Licensure is a whole other ball of wax, including on-going expenses, which I just consider part of the profession. I don't think licenusre for personal trainers is a requirement at this time, however, as the profession evolves and the expectations and responsibilities become more specific, it may make sense. Deb
 
Let me add to the answers:


Does it matter to you if they're certified? Why or why not?

Of course it matters. If I'm shelling out $$ for their services I expect they be qualified. I expect they will know how to help me reach my particular goals, develop a plan with an understanding of my background and abilities, and develop a program that is not going to cause injury if properly followed. They better look fit too. I want them to practice what they preach. I refuse to visit a hairstylist with a rats nest on his/her head and I would refuse to visit an unfit trainer. For me, it just comes down to certain expectations.



Does it matter to you if that certification is accredited by a third party organization? Why or why not?

Absolutely! I've had experience (not with trainers) at some of the larger gyms and thought they were morons. At least that I can see, ACE does not have an agenda other than getting people fit. Gold's Gym has an agenda, raking in the $$$ with as minimal expense as possible.

Would you feel differently about trainers if they were licensed (like massage therapists, doctors, physical therapists, etc)?
Yes. Unqualified individuals run the risk of hurting someone. A college kid with good genetics and no knowledge of the human body teaching people to exercise is a menace to society. I say that in jest but I think you know what I mean.


So Carolyn, good luck! I think you will make a kick a** trainer!
 
I was actually ACE certified during college, it's how I paid the bills in grad school. I let it lapse after I graduated. I would LOVE to do it again but w/my ridiculous work hours it wouldn't be fair to clients b/c I can't guarantee I'd be available on any given night, & I'm struggling just to find time for my own routine.

I'm not sure licensure fees would raise membership fees, as another poster noted. I'm not sure how much it costs for massage therapists et al, but if it were a state license I'd imagine the fee would be nominal. Most licensing fees in NJ are >$50. Also I guess it would depend on who paid the fees--perhaps health clubs would pay fees for their PTs while private PTs would pay their own. But I'd imagine having that additional accountability would at least lower insurance costs. Last I checked liability insurance was a heck of a lot more expensive than certification or licensing costs. ;-)

The economics would make an interesting study though........
 
Thank you Debby and Beavs. I agree that there are some scary trainers out there who just look fit but don't really have any umm...knowledge.:) I think trainers should look fit too but, they should know some stuff also.
I'm thinking the training world is moving towards licensure and then towards degree requirements eventually. It's kind of a boring topic but I'm sort of a nerd and I like this stuff. Thanks for the answers ladies!

carolyn
 
At the risk of beating a dead horse, I'll ask a different question in hopes of an answer. Question: why would you choose a specific personal trainer over another (provided you're in the market for a trainer)?

Answer: I would choose a specific PT based on the following:
Reputation
Reccomendation
Knowledge
Certification - ACSM & NASM I feel are the best. The way I see it, if you are going to be a PT, get the best cert you can. Research which ones are the best and choose according to which one you feel will provide you with all the tools you need to do the job to the best of your abilities. I won't go to any trainer who is not ACSM or NASM certified. I'm on the East Coast and 90% of the gyms here won't hire a trainer who isn't NASM certified.
Shape - I'm with LauraMax, if my trainer doesn't walk the walk and talk the talk, why on earth would I pay good money. The way I see it is if this is your job and you are telling me how to get in shape, why aren't you doing that same.

If you are a personal trainer...why did you become one?
Answer: Because my entire life I've always had this desire to help people feel better about themselves. I've been in fitness for 20 years. I started out as a weight loss councelor and then just kept getting deeper and deeper into the business. At the gym I was always approached by people who have asked me to train them and I would never take that step without the proper training. You need to feel 100% confident about who your training and what their goals and expectations are. This is someones body, it's their temple. I look at it like, if it was me, who would I want training me. My trainer knows me very well. I used to teach at the gym he trained at and we were friends. I knew he was good because he never had a spare minute and I used to watch the things he did. When I talked to him he was always SO knowledgeable about everything. To me it is very important that when someone is telling you to do an exercise, they are telling you WHY you should do it and HOW it will help you.



Are you interested in being certified? Do you know if your certification is accredited? If you're not sure what that entails, are you interested?

I am certified by NASM, yes I know its accredited. When I wanted to become certified I asked my trainer which one to do and he said "hands down, NASM".

There are alot of people out there that call themselves trainers, just be careful to check out their qualifications beforehand. Ask to see a copy of thier cert., ask where they went to school, ask about their own workout program. Chances are if the person is good, you will be sold in the first 5 minutes of talking to them.
 
>Answer: I would choose a specific PT based on the following:
>Reputation
>Reccomendation
>Knowledge
>Certification - ACSM & NASM I feel are the best. The way I
>see it, if you are going to be a PT, get the best cert you
>can. Research which ones are the best and choose according to
>which one you feel will provide you with all the tools you
>need to do the job to the best of your abilities. I won't go
>to any trainer who is not ACSM or NASM certified. I'm on the
>East Coast and 90% of the gyms here won't hire a trainer who
>isn't NASM certified.
>Shape - I'm with LauraMax, if my trainer doesn't walk the walk
>and talk the talk, why on earth would I pay good money. The
>way I see it is if this is your job and you are telling me how
>to get in shape, why aren't you doing that same.
>

>Are you interested in being certified? Do you know if your
>certification is accredited? If you're not sure what that
>entails, are you interested?
>
>I am certified by NASM, yes I know its accredited. When I
>wanted to become certified I asked my trainer which one to do
>and he said "hands down, NASM".
>

Thank you for your answers Mamaspretty35! I think you brought up some great points. It's interesting, but I just read an article that showed the defining characteristics that the most knowledgeable personal trainers had (after taking a test), was that they held a degree in exercise science and/or were certified with ACSM or NSCA.
Also, where I just moved from (Northern Virgina), every gym I interviewed at wanted a certification from ACE. I think it's interesting that different areas of the country value different certifications.

Carolyn
 
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