View a collection of industry related articles for those working in the personal training, fitness, health and wellness fields.
As a physical fitness trainer, one of the most common issues you will encounter with your clients is bad posture. In fact, bad posture is so common that it’s estimated that over 85% of all adults experience some sort of back pain at some point in their lives. (more…)
There’s a reason why athletes are trained to be agile instead of having big muscles. While working on strength conditioning and building muscles is important, having an agile body can make a person’s fitness journey much easier. (more…)
by Joseph Giandonato, MBA, MS, CSCS Faculty Member World Instructor Training Schools
Introduction
Fitness professionals are faced with a multitude of dilemmas in their practice. Prominently among them lies the controversial issue of prescribing both aerobic endurance training and resistance training simultaneously, which is known as concurrent training. Concurrent training has its roots in ancient Egypt, which boasted the world’s wealthiest kingdom, buttressed by a robust military force that had prevailed over Hittite and Sea People contingents and ousted Hyskos invaders, sustaining a reign lasting over two thousand years. According to scrawlings on papyrus scrolls, Egyptian soldiers performed a variety of bodyweight exercises and running in preparation for battle, helping them surmount their opposition. On the other side of the Mediterranean, Olympic athletes in ancient Greece engaged in concurrent training, often swimming or running to improve endurance and lifting weights and performing resisted running and running in sand to improve strength. Exercises performed by ancient societies serve as the foundation for programming to this day and while an exploration of the literature demonstrates a synergism between resistance training and aerobic endurance training, the greatest challenge is striking a fine balance conducive to elicit desired adaptations, which specifically encompass improved physical preparedness and athletic performance.
Aerobic Endurance Training
In isolation, regular participation in aerobic endurance training strengthens the myocardium, resulting in increased cardiac output, which in conjunction with improved maximal oxygen consumption (VO₂max), boosts the supply of oxygenated blood to working musculature. Notable adaptations such as decreased heart rates and blood pressure, increased lactate threshold and clearance rates, improved glucose tolerance, insulin sensitivity, free fatty acid mobilization and oxidation, culminating in reduced body fat. Reduced body fat is paramount in lowering cholesterol and optimizing metabolic functioning (Dolezal & Potteiger, 1998).
Resistance Training
Resistance training, commonly referred to as strength training, entails intermittent exercise of short durations at higher intensities interspersed with varying rest periods during a predetermined period of time (i.e., workout, training session, et cetera). In the past half century, the popularity of strength training has mushroomed as evidenced by a proliferation of health clubs throughout the industrialized world and publications showcasing its health and performance evoking capabilities in a spectrum of populations. It has become common knowledge that people of all ages, activity levels, and athletic backgrounds and goals can derive benefits from incorporating strength training within an exercise program. Regular participation in resistance training confers improvements in muscular strength, local muscular endurance, hypertrophy (Evans, 2019), strengthening of tendinous and ligamentous structures (Brumitt & Cuddeford, 2015), improved bone mineral density (Holubiac, Leuciuc, Crăciun, & Dobrescu, 2022) and coordinative abilities (Carroll, Barry, Riek, & Carson, 2001). Similar to aerobic endurance training, strength training has been shown to improve cholesterol (Mann, Beedie, & Jimenez, 2014), glucose tolerance (Craig, Everhart, & Brown, 1989), insulin sensitivity (Ishii, Yamakita, Sato, Tanaka, & Fujii, 1998), and reduce resting blood pressure (Cornelissen, Fagard, Coeckelberghs, & Vanhess, 2011).
Review of the Literature
An early investigation by Hickson (1980) garnered concerns about the compatibility of resistance training and aerobic endurance training. Concurrent training which consisted of 30 minutes of strength training five days per week and 40 minutes of endurance training performed six days per week over a period of 10 weeks was found to diminish strength development in comparison to those engaging only in strength training. However, these concerns were rebuked by later studies and a series of recent meta-analyses demonstrating that concurrent training does not compromise muscle hypertrophy and strength (Schumann, 2022) as long believed, and the resulting interference effect is largely dependent upon loading parameters, such as frequency, intensity, time, and type (Wilson, 2012). Lower aerobic endurance training volume, such as distances of 3km or less or at 18 minutes in duration was found not to inhibit strength endurance performance in comparison to greater volume entailing distances of 5 to 7km or at 30 to 42 minutes in duration (Panissa, 2014). Weekly aerobic endurance training volume was strongly correlated with decrements in strength performance (Sousa, 2020). The type of aerobic endurance training activity was also shown to be a determinant in eliciting an interference effect. Cycling was shown to inhibit strength endurance performance more than running (Panissa, 2014).
Concurrent training can be beneficial in increasing total daily caloric expenditure (Poehlman, 2002), which will hasten their resting metabolic rate, and in turn, assist with weight control (Pollock, 2000). Improvements in hemodynamic response, arterial stiffness, muscular strength (Cortez-Cooper, 2005), and submaximal exercise capacity (Beckers, 2008) have been shown among concurrent training samples. Additionally, concurrent training has also been proven effective in cardiovascular disease management (Meka, Katragradda, Cherian, & Arora, 2008) and has been shown to restore impaired aerobic endurance and strength in heart transplant patients (Chtara, 2005). Jointly incorporating aerobic endurance and strength training protocols is also postulated to be effective in improving upper and lower body strength, aerobic endurance, and balance in the elderly (Toraman, Erman, & Agyar, 2004). Further, a recent randomized controlled trial revealed that the concurrent training group significantly reduced peripheral and central diastolic blood pressure and experienced greater increases in cardiorespiratory fitness, upper and lower body strength, and lean body mass in comparison to aerobic endurance and resistance trained groups over an 8-week period (Schroeder, Franke, Sharp, & Lee, 2019). More specific to performance, concomitant modalities of aerobic endurance and resistance training have been shown to produce greater improvements in endurance performance and aerobic capacity (Chtara, 2005; Rønnestad & Mujika, 2014).
Lower volume, high-intensity strength training has been shown to evoke greater improvements in both aerobic endurance and strength performance than moderate-intensity training (Rønnestad & Mujika, 2014). Among endurance athletes, concurrent training entailing heavy or explosive strength training has been shown to improve running, cycling, and swimming economy (Rønnestad & Mujika, 2014; Giandonato, 2011).
Practical Application
Fitness professionals should be cognizant of the varying physiological and biomechanical demands of their clients, especially those who are engaged in competitive pursuits. For example, a distance running client who competes in local 5k races and half marathons and clients who avid lifters likely possess disparate fitness qualities, biomotor skills, and metabolic profiles. These differences are likely to be more pronounced at higher levels of competition. While both clients can and should be encouraged to engage in concurrent training, preventing undesirable adaptations, specifically reduced muscular power and strength, can be attenuated by accounting for the quaternary of loading parameters: frequency, intensity, time, and type, colloquially known as the “FITT principle”. For distance runners, lower volume, high-intensity resistance training is optimal, whereas those desiring increases in strength should have their participation in aerobic endurance training capped at no more than 18 minutes per session based on aforementioned literature. Though maximal durations of aerobic endurance training sessions may depend on the individual athlete’s training history, cardiovascular health, cardiorespiratory fitness, and performance vectors specific to their event or sport.
Additionally, if sessions are to be performed subsequently on the same day, priority should be given to which fitness qualities and biomotor skills may be insufficient or needing improvement. Further, it should be considered that performing aerobic endurance training will deplete muscle glycogen stores needed to facilitate repetitive high-intensity outputs. This is critical especially if the athlete needs to learn, practice, and ingrain technique on given movements or drills, as fatigue can impede motor learning. Ideally, same day aerobic endurance and resistance training sessions should be interpolated by a 4-to-8-hour recovery interval to reduce the interference effect and strength endurance performance. A review by Eddens, van Someren, and Howaston (2018), reported that resistance training followed by aerobic endurance training is conducive to improving lower-body dynamic strength, which is a worthy finding for clients who participate in endurance- or strength-oriented sports.
Preferably, aerobic endurance and resistance training should be performed on different days. However, if that is not possible, frequency, intensity, and volume of both aerobic endurance and strength training should be undulated throughout the year, especially during a time when the client may be competing in races or events. Additionally, fluctuations in loading parameters should account for a client’s nutritional and hormonal status, sleep quality, available time, training and chronological age, and health and injury status.
References
Beckers, P.J., Denollet, J., Possemiers, N.M., Wuyts, F.L., Vrints, C.J. & Conraads, V.M. (2008). Combined endurance-resistance training vs. endurance training in patients with chronic heart failure: A prospective randomized study. European Heart Journal, 29 (15): 1858-1866.
Brumitt, J. & Cuddeford, T. (2015). Current concepts of muscle and tendon adaptation to strength and conditioning. International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy, 10 (6): 748-759.
Carroll, T.J., Barry, B., Riek, S., & Carson, R.G. (2001). Resistance training enhances the stability of sensorimotor coordination. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 268 (1464): 221-227.
Chtara, M., Chamari, K., Chaouachi, M., Chaouachi, A., Koubaa, D., Feki, Y., Millet, G.P. & Amri, M. (2005). Effects of intra-session concurrent endurance and strength training sequence on aerobic performance and capacity. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 39 (8): 555-560.
Cornelissen, V.A., Fagard, R.H., Coeckelberghs, E., & Vanhess, L. (2011). Impact of resistance training on blood pressure and other cardiovascular risk factors. Hypertension, 58 (5): 950-958.
Cortez-Cooper, M.Y., DeVan, A.E., Anton, M.M., Farrar, R.P., Beckwith, K.A., Todd, J.S. & Tanaka, H. (2005). Effects of high intensity resistance training on arterial stiffness and wave reflection in women. American Journal of Hypertension, 18 (7): 930-934.
Craig, B.W., Everhart, J., & Brown, R. (1989). The influence of high-resistance training on glucose tolerance in young and elderly subjects. Mechanisms of Ageing and Development, 49 (2): 147-157.
Dolezal, B.A. & Potteiger, J.A. (1998). Concurrent resistance and endurance training influence basal metabolic rate in non-dieting individuals. Journal of Applied Physiology, 85 (2): 695-700.
Eddens, L., van Someren, K., & Howatson, G. (2018). The role of intra-session exercise sequence in the interference effect: A systematic review with meta-analysis. Sports Medicine, 48 (1): 177-188.
Evans, J.W. (2019). Periodized resistance training for enhancing skeletal muscle hypertrophy and strength: A mini-review. Frontiers in Physiology, 10: 13.
Giandonato, J.A. (2011). Strength training for swimmers: training considerations. Journal of the International Society of Swimming Coaching, 1 (3): 47-56.
Holubiac, I.S., Leuciuc, F.V., Crăciun, D.M., & Dobrescu, T. (2022). Effect of strength training protocol on bone mineral density for postmenopausal women with osteopenia/osteoporosis assessed by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA). Sensors, 22 (5): 1904.
Ishii, T., Yamakita, T., Sato, T., Tanaka, S., & Fujii, S. (1998). Resistance training improves insulin sensitivity in NIDDM subjects without altering maximal oxygen uptake. Diabetes Care, 21 (8): 1353-1355.
Mann, S., Beedie, C., & Jimenez, A. (2014). Differential effects of aerobic exercise, resistance training, and combined exercise modalities and the lipid profile: Review, synthesis, and recommendations. Sports Medicine, 44 (2): 211-221.
Meka, N., Katragradda, S., Cherian, B. & Arora, R.A. (2008). Endurance exercise and resistance training in cardiovascular disease. Therapeutic Advances in Cardiovascular Disease, 2 (2): 115:121.
Panissa, V. Gonçalves, V.L., Greco, C.C., Riberio, N., Julio, U.F., Tricoli, V. & Franchini, E. (2022). Concurrent training and the acute interference effect on strength: Reviewing the relevant variables. Strength and Conditioning Journal, 44 (3): 46-57.
Poehlman, E.T., Denino, W.F., Beckett, T., Kinaman, K.A., Dionne, I.J., Dvorak, R. & Ades, P.A. (2002) Effects of endurance and resistance training on total daily energy expenditure in young women: A controlled randomized trial. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, 87 (3):1004-1009.
Pollock, M.L., Franklin, B.A., Balady, G.J., Chaitman, B.L., Fleg, J.L., Fletcher, B., Limacher, M., Pina, I.L., Stein, R.A., Williams, M. & Bazzare, T. (2000). Resistance exercise in individuals with and without cardiovascular disease: Benefits, rationale, safety, and prescription: An advisory from the Committee on Exercise, Rehabilitation, and Prevention, Council on Clinical Cardiology, American Heart Association. Circulation, 101 (7): 828-833.
Schroeder, E.C., Franke, W.D., Sharp, R.L., & Lee, D. (2019). Comparative effectiveness of aerobic, resistance, and combined training on cardiovascular disease risk factors: A randomized controlled trial. PLoS One, 14 (1): e0210292.
Schumann, M., Feuerbacher, J.F., Sünkeler, M., Freitag, N., Rønnestad, B.R., Doma, K., & Lundberg, T.R. (2022). Compatibility of concurrent aeronbic and strength training for skeletal muscle size and function: An updated systematic review and meta-analysis. Sports Medicine, 52 (3): 601-612.
Shirai, T., Aoki, Y., Takeda, K., & Takemasa, T. (2020). The order of concurrent training affects mTOR signaling but not mitochondrial biogenesis in mouse skeletal muscle. Physiological Reports, 8 (7): e14411.
Sousa, A.C., Neiva, H., Izquierdo, M., Alves, A.R., Duarte-Mendes, P., Ramalho, A.G., Marques, M., & Marinho, D.A. (2020). Concurrent training intensities: A practical approach for program design. Strength and Conditioning Journal, 42 (3): 38-44.
Toraman, N.F., Erman, A. & Agyar, E. (2004). Effects of multicomponent training on functional fitness in older adults. Journal of Aging and Physical Activity, 12 (4):538-553.
Wilson, J.M., Marin, P.J., Rhea, M.R., Wilson, S.M.C., & Loenneke, J.P., & Anderson, J.C. (2012). Concurrent training: A meta-analysis examining interference of aerobic and resistance exercise. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 26 (8): 2293–2307.
While the functions of fitness training and sports are essentially the same, i.e., improve our health and help us achieve a fitter body, their principles are different. When it comes to fitness training, people, as well as personal trainers, are more focused on burning fat, achieving a leaner body, building more muscles, and improving bodily functions.
On the other hand, sports training is focused more on building endurance, strength, speed, flexibility, coordination, cognitive abilities, and stamina. Compared to regular people, athletes go through much more intensive training and take fewer breaks in between to reach their peak performance.
The techniques used in sports training and nutrition are also quite different from those used in fitness training. Personal trainers are more focused on making athletes perfect in their field, and hence the trainers need proper certifications such as the one offered by W.I.T.S Education. This training helps trainers understand the athlete’s different requirements and develop training programs accordingly.
Sports training refers to the process of training an individual to become skilled in any given sport. Sports training is mostly preferred by athletes and involves intense training and workouts to help people reach their peak performance. It is assumed that sports training is only related to physical training, but that’s not true. Instead, sports training includes physical, technical, intellectual, psychological, and moral preparation.
This training is part of the daily routine for athletes, and they undergo exercises to build up strength, endurance, and confidence to succeed in their sport. Besides that, the training methods and techniques used depend on the kind of sport the athlete plays. For example, if it’s football that requires precision footwork, then athletes’ training includes exercises that build and tone leg muscles and give them the agility to be quick on their feet. But if they’re gymnasts, then they need exceptional upper body strength to allow them to perform.
This is why gymnasts work on building their torso muscles and improving their coordination. Due to this, sports training is quite dynamic, and trainers need to develop workout plans depending on the kind of sport the athlete will play.
A fitness trainer needs to develop an athlete’s training program with care and proper attention because the workouts are intense and can lead to injuries or other damages if not done properly. There are many things that a trainer needs to consider before they can plan a functional program for the athlete. These things include looking at the athlete’s health, fitness, end results, and any underlying injuries that can affect their health during the training. Here are some of the things trainers need to keep in mind.
Before preparing any training program, trainers need to understand the results the athletes are looking for. This just doesn’t depend on the kind of sports they play but also on the areas they need training in and want to improve. This can include endurance, nutrition, physical strength, or cognitive development. As a trainer, it’s your job to understand the goals of the athletes and develop plans that work around them.
In some cases, athletes have the required strength, but they lack the coordination and swift response times that put them at a disadvantage. Other times, they can have the strength and coordination, but they lack the stamina to keep going. In both cases, it’s up to the trainer to create workouts to help them.
Unlike regular fitness training, where the exercise plans are more or less the same, with some variations depending on the client’s needs, sports training is heavily dependent on the sport. A plan developed for gymnasts cannot work with a cyclist. Similarly, a plan developed for a football athlete can’t work with an ice-hockey player.
Form the stretching, warm up to the actual exercise, and finishers; trainers need to keep in mind the sport their athletes will play. A slight miss in training can compromise the outcome and performance of the athlete. It can also decrease their chances of winning and lead to injuries.
It’s no secret that athletes retire at an earlier age than the rest of the working folks. That’s mainly because the amount of physical training and endurance their body requires can only be sustained at a young age. Once the athletes cross the 30-year benchmark, their performance slowly declines. This is because their bodies and joints can no longer take the tough training, and the chances of sustaining a serious injury increase.
This is the reason why athletes start their training at a very young age, and trainers need to make sure that the training program is appropriate for the age and health of the athlete. If the athlete is older, then a demanding exercise plan is not right for them.
Image Filename: Fitness-training-and-cycling
Image Alt Text: Two people cycling
Since sports training is quite intensive and can cause serious muscle fatigue, athletes need ample time to rest and let their muscles heal. In addition to this, trainers are tasked with developing sessions that don’t cause any extensive muscle damage because that can lead to injuries. The general rule is that for every workout, an equal amount of rest time is needed to let the muscle heal.
Obviously, it isn’t mandatory for each workout and depends on the health and stamina of the athlete. However, they still need time to rest to heal from the muscle damage. If you’re recommending crash training to your athletes, then they need a day’s rest after each crash training session. Similarly, other forms of training need adequate rest time to let the muscles and joints recover.
Besides the physical training, nutritional and physiological requirements are important as well. If the body isn’t getting the required nutrition, it won’t function properly, and athletes will not be able to give their peak performance. It is estimated that, on average, athletes require 2500 to 3000 calories daily. This is around 500 to 1000 calories more than an average person requires. Not only that, but during active competition, the athletes require even more calories to keep their balance.
The downside is that with these calories, they also need other nutrients. So trainers are asked to develop diet plans while working with nutritionists that can supply the athletes with the required calories without cutting down on the other nutrients.
Additionally, trainers need to focus on the physiological health of the athletes as well. Physiological health is responsible for keeping the body in a healthy state and preventing injuries. It also ensures that the bones and joints are in top health and won’t cause trouble to the athlete.
Athletes always have some deadline to follow when they’re in training mode. That’s why their training should be mindful of the timeline they have before their next performance. This timeline dictates the course of the training and how intense it will be. The shorter the timeline, the more intense the training is.
But this isn’t always good; a shorter timeline would mean that the athletes would have to compromise on the recovery time and push themselves beyond their capabilities. In the long run, this can cause serious side effects. Generally, trainers design plans that span several months to even years before an athlete is fit to perform.
After sorting all of the above, it’s time for the trainers to figure out which training is best for the athlete. There are several kinds of training athletes can take part in; some trainers even mix them up for better results.
However, the choice depends largely on the sport the athlete is a part of. Normally crash training is included when it comes to athletes so they can increase their stamina and train their bodies to endure more stress. Another form of training is Fartlek training which means speed play. This training is a combination of continuous training and interval training that emphasizes increasing speed and coordination.
Circuit training is also popular among those looking to increase endurance. This training utilizes diverse types of muscles and is ideal for complete body training. Athletes also require flexibility and mobility training to develop quick reaction times and unlock a wider range of motions.
While it’s true that sports and athletic training are generally designed for athletes, more and more personal trainers are incorporating elements of sports training in their workout plans. Clients can achieve better and faster results by adding sports training into regular fitness training. Not only that, but it also helps them increase their stamina and develop endurance. Here’s how sports training is influencing the fitness world.
Crash training was originally strictly for athletes and bodybuilders who wanted to train their bodies to handle more stresses. Now, however, fitness enthusiasts can try it as well and expand the bounds of their fitness. Although for regular clients, crash training is toned down not to cause any injury because their bodies are not used to such stresses.
Moreover, this training is usually incorporated into the workout routine along with other exercises to maintain a balance. But despite that, clients can achieve better results and improve their joint functions along with cognitive functions to lead healthier lives.
Interval training is a combination of high-intensity and low-intensity training involving ample rest time. This training involves doing high-intensity training for a short while, followed by low-intensity training to take the body into the normal state slowly. This is followed by a rest period to let the muscles heal. For athletes, this method is great for releasing small bursts of energy and filling the body with oxygen.
This training helps them develop stamina and endurance. This is why when regular folks do it, they see an increase in their stamina and muscle development. The unique aspect of interval training is that it triggers quick muscle development without exhausting the body and causing muscle wastage.
One of the core components of sports training is handling injuries and muscle damage. Athletic trainers are skilled in prescribing exercises and remedies to heal muscles and help athletes recover from injuries quicker. Personal trainers can take certifications in medical fitness, such as the one offered by W.I.T.S Education to learn more about injuries and how to heal them.
Equipped with the knowledge of medical fitness, personal trainers can help their clients prevent workout injuries and help them recover faster. They can also help clients learn better muscle management and develop exercise programs that work better with their endurance level.
Endurance training is another popular form of sports training in which athletes train their bodies to increase their stamina. Generally, a heavy cardiovascular workout session is required when it comes to endurance training. Personal trainers can add elements of endurance training into their less rigorous workout plans.
For example, they can include running, cycling, or swimming to help clients build endurance. Because all of these activities involve a heavy cardio activity that’ll fill up the body and the brain with oxygen and increase the energy levels of the body. This energy is created when the body breaks down insulin in the body.
It’s no secret that the best athletes are the ones that have impeccable coordination and ample flexibility. No matter what sport it is, coordination, agility, and flexibility are important. Coordination training helps improve workout techniques and form to get the best results. When an exercise is performed properly it helps the brain coordinate better and along with reducing the risks of injuries.
In the fitness world, most injuries occur due to wrong postures, techniques, and forms. That’s why personal trainers can introduce coordination training exercises to help clients achieve better results.
If you want to advance your career as a personal trainer, check out the certifications offered by W.I.T.S Education. At W.I.T.S Education, you can enroll in a number of certifications related to fitness and become a medical fitness trainer, senior fitness instructor, group fitness instructor, and even youth fitness instructor. You can even enroll in the fitness management course and start your own fitness studio as well.
The courses at W.I.T.S Education are accredited by the NCCA and the American council of education, so students can earn college credits. The courses are divided into online lectures and in-person hands-on practical labs that help students gain valuable skills for real-world challenges and not just be book smart. Get in touch to learn more.
The American College of Sports Medicine is recognized globally as an authoritative body for establishing research-based guidelines and standards for sports, fitness and personal training. Beginning in 2006, the ACSM began to circulate an intensive survey to thousands of professionals worldwide, to keep abreast of health and fitness trends for the coming year. They have continued to do so annually, and the results of the latest survey for 2020 were recently published.
The survey’s authors were careful to distinguish between “fad” and “trend,” a fad being a brief and temporary surge of popularity, while a trend is an ongoing and long-term behavioral change. The distinction was made to help guide survey participants in formatting their responses, so that the resulting data would be useful for long-term planning and goal setting for health and fitness providers.
Since the survey’s inception in 2006, personal training has always made the top 20. But personal training has been steadily trending upward over the course of time, rising from number 9 in 2017 to number 8 in 2018 and 2019. In the newly published 2020 survey, personal training holds a solid 5th place.
Why does it matter?
If personal training continues to be an important fitness trend in the years to come, then the demand for qualified personal trainers will continue to be on the rise. In fact, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, career opportunities for personal trainers is expected to surge by 13 percent over the coming decade, growing at an above-average pace compared to other occupations. Considering its high ranking, the personal trainer job outlook is very promising for the coming decade.
In its Occupational Outlook Handbook, the Bureau of Labor Statistics erroneously lists a high school diploma or equivalent as the educational requirement for personal trainers, with short-term on-the-job training. While that was true 20 years ago, it is no longer accurate.
To succeed as a personal trainer in the 2020s, you will need a solid certification that includes core science and hands-on skills training. In most cases, employers require an NCCA accredited certification before they will even consider you for a job. There are dozens of bogus certification programs on the market that will issue you a certificate, but if they fail to teach you the fundamentals, you will quickly be found out.
Here are just a handful of important personal trainer skills that require hands-on learning:
In addition to skills training, you need a solid foundation in anatomy, physiology and biomechanics. If you do not understand the basic science underlying fitness, and possess the hands-on skills necessary to apply your knowledge, it will be difficult to attract and retain well-paying clients.
At the end of the day, your success depends on your clients getting the results they paid for. Without a quality fitness education and hands-on training, you will find it difficult to compete with more qualified and experienced trainers.
With personal training ranking high on ACSM’s list of health and fitness trends for 2020, there has never been a better time to get your personal trainer certification.
If you are serious about building a successful and sustainable fitness career, don’t cut corners on your certification. Get the support, knowledge and hands-on experience you need to succeed with a fitness certification from W.I.T.S.
Join the W.I.T.S. family of industry leaders, and build your fitness career on a solid foundation.
Resource
Thompson, Walter R. “Worldwide survey of fitness trends for 2020.” ACSM’s Health & Fitness Journal 23.6 (2019): 10-18.
Getting your personal trainer certification is a big step toward a bright future as a fitness professional. Studying for and passing your exam and getting CPR certified demand a lot of time and effort, but certification is just the beginning. To make the most of your personal trainer certification and turn it into a sustainable career, you need to take some additional steps toward professionalism.
5 Steps Toward Becoming a Successful Certified Fitness Professional
The following five steps will get you started on the right path toward a successful career as a Certified Personal Trainer:
Find Your Niche and Build Your Fitness Career
Build your skills and knowledge and become a top personal trainer. Choose from any of our professional fitness courses for skills training and certification:
Join the W.I.T.S. family of industry leaders today, and build your career as a fitness professional on a solid foundation.
Recently I had a club owner ask for assistance as he reviewed all of the Nutrition and/or Diet Certifications out there. He is looking to qualify his 100 plus trainers to provide nutritional counseling to clients. Here is my response to him, which is what I have always believed. I hope this helps clarify the limits of your true scope of practice as a Certified Personal Trainer.
“Thank you for reaching out to us. We do not have a dietary certification, nor do we intend to go down that path. I realize there is a lot of money in it for both of us, and it is tempting to offer a Dietary Certification like a lot of other groups. The reality is that Dietary Counseling is not truly in our industry’s wheelhouse. We do have all kinds of nutritional workshops available with respected authors, to help educate trainers to work with all age groups.
“My reasoning is based simply on staying in our respected professional lanes. Dietary Certifications from other groups are treading into illegal waters with weight loss credentialing, in my opinion. There is huge liability in acknowledging trainers as credible prescribers of diets. A Nutritional Certification is really out of the realm of a personal trainer’s scope of practice. It gives trainers false hopes of knowing exactly what to do with a client in this area.
“What we all should do is to network with Registered Dietitians who have the depth of knowledge and official license to be safe and effective. Teaching trainers superficially to know just enough to prescribe a diet is dangerous. I would respectfully share that it can get them/you sued. There are so many variables to consider when prescribing a diet which include medications, medical issues, herb use by the clients and much more. That is why a Registered Dietician is the safer business choice. At that point you can network with many of them and send clients back and forth for the best results for the client.
“Bottom line is that Registered Dietitians are not fitness professionals and they need you as much as you need them for clients’ results and business growth.
“I hope we can network and talk soon on many levels.
Jay”
Not all personal trainer certification programs are alike.
Imagine needing emergency surgery to have your appendix removed. The hospital staff assures you that the attending surgeon has a degree from a prestigious Ivy League school, which happens to be the alma mater of the hospital’s surgical director. You feel at ease as the anesthesiologist prepares your IV. But just as you’re getting drowsy, the nurse comments that your procedure will be the doctor’s very first foray into the operating room, since he earned his degree online.
Of course, this scenario is unlikely — although not totally unheard of — in the medical arena. Surgeons go through years of study, practical skills training and supervised practice before they are allowed to take the lead in a major operation. Sadly, that is often not the case with personal training.
Many people think that a personal trainer’s only job duties are to teach exercise, preach about nutrition and keep clients motivated. But a personal trainer’s key skills encompass much, much more.
Here are just a handful of important personal trainer skills that require hands-on learning:
Sadly, the majority of certification programs do not equip you to apply practical skills as a trainer. Most are self-study programs that certify you once you pass a written online test. Imagine walking into your new personal trainer job, being assigned a client on your first day, and not having a clue about how to proceed.
Imagine walking into your new personal trainer job, being assigned a client on your first day, and not having a clue about how to proceed.
Busy studios and big box gyms provide minimal training for new hires. They most often throw you into the fray, and let you sink or swim. As you can imagine, this leads to high turnover and a lot of discouraged and disillusioned trainers who spent their hard-earned money to get certified. It also leads to dissatisfied clients, and hurts our industry as a whole.
World Instructor Training Schools is the only certification program that teaches and conducts research-based testing for personal trainer practical skills.
If you are serious about building a successful and sustainable fitness career, don’t cut corners on your certification. Get the support, knowledge and hands-on experience you need to succeed with a fitness certification from W.I.T.S.
Advantages of a W.I.T.S. certification include:
Join the W.I.T.S. family of industry leaders today, and build your fitness career on a solid foundation.
If you have been thinking about beginning a new career as a certified personal trainer, you probably have a lot of questions. Before making a commitment and spending money on a certification program, review theses answers to the most popular questions about personal trainer certification:
Although there are one or two certification providers who require a degree, most do not have an academic prerequisite.
You can become a personal trainer at any age, and provide valuable services to people who need you. W.I.T.S. trainers range in age from late teens to late seventies. It’s never to late to make a positive difference in the lives of others.
Trainers come in all shapes and sizes, and not all have bulging muscles or a defined six-pack. Some of the best trainers have struggled with obesity, disability and health issues. They often have amazing testimonials and find it easy to empathize with their clients. A side bonus of working as a trainer is the opportunity to improve your own fitness.
The national average according to fitness industry surveys is $29 per hour. Obviously that amount varies by city and state, with some earning higher wages and some lower. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average pay for Certified Personal Trainers and Group Exercise Instructors is $19.15 per hour. For some odd reason, they combined the two jobs into one statistic, even though personal trainers typically make much more. In fact, many trainers who become business owners or independent contractors earn 6-figure incomes!!
To quote the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, “Employment of Certified Personal Trainers and Group Exercise Instructors is projected to grow 10 percent from 2016 to 2026, faster than the average for all occupations.” Gyms, studios and individuals are always looking for competent and professional trainers. That shared, most certification programs qualify a trainer with a only a written exam. Inadequate training in part accounts for the 80% turnover rate in some gyms. In other words, in most clubs, if 10 Certified Personal Trainers are hired today, 8 of them will be out of a job in a year. Written-only testing does not prepare most trainers for long term success. You need practical skills training as well.
Many employers, especially big box gyms and studio chains, offer a benefits package.
Many certification programs are self-paced, self-study programs that offer no structure, support or deadlines. You simply register to test when you are ready. W.I.T.S. offers live professionally taught courses at colleges and universities nationwide, along with online programs. All our certification options offer interactive support from qualified instructors. Our live classes include 5 weeks of labs and lectures, plus on-site testing, for a total of 6-7 weeks.
Certification programs vary in price, but you can expect to get what you pay for. W.I.T.S. offers competitive prices with easy payment options.
If you do a self-study program and pass a written test, you will not necessarily be ready to work, and you will most likely need additional training. W.I.T.S. is the only NCCA Accredited certification with BOTH a hands-on practical skills component and an internship option. Once you are certified, you will able to walk into any job, ready to work.
If you are serious about building a successful and sustainable fitness career, don’t cut corners on your certification. Get the support, knowledge and hands-on experience you need to succeed with a fitness certification from W.I.T.S.
Advantages of a W.I.T.S. certification include:
Join the W.I.T.S. family of industry leaders, and build your fitness career on a solid foundation.
Fall is just around the corner, and that means back to school for kids and grownups alike. If you have been thinking of getting your personal trainer certification, now is the time to sign up for fall personal trainer courses! If you are already enrolled, don’t wait for the first day of class to dive in.
Here are 5 things you can start doing today, to set yourself up for certification success:
Ready, Set, Grow!
If you are looking for the best personal trainer certification, W.I.T.S. tops them all. After completing the course, our graduates are ready to walk into fitness trainer jobs across the United States and start making money.
Benefits of a W.I.T.S. Personal Trainer Certification include:
What are you waiting for? Join our W.I.T.S. family of fitness professionals and start living your dream!