Fitness Professionals are Certified, but are they Qualified?

Fitness Professionals are Certified,
but are they Qualified?
The Value of a Higher Education in the
Fitness Industry
By KT Streder, Bobby Best &
Michelle Armstrong
Abstract
Everyone wants to look good in a swimsuit, be as strong as that one guy at the gym, or maybe
just walk up stairs without feeling like they ran a marathon. Some take steps to get fit and be
healthy, but the majority sees few results and gives up. The expectation is that clients of
personalized fitness programs should always find success, but due to inadequate qualifications
required to become a fitness professional, success is not very common. Peer reviewed articles were
used to research the effectiveness of fitness trainers with different levels of education and training.
Melton, Katula, & Mustian (2008) claim “the fitness industry itself is largely unregulated and lacks a
unified governing body. As such, a plethora of personal training certifications exists with varying
degrees of validity that fail to ensure qualified trainer” (p. 883). Standards must rise and become
uniform if fitness trainers want to be considered credible professionals.
Table of Contents
I: Fitness Trainers: Specialists of Slackers?
1
II: Fitness is Big Business
2
III: Ancillary Problems
3
IV: History of Focused Fitness
V: Mission Possible
3, 4
5, 6, 7
VI: Conclusion
7
VII: Actions Speak Louder than Words
8
VIII: Works Cited
9, 10
8
I: Personal Trainers:
Specialists or Slackers?
It is all too common; swimsuit season
comes around and people get pumped up to
get trim. But within a few weeks they fall
off the wagon without reaching their goal.
On a quest to lose weight, why not seek
professional help? Cost may be a reasonable
answer, but many people try losing weight or
bulking up by spending hundreds of dollars
on supplements and fad diets. The truth is
that many personalized fitness clients are
just as unsuccessful at achieving their fitness
goals. As a result, their failures cause the
people they know to shy away from engaging
in personal training. Currently “a plethora of
personal training certifications exist with
varying degrees of validity that fail to ensure
qualified trainers and, therefore, protect the
consumer” (Melton, Katula & Mustian, 2008,
Top Characteristics People
Consider When Choosing a
Personal Trainer:
1. Physical Appearance: The
more attractive or in shape,
the more inquiries
2. Gender & Race: Most people,
whether consciously or
unconsciously, are more
comfortable with particular
genders and races
3. Specialization: Potential
clients will try to obtain a
trainer that is well known, or
experienced at facilitating
specific goals (i.e. weight loss
versus strength or muscle
gains).
4. Referral: The fitness industry
thrives by referral and word of
mouth; happy clients are a
trainer’s best advertisement
tools.
Melton et al. (2008)
p. 883). Currently, fitness trainers are
even require a basic certification if
viewed as second-rate professionals because
management believes they can “get the job
of the stigma that most are college dropouts
done”. The lack of education and training
and anyone with 500 dollars can get a
requirements combined with diluted and
certification. Unfortunately this is not
biased certification programs, creates more
completely false.
than just a bad reputation. Many people who
The fitness industry has one uniform
try out personal training walk away with back
requirement – that is not strictly enforced –
or shoulder issues that were never a problem
which is to have a certification from an
before. It does not take an expert to see why
accredited fitness company or association.
fitness trainers are being poorly perceived.
Attending a training workshop might be
Can a higher education degree and more
mandatory in some health clubs, but it is not
thorough tactile training change this?
a universal prerequisite. Many gyms do not
9
II: Fitness is Big Business
Fitness is Big Business
The fitness industry is a fast growing,
multibillion-dollar business that has seen a
boom in the last few decades. In the 1950s,
Jack LaLanne created the first personalized
fitness experience by allowing people to get a
great workout from their living rooms. The
success of home workout shows and videos was
the start of fitness as a trade and America’s
obsession has not ceased since. Glassner
(1989) states, “Health clubs grossed $5 billion
in 1987, exercise equipment $738 million (up
from $5 million ten years earlier), diet foods
grossed $74 billion, and vitamin products 2.7
billion (Brand, 1988). Frequently throughout
the 1980s, exercise video cassettes have
appeared on weekly Billboard lists of the top
ten selling home video products (Morse, 198988), and magazines such as American Health,
Prevention, and Self each report circulations
in excess of one million” (p. 180).
One factor for this huge increase in
popularity was the aging baby-boomer
population. Many of the serious health
problems faced by older generations grew to
be manageable or treatable with a change in
diet and exercise. Personal fitness became a
safe and rewarding option for people who
knew little about exercise and needed
external motivation to reach their fitness
goals. Even though the fixation on fitness in
the United States is still prominent, obesity
has risen drastically since 1990; the rate
(GlaxoSmithKline, 2010)
of obesity in the twenty first century has
reached epidemic proportions. With the
staggering increase in obesity, there has also
been an increase in “people seeking the
expertise of personal trainers… [and] many of
these are paying more for the one-on-one
interaction with their personal trainer
compared to other exercise programs.”
(McClaran, 2003, p. 10) One-on-one interaction
is less public, more intimate, and therefore
has become greatly desired.
10
III: Ancillary Problems
Lack of qualification requirements has
decreased the general public’s desire for
personal training. There are numerous
problems that stem from such simplistic
certification processes including improper
weight lifting instruction, poor personalized
program design and meager nutrition plans.
Melton et al. (2008) confirms that clients and
athletes working with personal trainers, fitness
instructors, and coaches are inadvertently
being injured and are experiencing adverse
health affects due to misinformation and
improper training methods. Whether it is
aggravation of an existing condition that was
not accommodated for, or an illness brought
on by overtraining, it can be linked back to a
poorly implemented fitness and nutrition
program. Consequences of these problems are
circulation of inaccurate health and fitness
information, client injury, client
dissatisfaction and a low status in the
professional world for those in the fitness
industry.
An ancient Greek work of art depicting a relay in the Olympics
the application of physical activity from one of
necessity to one of recreation and sport. After
the Roman Empire crumbled, a dark age fell over
Europe that caused a regression in the field of
organized exercise. Much later during the
colonial period, the inhabitants of early
American settlements reverted back to a more
survivalist mindset; organized exercise routines
became luxuries most settlers could not afford.
As the colonies stabilized, American leaders
including Benjamin Franklin and Thomas
Jefferson, encouraged the influence of eastern
European exercise regimens of gymnastics and
calisthenics. After the Civil War, industrial
America became highly mechanized, decreasing
the need for physical activity to perform
IV: History of Specialized
Fitness
laborious tasks. It was then that people first saw
the emergence of hypokinetic diseases
(cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity). It
was not until the U.S. regained interest in
The human body is made to be active
physical fitness that certain standards in health
and designed to utilize energy efficiently.
were created—including health measurement
Evolving from a hunter-gatherer lifestyle
and evaluation, exercise research, and the
where fitness and survival were synonymous,
implementation of government-funded organized
the Greek and Roman civilizations transformed
health programs in schools (Dalleck & Kravitz).
2
The onset of WWI highlighted the poor
physical shape of many incoming soldiers,
awareness and popularity of exercise in the
Unites States (Dalleck & Kravitz).
leading to stricter standards on military training
The first major appearance of physical
and health. When the Depression hit, schools
instruction came with Jack LaLanne who
nationwide lost their government funding of
advocated healthy lifestyle choices and exercise
physical education programs. With the coming
routines for the public. Others followed in his
of WWII, again people realized the poor physical
footsteps using television programs and exercise
state of recruited soldiers. Recommendations
videos to sell their product or service; Richard
for fitness and health through regular exercise
Simmons for example used dance aerobics
were being researched, along with exercise
routines for weight loss. The origin of the
regimens aimed at improving specific aspects of
current period’s exercise movement began with
human performance. After the war, studies
Dr. Ken Cooper, who is responsible for changing
were conducted on American youths to measure
the view of health and fitness from disease
general wellness and health; the shocking
treatment to disease prevention. Through his
results prompted President Eisenhower to
work, exercise prescription and recommend-
establish campaigns for monitoring and
ation has been set to a standard to achieve or
improving adolescents’ fitness. In addition, the
maintain higher health status. Based on
American College of Sports Medicine was
epidemiological data, comparisons of general
founded which in turn became the pinnacle for
fitness levels can be assessed and analyzed for
exercise research and application. Kennedy
further research and development (Dalleck &
continued Eisenhower’s legacy by increasing the
Kravitz).
“The Godfather of Fitness” Jack Lalanne
Known as the person to mainstream personalized health
and fitness, Jack Lalanne went from being a licensed
chiropractor to an exercise and fitness instructor and
nutritional guru. He is credited with the creation of home
resistance training and water aerobic exercise programs
through his public access television show. His ideas
contributed to the invention of resistance training equipment including pulley machines, and
the smith machine. His long running fitness and health show ran from the 1930’s into the
1980's. In addition to that he started a chain of fitness and health spas that numbered in the
hundreds and eventually were sold. The chain is better known today as Bally Total Fitness
(Dalleck & Kravitz).
4
V: Mission Possible
Studies support that fitness professionals should be required to have a degree in Kinesiology
concentrated in exercise science, an accredited certification, and intensive hands on training in
the form of an internship, workshop or apprenticeship (Malek, Nalbone, Berger, & Coburn, 2002). If
these changes were made mandatory, problems stated previously would be resolved in the
following ways:
Improper Weight Lifting Instruction – The most serious
consequence of this is injuries to clients. Without hands on
training with a credible supervisor, correct teaching and
spotting techniques cannot be guaranteed. You cannot learn
to modify exercises to accommodate clients coming from
rehab or those with disabilities from a test preparation
handbook. Accurate weight lifting and exercise technique is
essential for effective and safe training.
Poor Personalized Program Design – Every person needs a
fitness program to cater to their specific physical abilities,
goals and needs. Advanced education in exercise science is
required to assess and prescribe clients accurately. Various
kinesiology courses address and explain mechanisms of the body
facilitated by specific exercise types, intensity levels,
durations, and nutrition. These subjects cannot be learned and
mastered in even the most accredited certification programs.
Scanty Nutrition Plans – Kinesiology majors are well versed in
Real Food
the area of nutrition for sport and fitness as well as safe and
effective supplement use. Training regimens and personal
physical factors must be analyzed for each individual to
determine proper macronutrient, fluid, vitamin, and mineral
Supplements
levels needed for optimum health and performance. Certified
trainer guides address the need for specified programs, but fail
to provide information on how to design one; supplement use is
being highly advocated without proper research to support it.
5
There are several benefits to consider when fitness professionals are held to higher standards.
Here are five that would cause the greatest impact to the industry:
1. Positions in the fitness industry will be seen as credible professions instead of side jobs.
Fitness trainers will not be viewed as trusted professionals like other health specialists
until they have extensive education and specialized training requirement for their field.
2. More reliable employees. With increased education and professional instruction,
management of fitness facilities will not feel the need to micromanage their trainers.
3. Accurate training and nutritional information. The expanded knowledge of program
design application will cause clients to see more results quicker with fewer injuries and
overtraining symptoms.
4. Client satisfaction means client adherence and more potential clients. Word of mouth is
the most powerful type of advertisement. If clients are happy with their results, they will
be sure to tell everyone they know about it. More clients will result in more revenue.
5. Broader client base. Further specialized and concentrated education and training allows
more specific program design and implementation. An athlete preparing for a competition
or an elderly person who has just been referred by their physical therapist needs a
personal trainer with more advanced education and situational training.
Achieving a shift in standards for an
“There’s still no doubt
that after 15 years in this
industry people that had a
degree, were better. The
best trainers that I have
ever come across had
bachelors and masters
degrees [and] they had
multiple certifications.”
-Ryan Joiner, MS, CSCS
Athlon Elite Owner & Founder
San Luis Obispo, CA
entire industry will not happen overnight, but
by initiating a few small steps it is possible.
The first step would simply be the requirement
to have a degree concentrated in exercise
science. An article in the Journal of Strength
and Conditioning Research stated,
“certifications are minimal competencies.
Advanced knowledge beyond the initial
certification will have come from an academic
institution, which would have formally
educated the personal trainer in the areas of
nutrition; program design, which would have
current resistance training trends; special
populations; and biomechanics” (Robinson,
Graham, & Bauer, 2006, p. 450). A domino
effect would then need to continue in
6
Kinesiology curriculums. Traditional science
based Kinesiology programs that include an
internship or fieldwork component would be
perfectly adequate to qualify a fitness
trainer if coupled with a trusted
certification. If there were a concentration
within Kinesiology departments that had a
curriculum geared towards a career as a
trainer, students striving to enter the field
would have more guidance on how to
prepare for their future. It would also
relieve the certification program’s “summary
syndrome”. Instead of including brief
explanations of the science behind
successful training principles, certification
programs would be able to expand on other
appropriate information. A specified
concentration program could involve
providing a class to learn certification course
material and take the necessary quizzes and
final test to become certified. This would be
a good way to make sure students are using
the most credible fitness organizations. One
aspect that cannot be stressed enough is the
participation in an approved internship or
apprenticeship in a student’s field of
interest. Some certifications include
workshops, but even these are limited in
content due to their short duration. If
degree programs took responsibility for
these components, certification companies
would be able to give more attention to
VI: Conclusion
Fitness trainers have a second-rate
standing in the professional world. As Cal
Poly Kinesiology Lecturer Jennifer Olmstead,
CSCS, MS puts it: personal training is
currently a part-time job. Increasing
education and specialized training in addition
to requiring a credible certification will
facilitate advanced understanding and
application capabilities of trainers (personal
communication, November 4, 2010). Growth
in the fitness world is dependent on client
satisfaction and trust. If they feel they are
getting the service they deserve and the
results they were promised, there will be
increased adherence. This will lead to free
positive advertising as they flaunt their
success to anyone who will listen. For this
kind of success, trainers must be equipped to
design, implement and supervise first-rate
fitness and nutrition programs. The skills
gained from higher standards will make this
feasible and therefore validate a “full-time”
profession in the fitness industry.
information they are trying to emphasize to
fitness trainers entering the industry.
7
VII: Actions speak louder
than words
In the end, the necessity for higher
education among fitness trainers is
undisputable. Once regulations are put into
place and the necessary steps are taken,
being a certified trainer will have the
backing that other professions have and will
no longer be perceived in a poor manner.
Fitness professionals will need to step up
and become the source of health and fitness
services and information; infomercials,
internet blogs, and fitness reality television
shows should not be. It is the fitness
industry’s job to be the public’s health and
fitness resource; the industry
should be held accountable in making sure
all their “teachers” are accredited. This will
be possible only if those who identify with
these proposed actions do their part in
raising qualification expectations. Exercise
science educators will need to gear
curriculums toward a career in the field
while gym managements will need to
increase their level of credentials for
applicants to be hired. Potential clients need
to be aware of these issues so they can
select a trainer who is sufficiently
accredited. Aspiring trainers have to want to
be the best for any sort of change to occur.
If the industry can unite to accomplish these
important changes, fitness professionals will
finally be recognized as health and fitness
specialists.
11
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