when do you know your ready...

[Faythe]

When do you know your ready to become a fitness trainer/class instructor? I am feeling confident but was going to wait until "ALL" my fat is gone. Most people say it is, but I see a little more on my lower abs that has to go. I thought by summer it may be close to what I feel comfortable wearing a short shirt in public. A local gym is offering a ACE program 5 wks, and test for @ $350. ...Is that a good deal? It doesn't include text book. And for all you who work in the fitness field, when do you know your ready???? Thanks,
Faythe

 

[lorihart]

I have often thought about becomming a fitness instructor and although I can yell pretty loud and all that stuff I don't know if I could do it.I guess I lack the confidence.
I just recently got married and if I have a child in the next couple of years I don't think I am going to go back to my old job so I thought about doing that.
I don't think that you should worry about that little bit of fat on your belly.I would think that your students would like to know that their instructor is not pitcure perfect.And maybe if you just took the course then you would know if you were ready or not.
I think that you should take the course and go for it.You don't want to spend your time wondering if you missed out or not.I know I would if they offered stuff like that around here.
Hope i helped,
Lori

 

[Aquajock]

Hi, Faythe!

Please, please, PLEASE don't wait until you have the "perfect" physique to be a group fitness instructor! No such physique exists, and there is an amazing array of body types teaching high-quality classes in gyms and studios these days. And when I say "an amazing array", I'm talking about the "lean and mean" to the "plus-size".

What defines a good instructor is her energy, creativity, attention to safety, form and effectiveness, and her caring and concern for the exercise experience of her participants. Yes, there are many participants who judge instructors by their looks and physiques alone; I am here to tell you that there are a whole lot MORE participants who judge an instructor by her skill, talent and enthusiasm.

I've seen skinny instructors who couldn't wake their participants out of a light nap, and I've seen plus-size instructors who kick their participants' booties like no tomorrow.

Just be you . . . and go for it!

Annette

 

[Aquajock]

RE: Re the ACE study program . . .

Hello again, Faythe!

When I studied for my ACE group fitness instructor exam back in the winter 1996/97, I didn't take any classroom classes but instead studied on my own using the ACE Aerobics Instructor Manual (updated since I took it), the study guide and the practice test. It was some tough reading, but I passed the test on the first bounce. That is not to say that classroom training isn't valuable; I think it has more to do with how best you learn. The price you've quoted sounds about average for test-prep classes for any of ACE's exams, although it's a bummer that they don't include the textbook.

I believe Honeybunch recently took one of ACE's exams; perhaps she could chime in and share her experience and opinions.

As far as when you know you're ready . . . good hands-on training in the modes you want to teach is invaluable, as is actual front-of-class experience, to get you used to cueing, doing, planning the moves in your head, and making it all look easy. Be prepared to feel a bit awkward at first, and pre-planning your class choreography so that you'll know your combos.

Again, don't wait until that magical moment when you feel absolute confidence . . . JUST DO IT!

Annette

 

[Bobbi]

RE: Re the ACE study program . . .

Hi, Faythe, I'm with Annette. If you're ready, you're ready and losing all your fat is just an excuse to not do it when you're ready! This idea that we need to be perfect and conform to the media's standards of beauty is hooey. I know I'll never have a belly like Cathe's short of starving myself and that's not going to happen! Do it now and if and when you lose all your fat, that'll be a bonus! Who knows what tomorrow may bring? Don't miss a moments opportunity to do this and don't let a little body fat deter you. The average woman is a size 14 after all. What's important is that you can be a heck of insructor. Period!!!

Bobbi http://www.plaudersmilies.de/chicken.gif Chick's Rule!

 

[Stebby]

RE: Re the ACE study program . . .

Go for it now, Faythe! In my early 20s I decided I wanted to be a fitness instructor some day, when I had the perfect body. My friend who also wanted to be a fitness instructor convinced me to just do it, because I might never have a body that I would consider perfect. So I went ahead and took the training (this was in 1984, pre certification days) with her, and became a part-time group fitness instructor. I have never looked back. I got the ACE certification when it came out (it was called the IDEA certification then, in 1987) and have since obtained my OFC and Can-Fit-Pro certifications (they are from Canadian organizations). I'm now 40 and still teaching, 18 years later. And, no, I've never gotten the "perfect" body. If I had waited for that, I would never have become an instructor, and I would have missed out on a lot of fun over the last 18 years. I have met people I would never have met otherwise, and my role as an instructor has given me a self-confidence that I'm sure I would not otherwise have had. I also have a wealth of physiology and nutrition information (through attending upgrading courses and conventions over the years to maintain my certifications). It has given me something very different from my full-time field of information technology.

I would recommend that you go ahead and take a course, get yourself certified, and try teaching a few classes. A lot of people hate teaching their first class!! It is nerve-wracking and it's very easy to tell yourself you're not suited for this. But you know what? You may never feel "ready" -- I think you just need to jump in and try it. It's kind of like jumping off a high diving board. You are entitled to try it if you want to -- it's not a special club reserved for people who look a certain way. You have a passion for fitness, and teaching is a good way to share it.

Don't worry about people thinking or saying things about your physique. You are probably a lot more critical of yourself than they will ever be.

 

[honeybunch]

My 2 cents....My test cost $175.00, the book was $50.00, and the workshop through Exercise Etc.(and worth EVERY penny) was $200.00. I took 8 weeks to prepare from start to finish.

As for my physique......I plan to just cover what I don't want to be seen. We all have weak areas, so just cover it up! There's no law that says a fitness instructor or personal trainer has to run around in short shorts and a sports bra. Maybe in my next life I'll have the perfect bod, but it ain't gonna happen in this one.

 

[Faythe]

Thanks everyone for your 2cents. I really appreciate it. I will check into some advice given before I sign up.
Thanks again!!!!!!!!
Faythe