Is this kind of training available as an on-line course? Can I be a qualified personal fitness trainer if I pass an on-line certified personal fitness trainer course?
There are on-line courses, but NO, we do not believe that an entry level trainer can become "qualified" to be an effective personal trainer simply from having taken an on-line certification. This would be analogous to learning to play golf by reading a book or learning to be a physical therapist via an on-line education and an on-line certification course. There are several high quality, on-line courses that test academic proficiency but, by nature of being an on-line course, do not adequately test hands-on ability or give the trainer the required "personal trainer experience".
While on-line courses have their place and time, in our opinion, on-line training is not appropriate at the beginning stages of learning to be a personal fitness trainer. You need education. You need hands-on experience. You need multiple "what-if" situations. You need a class room and an instructor and a variety of other students to practice, practice, practice.
Furthermore, employers do not have the same respect for trainers who were qualified “on-line” for the following reasons:
- An on-line educated trainer will not be proficient in taking a client’s blood pressure, or measuring body composition with calipers, or checking Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR) while counseling the client on the results … all skills learned at NPTI Colorado
- On on-line educated trainer is not tested in spotting techniques, recognizing spatial relationships as they apply to the client, the exercise, and the equipment used … all required skills and experiences for maximizing client results and minimizing liability
- Many on-line examinations do not adequately verify that the test respondent is who s/he says they are … decreasing the credibility in the personal trainer examination results.
- Many on-line examinations allow “open book” testing … further decreasing the reliability in the trainer’s skills
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