Don't Be Garbage

There has been a lot of issues surrounding me lately dealing with qualifications. From class, where I am working on a project looking into the quality of certifications, to the campus recreation center where many of the employees are thought to be lacking in knowledge and ability. This is a major issue in the fitness world and all kinds of problems have come from it. Personal training is a field that can be entered just by getting a certification. Currently there are over 250 certifications out there ranging from Internet tests to weekly workshops. A certification is minimal knowledge yet many fitness centers see a person with a certification and fail to investigate further. More important than any certification is experience and drive. Experience with different clientele, different protocols, and different training methods are all ways of learning and improving. No test can teach this. Many people refuse to educate themselves on a regular basis. A certification is achieved and that is the end of the story. This is not right. Trainers need to put themselves in the literature, learn what's going on around the world of fitness, and try new things to learn what works and what doesn't.

Beyond this there needs to be a better base knowledge. Everyone who works as an educator of exercise should know anatomy and physiology. I'm not saying that every trainer needs to be an exercise physiologist but a basic knowledge of anatomy and physiology is a must. Without this knowledge how is one to know what makes the body change and why the body changes the way it does. We, as trainers, are to educate our clients, not only instruct them. Therefore we must know why and how.

I'm not saying I know everything because I don't. I am far from that. But I do continue to educate myself and push my knowledge further. I go through numerous articles a week ranging from training, to nutrition, to anatomy. The more I know the better I am and the better I can be at my job. A buddy of mine said it best the other day when he said he would rather be the dumbest guy in the room. Why? Being the dumbest guy in the room means that you are surrounded by knowledge that you can soak up. Ask questions when you don't know something and try to use every resource you have. I have seen many people around me think that they know everything when they actually don't know a damn thing. There are not very many sure things in the world of exercise so don't act like your way is the best. Listen to others, research , and try things out. Strive to better your knowledge and your skills will surely increase.

One