To be successful and helpful as a personal trainer, it is essential to have a good knowledge base. Most trainers start to build their knowledge simply by training themselves. After developing an interest in fitness, they get a certification, and kick off a career as a trainer.
In the fitness industry, most gyms require trainers to have a certification to get a job. So every trainer, at least at some point, has probably held a certification.
The issue is, most personal training certification are VERY BASIC in nature. A trainer being certified does not AT ALL ensure that they are a good trainer.
Most trainers will tell you, 99% of what they learn on how to train comes from learning outside of their personal training certification. The best trainers have lots of hands-on experience training diverse clientele, and are constantly seeking more knowledge in their field, be it through better certifications, mentors, or studying independently.
A trainer that does have a higher level certification ( example: C.S.C.S.) certainly should be a good trainer. Just make sure you don’t get too caught up in titles and certifications. The textbook doesn’t always translate over to the real-world as well as it should.
There are many “fitness experts” in the industry with excellent certifications, PHD’s, etc. selling lies to fatten their pockets. There are also many brilliant fitness minds out there with no (or expired) certifications, that are making a huge difference in thousands of lives daily. A certification or degree doesn’t guarantee a good trainer OR integrity.
TRAINERS: focus on being someone who GENUINELY CARES about your clients, and doing everything possible to make their lives better. This will lead you down a path of constantly learning more, in pursuit of bettering your clients lives. In turn, you will constantly grow and improve as a trainer.
CLIENTS: if you can find someone who truly makes you feel cared about and wants to help you be a better person, both in and out of your fitness journey, chances are you’ve found a good trainer, accredited or not.
