A personal trainer is someone who has earned a certificate which shows that they have attained a certain level of competence for designing and delivering effective and safe exercise programmes for groups or individuals with special medical clearance to work out. This type of certificate is issued by the Commission on Exercise (CE), whose functions are to protect, promote and maintain standards of personal trainer performance and qualifications and to set and improve standards of personal trainer education and teaching. For personal trainers, it’s very important that their personal fitness training programmes are both safe and efficient because when people don’t feel comfortable doing them or find them to be ineffective, the results they get are often less than optimal. Therefore, a personal trainer must have the ability to design a programme that both meets the needs of the client but also meets the necessary criteria for its effectiveness.
There are various bodies which accredit personal trainers, including the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA), the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), and the National Federation of Professional Trainers (NFPC). These organisations provide certificates to their members, which should carry enough weight to show that the trainer has met certain competencies and has sufficient knowledge and experience for the job. Before an individual can be certified as a personal trainer, he must undergo an entry-level training program which usually lasts a year. There are many colleges that offer this certificate course to their students and it is therefore not difficult to find one that is near to you.
Most personal trainers begin their careers working with one group of clients until they build up a portfolio of work which they can show potential clients. Once they build up a considerable number of regular clients, they can move on to larger groups of clients. The best trainers will have multiple groups of different ages and physical fitness levels which they tailor their programmes to. Ideally, they would like to keep a few groups together as they are always best matched by a good trainer. This makes it easier to evaluate their progress over time and to make any adjustments needed. Some trainers prefer to have a mix of younger and older clients in their practice, while others feel comfortable only having very mature clients in their business.
One thing that personal training professionals all agree on is the importance of continuing education. It is important for personal trainers to learn about fitness professionals within their own industry and to learn what changes need to be made to their services so that they can continue to provide the best service possible to their clients. Mahaffey says that many individuals in the personal training industry are unaware of eligibility requirements for state certification. For example, there are certification requirements for Personal Trainers in Massachusetts. According to Mahaffey, those individuals who do not take the time to become informed about these regulations may find themselves being unprofessional by the time that their clients begin to rely on their services.
Nutrition is another area of increasing importance in the personal trainer and fitness industry. As people become more health conscious and aware of the foods that they are choosing to eat, fitness trainers are expected to be able to offer sound nutritional advice to their clients. A dietitian is usually involved in helping people develop a personal trainer’s diet plan and keeping their fitness on track. Those trainers who cater to a more specific client base require additional skills in this area. Nutritionists who cater to athletes or women must also understand the needs of such clients differently than those that deal with older adults or older children.
Exercise science and sports medicine are other areas of growing importance in the personal trainer and fitness field. According to Mahaffey, exercise science has come a long way in the past decade and continues to evolve. Exercise science deals with testing for and developing new methods for helping people lose weight and build muscle. Many personal trainers who wish to pursue formal exercise science credentials must first complete a four-year bachelor’s degree at an accredited university or college and then complete a four-year master’s degree in exercise science or another related field. Those personal trainers who pursue credentials in sports medicine must undergo a two-year athletic degree at an approved college or university and then complete a four-year bachelor’s degree in health sciences.
