Thursday, February 11, 2010

How to Become an Acknowledged Personal Trainer

It’s one thing to earn a personal training certification and begin your career as a trainer, but another thing entirely to stand apart from the rest. Personal trainers fill up all types of gyms. They’re a dime a dozen. Acknowledged personal trainers, however, are rare, and they have put in a lot of work to get where they are.

  1. Expand your knowledge beyond the basics taught in a certification course. The fundamentals of biomechanics, biochemistry, biology, anatomy and physiology found in most personal training certification courses will only take you so far. Because of the complexity of the human body, it is necessary to take this knowledge to the next level. Read books by established fitness professionals like Eric Cressey, Mike Robertson, Mike Boyle and Alwyn Cosgrove. After you finish their books, read their articles. Don’t simply use the ideas they provide; expand on them. Basic fitness knowledge won’t set you above the rest, but innovative and effective ideas will.
  2. Create a portfolio featuring each client you work with. A portfolio is the personal trainer’s lifeline. You will show this compilation of past clients to potential clients and future employers. Keep records of everything. Track all of your clients’ progress in terms of measurement, weight lifted, number of workouts performed, type of workout performed, body weight, and body fat. You may want to include before-and-after pictures. In addition, ask your clients to provide testimonials if they like what they have achieved. These testimonials are the most important part of the personal training portfolio. Potential clients will read them and immediately see that you have helped others reach their goals.
  3. Market yourself effectively. Any good businessman knows that knowledge and success will only take you so far if you aren’t marketing yourself. Occasionally donning the businessman’s suit is part of the personal training profession, whether you like it or not. If nobody knows about you, then you won’t get work. Create a website with a virtual version of your portfolio. Let the entire world know what you have to offer. Fliers are an effective marketing tool for those living in small or medium-sized towns. Business cards, however, are a staple for the personal trainer. You want to be able to hand out a little piece of yourself for everyone to remember, regardless of whether you’re in the grocery store or the gym.

Tips & Warnings

  • Keep duplicates of your portfolio, in case something happens to the original. Having online and offline copies will insure that you never lose the biggest tool for advancement in your career.
  • Don’t walk into this process thinking that you’re going to become an acknowledged personal trainer overnight. Regardless of how well you perform the steps, rising to the top of a profession takes time and dedication.

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For more information about a career in personal training and about the best personal training certification please visit our website.

 

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Thursday, January 14, 2010

Importance of Rest from Your Workouts

Relaxation and rest are critical to a successful fitness program. That means that you can chisel yourself into a hard, sexier body just by vegetating. When you exercise, you tear down muscle fibers. As the fibers regenerate, they become bigger and stronger. Its between workouts during your resting state that your system heals and transforms.

I constantly advise my clientele to relax, stretch and heed their bodies. Here are some advises:

  • Get plenty of sleep -
    Your body reconstructs itself best when you are asleep. Not only does lack of sleep interfere with your healthy hormonal levels it also depletes you of required energy to prepare you for a safe workout. You will hanker for sugar as a temporary energy reservoir and get ready for a useless workout.
    In a recent study of 1,000 volunteers at Stanford University, subjects who did not get enough sleep per night had a higher body fat content compared to their constituents who enjoyed at least seven or eight hours of sleep.
  • Give yourself days off from your workouts -
    In addition to getting enough sleep, you need to give yourself at least 1 day of rest between workouts. Take at least one day off every week. You can still get an exceptional figure from weight training twice every week. If twice a week is not enough for you, then limit your weight training to 5 times a week. Otherwise, your body will not have time to rejuvenate and all your hard work will be wasted.
    Ninety five percent of bodybuilding professionals will remember that the biggest mistake they ever made in pumping iron is that they over did it. Your muscles are going to require rest if they need to regenerate. Overworked muscles will not grow. If you are doing it properly, intensity wise, and if you work out every day you are sure to over strain yourself, possibly leading to injury. Any part of the body that is pushed to complete muscular failure could take anywhere from five to ten days to renew it.
    Working another part of your body the next day can still lead to over training. You can discourage muscle growth if you work a major muscle group to failure then try to do some more heavy presses on another major muscle group the very next day. For example, after a hard workout of the legs, the body starts the process of recovery from the blow it has received by the workout only to be subjected to another blow from heavy bench presses.
    You cannot count on your body to recover from a strenuous workout the following day unless you take steroids or other drugs to help you deal with the catabolic operations working inside your body. Make rest and recuperation a part of your exercise regimen.
  • Do not overlook aches and pains -
    You are just setting yourself for injury when you ignore muscle tenderness or tightness. If you feel any agony while working out, stop your workout immediately. If you feel tightness, stop to stretch the tight muscle. Regularly stretch after warm-up and before ending your workout.
  • Withdraw from taking painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs -
    Delayed-onset muscle soreness, or DOMS as it is called by exercise physiologists, is characterized by sometimes muscle tenderness, muscle weakness and a decrease in range of motion. It usually peaks about 24 to 72 hours after an extreme cardiovascular or strength exercise event. Although anti-inflammatory drugs do appear to reduce muscle soreness during DOMS, studies show that they may slow down the ability of the muscles to repair the damage.
  • Consume meals properly -
    Subjects in a study in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, who snacked with a 4-to-1 ratio of carbohydrates to protein within a half-hour of their workout, neutralized muscle injury the most. This is because, after a workout, when the body is damaged and exhausted it needs to be repaired immediately. Therefore, it requires instantaneous attention.

Get the most immediate bounce back by drinking your meal in fluid form because your body absorbs liquid more efficiently than solids. Ready to drink protein shakes are available at most grocery stores. Be sure that the sugar and fat quantities are below 2 grams per serving. Have your shake with an small banana, apple, or 1 1/2 cup of berries.

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For more information about health and fitness and about how to become a personal fitness trainer, please visit our website.

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Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Cold Weather Training, Fitness in the Snow

When the weather gets cold, it can seem like a chore to go outside for a workout. However, before you lock yourself inside all season, take a cue from the kids. Remember how much fun it was to play in the snow when you were young? Well, there is no reason to stop now. Just walking around on snowy ground requires extra energy and burns calories. Here are a few other ideas to get you fit while enjoying the white stuff this winter.

Anyone who has ever gone sledding knows how exciting it can be to fly down a hill and slip and slide to the bottom. What you may not realize, though, is that this youthful activity is actually quite the workout. The average adult can burn more than 350 calories in an hour of sledding. How? Well, every time you reach the bottom you need to lug that sled back up. The steeper the hill, the more you burn and the more fun you’ll have on the ride back down.

Building a snowman is one of the quintessential winter activities. It’s a great way to spend time with family and friends, and also a great accomplishment when you display your finished masterpiece. In addition to all the joy a snowman brings, this wintery figure also helps get you in shape. All that rolling and packing burns roughly 285 calories in an hour. When you’ve finished your snowy friend, continue the fun by picking a snowball fight with your fellow builders. Running and tossing soft snow around can burn another 320 calories an hour. When you finally tire out, why not make some snow angels? Just rolling around in the snow like this can still burn 200 calories an hour. Add all these together and you’ve had quite the winter workout!

Shoveling snow may seem like a chore, but next time you are getting ready to go out and uncover your driveway, put a positive spin on the situation. Skip the snow blower and use this task to earn yourself that extra slice of pie or cup of cocoa later. Shoveling snow by hand can burn more than 400 calories an hour for the average 150 pound person. This is just as much as a casual jog or bike ride! Just make sure you don’t injure yourself. Use proper form and always life the heavy weight of the shovel with your legs, not your back.

Another great winter working gets you out of the neighborhood and in touch with nature. Hiking through the snow burns about as many calories as shoveling, and is a great way to get out on a chilly afternoon. Feeling buff? Go snowshoeing instead. It burns more than 450 calories an hour! For those who prefer more thrilling sports, skiing and snowboarding are also great weekend choices. Each burns around 350 calories an hour and can easily take up a whole day. Just make sure you know what you are doing. If you’re new at these sports, get some basic instruction before you hit the slopes, and stick with the easy trails to start.

Just because there is snow on the ground doesn’t mean you have to lock yourself indoors. Going out in the snow is tons of fun for people of all ages, and is an excellent way to schedule fitness into your holiday season. Besides, you’ll feel a lot better about all those great holiday foods if you burn some extra calories off first.

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Exercising can be fun and helping someone to exercise in a proper manner can be fun and rewarding at the same time. Not to forget the earning potentials. Personal Fitness Training can be a great career and if yo are considering to take up this career you would need some information about personal trainer school. Please visit our website for more details.

 

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Thursday, October 29, 2009

Advantages of Having A Personal Trainer

It’s very hard to reach your fitness goals without a personal fitness coach. It isn’t as easy as most people think to get your body into shape. In order to figure out your body type and what it requires, expertise and experience is necessary.

The most prized possession that any of us have is our own body. Every individual has unique physical traits. This demands the expertise of a personal fitness trainer who can focus on every client to ensure they reach their goals.

Many folks wish they had great shapes but aren’t prepared to do the work required to achieve one. We need someone to help us stay motivated. The fitness coach will give you this motivation which is necessary.

We understand the ideal exercise routines that are required in order to attain this objective. Your fitness coach is armed with the best information regarding the proper positions and equipment needed for workouts. A fitness trainer provides assistance to concentrate on a given part of the body to achieve the desired results.

The required equipment will be provided to you by a professional fitness trainer, who will also teach you the correct method of using them. In addition, your personal trainer will supervise your diet.

A professional fitness trainer’s wisdom and expertise is very important. A professional fitness trainer is unparalleled in information and aid. Your personal training sessions will enlighten you with fitness tips as well as broadening your knowledge of fitness.

Fitness instructors will use personal fitness training to help you reach your desired shape as quickly as possible and will also provide instruction in the maintenance of your body. Allow the physical fitness coach to create the fitness regime and just work on doing your exercises. Optimizing your benefits from personal training is simply a matter of being clear about your needs and goals right at the start.

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For a career in personal training and information about how to become a personal fitness trainer, please visit our website.

 

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Friday, October 23, 2009

How to Become a Certified Personal Trainer

You have a love for fitness, a passion to help other people choose healthy lifestyles, and you enjoy working with a variety of personalities. That makes you a good fit to become a certified personal trainer. A certified personal trainer works one on one with a client to tailor an exercise plan specific to that client’s needs and to provide accountability and assistance before, during and in between workouts. Working as a certified personal trainer can be a rewarding and lucrative career, if you follow the right steps and work hard to please your clients.

Steps

  1. Complete all prerequisites.
    • If you want to become a certified personal trainer, you don’t need a college degree. However, you should be at least 18 years old, have a high school diploma or GED and have some familiarity with exercise science.
  2. Assess your personal skills.
    • A certified personal trainer works with all types of people in many different circumstances. One session, you may work to train a competitive athlete who lives for the sport. In your next session, you may work with someone who wants to lose weight but finds it hard to stay motivated. You need to have a repertoire to work with all types of clients and meet them where they are.
  3. Obtain certification through a nationally recognized and accredited organization when you want to become a certified personal trainer.
    • Certification proves that you have studied and are qualified to teach fitness classes and work as a personal trainer. Certification does cost money, and there are many options available, so take time to decide what certification is best for you. If you already know where you want to work, call and ask what certifications they prefer you have. If you don’t have your ideal job in mind, browse through the many certification options.
    • The National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) offers a nationally accredited personal training certificate that’s highly reputable. NASM is the preferred certification organization for Gold’s Gym, Bally Total Fitness, 24Hour Fitness, Town Sports International and Lifetime Fitness.
  4. Boost your credibility with a specialized certification if you desire.
    • A specialty certification, also known as a specialty cert, allows you to charge a little bit more because you have specialty knowledge in that particular field. One example of a specialty certification option is the ACE Clinical Exercise Specialist certification.
    • American Fitness Professionals and Associates allows you to obtain nutrition consultant certification, yoga instructor certification, Pilates instructor certification, weight management certification, children’s fitness certification and senior fitness certification.
  5. Set up your own business or get a job with a fitness center.
    • If you work out of your home, you can woo your own clients and help them at any facility. If you work at a fitness center, you’ll work exclusively with clients of that gym.
    • If you want a position that’s outside of the box, consider working with corporate fitness, at a spa or even on a cruise ship.
  6. Maintain your certification through continuing education.
    • Personal trainer certification isn’t a one time achievement; you must stay up to date with the industry and enroll in continuing education opportunities to maintain your certification. Continuing education opportunities include classes, lectures, seminars and workshops dealing with personal training and exercise science.
  7. Join a personal trainer organization to network with other trainers and to learn more about certification opportunities.
    • Attending personal trainer summits can count towards your continuing education requirements, and it provides you with the opportunity to meet other personal trainers from across the country.

Tips

  • CPR training isn’t required, but it is highly recommended if you want to become a certified personal trainer

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To know more about how to become a personal fitness trainer please visit our website. 

 

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Thursday, October 1, 2009

8 tips for success to being a great personal fitness trainer

8 tips for success to being a great personal fitness trainer

Personal fitness training is a competitive career. Clients are hard to come by, and good ones should be kept at all costs. Here are eight things to remember each day to become a better, more professional fitness trainer.

Dress professionally

The best outfit is something sporty yet professional. Try a polo shirt, athletic pants, and some nice cross trainer shoes. Choose professional over sexy, please!

Don’t get too personal

It’s very common for close relationships to grow between trainers and their clients. This is fine, but do respect boundaries and don’t become a personal friend, if you care to maintain the professional relationship. If your client asks you for relationship advice, simply listen to his / her problem, acknowledge them and sympathize, but don’t offer advice or otherwise become invested in the issue being discussed.

Don’t be late

Personal training is a client service, it is part of your job to chow the client respect, so don’t be late to appointments. If you must be late, you must make up for the time, never short a client out of time because you’re late. This can cause bitter feelings and negative word-of-mouth consequences.

Be attentive during sessions

It’s easy to become distracted, or let the client go on his / her own during a set while you take a phone call. This shows an unprofessional manner, and you should avoid it. Clients remember an experience when their professional gives them undivided attention.

Stay on top of the latest news and information

As a personal fitness trainer, you are an information professional! It is your job to stay on top of the latest news in fitness, wellness, nutrition, equipment, and science. Read industry magazines, books, and talk with doctors as often as you can.

Don’t be afraid to not know the answer

As a personal fitness trainer, you have a professional responsibility to your client, and safety must come first. Don’t pretend to know the answer to a question if you don’t, be honest, you’ll be surprised how much it can create a feeling of trust with your client

Be fit yourself!

This is an obvious one, but important. You must set a great example for your client and be a physical specimen to work towards. Stay in shape yourself and be an example for your clients.

Do it only for as long as you love it

Too many trainers get into training because they love the job, and then burn out and lost enthusiasm, but keep on training clients with a less-than-stellar attitude. An important part of a trainer’s job is to be a cheerleader, and infect the client with enthusiasm. If this feeling has faded, it might be time to move on. You have many choices for next steps, including writing a fitness book, consult, train company employees on wellness, or move into the business side of fitness.

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For more information about a career in personal training and about how to become a personal fitness trainer, please visit our website.

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Friday, August 28, 2009

Certification Personal Trainer Courses are Vital for Employment

Certification Personal Trainer Courses are Vital for Employment

Are you great at motivating people? Interesting in helping others make healthy lifestyle choices? Think personal training
is the career for you? If so, the best way to get started beyond leading by example is to look into certification personal trainer education programs.

Anyone can profess to be a personal trainer, but quality instructors really know their stuff. This goes way beyond having an ability to motivate and inspire others. It means providing good, solid information about exercises, diet and more. It also means having a grasp on how to correctly deal with special cases, such as people who have gone through traumatic situations like car accidents, dealing with youngsters and beyond.

The best personal trainers not only know their way around a gym, they also know how to properly guide their clients into a healthier lifestyle while taking mitigating circumstances into consideration. Plus, they are adept with a multitude of training techniques ranging from basic lifting and cardiovascular workouts to Pilates, yoga and beyond. Not every form of training will appeal to individual clients, so having a range of options can make or break a personal training business.

Certification in the field is important for a number of reasons. The top, however, is it offers clients and possible employers the peace of mind in knowing they’re hiring someone who really knows his or her trade.

Personal training certification programs generally include a number of valuable lessons, all of which will greatly help the trainer down the road. Some of the top areas covered in a good training course include:

* Client assessment. How to find out where your client is health and fitness-wise. Starting a beginner on a 10-mile run a day isn’t smart, but jumping right in to that with a marathon runner might be. Knowing the difference and how to accurately assess fitness levels is very important for getting started.

* Personal trainers are there to serve their clients. Inasmuch, understanding a client’s individual goals is vital. Interview techniques are necessary to determine this. Training will help advance these skills.

* Special needs training. No two people alike and trainers need to adapt their routines to fit clients’ needs. To help trainers practice this, certification courses generally offer information on how to handle different cases as they arise. This can include elderly clients, handicapped clients or those who are recovering from surgery or even physical trauma.

* Business skills. A lot of personal trainers choose to go into their own private businesses. To do so, they need to have a background in handling the books and other nitty gritty details. Certification programs can offer valuable lessons here as well.

It’s one thing to be great at working out and motivating people, but it’s another thing entirely to take that on full-time as a career or business. To get started, the best way often is to make sure some solid training is backing you up. Lots of different situations arise during the course of a personal trainer’s career, so knowledge is key.

Training programs are vital for making sure trainers not only know the physical end of the craft, but also the business and psychological aspects, too. Plus, certification personal trainer programs also give future clients and/or employers the ability to know they are hiring a knowledgeable person for the job.

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Get yourself a personal trainer certification if you are considering a career in personal training. For details please visit our website.

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