Are Your Trainers Certified?

The Biggest Loser Show put personal trainers in the limelight back in 2004.  Bob and Jillian became the icons of the fitness industry.  The “in your face” approach to training was great for television, but that doesn’t mean it was great for the contestants.  Many contestants carried over 200 extra pounds and all that jumping, running and high impact movements wreaked havoc on their joints.  You never saw that on TV because that isn’t sexy or ratings worthy.  What America saw was personal training at it’s WORST.  This “pass out or puke” mentality MAY have a place in Navy Seal training, but NOT for mainstream America! 

Let’s face it, anyone who is in great shape can say they are a personal trainer.  No knowledge required, just chiseled abs, a defined jaw line, and tight tush.  However, if you want a trainer who won’t have your head hanging in a trash can each session, look for a certified personal trainer.  Correction look for a certified personal trainer with a CURRENT certification.

Maintaining the highest level of professionalism is extremely important to us.  Hence, ALL Coaches/Trainers at Marino’s Fitness are REQUIRED to have and maintain at least one (1) NCCA accredited Fitness-Industry Certification (Personal Training, Strength & Conditioning Coach, or Exercise Physiologist).  

Why is Certification important? 

When you visit a professional for anything, from filing your taxes, to repairing your motor vehicle, to rehabilitating your shoulder injury, how do you know the person you’re trusting to do a particular job is actually qualified to do that job?  What are the standards for that profession?  Who sets and upholds those standards?  How are you, as a consumer of those professional services, protected from fraud? 

In most industries a combination of government and industry leaders set, administer, and uphold professional standards.  An educational curriculum is formulated, specific knowledge requirements are identified, and a board or state licensure exam is developed to ensure the individual is fully prepared to enter a professional career. 

Unfortunately, the fitness industry as a professional entity, has not conformed to a set of unified standards.  This makes it difficult for consumers to know who to trust.  There can be little expectation for consistency of professional services provided, and the industry has a reputation for rampant fraudulent and sometimes immoral behavior. 

Fitness professionals DO NOT have to take a national board exam or state licensure exam as is required for Physical Therapists, Massage Therapists, or Athletic Trainers.  In fact, each of these professions requires individuals complete a program of study with an accredited school or university, and then pass a licensure exam administered by the state in which they will work.  In the case of a Physical Therapist, they complete up to 7 years of post-secondary education (4 years college + 3 years doctorate program) before they can sit for their licensure exam.  To sit for the National Athletic Training Association exam,  you need to complete 4 years of college AND 1200 hours of internship/apprenticeship.  Massage therapists must complete a 600-hour educational program before they can test for state licensure.   In the state of Pennsylvania, and most other states for that matter, there isn’t a minimum professional standard for entering the Personal Training profession. 

Consequently, the fitness industry must semi-regulate itself via CERTIFICATION, to promote trust and confidence amongst consumers.  Regulation of Fitness Certifications is achieved through the NCCA or National Commission of Certifying Agencies.  The NCCA is an agency, independent of the fitness industry, which ensures individual certification agencies meet the industry-agreed upon highest standards for professional certification.  Such standards include: 1) an agreement on required knowledge, 2) attendance at pre-test course, 3) quality of the test questions assessing grasp of material, 4) testing site regulation, etc.   There are currently over 600 individual Personal Training certifications available, however, only a small number have achieved accreditation by the NCCA (see below).  The vast majority of Personal Trainer certifications fail to meet NCCA standards because they only require that you take an unmonitored online exam, some provide a weekend course, and most require no post-secondary education OR apprenticeship hours. 

In addition to providing an assessment of competency, Certification also ensures professional education is continuous throughout an individual’s career.  Continuing Education Credits must be earned by attending courses, achieving additional certifications, reading books and articles to improve your knowledge in your profession, writing for qualified publications, and providing education and instruction to other professionals.  Each certification agency sets its own required number of CECs, most typically require 15 to 20 hours every two years, with higher-level certifications requiring a greater amount of continuing education.

So, as a consumer, why should you be concerned about whether your Fitness Professional is Certified by an NCCA-accredited organization?   Simple.  Exercise prescription is complicated.  The commercials on TV might try to convince you otherwise but the reality is that exercise is akin to a drug, not much different from that which you take to control high blood pressure.  It is a physical stressor that causes your heart rate to accelerate, increases your blood pressure and body temperature, forces muscles to contract, joints to compress, and alters the chemicals in your body that break down and re-build tissues or elevate or depress your mood. 

When applied at the right dosage exercise can help extend your years of quality life.  It can, however, result in serious injury and death if applied incorrectly.  In today’s world, the reduced levels of physical activity and increased levels of overweight and obesity are leading to an increased demand for Fitness Professionals.  The average client that walks into a Training facility today, however, has a greater amount of underlying joint damage and more movement impairments than we saw just 10 years ago.  Hence, the need to identify qualified professionals is essential.

At this point in time, Certification is the best indicator that you, as a consumer, has to identify those professionals who are adequately prepared and qualified to help you work on your fitness-related goals. Therefore, we place such a high value on Education, Certification, and Continued Education at Marino’s Fitness.  We would love the opportunity to be able to work with you. 

We may or may not be the best fit your situation, but it will make us sleep better if we knew you were in the hands of an NCCA-accredited Certified Fitness Professional.

Current NCCA-Accredited Organizations:

Academy of Applied Personal Training Education (AAPTE)

ACTION Certification (ACTION)

American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM)

American Council on Exercise (ACE)

Athletics and Fitness Association of America (AFFA)

Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coaches Association (CSCCa)

International Fitness Professional Association (IFPA)

National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM)

National Council for Certified Personal Trainers (NCCPT)

National Council on Strength & Fitness (NCSF)

National Exercise and Sports Trainers Association (NESTA)

National Federation of Professional Trainers (NFPT)

National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA)

PTA Global (PTAG)

World Instructor Training Schools (WITS)