Am I qualified to be a personal trainer?

[pttawfik]

It seems too easy for an unqualified person to jump into this at a chain gym. I'm nearing my second year in college (majoring in computer science) and I've been lifting seriously for about a year now. 19 years old, 176 lbs (151 lbs lbm), 14% bf, 6'1", so while I'm not ripped or yoked or anything, I'd say I look pretty athletic. The time I've spent in the gym, I've probably spent several more times researching how to efficiently build muscle, supplementation, nutrition, etc, because I'm just as interested in how to effectively work out and dispelling the broscience and GNC-science that everyone buys into.

I just saw that my 24 Hour Fitness is holding a weekend NESTA certification hands-on training and exam, and my gym is hiring personal trainers. I'm considering this for a part time job while I'm in college--something fun and interesting--doing what I like. I'm confident that I'll be able to do well, but do you think I'll be taken seriously, given that there are others in the gym that are older and bigger than me, who have been working out longer?

[Mablung]

I'd assume most people who use a personal trainer at a chain gym don't have much of a clue about fitness or how to get fit. If you know your stuff I don't think they'll second guess you at all. I wouldn't sweat it.

[KyleAaron]

Nobody cares about how big you are, but your youth will be a barrier. Nobody wants to be told what to do by a 19 year old.

You can fight this a bit by being fcking good.

It's not "too easy" to become a PT, because we have a free market. If you are good you will get and keep clients, if you're not good you won't. This applies regardless of qualifications. You can very easily become a PT, whether you stay a PT depends on how good you are. Free market.

[Sean26607]

knowledge is power my friend.

[Quistfitness]

I say go for it. Worst case scenario you get a good learning experiance out of it.

[moiseskline]

The more you know about Personal Training the better you are at it, a good build up with be an advantage. Go ahead I would say.

[rdferguson]

All your experience is fine and dandy, but knowing how to train yourself does not make you ready to become a personal trainer.

Jane Housewife is 39. She has 3 school-age children and works 2 days a week, while her husband works full-time. She's never trained a day in her life, and 39 years of a relatively pampered lifestyle has started catching up on her. She knows that fruit and vegetables are good for her, but other than that doesn't have a strong grasp on nutrition and buys into a lot of silly ideas, such as that meat makes you fat. She's the next best thing to clueless about exercise. She wants to lose the love handles she's accumulated since getting married, and would like her bum to be found at hip level rather than halfway down her thighs. She tells you she doesn't want to get too bulky.

What do you do with her in your first session, which is 30 min long?

How you answer this will speak volumes about your readiness to be a PT.

[KyleAaron]

Dude! I know!

1. Barbell squat
2. Barbell bench press
3. Barbell deadlift
4. Tabata burpees

I know I'm right, what do I win? A lifelong client?

[rdferguson]

A lifelong client AND an endless stream of referrals for more lifelong clients! It's a pity you answered 3 hours and 50 min after I posted,though -- had you answered in the first 10 min there would have also been a free pair of steak knives for you.

I just remembered back to when I was hanging around Fitness First, contemplating whether or not I'd sell my soul to them for 12 months. They had small group sessions with Cert III kids at scheduled times each day which they'd use to try and get people interested in personal training. One day when I was there, me and one of the PT's who'd just signed a contract decided get involved in one of those sessions. The instructor got this bad idea that she should try and impress us with super duper workout intensity. 5 min into the session, all the actual gym members (you know, the target market of this promo activity) decided it was too much and left. I hope the instructor learnt something that day.

[pttawfik]

All your experience is fine and dandy, but knowing how to train yourself does not make you ready to become a personal trainer.

Jane Housewife is 39. She has 3 school-age children and works 2 days a week, while her husband works full-time. She's never trained a day in her life, and 39 years of a relatively pampered lifestyle has started catching up on her. She knows that fruit and vegetables are good for her, but other than that doesn't have a strong grasp on nutrition and buys into a lot of silly ideas, such as that meat makes you fat. She's the next best thing to clueless about exercise. She wants to lose the love handles she's accumulated since getting married, and would like her bum to be found at hip level rather than halfway down her thighs. She tells you she doesn't want to get too bulky.

What do you do with her in your first session, which is 30 min long?

How you answer this will speak volumes about your readiness to be a PT.

What to do in the first session? Assess goals, outline benefits, and check health and balance. My handbook tells me to measure girth, but what if my client is female??......
































































:P

Thanks for the advice, everyone. My NESTA exam is today. Most important thing I learned: sitting calve raises don't stimulate the visible portion of your calves.

[ericd8]

It seems too easy for an unqualified person to jump into this at a chain gym. I'm nearing my second year in college (majoring in computer science) and I've been lifting seriously for about a year now. 19 years old, 176 lbs (151 lbs lbm), 14% bf, 6'1", so while I'm not ripped or yoked or anything, I'd say I look pretty athletic. The time I've spent in the gym, I've probably spent several more times researching how to efficiently build muscle, supplementation, nutrition, etc, because I'm just as interested in how to effectively work out and dispelling the broscience and GNC-science that everyone buys into.

I just saw that my 24 Hour Fitness is holding a weekend NESTA certification hands-on training and exam, and my gym is hiring personal trainers. I'm considering this for a part time job while I'm in college--something fun and interesting--doing what I like. I'm confident that I'll be able to do well, but do you think I'll be taken seriously, given that there are others in the gym that are older and bigger than me, who have been working out longer?

In this case, your knowledge is much more valuable than your build. I'm in the same situation as you actually, I'm going into my sophomore year of college as a chemical engineer with plans to go to medical school after college. I'm not the biggest kid around, but I have a great fundamental knowledge of the human body and motivation to help others.

[rdferguson]

What to do in the first session? Assess goals, outline benefits, and check health and balance. My handbook tells me to measure girth, but what if my client is female??......

:P

Thanks for the advice, everyone. My NESTA exam is today. Most important thing I learned: sitting calve raises don't stimulate the visible portion of your calves.

I meant first actual training session. You would have to have done most of what you've just stated to have the information I wrote above.

Females have girths, too. Be polite, don't go caressing her girths, and I don't see how it'd be a special issue.

Soleus ain't invisible, but gastroc certainly is more visible. I hope that the reason for this being the most important thing you've learnt is that you already had a good understanding of the human body.

[pttawfik]

In this case, your knowledge is much more valuable than your build. I'm in the same situation as you actually, I'm going into my sophomore year of college as a chemical engineer with plans to go to medical school after college. I'm not the biggest kid around, but I have a great fundamental knowledge of the human body and motivation to help others.

Haha I thought my knowledge would be particularly valuable until I looked at the 24 Hour Fitness personal trainer wall with all those certifications for every trainer. Because who doesn't want a trainer who's Bodybugg certified? lol. Maybe I won't be the best for a lot of people, but when it comes to strength training, that's where I excel.

I meant first actual training session. You would have to have done most of what you've just stated to have the information I wrote above.

Females have girths, too. Be polite, don't go caressing her girths, and I don't see how it'd be a special issue.

Soleus ain't invisible, but gastroc certainly is more visible. I hope that the reason for this being the most important thing you've learnt is that you already had a good understanding of the human body.

Oh, well then we'd do basic strength, balance, and coordination and try to progress as quickly and safely as possible to things like squats, deadlifts, and the bench press. Unless of course she doesn't like any of them because they're too manly--then instead we'd do lunges and use dumbells and stuff.

It was a joke because outside of the fitness world, girth usually refers to penis circumference.

Haha well I learned a ton that can apply to others, but this is the most important thing I learned for myself, because my calves are extremely strong but also shapeless, and that might be because I never do standing calve raises. I've always figured if I'm going to load up 200 lbs or whatever on my calves, I'd be better off doing it at the knees with sitting calve raises than at the shoulders, spine, hips, and knees with standing calve raises. There's also the fact that my shoulders get bruised every time I use the standing calve raise machine for my calves or for shrugs (because shrugs while holding weights pinches a nerve at my traps, probably caused by shrugging 80 lbs when I was 15 lol).