Personal Fitness Professional - September 2008 - (Page 22)

CONTROVERSIES CURRENT c A SHORTCUT ON THE PATH TO PERSONAL TRAINING CAREER GROWTH BY PHIL KAPLAN with desire, integrity and hunger.” That quote is precisely what we’d like to ﬁnd emanating from the darkness in mining for human capital. For those who are presently accomplished in our ﬁeld, the mine is sparse. If you’re not yet as accomplished as you’d like to be, scarcity in the mine may be the best news you’ve ever heard! This is a call to those who have one foot committed to pursuing a career in personal training with the other foot being held back by options, guesses and the perception of a need for something to fall back on. Here’s my oﬃcial announcement: If you want to be great, a door is open. Only a few will walk through the open door. I’m committed to showing you the entryway and then leaving the ball in your court. Fifteen years ago, I shared a less-traveled “career path” with those aspiring to ﬁnd futures as personal ﬁtness trainers. Today that path is paved, trampled and muddied with footsteps of thousands, some of whom found success, others who turned back and others who jumped oﬀ the path to explore uncharted territory. Though this path is still a valid means of getting to a career destination, the terrain has changed, and new paths have emerged. Although our industry has matured signiﬁcantly, it still lacks a step-by-step career development plan. Before I go further into the realm of “the open door,” I’ll share the still-valid path I shared in the past: “Hello, I’m raw material 3. Achieve a credential. While certiﬁcation doesn’t make a great trainer, every great trainer operating at a professional level has a recognized certiﬁcation. Examine the options, speak to those who hire and earn, and choose a certiﬁcation you feel will serve as a preliminary measure of competence, one you’d be proud to hang on your wall. 4. Work in a health club. Health clubs have always been the testing ground. Compensation in most health clubs is modest at best, but the low level of entry allowed for relative ease in ﬁnding health club employment — and the environment allows you to assess and develop your interpersonal skills and the application of your newly oﬀered services with some guidance and support. 5. Excel. The typical health club still fails to oﬀer a sense of long-term ﬁnancial security for trainers, but because many are accepting of mediocrity, you fast become a standout, making you enviable and visible among an active membership base. 6. Build an arsenal of evidence. Even if the 1. Find your passion. Gain personal experience with exercise, learn from others, and personally ﬁnd the joyous life improvements a ﬁtness lifestyle brings. 2. Study academically. Whether it’s through pursuing exercise education via conventional academia or self-study, the step beyond passion is education. 22 SEPTEMBER2008 · WWW.FIT-PRO.COM http://WWW.FIT-PRO.COM

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Personal Fitness Professional - September 2008

Personal Fitness Professional - September 2008 Contents Letter from the Editor, Writers Adding Pilates and Yoga to Your Clients' Workouts Combating Youth Obesity Prescription for Success NEW! The Balancing Act Technical Necessities Product Profiles Current Controversies Mark Your Calendar Coaching Your Client's Diet Life Coaching 101 Exercise Spotlight Product Profiles New on the Market [Spotlight] Gregg Miehle

Personal Fitness Professional - September 2008

For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.