In order to work as a personal trainer in various fitness centers or businesses, they will require having a personal training certification especially to have liability insurance. Having a personal training certificate from a recognized agency is one of the ways of ensuring qualified and professional trainers.
Unfortunately, having a passion for fitness or having strong personal fitness isn’t enough to train others safely and correctly. Therefore, having a personal training certificate can provide potential clients with a peace of mind that they are getting someone who understands the science of personal training to get them to their goals.
The personal training industry isn’t regulated or standardized. That is, there is no unifying curriculum and each certification highlights and teaches their curriculum differently.
Here at BCPTI, we utilize the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) Certified Personal Training (CPT) curriculum. One of the main reasons is that NASM is accredited through the National Commission for Certifying Agencies. The National Commission for Certifying Agencies is aimed at ensuring the NASM program is legitimate.
Another reason for using the NASM CPT program is their emphasis on teaching prospective trainers to use an evidence-based practice. An evidence-based practice relies on scientific evidence as a guideline for decision making alongside individual professional expertise and client values and expectations.
Getting certified as a personal training is only the first step. It is akin to laying the foundation of your house. It provides you with the knowledge to understand the fitness field but isn’t enough as ongoing continuing education is a cornerstone of the NASM CPT. In order to retain your certification for example, you are required to renew your certification every 2 years by taking additional courses and education. This ensures NASM certified personal trainers are always staying on top of the constant changes in fitness and providing the best service.
NASM offers a systematic approach to developing personalized and unique training plans that allow you to get clients results. This methodology teaches individuals to not only understand how to reach a goal but also how to adjust whenever there are plateaus to keep getting results.
This personalized approach is called the Optimum Performance Training model which is a scientifically backed by research to help individuals looking to lose weight, improve their health, get stronger, build muscle mass and/or develop athletic performance. The OPT model uses an integrated approach that includes all these aspects of training into their programs:
- Flexibility and mobility
- Core strength and stability
- Cardiorespiratory (cardio)
- Balance
- Plyometrics
- Speed, agility, and quickness
- Resistance
The OPT model is flexible and can be adjusted based on the client’s current fitness level, goals, age and more.
As you continue to take additional certifications, we are now building the walls of our structure with the CPT as the foundation. These walls help us to provide a better service to our clients and over time, as we learn more, it helps us to better understand the science of personal training to rebuild the walls, to strengthen them and keep getting better. These other certifications and courses will open up more client populations or situations that you will feel confident about working with as well as clients seeking you out to be their personal trainer.
Experience and the ability to coach clients is one of those skills that can’t be taught through textbooks alone. This is a skill that is honed through practice and working with clients that can’t be substituted.
Benefits of Practical Application
This is where BCPTI comes into the mix and we help to put the roof on top of your house by not only teaching you the CPT curriculum but also how to use those skills with people. Even though you may understand the science of personal training, without being able to acquire clients, those skills won’t be as helpful.
We emphasize hands on practical learning, application and coaching so that upon completion of the program, you’ll be ready to transition immediately and smoothly into working with clients. Not only that, you will have hours and hours of experience on how to prospect, build rapport and how to coach.
You will learn within a community of people who have a passion for fitness and leads to connecting each other through fitness. The cohort your study and learn with to become a certified personal trainer is the one that you can constantly learn and grow with each other.
Interested in learning more about our program? Reach out to us and we can assist you on taking that next step.
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