I must admit, I'm not well received by my 'peers' in this city. For that matter, personal trainers in vernon aren't any friendlier.
I'm not sure if it's just the overwhelming ego that so many people in my industry seem to possess, or the fact that they feel threatened by my presence for the fear of me stealing their business; but I tell you, it's like walking on eggshells around these people. Quite honestly, I don't know how their clients even stand them. On more than a few occasions I've been met with downright snobbery and rudeness.
The whole 'tough and macho' bit has never been a routine that I've endorsed or took part in, partly because it's just not in my nature, and more importantly, I want my clients to feel comfortable and at ease in my presence. The health and fitness realm is intimidating enough as it is without me barking orders and making my clients feel somehow inferior to me.
I so often see trainers prancing around with the attitude like "maybe one day - if you're lucky - you could look HALF as good as me!" Sorry guys, this just aint my shtick.
So how do you find a good personal trainer in Kelowna? And how do you know who to avoid?
First off - STAY AWAY FROM CEREAL BOX PERSONAL TRAINERS!
(Thanks to my friend Cara for this term!)
Cereal box personal trainers are, I'm afraid, the norm in the Okanagan. What I mean by this, is a personal training certificate that is so easy to get, it's like they got it off the back of a cereal box. There are many, many, many personal training certifications out there. One of which is so incredibly easy to get, a fellow Kinesiologist had his dog certified just to prove this point. This is no joke. Somewhere out there, there is a golden retriever who is a certified personal trainer!
Most of these certifications require no post secondary education, no hands on training, and virtually no prior knowledge of health, the human body, or exercise science.
On average, to obtain a personal training certificate in this province, it requires little more than a couple weekend classes, and a brutally easy exam.
To illustrate this further, when I was fresh out of high school I obtained one of these certificates. And I did so without ever cracking open a text book, studying, or receiving guidance of any kind. I knew enough from reading fitness magazines (and you know how I feel about these crummy things) to pass with 98 percent. I even corrected the class instructor on some anatomy mistakes she made on a diagram.
This is not to brag folks, this is to let you know how bloody easy it is. I was by no means prodigy or fitness guru or anything like that. I just knew a little bit from reading garbage magazines and working out with my buddies.
Unfortunately, this is all it takes for you to call yourself a personal trainer in Kelowna, Vernon, or anywhere else in this province.
I won't name the types of certifications - and the trainers that they're attached to - that you should avoid (as I mentioned, I take enough heat from my peers as it is - and I guarantee this is going to upset many of them even further).
What I will do is let you know how to find a personal trainer in kelowna or vernon (or anywhere else for that matter) that you can trust to get you in the best shape of your life, and do it safely, quickly and in a way that isn't torture.
So check back soon, and I'll let you in a little secret that will weed out 90% of the crappy trainers out there instantly.
Yours in health,
RD
Thats a funny article. The best part is how you mention "our" snobbery and rudeness when it seems like you, the educated one, is the one who thinks he's mightier than. Having post secondary education has nothing to do with being a good trainer. Anyone can go to school and pass a bunch of tests but it's he who can achieve results for clients who is trainer of the year in the end. In fact the best trainer I know isn't even "certified". Perhaps you are not well received by your peers because you think you are better than them. That article makes you sound like you are the one with the ego and attitude... Oh and one more thing, is that dog taking new clients???
ReplyDeleteThanks for proving my point 'Anonymous'
ReplyDeleteOh Man!!!!
ReplyDeleteI can’t believe the response from the coward who posted anonymously. What are they afraid of? A background check?
Only an uneducated person would say:”anyone can go to school and pass a bunch of tests but it’s he who can achieve results for client who is trainer of the year in the end.”
First a great trainer would not be arrogant enough to believe they can “achieve results” for the client or take credit for the client’s results. Are they the ones doing the diet, doing the exercise for the client? No! First the client has to be motivated that they want to get fit and healthy. A trainer can’t do that for them. A great and qualified trainer can get them there quickly safely and enthusiastically and save them wasted time from wading through all the useless programs, gimmicks and fake trainers out there.
My response is “anyone can call themselves a trainer and not have a frigging clue” what they are talking about. There are literally hundreds of people out there probably thousands doing this. If you look closely many of them parrot or copy from other real trainers. Unfortunately they can copy but not understand the principles of what they are teaching because they don’t have the significant educational background to understand it. Which means if everything goes perfectly they may get away with it? Well maybe for a short time anyway. It is called performing “by rote” or from memorized not rationalized knowledge.
And taking the trouble of actually going to school and getting a degree in specialized training is a significant commitment. Not something “anyone” can do. First you have to have an aptitude.
I had an experience today where a young girl told me she is being provided with a fitness/nutrition training program by a coworker who is actually a client of another trainer. Some of things she was relaying to me about her program told me that the person knew enough to be dangerous but certainly she was being given some faulty advice. What blew me away? She is paying the coworker for the non expert advice.
A great trainer teaches the client ‘to fish’. I have seen many trainers provide a canned nutrition and exercise plan and the client try to blindly follow it with little success. If the client understands through education from the trainer, what to expect, how to track, why they are doing the program they are doing and are provided with feedback and encouragement as well as troubleshooting when required, a client is more likely to keep on track and make lifestyle changes.
I am a registered nurse. First I had to go to University and “pass a bunch of tests” –I guess I am just “anyone.” Did that make me a nurse or an expert at health care? No, of course not. I had very significant hands on practical training along with the theory. In addition, I could not progress to the more complex nursing care until I had proven myself at the level below. After passing the university degree courses and practical hands on nursing, I had to pass licensing requirements – the ‘Boards’. I have to constantly meet professional standards of practice and evaluations for licensing.
In spite of a degree and three specialties and being a consumer of personal training and fitness education and excellent learning from it, I do not consider myself qualified to declare myself a personal trainer. And I hope my personal trainer doesn’t try to do nursing care. The point is that is not my area of expertise.
I cannot imagine going to someone who calls themselves a doctor – but who did not think it was necessary to go to school - forgoes the medical training because he has learned enough simply being a patient or by reading medical journals. I prefer one who has been trained, is Board certified, has no lawsuits and keeps up to date. The requirement to be licensed and backed by a professional organization ensures there is monitoring to protect the public from harm and offer a platform to file complaints should there be one.
I cannot imagine hiring someone to do my taxes simply because they have experience in doing their own taxes and are good at it. You get what you pay for.
The point is if you have the choice of hiring from literally hundreds or thousands of trainers how do you know they are what they say they are??? Some have various certificates, some have no designation - why would you not want the person most qualified. Believe me I have checked out many gyms and many trainers and the prices blow me away. Most of the money goes to the gym – the trainer (with a certificate not a degree) is often paid a fairly low hourly rate so your money ($75-$200/hr )isn’t really for the training but to cover gym overhead. How do you wade through the thousands of trainers and have faith that they are qualified?
After the new year many news stories and tv programs covered New Year’s Resolutions. Fitness is always a big choice for resolutions. The theme of the stories was that the resolutions almost always fail and that gyms and gym trainers are becoming very unpopular. Why? Why is the ratio at gyms 1:3 1:5 1:7 meaning for every client who signs up only 1 out of every 3 or 5 or 7 (depending on the gym) is still attending? BECAUSE THEY DO NOT GET RESULTS OR THEY DO NOT MAINTAIN RESULTS. They are getting faulty advice, cookie cutter programs, or the latest short lived gimmick from under qualified trainers.
The young girl I mentioned above just started to go to a gym. She likes it because it is not very busy and hardly anyone is ever there – so maybe a 1:12 ratio or more. That actually means the gym is not successful!!!!!
Hiring a private well qualified trainer with a professional qualification ensures that person is legitimate; that the person has to be professionally responsible, and has to maintain and constantly upgrade their education/knowledge levels.
Before you make such statements, about education/qualifications not being important check out the Universities where Kinesiology is studied. These guys are qualified to work with elite athletes, and rehab injured patients. They are qualified to work with all age groups safely. Here is an example of a 4 year curriculum. (Please do not confuse the profession of kinesiology with “applied kinesiology” which is a controversial alternative health care practice which is basically full of shit).
This is a sample of the “bunch of tests” Rylan had to pass not to mention all the practicum portion of the degree or the further advanced training he has done.
100 Level Courses
KIN 105-3 Fundaments of Human Structure and Function
KIN 110-3 Human Nutrition: Current Issues
KIN 111-3 Food and Food Safety
KIN 140-3 Contemporary Health Issues
KIN 142-3 Introduction to Kinesiology
KIN 143-3 Exercise Management
KIN 180-3 Introduction to Ergonomics
200 Level Courses
KIN 201-3 Biomechanics
KIN 205-3 Introduction to Human Physiology
KIN 207-3 Information Processing in Human Motor Systems
KIN 208-3 Introduction to Physiological Systems
KIN 212-3 Food and Society
KIN 241-3 Sports Injuries — Prevention and Rehabilitation
300 Level Courses
KIN 301-3 Biomechanics Laboratory (Restricted to Kinesiology Majors Only)
KIN 303-3 Kinanthropometry
KIN 304-3 Inquiry and Measurement in Kinesiology
KIN 305-3 Human Physiology I
KIN 306-3 Human Physiology II (Principles of Physiological Regulation)
KIN 308-3 Experiments and Models in Physiology
KIN 310-3 Exercise/Work Physiology
KIN 311-3 Applied Human NutritionKIN 312-3 Nutrition for Fitness and Sport
KIN 325-3 Basic Human Anatomy
KIN 326-4 Functional Anatomy (Restricted to Kinesiology Majors Only)
KIN 336-3 Histology
KIN 340-3 Active Health: Behavior and Promotion
KIN 342-3 Active Health
KIN 343-3 Active Health: Assessment and Programming
KIN 367-3 Psychology of Motor Skill Acquisition
KIN 375-3 Human Growth and Development
KIN 380-3 Occupational Biomechanics
KIN 381-3 Psychology of Work
KIN 382-3 Physical Hazards in the Workplace
KIN 383-3 Human-Machine and Human-Computer Interaction
KIN 407-3 Human Physiology Laboratory (Restricted to Kinesiology Majors Only)
KIN 412-3 Molecular and Cellular Cardiology
KIN 415-3 Neural Control of Movement
KIN 416-3 Control of Limb Mechanics
KIN 426-3 Neuromuscular Anatomy
KIN 430-3 Human Energy Metabolism
KIN 431-3 Environmental Carcinogenesis
KIN 442-3 Biomedical Systems
KIN 444-3 Cardiac Disease: Prevention and Rehabilitation
KIN 445-3 Advanced Cardiac Rehabilitation
KIN 446-3 Neurobiology of Disease
KIN 448-3 Rehabilitation of Movement Control
KIN 461-3 Physiological Aspects of Aging
KIN 467-3 Human Motor Control
KIN 481-3 Activity-Generated Musculoskeletal Disorders
KIN 484-3 Altitude and Aerospace Physiology
KIN 485-4 Human Factors in the Underwater Environment
KIN 486-3 Human Factors in Industrial Design
So dollar for dollar hiring a PT who is a kinesiologist vs a non professional trainer is a huge bang for your buck.
I am 60. My age alone has provided me with copious exposure to fitness and training ‘experts’ over the years as well as a plethora of fitness mistakes (under the direction of non professional trainers). I am an educated nurse. I finally thoroughly researched and made an educated choice to select a very well qualified professional; no more Golden Retrievers for me!!! It would have cost me more to hire a non professional trainer in the gym than what I paid for a kinesiologist personal trainer. I am in the best health and shape of my life because I had a qualified trainer to get me through all my health issues and problems and, injuries as well as to educate me to undo all the faulty training and incorrect information I had over the years. It was a slice!
So if you want to defend your position, do it from a position of education. Upgrade your training and education. Kinesiologists educate trainers too! Don’t be arrogant enough to think you know it all. The most dangerous trainer is one who does not know what (he/she) doesn’t know or fails to admit what he/she doesn’t know and fails to recognize when something is beyond his/her capability. There is so much to know you can’t possibly be an expert at it all simply by having a bit of experience or a certificate alone. Yep you can likely handle the more simple stuff but if you are a great trainer then you should be ethical enough to know when your client needs to be referred on to a trainer with higher qualifications. And you if you aren't aware that there are far more qualified trainers and you don't know what a kinesiologist is - then you certainly are not a knowledgable trainer.
Next time if you are going to give an opinion, why don’t you have the guts to provide your qualifications, education, background and name. After all “anyone” can leave derogatory comments if they don’t have to be responsible for them and can hide behind “anonymous. “
Christine
Thanks for the post Christine, I think you got your point across.
ReplyDeleteI agree that having the degree does not make one a good trainer/kinesiologist.
But, most people wouldn't trust a doctor who hasn't gone through med school would they? Or have someone build their house who wasn't a carpenter? Or rebuild your engine if they weren't a mechanic?
There is definitely such a thing as not knowing enough to know that you don't know, and I think that has been demonstrated here quite plainly with the 'anonymous' comment.