“Happy are those who dream dreams and are ready to pay the price to make them come true.” -Leon J. Suenes
Recall your last week. What is one thing you can think of off the top of your mind that was inspiring to you? Just as well, in your recollection, what have you done to be inspiring yourself? Inspiration is something we recognize instantaneously and typically don’t forget right away, if ever. What does being ‘unforgettable’ mean to you?
It is a pretty incredible gift we are given to be able to become inspired and to go forth and be inspiring to others. We are literally handed the opportunity to have an influence on someone else’s life in the sense that our gestures or deeds could leave a life-long, everlasting effect on those around us. The unfortunate thing is that it can be easy to take this gift for granted and to forget that each of our actions has an effect on whomever we choose to surround ourselves with. And I don’t mean ‘surround’ in terms of just those we know on a personal level, but what about the other, more random people we come in contact with on a daily basis? The bank teller, the cashier, the waiter, the person on the other line of the phone… Or think about this; how about the people who are in your ‘comfort zone’, so to speak, who are always, always there for you? Do you forget that no person is stationed as being ‘permanent’ in your life? Make sure to find ways to inspire these people as well as we all can be guilty of becoming too complacent and too comfortable in our own life environment with what we expect to always be right where we left it. Inspire those around you! Make sure whether it’s just some random person you will never see again or your life-partner of 65 years, that you find ways to inspire all these people in your lives for your attitude, words, actions, and presence will help dictate how this person’s day, as well as your own day, progress and play out. How much better do you feel when a stranger gives you a casual compliment for no apparent reason and you are having one of ‘those’ days? Or what about when your significant other of years on end (who sees you EVERY day) notices how nice you look before you two go out for dinner? All these little things can have a profound effect not only on how this person views their own self, but how they decide to approach the day as well. You never know what a simple and common gesture might do for someone. And who knows? You could end up changing a life or two without blinking an eye! Never forget the power or simplicity.
If you want to go the other route into larger gestures, this, too, can have an obvious outcome on the person you decide to go a step or two out of your way for. It doesn’t have to be anything too drastic, but it will only benefit you in the long-run if you decide to give without expectations and prospects of receiving something in return right that moment. The more you give, whether it be something tangible or intangible, you will get what you give regardless of whether it is right then or later down the road. If you don’t reach out to others, odds are others won’t reach out to you. Keep that in the back of your mind the next time you see someone who could use your help or looks like they are just having a bad day. The things we take for granted are the things that make the profound differences in the lives of those around us. Although it’s cliché, the golden rule is key to remember and to live by.
A year ago this month was the first time I had ever stepped foot in Las Vegas. It was to complete an externship for my graduation from Pinnacle Career Institute, and I had absolutely no idea what to expect. Being from a small town and not having exposure to much city life, I was in complete awe as soon as I stepped foot off the plane. All I knew was that I was headed to ‘Boot Camp’ at the Professional Fitness Institute (PFI), and that I was more eager and anticipatory than I had ever been in my entire life.
Already inspired upon coming to Vegas as I was ecstatic to have finished my schooling, I really didn’t think life could get much better… Boy, was I wrong!
Just to touch on what PFI is all about, they are a company devoted and committed to producing the best professional fitness trainers in the world. In creating and implementing their ‘personal trainer program’ to their dozens of partner-schools across the country, they prepare aspiring fitness professionals posing as students to succeed in taking their National Strength and Conditioning Association- Certified Personal Trainer (NSCA-CPT) exam, which is arguably the most prestigious certification for personal trainers in the world. Each month, students who are on the last leg of completing their program fly in from all over the country to go through what they call a ‘Boot Camp’, where the students are introduced to various fitness professionals and celebrities, fitness venues and facilities around the Vegas Valley, a diverse agenda of activates to be performed and completed throughout the week, and, of course, the big (and sometimes dreaded) NSCA exam. The time the PFI staff invests into planning these long and amazing Boot Camps is truly unfathomable. They are constantly striving to produce qualified professionals who are dedicated to making a difference in the world. What they fail to mention in their curriculum is the difference they, themselves are making in the lives of hundreds of people everyday.
For my own Boot Camp, I had such a great time that I knew I was destined to be in Vegas from the first day on. The staff at PFI, consisting of Charles Ware (who runs the place), Chris Carpenter (Director of Ops), and Kristina Lindquist (the incredibly brilliant mind behind the education and curriculum aspect), gave me more inspiration in that one week than I had ever had in my entire life. On top of that, I was with about 40 other students who were completing hours as well, many of whom I still keep in touch with. The activities we performed throughout the week transcended my horizons and opened my eyes to a whole new realm of curiosity, and the fitness professionals we got to train with and learn from were just amazing. From the world-renowned strength and conditioning coach, Tommy Boyer-Kendrick, to the most decorated natural bodybuilder in the world (and UNIVERSE, according to his award collection), Ron Williams, to my own mentor, great friend, and Connect To Fitness colleague, Dr. Darian Parker, who came in and gave an unforgettable lecture on Residential Fitness (and in particular spoke about WTS International). The connections I made were what started my career in Vegas and with networking and if not for those connections, I would have never had such a smooth and perfect Las Vegas transition.
After my hours were completed and it was time to return home to Erie, Pennsylvania, the inspiration that had been sprinkled all over my life never left. From home, I kept in touch with the staff at PFI and sure enough, a few months down the road PFI contacted me expressing interest in hiring me permanently at their facility as a Boot Camp instructor. So, to make a long story short, and a short story even shorter; I was moved out here about six months later. Now, I am on the staff of few at PFI headquarters to actually instruct the same Boot Camps that forever changed my own life with the same people who forever changed my life and I have the opportunity to meet an incredible batch of current students filing through the personal training program that I can only hope to make an impact on and assist in forever changing THEIR lives in some way. You see, when you help someone else, you get something back in return whether it’s something on a mental or emotional level or whether it’s something physical. Although I hesitate to use the term ‘karma’ as I really prefer not to hold a word responsible for what works or doesn’t work in our favor. I hear all too often people using the word ‘karma’ to describe their current state of life when in reality, they should be looking at how or what they are or aren’t doing. All too often ‘bad’ karma is simply the result of breaking rules, being selfish or unkind, or just simply not reaching out to or for help. We need to understand that in order to get something in return, we have to give something first or after. ‘Good’ karma stems from those who are consistently dedicating their heart and soul to that of benefitting others. There is a self-fulfillment involved when you are someone’s inspiration and you can look at that vice-versa as well.
At PFI’s Boot Camp, from the time the students arrive from the airport to the time they board back up on their planes and head home, I am consistently in awe of these individuals. Ranging from all ages and backgrounds, each student brings something new and unique to the table and it’s always a surprise to see where the week is going to start as well as end. As soon as the students arrive from the airport, they are taken to their hotel to drop off their belongings, and then brought back to PFI for their warm welcome, lunch and usually some sort of activity as well whether it be a circuit training workout given by the one and only “Dr. Death” (once again, Darian Parker), or being taken to the Bodies Exhibit at the Luxor. Regardless of the activity, what I find desperately inspiring is how the students interact with each other. Many of them arrive knowing only a couple other students in the program, and there are always a few that come alone bearing no previous connections. Besides the fact that being an instructor at the Professional Fitness Institute is pretty darn awesome, one of my favorite components during these week succession is to watch the progression from the time the students arrive to when they leave. Always, always on the first day everyone is segregated into groups somehow with either the people they knew from school or the person they sat next to on the plane, or even just sitting alone because they don’t know anyone at all. One of the first things we do at PFI is divide the students up into random teams and they are to remain in these teams the entire week to compete for team points, which later account for prizes at the end of the week. The students go from not knowing the name of the person sitting next to them to putting full trust into each member of their team as they go through the activities and events that make them work together. There are always a few people that stand out from the get-go that are already programmed on team-player autopilot from the second they walk into the room. These individuals are exceptionally inspiring to watch as they unite their team and the rest of the Boot Camp together each day and create that harmony needed to become a true team. Throughout the week, they are paired up with the other teams they are competing against so they have a chance to get to know the entire Boot Camp. The activities are so fun to observe and the doors that open for the students are just phenomenal.
Working Boot Camp, for me, is like a personal training session multiplied by however many students are attending each month. Fitness is something that is universal and something that has profound effects on every single aspect of the human body. It affects us mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually and has the ability to amalgamate people to other people. It is something that is very personal to us and when fused together with other like people, the outcome is nothing short of inspirational.
During the week, there are many times where I find myself getting emotional, myself, in watching these different interactions between complete or almost complete strangers and how they choose to inspire others on their team or in camp at will. All of a sudden you will see someone start to lose energy during an intense workout and you can tell if they take another step or repetition that they are going down. They are just above and beyond their own physical capabilities in what it is they are doing and can’t find the motivation within themselves to take another step. Then, all of a sudden, another student will see this and run over and start motivating the person to keep going and that they ‘can do it!’. Almost always, the person who is failing will get up from where they are at and will raise their chins up just a little bit higher in the process. And this continues on throughout the week. You begin to see a bond happening between not just the teams, but throughout the entire Boot Camp as well where the fine line between individual teams begins to diminish and you see one solid team of aspiring fitness professionals. The gratification in watching this happen is something that no words can describe. It is truly amazing what a little inspiration can do.
You get what you give in every circumstance in life. I mean, think about it, as health practitioners and professionals, isn’t it the nature of our CAREER to give without expecting anything in return? Sure, our clients pay us for our services, but wasn’t it our intention to begin with to get into the health, wellness and fitness industry to help other people get well, stay well, and achieve their dreams and goals? We are essentially dedicating our lives to that of inspiring other people in a way that will help them make everlasting lifestyle changes to help them live a better, easier and more fulfilling life. Although they are purchasing our services, they are also looking to purchase US in hopes that we can provide our wealth, knowledge, experience and practices to benefit them because we become their inspiration. You cannot be selfish when you are in this industry, nor can you not be compassionate for other people. Our industry is all about giving and providing and that is how we should carry ourselves in every circumstance. We are life-changers, plain and simple, and it is and always will be our duty to genuinely want to make these changes in these people regardless of the compensation.
In essence, we need to always keep an open mind and put ourselves in others shoes, for it is our actions that ultimately influence the people and things around us. Keep with you the indescribable feeling of how you feel when you find inspiration and take some of your own and dust those around you with it everywhere you go. You might just make someone’s life by doing so.
Until next time, Faithful Reader…
“Do we not all agree to call rapid thought and noble impulse by the name of Inspiration?”- George Eliot
“Without inspiration, the best powers of the mind remain dormant, and there is a fuel in us which needs to be ignited with sparks.” –Johann Gottfried Von Herder
Monday, July 27, 2009
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Explore Different Paths to Create a More Scenic Drive
Driving up into the Ridges, you wouldn't think you were in this world, much less the Vegas Valley. To both your left and right are custom-made mansions (or maybe I should say 'castles'...) and lush plantation rarely seen throughout the rest of the desert. I found myself daydreaming as I drove excitedly through the Ridges in Summerlin for our monthly Connect To Fitness event being held at Club Ridges...
Almost to Club Ridges, my mind began reverting back to about five (or so) months ago when the whole 'idea' behind Connect To Fitness was just that... an idea. Thinking of the progression from then to now, I felt proud and grateful as I have been immensely fortunate to be so heavily involved in such an amazing and innovative project and organization. It's quite amazing what a little thought, drive and perseverance can give you if you keep pushing forward without looking back. My thoughts faded as I approached the guard at the entrance who has to confirm your invite and personally let you in. The drive to the fitness center is just so ridiculously scenic and tranquil and it’s enough to make you forget about the rest of life for that very moment. I pulled up to the parking lot at Club Ridges where my focus was automatically placed on the beautiful facility which is breath-taking in itself.
Located conveniently on a mountain basin, the Ridges is a gorgeous area in Summerlin that feels separated from the rest of the city. Set somewhere in the heart of this gorgeous, gated community is Club Ridges which is an upscale, residential fitness facility managed by none other than WTS International. The property itself is absolutely stunning with elegance and class and you would never guess just by looking at the facility that it has anything to do with fitness. It actually blends nicely with the mansions surrounding it. I guess the small giveaway is the large parking lot visible from the street which isn’t typical of a normal housing development. I swear you could be just in awe from the outside looking it, but I tell you what… You haven’t seen ANYthing until you have been inside. Traversing up to the doors with my short heels clip-clapping on the pavement (I’m NOT a fan of heels of any kind), I spotted Darian outside by the tennis lounge carrying a table from the outside tennis court area to the lounge which overlooks the courts. I switched my own route from the front door to meet and greet him and to get this thing started!
Although this particular time, I opted to go into a side door, if you were to be so fortunate to go through the front door, you would be (happily) greeted to your right by one of the lovely front desk employees who are diligently on their game in making sure each and EVERY guest and member is greeted as they come in, while they are visiting and as they proceed to leave the building as well. And unless you have never been into the facility, they will automatically know and greet you by name. After exchanging compliments with one of these awesome employees, you would most likely stop in your tracks and pinch yourself in disbelief. Sitting before your very eyes is this huge palace of a place they disguise as a fitness center that is exquisite in every sense of the word. You absolutely do not feel like you are in a gym, rather you feel as if you stepped into one of the houses you may have passed on your way to Club Ridges. Everything from the lighting to the color scheme are all set to portray a relaxing and divine environment that isn’t meant to be intimidating or overwhelming like some gyms can be. After lifting your jaw back up from the floor, if you were to turn your head left, you would view the group fitness/aerobics room (if you will) located in it’s own sort of secluded area of the facility overlooking the pool outside. The group fitness room itself is a decent size and there are many classes to be offered from Boot Camp to kids classes to Darian’s infamous Circuit Training (in which Darian also performs during the Professional Fitness Institute’s monthly Boot Camp, in which the students appropriately nick-named him ‘Dr. Death’). Looking straight ahead, before you would notice anything else, you would visibly notice the absolutely striking and dazzling pool area and you would more than likely stare and admire the fountains in the pool dancing and jetting while creating a magnificent ambiance. Once your gaze finally settles back indoors, you would notice the lush couches and chairs right in the front lobby which surround a massive, rock fire-place that you can warm-up next to during the coldest months of the year. If you take a slight right past the front desk, you will then come in contact with the fitness area. Now this, Faithful Reader, is a sight for sore eyes and THEN some. Using all Lifeline equipment, the fitness area is lined with full-sized windows that just as well give you a view of the pool area while also letting in the beautiful sunlight. Cardio equipment lines the left and front windows while the squat racks, functional machines, and dumbbells line the right wall. The middle of the floor houses the Lifeline machine area that is perfectly set up to complement the rest of the room. You will also find one of Club Ridges highly qualified personal trainers who will greet you as well and who will remember your name and your last visit and conversation (if you are a member, of course). The trainer will also make the offer to help with anything you might need and will be at your disposal for the entire time you are training or using the amenities. It truly is a delightful set-up. In front of the fitness area is a shelving unit stuffed with towels in unique and eye-catching arrangements and on top of the unit you will find the refreshment area staffed with a tea- and coffee-bar, ice water with some sort of fruit essence whether it be lemons, cucumbers, strawberries or a combination of any two. If you were to keep walking to your right, and turned to your right to face the service desk, you might notice the office behind the service desk where General Manager, Parisa Cooke can sometimes be found if you don’t see her always pleasant face traversing the facility. She is truly a gem worth getting to know and is one of the most friendly and sweet people you could ever meet. If you don’t say ‘Hi’ to her first, it is almost a guarantee that she will approach you at some point during your visit to drop a line herself. One of the things I credit to any WTS facility is the fact that more often than not, the members and workers are synonymous. I told Darian the first time I ever visited his facility that I honestly couldn’t tell the difference between who was staff and who were the members. It’s really a compliment as in many facilities there is a definite fine-line between who is working and who isn’t. I personally enjoy that touch as you automatically feel at ease and comforted as soon as you step into the facility. You can tell that the each employee genuinely cares about the people who come through the doors and there is no whiff of the hidden agendas you might get from being at another facility. A used-car dealership is not what you will get when you walk into a facility managed by WTS.
If you fix your gaze away from Parisa’s office and continue walking straight ahead, you will eventually come to the restroom/locker room area to your left and the tennis lounge slightly to the right. The restrooms are just awesome in themselves as you can find any amenity you could possibly think of needed to shower and get ready to go. Because a major goal of WTS standards is to provide the ultimate customer service experience, all you need to bring is a change of clothes and you need not worry about the rest as they have a mission to take care of and to cater to you (the member). The little touches throughout the facility that make things just a little easier and more convenient don’t go unnoticed and I, myself, am always in awe at each WTS facility I encounter or work at as I have never seen anything like it before. So, (and getting back on track) if you were to instead take the slight right into the tennis lounge, you might feel impelled to sit at the chair and table arrangement in the middle of the room and overlook the tennis courts and beautiful day or maybe you would head straight outside through the back door and instead have a seat in the shade at the tables with umbrellas set up next to the courts. There is also a basketball court to be seen and utilized as well if you take your line of vision a bit further. Coming back into the fitness area and travelling behind the building to the pool, you will be surprised at how lavish and divine the atmosphere is outside as you feel like you have travelled to an upscale spa at a high-end hotel and you might feel yourself in a disposition to fight the urge to lounge in a pool chair or to look around, make sure no one is watching, and take a dip in the clear, sparkling, blue water. There is also surround sound around the entire pool where relaxing music can be heard softly playing in the background. Once again, the ambiance is just unreal. Over to the right of this pool is another pool strictly for lap-swimmers so as to not inconvenience those who want to lounge, or those who want to swim hard. It is a very convenient concept that, again, the members benefit from.
An employee myself at two WTS properties (and hopefully a third soon!), I absolutely LOVE the company and what it ultimately stands for. As one of the world’s foremost managing and consulting firms for spas, fitness and recreation centers, WTS International manages properties both nationally and internationally and their facilities range from all different styles, sizes and types. You can find them anywhere from high-end spas, resorts and hotels, to golf and country club settings, luxurious residential properties, office sites, as well as master-planned community or recreational centers. They strive to provide excellence in the work environment and to help create and foster success both operational and foundational for the business. Having been around since 1973, they have helped develop some of the premier and top-notch facilities in the world to date. With a focus on employee and customer satisfaction, they have a unique way of creating an atmosphere desirable to all levels of employees and members. The turnover rate for any given facility is virtually nonexistent as they go through an extensive hiring process to seek out only the most qualified employees and they work hard to retain great rapport with each of them by being able to provide enough fiscal and financial support so the employees remain with the company without relying on another job to stay afloat. It is an ideal setting for anyone who wants nothing more but to cater to members without the pressure of meeting stressful demands and having to work in heavy traffic. Currently working for Dragon Ridge Tennis and Athletic Center as well as The Spa at Trump, I can voucher on behalf of experience that it is a fabulous company to work for. It is also a very difficult company to get into as spots don’t frequently open (remember: very low to nonexistent turn-over), and when they do have an opening, the company typically hires from within before outsourcing. Huge, huge, HUGE on customer and guest satisfaction, WTS standards succeed the norm and average by adding tremendous special touches to make members feel appreciated and catered to and they hold high standards for creating excellence within the workforce. At Dragon Ridge, located in Henderson at MacDonald Highlands, has been an amazing experience as I have really had the chance to be submerged in what it means to really treat your guests and facility with the utmost care and compassion. Working in residential fitness isn’t like your typical fast-paced gyms as the people file in and file out sporadically and the gym itself is never full. This is ideal for members as many of them look to residential fitness to get away from the atmosphere of typical fitness facilities. We are able to give them a more intimate experience where they can be known by name and accounted for each visit. Special touches include (but aren’t limited to) a hand towel on every machine made available to members, headphones they can borrow during their workout, complimentary coffee, cold towels and iced, lemon water in both the men’s and women’s locker room, water on the fitness floor, shampoo, conditioner, and body wash in all the showers, lotion mouthwash, razors, combs, hairspray, and blow-dryers in the locker-rooms as well, choose-your-own-combination locks on the lockers so members don’t have to bring their own lock, eucalyptus spray to create an awesome aroma in the steam room, wash cloth and full towels in each locker room, free wi-fi, and employee recognition and availability at any and all times during their visit. Managed by WTS as well, The Spa at Trump utilizes many of these same special touches, but since the gym is a separate amenity at the Trump Hotel, we have different protocols and special touches we use for the guests that visit. One of these touches includes customizing each treatment to be enhanced to one of five different intentions. What I mean by this is that upon arrival, the guests are asked to pick what they are looking to get out of their treatment and what they want to feel like when they leave. The list of options includes calm, revitalize, balance, purify, and heal. The choices don’t actually affect the treatment itself, but the therapists use certain oils, scents, music, and colors to enhance their intention. Another great thing about this particular spa is the use of spa attendants and attachés. As an attaché, it is my job to arrive at the desk early to meet the guest as they walk in, give them a tour before having them get dressed, and to be by their side the entire time they are not in their treatment. It is even part of the job to introduce the guest to the therapist and we never call them by their first names unless specified by that guest to do so. The purpose is to make the guest comfortable by having someone by their side. It doesn’t make sense to have a guest stress out because they are lost, need something and can’t find it or don’t understand how to use something. They are coming to the spa to unwind and do the opposite of stress, so it’s important for us to make them feel that way during and after their experience with us. So, in a nutshell, working for a company such as WTS is much, much different than working for a typical corporation and high emphasis is placed around employee and customer satisfaction. The atmosphere is always laid back at these facilities and the emphasis is placed on treating your guests right and not being a sales-person to them. It’s refreshing for those who don’t have the personality type for that particular venue of the industry. If you haven’t checked out the WTS website, you can do so at www.WTSInternational.com. Look it over as it’s an awesome diamond in the rough that not many people have been exposed to. And trust me when I say that it’s a company worth knowing about.
Back to the present moment…
So, I walk into Club Ridges through the doors leading into the tennis lounge where my senses were met by the pristine scent of freshly brewed espresso. I noticed to my right there was a table set up showcasing iced lemon and strawberry water along with a vegetable tray, and straight ahead was the espresso machine (in which I immediately gravitated towards!). Up in the front, right of the room was another table set up for those who opted for one of many flavors and types of tea. As I mentioned before, you would NEVER guess this was a ‘gym’. Having got there a little early to help with set-up and provide the final finishing touches to the event. Walking diligently in and out of the tennis lounge were the gracious Club Ridges employees as well as power-team Darian and Parisa who were in mission mode to set up everything accordingly and to give an awesome presentation of their facility. At 4:00pm, guests began pouring in and the event began! We had a great turn-out and thank everyone who attended for taking the time out of their busy schedules to travel out and join us at the event. One of the things I most look forward to is the fact that I get to finally meet some of the friendly faces I have met via Facebook or other networking venues. I finally got to meet two girls (Alison Pontist and Chenee Marcias Marx), both whom I have had conversations with online. It was really fantastic and special to meet them and other connections face-to-face as it is obviously more personal. Each event I attend, I always end up meeting someone I connected with through technology and it is always a great experience to behold. As the event progressed, the room (as always) became filled with conversation and people mingled with each other the entire two hours. Twice during the event, Darian pulled names for prize-giveaways sponsored by Advantage Fitness Products (AFP), the Professional Fitness Institute (PFI), Lulu Lemon Athletica, and some house coffee and a water bottle donated by the staff at Club Ridges. The prizes were just awesome and I want to personally thank those who reach out at each event and choose to help out through graciously donating these awesome goodies to our events. The attendees are never disappointed and the prizes just keep getting better and better. Thank you to all who helped out with that as it is greatly appreciated! One of the other things I also enjoy about these events is the opportunity to mingle with my own coworkers outside of work. Although I love the work interaction as it is my absolute passion, it is also nice to have a conversation without being rushed away mid-sentence. I always am entertained as well by seeing my coworkers in their street clothes as we are always spoiled in the luxury of having to wear sweat pants, t-shirts and sneakers, all the while getting dirty and sweaty as the day progresses (although this doesn’t sound desirable… I’m sure you’d agree it really is a blessing in disguise to be a fitness professional and have the option of dressing down every day!). As the event began to come to a close and as guests started leaving, we gave them a parting gift as a token of our appreciation as well. With the ‘thank-you’ cards I bought this past week, I handwrote each guest a ‘thank-you’ and we were sure to give them to each guest as they left. As my own special touch, I wrote one for Darian and his wonderful wife, Michelle, as well as Parisa for helping to make this event possible. It’s the little things in life that mean the most sometimes.
As the event came to a close, I found myself thinking once again about how CTF is really expanding and reaching out to so many individuals. I’m always impressed with how the attendance rates keep increasing at the events and how many new and reoccurring faces I see and have gotten to know. I have had the honor and pleasure of meeting some really fantastic individuals who are doing some incredible things for the industry. I am fully inspired before, during and after each event and although there is a lot of work behind the scenes, it is always worth it in the end. Connect To Fitness has made some big baby steps in these past few months with both members, attendance rates, future plans, sponsors and booking event locations. We are only looking to expand further and hope that you, Faithful Reader, realize how valued you are to us and how much we appreciate your support and dedication to helping us as an organization grow and foster into something that can have an effect on more people in the world. We are growing by leaps and bounds and have many more great things in store for you in the future. For those of you who follow out of state, we will eventually be heading out your way as well as our plans to expand will be in effect after we are able to establish a solid foundation here in the Vegas Valley. We have two upcoming events in August to look forward to as well. One being here in Vegas early on in the month, and the other out in the beautiful Boulder City. Please RSVP and come see what we are all about! The Boulder City event will actually be pretty neat as there will be great networking opportunities to behold with different professionals in this town as well. The more people you know in this industry (or any), the better! Come out to one or both events and we look forward to seeing you there!
Until next week, Faithful Reader….
"People travel to wonder at the height of the mountains, at the huge waves of the seas, at the long course of the rivers, at the vast compass of the ocean, at the circular motion of the stars, and yet they pass by themselves without wondering." –St. Augustine
"If you cannot be the poet, be the poem.” –David Corradine
Almost to Club Ridges, my mind began reverting back to about five (or so) months ago when the whole 'idea' behind Connect To Fitness was just that... an idea. Thinking of the progression from then to now, I felt proud and grateful as I have been immensely fortunate to be so heavily involved in such an amazing and innovative project and organization. It's quite amazing what a little thought, drive and perseverance can give you if you keep pushing forward without looking back. My thoughts faded as I approached the guard at the entrance who has to confirm your invite and personally let you in. The drive to the fitness center is just so ridiculously scenic and tranquil and it’s enough to make you forget about the rest of life for that very moment. I pulled up to the parking lot at Club Ridges where my focus was automatically placed on the beautiful facility which is breath-taking in itself.
Located conveniently on a mountain basin, the Ridges is a gorgeous area in Summerlin that feels separated from the rest of the city. Set somewhere in the heart of this gorgeous, gated community is Club Ridges which is an upscale, residential fitness facility managed by none other than WTS International. The property itself is absolutely stunning with elegance and class and you would never guess just by looking at the facility that it has anything to do with fitness. It actually blends nicely with the mansions surrounding it. I guess the small giveaway is the large parking lot visible from the street which isn’t typical of a normal housing development. I swear you could be just in awe from the outside looking it, but I tell you what… You haven’t seen ANYthing until you have been inside. Traversing up to the doors with my short heels clip-clapping on the pavement (I’m NOT a fan of heels of any kind), I spotted Darian outside by the tennis lounge carrying a table from the outside tennis court area to the lounge which overlooks the courts. I switched my own route from the front door to meet and greet him and to get this thing started!
Although this particular time, I opted to go into a side door, if you were to be so fortunate to go through the front door, you would be (happily) greeted to your right by one of the lovely front desk employees who are diligently on their game in making sure each and EVERY guest and member is greeted as they come in, while they are visiting and as they proceed to leave the building as well. And unless you have never been into the facility, they will automatically know and greet you by name. After exchanging compliments with one of these awesome employees, you would most likely stop in your tracks and pinch yourself in disbelief. Sitting before your very eyes is this huge palace of a place they disguise as a fitness center that is exquisite in every sense of the word. You absolutely do not feel like you are in a gym, rather you feel as if you stepped into one of the houses you may have passed on your way to Club Ridges. Everything from the lighting to the color scheme are all set to portray a relaxing and divine environment that isn’t meant to be intimidating or overwhelming like some gyms can be. After lifting your jaw back up from the floor, if you were to turn your head left, you would view the group fitness/aerobics room (if you will) located in it’s own sort of secluded area of the facility overlooking the pool outside. The group fitness room itself is a decent size and there are many classes to be offered from Boot Camp to kids classes to Darian’s infamous Circuit Training (in which Darian also performs during the Professional Fitness Institute’s monthly Boot Camp, in which the students appropriately nick-named him ‘Dr. Death’). Looking straight ahead, before you would notice anything else, you would visibly notice the absolutely striking and dazzling pool area and you would more than likely stare and admire the fountains in the pool dancing and jetting while creating a magnificent ambiance. Once your gaze finally settles back indoors, you would notice the lush couches and chairs right in the front lobby which surround a massive, rock fire-place that you can warm-up next to during the coldest months of the year. If you take a slight right past the front desk, you will then come in contact with the fitness area. Now this, Faithful Reader, is a sight for sore eyes and THEN some. Using all Lifeline equipment, the fitness area is lined with full-sized windows that just as well give you a view of the pool area while also letting in the beautiful sunlight. Cardio equipment lines the left and front windows while the squat racks, functional machines, and dumbbells line the right wall. The middle of the floor houses the Lifeline machine area that is perfectly set up to complement the rest of the room. You will also find one of Club Ridges highly qualified personal trainers who will greet you as well and who will remember your name and your last visit and conversation (if you are a member, of course). The trainer will also make the offer to help with anything you might need and will be at your disposal for the entire time you are training or using the amenities. It truly is a delightful set-up. In front of the fitness area is a shelving unit stuffed with towels in unique and eye-catching arrangements and on top of the unit you will find the refreshment area staffed with a tea- and coffee-bar, ice water with some sort of fruit essence whether it be lemons, cucumbers, strawberries or a combination of any two. If you were to keep walking to your right, and turned to your right to face the service desk, you might notice the office behind the service desk where General Manager, Parisa Cooke can sometimes be found if you don’t see her always pleasant face traversing the facility. She is truly a gem worth getting to know and is one of the most friendly and sweet people you could ever meet. If you don’t say ‘Hi’ to her first, it is almost a guarantee that she will approach you at some point during your visit to drop a line herself. One of the things I credit to any WTS facility is the fact that more often than not, the members and workers are synonymous. I told Darian the first time I ever visited his facility that I honestly couldn’t tell the difference between who was staff and who were the members. It’s really a compliment as in many facilities there is a definite fine-line between who is working and who isn’t. I personally enjoy that touch as you automatically feel at ease and comforted as soon as you step into the facility. You can tell that the each employee genuinely cares about the people who come through the doors and there is no whiff of the hidden agendas you might get from being at another facility. A used-car dealership is not what you will get when you walk into a facility managed by WTS.
If you fix your gaze away from Parisa’s office and continue walking straight ahead, you will eventually come to the restroom/locker room area to your left and the tennis lounge slightly to the right. The restrooms are just awesome in themselves as you can find any amenity you could possibly think of needed to shower and get ready to go. Because a major goal of WTS standards is to provide the ultimate customer service experience, all you need to bring is a change of clothes and you need not worry about the rest as they have a mission to take care of and to cater to you (the member). The little touches throughout the facility that make things just a little easier and more convenient don’t go unnoticed and I, myself, am always in awe at each WTS facility I encounter or work at as I have never seen anything like it before. So, (and getting back on track) if you were to instead take the slight right into the tennis lounge, you might feel impelled to sit at the chair and table arrangement in the middle of the room and overlook the tennis courts and beautiful day or maybe you would head straight outside through the back door and instead have a seat in the shade at the tables with umbrellas set up next to the courts. There is also a basketball court to be seen and utilized as well if you take your line of vision a bit further. Coming back into the fitness area and travelling behind the building to the pool, you will be surprised at how lavish and divine the atmosphere is outside as you feel like you have travelled to an upscale spa at a high-end hotel and you might feel yourself in a disposition to fight the urge to lounge in a pool chair or to look around, make sure no one is watching, and take a dip in the clear, sparkling, blue water. There is also surround sound around the entire pool where relaxing music can be heard softly playing in the background. Once again, the ambiance is just unreal. Over to the right of this pool is another pool strictly for lap-swimmers so as to not inconvenience those who want to lounge, or those who want to swim hard. It is a very convenient concept that, again, the members benefit from.
An employee myself at two WTS properties (and hopefully a third soon!), I absolutely LOVE the company and what it ultimately stands for. As one of the world’s foremost managing and consulting firms for spas, fitness and recreation centers, WTS International manages properties both nationally and internationally and their facilities range from all different styles, sizes and types. You can find them anywhere from high-end spas, resorts and hotels, to golf and country club settings, luxurious residential properties, office sites, as well as master-planned community or recreational centers. They strive to provide excellence in the work environment and to help create and foster success both operational and foundational for the business. Having been around since 1973, they have helped develop some of the premier and top-notch facilities in the world to date. With a focus on employee and customer satisfaction, they have a unique way of creating an atmosphere desirable to all levels of employees and members. The turnover rate for any given facility is virtually nonexistent as they go through an extensive hiring process to seek out only the most qualified employees and they work hard to retain great rapport with each of them by being able to provide enough fiscal and financial support so the employees remain with the company without relying on another job to stay afloat. It is an ideal setting for anyone who wants nothing more but to cater to members without the pressure of meeting stressful demands and having to work in heavy traffic. Currently working for Dragon Ridge Tennis and Athletic Center as well as The Spa at Trump, I can voucher on behalf of experience that it is a fabulous company to work for. It is also a very difficult company to get into as spots don’t frequently open (remember: very low to nonexistent turn-over), and when they do have an opening, the company typically hires from within before outsourcing. Huge, huge, HUGE on customer and guest satisfaction, WTS standards succeed the norm and average by adding tremendous special touches to make members feel appreciated and catered to and they hold high standards for creating excellence within the workforce. At Dragon Ridge, located in Henderson at MacDonald Highlands, has been an amazing experience as I have really had the chance to be submerged in what it means to really treat your guests and facility with the utmost care and compassion. Working in residential fitness isn’t like your typical fast-paced gyms as the people file in and file out sporadically and the gym itself is never full. This is ideal for members as many of them look to residential fitness to get away from the atmosphere of typical fitness facilities. We are able to give them a more intimate experience where they can be known by name and accounted for each visit. Special touches include (but aren’t limited to) a hand towel on every machine made available to members, headphones they can borrow during their workout, complimentary coffee, cold towels and iced, lemon water in both the men’s and women’s locker room, water on the fitness floor, shampoo, conditioner, and body wash in all the showers, lotion mouthwash, razors, combs, hairspray, and blow-dryers in the locker-rooms as well, choose-your-own-combination locks on the lockers so members don’t have to bring their own lock, eucalyptus spray to create an awesome aroma in the steam room, wash cloth and full towels in each locker room, free wi-fi, and employee recognition and availability at any and all times during their visit. Managed by WTS as well, The Spa at Trump utilizes many of these same special touches, but since the gym is a separate amenity at the Trump Hotel, we have different protocols and special touches we use for the guests that visit. One of these touches includes customizing each treatment to be enhanced to one of five different intentions. What I mean by this is that upon arrival, the guests are asked to pick what they are looking to get out of their treatment and what they want to feel like when they leave. The list of options includes calm, revitalize, balance, purify, and heal. The choices don’t actually affect the treatment itself, but the therapists use certain oils, scents, music, and colors to enhance their intention. Another great thing about this particular spa is the use of spa attendants and attachés. As an attaché, it is my job to arrive at the desk early to meet the guest as they walk in, give them a tour before having them get dressed, and to be by their side the entire time they are not in their treatment. It is even part of the job to introduce the guest to the therapist and we never call them by their first names unless specified by that guest to do so. The purpose is to make the guest comfortable by having someone by their side. It doesn’t make sense to have a guest stress out because they are lost, need something and can’t find it or don’t understand how to use something. They are coming to the spa to unwind and do the opposite of stress, so it’s important for us to make them feel that way during and after their experience with us. So, in a nutshell, working for a company such as WTS is much, much different than working for a typical corporation and high emphasis is placed around employee and customer satisfaction. The atmosphere is always laid back at these facilities and the emphasis is placed on treating your guests right and not being a sales-person to them. It’s refreshing for those who don’t have the personality type for that particular venue of the industry. If you haven’t checked out the WTS website, you can do so at www.WTSInternational.com. Look it over as it’s an awesome diamond in the rough that not many people have been exposed to. And trust me when I say that it’s a company worth knowing about.
Back to the present moment…
So, I walk into Club Ridges through the doors leading into the tennis lounge where my senses were met by the pristine scent of freshly brewed espresso. I noticed to my right there was a table set up showcasing iced lemon and strawberry water along with a vegetable tray, and straight ahead was the espresso machine (in which I immediately gravitated towards!). Up in the front, right of the room was another table set up for those who opted for one of many flavors and types of tea. As I mentioned before, you would NEVER guess this was a ‘gym’. Having got there a little early to help with set-up and provide the final finishing touches to the event. Walking diligently in and out of the tennis lounge were the gracious Club Ridges employees as well as power-team Darian and Parisa who were in mission mode to set up everything accordingly and to give an awesome presentation of their facility. At 4:00pm, guests began pouring in and the event began! We had a great turn-out and thank everyone who attended for taking the time out of their busy schedules to travel out and join us at the event. One of the things I most look forward to is the fact that I get to finally meet some of the friendly faces I have met via Facebook or other networking venues. I finally got to meet two girls (Alison Pontist and Chenee Marcias Marx), both whom I have had conversations with online. It was really fantastic and special to meet them and other connections face-to-face as it is obviously more personal. Each event I attend, I always end up meeting someone I connected with through technology and it is always a great experience to behold. As the event progressed, the room (as always) became filled with conversation and people mingled with each other the entire two hours. Twice during the event, Darian pulled names for prize-giveaways sponsored by Advantage Fitness Products (AFP), the Professional Fitness Institute (PFI), Lulu Lemon Athletica, and some house coffee and a water bottle donated by the staff at Club Ridges. The prizes were just awesome and I want to personally thank those who reach out at each event and choose to help out through graciously donating these awesome goodies to our events. The attendees are never disappointed and the prizes just keep getting better and better. Thank you to all who helped out with that as it is greatly appreciated! One of the other things I also enjoy about these events is the opportunity to mingle with my own coworkers outside of work. Although I love the work interaction as it is my absolute passion, it is also nice to have a conversation without being rushed away mid-sentence. I always am entertained as well by seeing my coworkers in their street clothes as we are always spoiled in the luxury of having to wear sweat pants, t-shirts and sneakers, all the while getting dirty and sweaty as the day progresses (although this doesn’t sound desirable… I’m sure you’d agree it really is a blessing in disguise to be a fitness professional and have the option of dressing down every day!). As the event began to come to a close and as guests started leaving, we gave them a parting gift as a token of our appreciation as well. With the ‘thank-you’ cards I bought this past week, I handwrote each guest a ‘thank-you’ and we were sure to give them to each guest as they left. As my own special touch, I wrote one for Darian and his wonderful wife, Michelle, as well as Parisa for helping to make this event possible. It’s the little things in life that mean the most sometimes.
As the event came to a close, I found myself thinking once again about how CTF is really expanding and reaching out to so many individuals. I’m always impressed with how the attendance rates keep increasing at the events and how many new and reoccurring faces I see and have gotten to know. I have had the honor and pleasure of meeting some really fantastic individuals who are doing some incredible things for the industry. I am fully inspired before, during and after each event and although there is a lot of work behind the scenes, it is always worth it in the end. Connect To Fitness has made some big baby steps in these past few months with both members, attendance rates, future plans, sponsors and booking event locations. We are only looking to expand further and hope that you, Faithful Reader, realize how valued you are to us and how much we appreciate your support and dedication to helping us as an organization grow and foster into something that can have an effect on more people in the world. We are growing by leaps and bounds and have many more great things in store for you in the future. For those of you who follow out of state, we will eventually be heading out your way as well as our plans to expand will be in effect after we are able to establish a solid foundation here in the Vegas Valley. We have two upcoming events in August to look forward to as well. One being here in Vegas early on in the month, and the other out in the beautiful Boulder City. Please RSVP and come see what we are all about! The Boulder City event will actually be pretty neat as there will be great networking opportunities to behold with different professionals in this town as well. The more people you know in this industry (or any), the better! Come out to one or both events and we look forward to seeing you there!
Until next week, Faithful Reader….
"People travel to wonder at the height of the mountains, at the huge waves of the seas, at the long course of the rivers, at the vast compass of the ocean, at the circular motion of the stars, and yet they pass by themselves without wondering." –St. Augustine
"If you cannot be the poet, be the poem.” –David Corradine
Monday, July 13, 2009
The ‘Personal’ in Personal Training
Scenerio: You are walking into a pressure-filled interview for the job of your dreams that will determine the rest of your future. You sit down with the big boss; palms sweaty and heart palpitating out of your chest, when the questions start rolling. The rest of your life could possibly be resting on this very moment and the only thing coming between you and your dream is the impression you leave on your possible future employer. How you answer the questions directed at you and how prepared you come to be open-minded, rational, honest, relatable and personable is the only elephant in the room standing between you and your calling. Your palms only keep perspiring and your heart is thumping so loud you can feel your own pulse resonating in your temples and in your fingertips. This is it. This is your moment. You begin to open your mouth to answer the first question and…
Do you sink? OR… Do you swim?
For those of you in the health, wellness and fitness industry, you are probably asking yourself “What does this have to do with anything?”, and my answer to you is “Everything”. If you think our careers aren’t based off of making good first, last and lasting impressions, you couldn’t be more mistaken.
Going back to last week’s spiel on the ‘trainers’ who are shaming our industry into reputable danger, I have yet another story to share with you that just so happened to occur the day after my last blog went live…
While at the same gym training, I was once again minding my own business when my trainer-brain got the best of me and I found myself, again, observing the young trainer right behind me as he trained his severely de-conditioned, senior client on the cable crossovers doing tricep-pushdowns with a rope attachment. Even though I had my IPOD in both ears and could hear nothing around me over the music, I could still tell the woman was only half into her workout as she did the motions lifelessly while anxiously talking her trainer’s ear off. And when I say ‘talk’, I mean non-stop-without-a-pause-or-a-breath type stuff. It was almost endearing in a way to see how her eyes never peeled away from her trainer and how she was completely confiding in him with whatever issue I could not hear at the moment. Her excitement had even me excited and once I could finally peel my own eyes away from her and look at her trainer to see how enticed he was…. My heart sank. This so-called ‘trainer’ was standing with his arms crossed tightly over his chest, hands were rolled into fists, his foot was tapping in what appeared to be annoyance, his face showed absolutely no hint of expression other than pursed lips, and his gaze was up at the television on the wall in the front of the room which was displaying sport recaps on ESPN. And yet the woman, still outright and obviously thrilled to be sharing her story to this person, kept talking up a storm, bad exercise form, bad posture and all. Boy did my blood pressure rise. I racked up my dumbbells even though I hadn’t finished even one set yet, and chose to conveniently station myself instead at the cable-crossovers on an apparatus separate, but next to where this ‘trainer’ and client stood. I took out my earphones and went through the motions myself of an exercise just so I didn’t appear to be nosey (although I will fully admit to being exactly that), and Just. Simply. Listened. As hypothesized, the woman never appeared to even take a breath as she was eagerly and elatedly talking about her granddaughter’s graduation and how proud she was of her while her ‘trainer’ fixated his stare to the TV monitor in front of him. I swear his foot-tapping got louder by the moment and his fists only grew tighter. I could not BELIEVE I was witnessing this! And he never even said ONE word the ENTIRE time! Nothing. Nadda. Zip. Not even to correct her bad form! When I couldn’t bear to stick around any longer, I, myself, took off with clenched fists of my own and observed from afar as the conversation eventually died down and the woman ended up just completely ceasing any conversation as she eventually got the point that she wasn’t receiving any feedback. After her session ended, she didn’t even get so much of a ‘goodbye’ from her sad-excuse of a ‘trainer’. In reading this, what can you assume this woman’s impression was of this trainer?
Just as a trainer conducts an initial interview on a client, the client is absolutely observing the client and getting a feel for an intention and a looking for a good impression as well. You are being interviewed for their own piece of mind and in order to be successful in the field of personal training, you have to realize this and learn how to adapt to the different people who come to you for your expertise and knowledge to help them reach their goals and aspirations in regards to how they want to feel both mentally and physically. Personal training in itself is an art-form and there is a definite reason as to why they call it ‘The Art of Personal Training’. It is an extremely personal art form that will be different for each person you come in contact with. There is truly no ‘one size fits all’ technique to personal training as each person will need to have a specific program designed to fit their specific needs. What works for one person will not be the same for the next person or the person after that. There is also a reason why another name for program planning is ‘exercise prescription’. As a trainer, your career rests on helping your clients reach their long- and short-term goals. It is your JOB to find out and know any contraindications your client(s) may have and to do thorough physical and mental assessments to find and dig up any possible information you can about your client in order to effectively design their training program. No two people will ever have the same exact goals, health issues, wants, needs, desires, physical and mental capabilities and restrictions, nutrition… and the list goes on, and there is no reason that any two people should have the same program.
These ‘trainers’ who don’t take the time to get to know the in’s and out’s of their clientele are actually doing more harm than good as there is no one way to do personal training. By not conducting fitness assessments and in not taking proper time to analyze and find out as much information as possible about your client, you are putting a disadvantage on both yourself and your client, not to mention you are also putting them in danger of being injured or worse. Say you have a client come to you with severe cardiovascular health problems and contraindications. If you aren’t taking the time out initially to make note of these health issues and you design a program for them similar to that of one of your more athletic clients; guess what? You are going to have some REAL problems yourself. Or what if your client comes to you with a history of rotator cuff problems and you further the problem by injuring them during a shoulder press as you didn’t take the time to design a program that worked around and with their contraindications. Guess what again? You are going to have some considerable explaining to do.
Just as well, personal training is a very mental and psychological game also as you must be able to adapt to and mold your own personality to mesh with opposing, opposite, different or similar personality types. Reverting back to the interview process, the impression we leave on our clients, regardless of the extent to which we are a wealth of text-book knowledge, is what will be the main determinant in whether or not our client’s stick with us or seek other options. How we interact with our client, how we make them feel, and if we can make them believe in us and in themselves is extremely foundational and of vital importance in being successful in this industry. Speaking from experience, during any given training session, you (as the trainer) WILL become a therapist, a confidant, a friend, a mentor, an idol, an answer book, and they will view you as the light at the end of their tunnel to meet their own goals. Part of what some people pay you to do is be these things to them. You are helping them and they learn to trust you with their health, time, LIFE and words. If you can’t make adjustments to accept this, then this is the wrong career choice for you. Embrace what your clients are telling you as THEY are the ones paying for your time. The hour they are with you on any given day is THEIR time. Without the client, no trainer would have a career. This is key to remember as they are talking to you. It is a proven FACT that the one universal topic that people like to talk about is (surprise!) themselves. People love to talk about themselves and as the trainer, you should feel honored that this specific person thinks enough of you to tell you the things that are most important to them. They could tell anyone else in the entire world, and they are choosing to tell you. The trainer I witnessed the other day was truly ungrateful for this act of generosity and I would be willing to bet that he will never fare as a success in this industry as he lacks the personal skills needed to be effective and ‘personal’.
And this all ties in, once again, with having the credentials as far as education and certification to meet the demands of knowing how to be effectual with general as well as special populations. In a perfect world, everyone would be happy, healthy and wouldn’t suffer from any diseases or have any past or present injuries that we should be aware of. But then again… isn’t it these SAME, exact people who give us our employment to begin with? Sure, there are vast amounts of athletes and people who are pretty healthy that train consistently on a daily basis, but if you aren’t working solely with that specific population and demographic, them you will find that the typical client isn’t going to be healthy and athletic. They are going to be part of the vast majority of the country who are overweight, obese, or who are well on their way to becoming so. That is the ‘typical’ client. As the trainer, you are responsible for being cognizant of these areas of concern and working around them; many times working closely with a doctor, dietician, or other professional or specialist. The emphasis on the importance of these issues can’t be stressed enough and the fact that so many trainers aren’t even taught in their eight-hour certification courses that they should be investigating and seeking out more information from their clients is truly unjust and uncalled for and these ‘trainers’ really have no business working with clients of any health and fitness level.
A huge reason that many people don’t take an initiative to start training is simply that they don’t like it, they fear embarrassment or they honestly feel they just will never be able to do it. A big part of being a trainer is the ability to not only change lives, but to change minds. It’s tough for anyone to start from the bottom of anything and work their way up while maintaining strict self-discipline and the ability to be consistent over a long period of time without wavering. By teaching and educating clients about their bodies and by constantly encouraging and motivating them to continue on regardless of how tough or ‘impossible’ it seems, you are giving them a reason to come back each day and each week. By pointing out improvements in measurements, assessment times, body composition, and other tangible readings and results, you are constantly reiterating to them that they can, indeed, do this and that they are making strides both big and small in their progress. It is also of importance to design a program not only around what each client needs, but what they WANT as well. You could have the best possible program in the world for your client, but if they don’t actually enjoy what they are doing, the chances of them sticking with the program long-term are slim. No one wants to endure something that isn’t enjoyable and making the program as FUN as possible will give your client an incentive to return each day and to show up for each session.
In every way, you need to match your client and be on their level whether it’s by personality or by being aware of what may or may not need to happen in order for them to reach their goals. In being a personal trainer, taking value in what the client wants, needs and desires is exactly what they are hiring you for. People seek a trainer not because they just feel like it, but because whatever they have tried, are doing and have thought about doing just hasn’t been working for them and they are desperate for a solution. And YOU are that solution. YOU are what is going to make things all better for them and you are what they have come to believe can change things for them and help them attain their goals and aspirations. You are what is going to help them get off their blood pressure medication and who is going to motivate, inspire and hold them accountable for showing up at the gym each session. If they felt they could do it on their own, they would not need a trainer to begin with and they would never have stepped through your doors in search of an alternative to what they are doing wrong or aren’t doing at all. You, the trainer, are who their doctor recommended they see as a supplement to whatever other treatments they are receiving. You are their life saver!
Being a personal trainer isn’t a one way street. Rather it’s an endless and constant changing path that must be followed and traversed around every single corner and turn and not kept at a standstill. Be personal and be prepared to be more than just a trainer. And lastly, watch your clients, pay attention to them and for goodness sakes- LISTEN to them and get ‘personal’.
Until next week, Faithful Reader…
You are not here merely to make a living. You are here in order to enable the world to live more amply, with greater vision, with a finer spirit of hope and achievement. You are here to enrich the world, and you impoverish yourself if you forget the errand." – Woodrow Wilson
"Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing in the world is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent..." –Calvin Coolidge
Do you sink? OR… Do you swim?
For those of you in the health, wellness and fitness industry, you are probably asking yourself “What does this have to do with anything?”, and my answer to you is “Everything”. If you think our careers aren’t based off of making good first, last and lasting impressions, you couldn’t be more mistaken.
Going back to last week’s spiel on the ‘trainers’ who are shaming our industry into reputable danger, I have yet another story to share with you that just so happened to occur the day after my last blog went live…
While at the same gym training, I was once again minding my own business when my trainer-brain got the best of me and I found myself, again, observing the young trainer right behind me as he trained his severely de-conditioned, senior client on the cable crossovers doing tricep-pushdowns with a rope attachment. Even though I had my IPOD in both ears and could hear nothing around me over the music, I could still tell the woman was only half into her workout as she did the motions lifelessly while anxiously talking her trainer’s ear off. And when I say ‘talk’, I mean non-stop-without-a-pause-or-a-breath type stuff. It was almost endearing in a way to see how her eyes never peeled away from her trainer and how she was completely confiding in him with whatever issue I could not hear at the moment. Her excitement had even me excited and once I could finally peel my own eyes away from her and look at her trainer to see how enticed he was…. My heart sank. This so-called ‘trainer’ was standing with his arms crossed tightly over his chest, hands were rolled into fists, his foot was tapping in what appeared to be annoyance, his face showed absolutely no hint of expression other than pursed lips, and his gaze was up at the television on the wall in the front of the room which was displaying sport recaps on ESPN. And yet the woman, still outright and obviously thrilled to be sharing her story to this person, kept talking up a storm, bad exercise form, bad posture and all. Boy did my blood pressure rise. I racked up my dumbbells even though I hadn’t finished even one set yet, and chose to conveniently station myself instead at the cable-crossovers on an apparatus separate, but next to where this ‘trainer’ and client stood. I took out my earphones and went through the motions myself of an exercise just so I didn’t appear to be nosey (although I will fully admit to being exactly that), and Just. Simply. Listened. As hypothesized, the woman never appeared to even take a breath as she was eagerly and elatedly talking about her granddaughter’s graduation and how proud she was of her while her ‘trainer’ fixated his stare to the TV monitor in front of him. I swear his foot-tapping got louder by the moment and his fists only grew tighter. I could not BELIEVE I was witnessing this! And he never even said ONE word the ENTIRE time! Nothing. Nadda. Zip. Not even to correct her bad form! When I couldn’t bear to stick around any longer, I, myself, took off with clenched fists of my own and observed from afar as the conversation eventually died down and the woman ended up just completely ceasing any conversation as she eventually got the point that she wasn’t receiving any feedback. After her session ended, she didn’t even get so much of a ‘goodbye’ from her sad-excuse of a ‘trainer’. In reading this, what can you assume this woman’s impression was of this trainer?
Just as a trainer conducts an initial interview on a client, the client is absolutely observing the client and getting a feel for an intention and a looking for a good impression as well. You are being interviewed for their own piece of mind and in order to be successful in the field of personal training, you have to realize this and learn how to adapt to the different people who come to you for your expertise and knowledge to help them reach their goals and aspirations in regards to how they want to feel both mentally and physically. Personal training in itself is an art-form and there is a definite reason as to why they call it ‘The Art of Personal Training’. It is an extremely personal art form that will be different for each person you come in contact with. There is truly no ‘one size fits all’ technique to personal training as each person will need to have a specific program designed to fit their specific needs. What works for one person will not be the same for the next person or the person after that. There is also a reason why another name for program planning is ‘exercise prescription’. As a trainer, your career rests on helping your clients reach their long- and short-term goals. It is your JOB to find out and know any contraindications your client(s) may have and to do thorough physical and mental assessments to find and dig up any possible information you can about your client in order to effectively design their training program. No two people will ever have the same exact goals, health issues, wants, needs, desires, physical and mental capabilities and restrictions, nutrition… and the list goes on, and there is no reason that any two people should have the same program.
These ‘trainers’ who don’t take the time to get to know the in’s and out’s of their clientele are actually doing more harm than good as there is no one way to do personal training. By not conducting fitness assessments and in not taking proper time to analyze and find out as much information as possible about your client, you are putting a disadvantage on both yourself and your client, not to mention you are also putting them in danger of being injured or worse. Say you have a client come to you with severe cardiovascular health problems and contraindications. If you aren’t taking the time out initially to make note of these health issues and you design a program for them similar to that of one of your more athletic clients; guess what? You are going to have some REAL problems yourself. Or what if your client comes to you with a history of rotator cuff problems and you further the problem by injuring them during a shoulder press as you didn’t take the time to design a program that worked around and with their contraindications. Guess what again? You are going to have some considerable explaining to do.
Just as well, personal training is a very mental and psychological game also as you must be able to adapt to and mold your own personality to mesh with opposing, opposite, different or similar personality types. Reverting back to the interview process, the impression we leave on our clients, regardless of the extent to which we are a wealth of text-book knowledge, is what will be the main determinant in whether or not our client’s stick with us or seek other options. How we interact with our client, how we make them feel, and if we can make them believe in us and in themselves is extremely foundational and of vital importance in being successful in this industry. Speaking from experience, during any given training session, you (as the trainer) WILL become a therapist, a confidant, a friend, a mentor, an idol, an answer book, and they will view you as the light at the end of their tunnel to meet their own goals. Part of what some people pay you to do is be these things to them. You are helping them and they learn to trust you with their health, time, LIFE and words. If you can’t make adjustments to accept this, then this is the wrong career choice for you. Embrace what your clients are telling you as THEY are the ones paying for your time. The hour they are with you on any given day is THEIR time. Without the client, no trainer would have a career. This is key to remember as they are talking to you. It is a proven FACT that the one universal topic that people like to talk about is (surprise!) themselves. People love to talk about themselves and as the trainer, you should feel honored that this specific person thinks enough of you to tell you the things that are most important to them. They could tell anyone else in the entire world, and they are choosing to tell you. The trainer I witnessed the other day was truly ungrateful for this act of generosity and I would be willing to bet that he will never fare as a success in this industry as he lacks the personal skills needed to be effective and ‘personal’.
And this all ties in, once again, with having the credentials as far as education and certification to meet the demands of knowing how to be effectual with general as well as special populations. In a perfect world, everyone would be happy, healthy and wouldn’t suffer from any diseases or have any past or present injuries that we should be aware of. But then again… isn’t it these SAME, exact people who give us our employment to begin with? Sure, there are vast amounts of athletes and people who are pretty healthy that train consistently on a daily basis, but if you aren’t working solely with that specific population and demographic, them you will find that the typical client isn’t going to be healthy and athletic. They are going to be part of the vast majority of the country who are overweight, obese, or who are well on their way to becoming so. That is the ‘typical’ client. As the trainer, you are responsible for being cognizant of these areas of concern and working around them; many times working closely with a doctor, dietician, or other professional or specialist. The emphasis on the importance of these issues can’t be stressed enough and the fact that so many trainers aren’t even taught in their eight-hour certification courses that they should be investigating and seeking out more information from their clients is truly unjust and uncalled for and these ‘trainers’ really have no business working with clients of any health and fitness level.
A huge reason that many people don’t take an initiative to start training is simply that they don’t like it, they fear embarrassment or they honestly feel they just will never be able to do it. A big part of being a trainer is the ability to not only change lives, but to change minds. It’s tough for anyone to start from the bottom of anything and work their way up while maintaining strict self-discipline and the ability to be consistent over a long period of time without wavering. By teaching and educating clients about their bodies and by constantly encouraging and motivating them to continue on regardless of how tough or ‘impossible’ it seems, you are giving them a reason to come back each day and each week. By pointing out improvements in measurements, assessment times, body composition, and other tangible readings and results, you are constantly reiterating to them that they can, indeed, do this and that they are making strides both big and small in their progress. It is also of importance to design a program not only around what each client needs, but what they WANT as well. You could have the best possible program in the world for your client, but if they don’t actually enjoy what they are doing, the chances of them sticking with the program long-term are slim. No one wants to endure something that isn’t enjoyable and making the program as FUN as possible will give your client an incentive to return each day and to show up for each session.
In every way, you need to match your client and be on their level whether it’s by personality or by being aware of what may or may not need to happen in order for them to reach their goals. In being a personal trainer, taking value in what the client wants, needs and desires is exactly what they are hiring you for. People seek a trainer not because they just feel like it, but because whatever they have tried, are doing and have thought about doing just hasn’t been working for them and they are desperate for a solution. And YOU are that solution. YOU are what is going to make things all better for them and you are what they have come to believe can change things for them and help them attain their goals and aspirations. You are what is going to help them get off their blood pressure medication and who is going to motivate, inspire and hold them accountable for showing up at the gym each session. If they felt they could do it on their own, they would not need a trainer to begin with and they would never have stepped through your doors in search of an alternative to what they are doing wrong or aren’t doing at all. You, the trainer, are who their doctor recommended they see as a supplement to whatever other treatments they are receiving. You are their life saver!
Being a personal trainer isn’t a one way street. Rather it’s an endless and constant changing path that must be followed and traversed around every single corner and turn and not kept at a standstill. Be personal and be prepared to be more than just a trainer. And lastly, watch your clients, pay attention to them and for goodness sakes- LISTEN to them and get ‘personal’.
Until next week, Faithful Reader…
You are not here merely to make a living. You are here in order to enable the world to live more amply, with greater vision, with a finer spirit of hope and achievement. You are here to enrich the world, and you impoverish yourself if you forget the errand." – Woodrow Wilson
"Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing in the world is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent..." –Calvin Coolidge
Monday, July 6, 2009
To Be (Certified) or Not to Be (Certified)? THAT is the Question.
I don’t know about you, but something must be done. I am going to go on about a subject that has stirred up a lot of controversy and I am going to put my foot down once and for all because something has got to give! I am talking about actual, accredited, personal training certifications.
The other day, I was minding my own business as usual walking through the gym I belong to getting mentally prepared to do a Crossfit training session that one of my most cherished friends turned me on to. In the zone, I was thinking strong, positive thoughts and focusing on preparing myself for the next ten minutes or so of my life when I happened to almost run straight into a girl balancing on an upside down Bosu Ball doing squats. I stopped mid-stride. Then I did a double take as I followed her gaze to the right. Standing there looking at himself in the mirror (and a completely different mirror than Bosu Girl) and talking on his cell phone was… her ‘certified’ personal trainer. The sight of this made me want to rip out my hair and I haven’t been able to shake the sight ever since. So, here I am on a Monday, hoping to get some piece of mind by sharing my thoughts on a sensitive subject with you, Faithful Reader, in hopes of gaining some new insight for myself as well as from you.
I’m sure we have all had or know someone directly who has had a bad gym experience. And by bad, I mean that they were misguided, injured, demotivated, misinformed, or stood up by their trainer or another ‘professional’ in their chosen facility. Some people even quit going to the gym altogether after having a negative gym experience. And these ‘professionals’ are giving those of us who have actually gone the extra mile to assure we have the knowledge, competence, skill-level, and degrees and certifications to be effective in this industry. Sadly and unfortunately enough, there aren’t many guidelines in the health industry when it comes to personal training and what you should or shouldn’t have to be an effective trainer. Now, before assuming I am just going off bias, I want you to fully understand that I realize there are exceptions to every rule. I definitely know some effective trainers who didn’t go through formal education and who don’t hold accredited certifications who truly make amazing trainers as they have taken the time to educate themselves and who have a natural ability and personality-type in order to be a people-person. And on the other hand, I also know some extremely educated trainers with multiple degrees and certifications who don’t have the social and personal skills to be an effective trainer. But, all in all, personal training is the only field in the health industry that isn’t regulated with standards and guidelines.
Being a certified professional trainer myself through the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA), I feel strongly about the benefits of formal education and degrees as I now realize what all is entailed when you deal with the health and LIFE of another person. This profession has gained a reputation as being somewhat of a joke and many people think that just because they enjoy working out themselves that that gives them permission to help other people train as well. This is where I begin to get finicky and when I put my foot down as these people are setting themselves, their clients and the industry up for failure. Folks, there is much more that goes into being a personal trainer than how to stick somebody into a machine and count reps for them. In getting into the industry myself, I admit to not realizing what I was in for when I enrolled into college. I thought like most other people that I would be fine as I thought so long as I knew how to properly workout correctly that the rest couldn’t be too bad. Boy was I in for a surprise! Personal Training in itself is an art-form and there is no one-size-fits-all protocol like the majority of people believe. Each aspect of health, wellness and fitness can and needs to be specialized to the individual person/client being worked with. Not to mention the extent of and depth of each subject. From anatomy and physiology, nutrition and kinesiology, business and psychology… the list just goes on. And each of these subjects is a major in itself that can take years, if not a lifetime, to grasp ahold of. The human body is not a simple thing and even more astonishing is how each body is no more similar than the fingerprints of each person in the world. Our body’s ARE our fingerprints. They are unique to us and what we need on an individual level will be completely different than the person standing next to us. While most people can’t fathom how to take care of themselves to begin with, how can people off the street who might know little else other than how to lift a few weights help people achieve their own goals when they have no formal education on what goes into customizing an exercise prescription for any given person who approaches them for health?
I was completely thrown for a loop in all I didn’t know and still have yet to learn on my own journey and can’t even fathom how or why a company would want to hire a person without making a judgment on their abilities to be an effective trainer and their capabilities in literally changing people’s lives. Excuse my harshness, but those people who think they can just take an 8-hour certification course and jump into being a trainer need to get an ego check as they do not deserve to be in this industry. Folks, we are dealing with lives here and the vast majority of the people in the world suffer from health ailments either controlled or uncontrolled that are detrimental to the everyday aspects of life whether it is a torn ligament to a stage 3 cancer patient. How can the health industry possibly allow the well-being of these people to be placed in the hands of someone with little or no formal training? As trainers, we will be exposed to every and all different clientele and each person comes equipped with their own limitations, contraindications, mental and physical health quandaries, health risk factors, likes and dislikes… and the list goes on and on and on! When these clients are placed with a one-size-fits-all trainer, injuries, damages and sometimes even deaths are more apt to happen and the client will actually be worse off than before they sought out the confidence and knowledge of their ‘trainer’. Doesn’t anyone else see a problem with this?
Just as well, when it comes to certifications, how does an aspiring trainer successfully pick a legit certification and even better still, how does a client know what to look for in a hiring a potential trainer? As this question gains popularity, controversy, and discussion with what little guidelines we have thus far, it is no argument that the best of the best certifications are nationally accredited through a certifying agency that basically acts in narrowing down the good from the bad in personal training. With over 400 certifications to date (and growing!), relying on a certification agency such as the National Committee for Certifying Agencies (NCCA), under the National Organization for Competency Assurance (NOCA), is a viable resource as it serves as a benchmark and foundation to which other organizations should manage and conduct certifications. According to the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), within these 400- some odd certifications that exist; only a handful have been awarded an accreditation. These specific certifications are what set legitimate certifications apart from other less distinguished and challenging certifications out there. With all these certifications floating around, it is no wonder that business owners, trainers and clients get caught up in confusion or oblivion on what they should be looking to strive for. In looking for the actual certification in itself, there are a few that stand out in the crowd such as (in no specific order) the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM), the National Sports and Conditioning Association (NSCA), and the American Council on Exercise (ACE). Although by no means the only accredited certifications, they are more widely recognized both nationally and internationally than any other certifications in the world. In having the different agencies meet certain standards and regulations through an accreditation process, the fear of possibly attaining a certification of little or no value can be eliminated. Trainers and clients alike should do their research in deciphering the good from the bad as it will only enhance both the efficiency of the trainer and experience of the client. And just as well, each certification brings something different to the table, so it is up to the trainer to pick and choose the certifications that best compliment their own interests and goals.
If it is this simple and obvious, you are asking, than why isn’t there a law or bill in effect already that can put a stop to this mess? As I mentioned earlier, just because a trainer has a degree or certification under their belt doesn’t necessarily guarantee the trainer is going to be a success or that they will be better than the person next to them who isn’t a college graduate or who doesn’t hold an accredited certification. A piece of paper can’t dictate a person’s career and many companies, corporations and businesses alike agree that it would be a waste of time, effort and money to put such a ban in effect. But truly think about it: Why is it that personal training is the ONLY branch of the health, wellness and fitness community that DOESN’T have any qualifications that should be met? Would it make sense for a person to deem themselves a brain surgeon if their “qualifications” consisted of watching a how-to documentary on television? Or if someone who is up to date on all the latest diet trends had the nerve to call themselves a dietician? Makes you shudder, huh? Well, why then, should it be any different for personal training? Just because someone thinks they know to train for themselves, why should that give them the right to train others? Also to be taken into consideration is this: As trainers, we spend, on average, anywhere from 1-4 hours/week with our clients and many times if our clients are loyal, we may have them for years upon years. It’s funny how doctor’s, dentists, and most other health care providers see their clients once or twice per year (on average), yet the standards to meet with both education and degrees are so extensive. Personal trainers see their clients more than any other branch of the health, wellness and fitness industry, yet pretty much anyone on the planet can become self-professed ‘trainer’ in the course of one weekend’s time! Although I am open-minded to the controversy, I just can’t see past the completely palpable fact that when it comes down to it, there is no excuse for not having a bill, ban or regulation on the personal training industry!
Although states have been lobbying passing a bill regulating the licensing of personal trainers for the past 20 years, state legislatures have just begun recently to really push the commencement of bills that will take a closer look at the qualifications of personal trainers. A few states that have already effectively introduced bills requiring personal trainers be licensed are Massachusetts, Jew Jersey, Maryland, and Georgia as well as the District of Columbia. One of the main organizations lobbying against passing these bills is the International Health, Racquet and Sportsclub Association (IHRSA). They say ‘why’ create accreditations for certification industries when the personal training industry has already regulated itself through the use of the NCCA. The problem with having a bill passed, they say, is due to unnecessary monetary involvement with everyone from the trainer to the state. There is also not a firm legislature that all states can conform to. However, on the flip-side, those in favor of passing a bill state that it would help to prevent injuries caused in part by unqualified personal trainers, it would weed out the ‘trainers’ who settle on taking a cheap and easy certification just to have one, and it would also create an unvarying harmony among the different methods of accreditation that would be synonymous across the board. In creating this harmony, better, more efficient personal trainers would be produced.
I don’t know about you, but upon getting into this industry and in doing something that I am absolutely passionate about and consumed by, it was really a no-brainer in that I wanted to strive for the best of the best. I feel that by creating a bill to license trainers to achieve certain credentials, the people who don’t take this industry seriously will step down instead of screwing up by not being able to see in front of or behind their egos. I feel that when something is your passion, the sacrifice of achieving something a little more challenging would be a reward and honor to those people and that ultimately it would help to unite the industry and the people who take it seriously. Faithful Reader, we are talking about human beings here. This isn’t a game. We are dealing with changing people’s lives and in helping them achieve their goals. And beyond that aspect, many clients come to the gym looking for ways to ease their symptoms, rehabilitate injuries and even cure disease. Most of the people that step into a gym are not healthy and we are making a serious mistake by putting those responsibilities into the hands of 8-hour-certification-Joe. As trainers we are still health care providers and our industry should be just as regulated as those we share the business with.
In obtaining a nationally accredited certification, some things, of course, will not be the same across the board with every trainer (such as the guarantee for success), but the benefits and pros ultimately outweigh the cons. Being certified puts the standard on professionals that they will have met a specific minimum of knowledge, skills and abilities in such areas as anatomy, physiology, proper technique and program design, psychology, and in regards to the business of personal training. It also helps those who want to stand out among the rest in that it shows commitment and compliance in meeting certain standards. This is a benefit to employers, clients and other trainers who can then determine those who went the extra mile and who aren’t starting from the bottom. These standards are especially beneficial to the client in that they can be assured that their trainer has the knowledge to bestow upon them safe and effective training program designs and guidelines. Most certifications cover areas of concern, such as special populations, that can ensue that the trainer has the knowledge of following safe and proper standards for the population they are working with as well. On behalf of the trainer, it also makes them more marketable and valuable to employers when they have an accredited certification or degree to show for. And one of my favorite things about being certified through a nationally recognized agency is that you are continually offered continuing education and must attain a certain amount of CEUs/CECs to have your certification renewed. This keeps the trainer up-to-date with the latest fitness trends and the latest in scientific advancement (once again, valuable for employers as well as clients), and it shows that the trainer is willing to put in the time to maintain and nourish their foundational knowledge, but also that they are just as willing to continue learning and progressing as trainer. And the best part about these CEUs?? They are a BLAST!
Speaking from experience, I can voucher that there has never been anytime during an interview where my possible future employer wasn’t impressed with my certification. It automatically tells a lot about the individual and it almost assures comfort in the employer as they can be sure their staff is educated and driven as well as possessing the passion to go all out and to physically and mentally want to stand out in the industry among the others. After what I went through to obtain my own certification, I can honestly say that I feel more confident in my field. By no means a genius, I have the tools and knowledge to help people within my scope of practice and I also have the knowledge of when and how to refer a client so they can reach their goals even if it isn’t something I specialize in. This is a mistake many trainers without proper education aren’t doing in their assessment process with their clients and this is exactly why injuries, damages and deaths occur more frequently in these trainers versus someone who knows what to look for and what to do in these situations. Again, we are dealing with real people who have real problems and who need real help. Why on EARTH would you trust someone who has no knowledge of this to be responsible for helping this population, or ANY population for that matter? Just like that fateful (and frightful) day at the gym, it is enough to make you throw your hands in the air and want to rip your hair out all at once.
Having moved out to Vegas and having explored what the fitness industry has to offer out here, I am truly impressed with what I see, but I am also extremely passionate about having a sound protocol that would help to eliminate the people who aren’t truly passionate about what they do. One of the things I love about living here is the drive and motivation that so many people possess. I constantly am around the most positive people I have ever met in my life who strive for greatness within themselves and others. It is truly inspirational and I wake up every morning and go to sleep every night grateful for being blessed with such an amazing and successful move to such a wonderful city as Las Vegas. Connect To Fitness has really brought me up close and personal with some incredible individuals who go above and beyond what most people do in their entire lives. In being a passionate person, and in knowing the gratification that actually comes from helping individuals lead better lives for themselves through the art of personal training, it is my just belief that you can’t help others unless you can help yourself and if you aren’t taking the steps needed to help better your knowledge and career as a personal trainer, I personally don’t think you have any business being in this industry. I also believe if you love what you do, then nothing will stop you from aspiring to be the best. Being involved with Connect To Fitness has even more-so boosted my drive to want to not only help save as many lives as I can directly in my own career as a trainer, but also to stand tall and speak up for the issues plaguing the industry today in hopes that maybe I will be able to save some lives indirectly as well. Connect To Fitness strives to push for excellence in the industry and also to push for the excellent people in the industry as well. The networking aspect has really made a difference in the lives it has touched so far, and I hope more of you will strive to get involved as it can help introduce you to the people and places you might benefit from as well to help you get to your next career stepping-stone. Stand tall with us and help us find ways to make our industry more proficient by creating the lasting relationships that can unite the passionate professionals in the industry together.
What are your views, Faithful Reader? I would absolutely love to hear your thoughts regarding certifications as I feel strongly on the subject. Even if your views don’t match mine, I would still enjoy hearing what it is you have on your mind regarding the industry, certifications, degrees, accreditations, and your own stories and opinions on the matter. Please write me via Facebook or Myspace, or feel free to email me at EPfitness7@gmail.com so I can get your viewpoints. It would be great to have a discussion regarding such a matter and to have a follow up discussion on what your views are. I am honored to be in the same industry as you and it is only together that we can make a difference in this world. What do you feel should be done regarding this matter and whether or not you agree or disagree with my viewpoint, why do you feel that way? Should we push for a bill, or is their an easier, more economical way to solve this problem within the industry? And please feel free to ask me any questions as well. I enjoy a good conversation about a great subject and am very open-minded in discussing different viewpoints. And just as well, what certifications do you have or do you recommend when trying to become established in the industry? What are your top picks and why? I really look forward to hearing from you and in seeing what your viewpoints are. Let’s get some controversy rolling!
So you see, Faithful Reader, this isn’t about me, this isn’t about you. It’s about US and what we are willing to do to change what is wrong about the industry we have dedicated our lives to. With your reputation on the line and the state of the industry in our hands, how long are you willing to sit still and to keep quiet?
Until next time, Faithful Reader...
“All labor that uplifts humanity, has dignity and importance and should be undertaken with painstaking excellence.” –Martin Luther King Jr.
“Your work is to discover your world and then with all your heart, give yourself to it.” –The Buddah
“You are not here merely to make a living. You are here in order to enable the world to live more amply, with greater vision, with a finer spirit of hope and achievement. You are here to enrich the world, and you impoverish yourself if you forget the errand." –Woodrow Wilson
The other day, I was minding my own business as usual walking through the gym I belong to getting mentally prepared to do a Crossfit training session that one of my most cherished friends turned me on to. In the zone, I was thinking strong, positive thoughts and focusing on preparing myself for the next ten minutes or so of my life when I happened to almost run straight into a girl balancing on an upside down Bosu Ball doing squats. I stopped mid-stride. Then I did a double take as I followed her gaze to the right. Standing there looking at himself in the mirror (and a completely different mirror than Bosu Girl) and talking on his cell phone was… her ‘certified’ personal trainer. The sight of this made me want to rip out my hair and I haven’t been able to shake the sight ever since. So, here I am on a Monday, hoping to get some piece of mind by sharing my thoughts on a sensitive subject with you, Faithful Reader, in hopes of gaining some new insight for myself as well as from you.
I’m sure we have all had or know someone directly who has had a bad gym experience. And by bad, I mean that they were misguided, injured, demotivated, misinformed, or stood up by their trainer or another ‘professional’ in their chosen facility. Some people even quit going to the gym altogether after having a negative gym experience. And these ‘professionals’ are giving those of us who have actually gone the extra mile to assure we have the knowledge, competence, skill-level, and degrees and certifications to be effective in this industry. Sadly and unfortunately enough, there aren’t many guidelines in the health industry when it comes to personal training and what you should or shouldn’t have to be an effective trainer. Now, before assuming I am just going off bias, I want you to fully understand that I realize there are exceptions to every rule. I definitely know some effective trainers who didn’t go through formal education and who don’t hold accredited certifications who truly make amazing trainers as they have taken the time to educate themselves and who have a natural ability and personality-type in order to be a people-person. And on the other hand, I also know some extremely educated trainers with multiple degrees and certifications who don’t have the social and personal skills to be an effective trainer. But, all in all, personal training is the only field in the health industry that isn’t regulated with standards and guidelines.
Being a certified professional trainer myself through the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA), I feel strongly about the benefits of formal education and degrees as I now realize what all is entailed when you deal with the health and LIFE of another person. This profession has gained a reputation as being somewhat of a joke and many people think that just because they enjoy working out themselves that that gives them permission to help other people train as well. This is where I begin to get finicky and when I put my foot down as these people are setting themselves, their clients and the industry up for failure. Folks, there is much more that goes into being a personal trainer than how to stick somebody into a machine and count reps for them. In getting into the industry myself, I admit to not realizing what I was in for when I enrolled into college. I thought like most other people that I would be fine as I thought so long as I knew how to properly workout correctly that the rest couldn’t be too bad. Boy was I in for a surprise! Personal Training in itself is an art-form and there is no one-size-fits-all protocol like the majority of people believe. Each aspect of health, wellness and fitness can and needs to be specialized to the individual person/client being worked with. Not to mention the extent of and depth of each subject. From anatomy and physiology, nutrition and kinesiology, business and psychology… the list just goes on. And each of these subjects is a major in itself that can take years, if not a lifetime, to grasp ahold of. The human body is not a simple thing and even more astonishing is how each body is no more similar than the fingerprints of each person in the world. Our body’s ARE our fingerprints. They are unique to us and what we need on an individual level will be completely different than the person standing next to us. While most people can’t fathom how to take care of themselves to begin with, how can people off the street who might know little else other than how to lift a few weights help people achieve their own goals when they have no formal education on what goes into customizing an exercise prescription for any given person who approaches them for health?
I was completely thrown for a loop in all I didn’t know and still have yet to learn on my own journey and can’t even fathom how or why a company would want to hire a person without making a judgment on their abilities to be an effective trainer and their capabilities in literally changing people’s lives. Excuse my harshness, but those people who think they can just take an 8-hour certification course and jump into being a trainer need to get an ego check as they do not deserve to be in this industry. Folks, we are dealing with lives here and the vast majority of the people in the world suffer from health ailments either controlled or uncontrolled that are detrimental to the everyday aspects of life whether it is a torn ligament to a stage 3 cancer patient. How can the health industry possibly allow the well-being of these people to be placed in the hands of someone with little or no formal training? As trainers, we will be exposed to every and all different clientele and each person comes equipped with their own limitations, contraindications, mental and physical health quandaries, health risk factors, likes and dislikes… and the list goes on and on and on! When these clients are placed with a one-size-fits-all trainer, injuries, damages and sometimes even deaths are more apt to happen and the client will actually be worse off than before they sought out the confidence and knowledge of their ‘trainer’. Doesn’t anyone else see a problem with this?
Just as well, when it comes to certifications, how does an aspiring trainer successfully pick a legit certification and even better still, how does a client know what to look for in a hiring a potential trainer? As this question gains popularity, controversy, and discussion with what little guidelines we have thus far, it is no argument that the best of the best certifications are nationally accredited through a certifying agency that basically acts in narrowing down the good from the bad in personal training. With over 400 certifications to date (and growing!), relying on a certification agency such as the National Committee for Certifying Agencies (NCCA), under the National Organization for Competency Assurance (NOCA), is a viable resource as it serves as a benchmark and foundation to which other organizations should manage and conduct certifications. According to the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), within these 400- some odd certifications that exist; only a handful have been awarded an accreditation. These specific certifications are what set legitimate certifications apart from other less distinguished and challenging certifications out there. With all these certifications floating around, it is no wonder that business owners, trainers and clients get caught up in confusion or oblivion on what they should be looking to strive for. In looking for the actual certification in itself, there are a few that stand out in the crowd such as (in no specific order) the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM), the National Sports and Conditioning Association (NSCA), and the American Council on Exercise (ACE). Although by no means the only accredited certifications, they are more widely recognized both nationally and internationally than any other certifications in the world. In having the different agencies meet certain standards and regulations through an accreditation process, the fear of possibly attaining a certification of little or no value can be eliminated. Trainers and clients alike should do their research in deciphering the good from the bad as it will only enhance both the efficiency of the trainer and experience of the client. And just as well, each certification brings something different to the table, so it is up to the trainer to pick and choose the certifications that best compliment their own interests and goals.
If it is this simple and obvious, you are asking, than why isn’t there a law or bill in effect already that can put a stop to this mess? As I mentioned earlier, just because a trainer has a degree or certification under their belt doesn’t necessarily guarantee the trainer is going to be a success or that they will be better than the person next to them who isn’t a college graduate or who doesn’t hold an accredited certification. A piece of paper can’t dictate a person’s career and many companies, corporations and businesses alike agree that it would be a waste of time, effort and money to put such a ban in effect. But truly think about it: Why is it that personal training is the ONLY branch of the health, wellness and fitness community that DOESN’T have any qualifications that should be met? Would it make sense for a person to deem themselves a brain surgeon if their “qualifications” consisted of watching a how-to documentary on television? Or if someone who is up to date on all the latest diet trends had the nerve to call themselves a dietician? Makes you shudder, huh? Well, why then, should it be any different for personal training? Just because someone thinks they know to train for themselves, why should that give them the right to train others? Also to be taken into consideration is this: As trainers, we spend, on average, anywhere from 1-4 hours/week with our clients and many times if our clients are loyal, we may have them for years upon years. It’s funny how doctor’s, dentists, and most other health care providers see their clients once or twice per year (on average), yet the standards to meet with both education and degrees are so extensive. Personal trainers see their clients more than any other branch of the health, wellness and fitness industry, yet pretty much anyone on the planet can become self-professed ‘trainer’ in the course of one weekend’s time! Although I am open-minded to the controversy, I just can’t see past the completely palpable fact that when it comes down to it, there is no excuse for not having a bill, ban or regulation on the personal training industry!
Although states have been lobbying passing a bill regulating the licensing of personal trainers for the past 20 years, state legislatures have just begun recently to really push the commencement of bills that will take a closer look at the qualifications of personal trainers. A few states that have already effectively introduced bills requiring personal trainers be licensed are Massachusetts, Jew Jersey, Maryland, and Georgia as well as the District of Columbia. One of the main organizations lobbying against passing these bills is the International Health, Racquet and Sportsclub Association (IHRSA). They say ‘why’ create accreditations for certification industries when the personal training industry has already regulated itself through the use of the NCCA. The problem with having a bill passed, they say, is due to unnecessary monetary involvement with everyone from the trainer to the state. There is also not a firm legislature that all states can conform to. However, on the flip-side, those in favor of passing a bill state that it would help to prevent injuries caused in part by unqualified personal trainers, it would weed out the ‘trainers’ who settle on taking a cheap and easy certification just to have one, and it would also create an unvarying harmony among the different methods of accreditation that would be synonymous across the board. In creating this harmony, better, more efficient personal trainers would be produced.
I don’t know about you, but upon getting into this industry and in doing something that I am absolutely passionate about and consumed by, it was really a no-brainer in that I wanted to strive for the best of the best. I feel that by creating a bill to license trainers to achieve certain credentials, the people who don’t take this industry seriously will step down instead of screwing up by not being able to see in front of or behind their egos. I feel that when something is your passion, the sacrifice of achieving something a little more challenging would be a reward and honor to those people and that ultimately it would help to unite the industry and the people who take it seriously. Faithful Reader, we are talking about human beings here. This isn’t a game. We are dealing with changing people’s lives and in helping them achieve their goals. And beyond that aspect, many clients come to the gym looking for ways to ease their symptoms, rehabilitate injuries and even cure disease. Most of the people that step into a gym are not healthy and we are making a serious mistake by putting those responsibilities into the hands of 8-hour-certification-Joe. As trainers we are still health care providers and our industry should be just as regulated as those we share the business with.
In obtaining a nationally accredited certification, some things, of course, will not be the same across the board with every trainer (such as the guarantee for success), but the benefits and pros ultimately outweigh the cons. Being certified puts the standard on professionals that they will have met a specific minimum of knowledge, skills and abilities in such areas as anatomy, physiology, proper technique and program design, psychology, and in regards to the business of personal training. It also helps those who want to stand out among the rest in that it shows commitment and compliance in meeting certain standards. This is a benefit to employers, clients and other trainers who can then determine those who went the extra mile and who aren’t starting from the bottom. These standards are especially beneficial to the client in that they can be assured that their trainer has the knowledge to bestow upon them safe and effective training program designs and guidelines. Most certifications cover areas of concern, such as special populations, that can ensue that the trainer has the knowledge of following safe and proper standards for the population they are working with as well. On behalf of the trainer, it also makes them more marketable and valuable to employers when they have an accredited certification or degree to show for. And one of my favorite things about being certified through a nationally recognized agency is that you are continually offered continuing education and must attain a certain amount of CEUs/CECs to have your certification renewed. This keeps the trainer up-to-date with the latest fitness trends and the latest in scientific advancement (once again, valuable for employers as well as clients), and it shows that the trainer is willing to put in the time to maintain and nourish their foundational knowledge, but also that they are just as willing to continue learning and progressing as trainer. And the best part about these CEUs?? They are a BLAST!
Speaking from experience, I can voucher that there has never been anytime during an interview where my possible future employer wasn’t impressed with my certification. It automatically tells a lot about the individual and it almost assures comfort in the employer as they can be sure their staff is educated and driven as well as possessing the passion to go all out and to physically and mentally want to stand out in the industry among the others. After what I went through to obtain my own certification, I can honestly say that I feel more confident in my field. By no means a genius, I have the tools and knowledge to help people within my scope of practice and I also have the knowledge of when and how to refer a client so they can reach their goals even if it isn’t something I specialize in. This is a mistake many trainers without proper education aren’t doing in their assessment process with their clients and this is exactly why injuries, damages and deaths occur more frequently in these trainers versus someone who knows what to look for and what to do in these situations. Again, we are dealing with real people who have real problems and who need real help. Why on EARTH would you trust someone who has no knowledge of this to be responsible for helping this population, or ANY population for that matter? Just like that fateful (and frightful) day at the gym, it is enough to make you throw your hands in the air and want to rip your hair out all at once.
Having moved out to Vegas and having explored what the fitness industry has to offer out here, I am truly impressed with what I see, but I am also extremely passionate about having a sound protocol that would help to eliminate the people who aren’t truly passionate about what they do. One of the things I love about living here is the drive and motivation that so many people possess. I constantly am around the most positive people I have ever met in my life who strive for greatness within themselves and others. It is truly inspirational and I wake up every morning and go to sleep every night grateful for being blessed with such an amazing and successful move to such a wonderful city as Las Vegas. Connect To Fitness has really brought me up close and personal with some incredible individuals who go above and beyond what most people do in their entire lives. In being a passionate person, and in knowing the gratification that actually comes from helping individuals lead better lives for themselves through the art of personal training, it is my just belief that you can’t help others unless you can help yourself and if you aren’t taking the steps needed to help better your knowledge and career as a personal trainer, I personally don’t think you have any business being in this industry. I also believe if you love what you do, then nothing will stop you from aspiring to be the best. Being involved with Connect To Fitness has even more-so boosted my drive to want to not only help save as many lives as I can directly in my own career as a trainer, but also to stand tall and speak up for the issues plaguing the industry today in hopes that maybe I will be able to save some lives indirectly as well. Connect To Fitness strives to push for excellence in the industry and also to push for the excellent people in the industry as well. The networking aspect has really made a difference in the lives it has touched so far, and I hope more of you will strive to get involved as it can help introduce you to the people and places you might benefit from as well to help you get to your next career stepping-stone. Stand tall with us and help us find ways to make our industry more proficient by creating the lasting relationships that can unite the passionate professionals in the industry together.
What are your views, Faithful Reader? I would absolutely love to hear your thoughts regarding certifications as I feel strongly on the subject. Even if your views don’t match mine, I would still enjoy hearing what it is you have on your mind regarding the industry, certifications, degrees, accreditations, and your own stories and opinions on the matter. Please write me via Facebook or Myspace, or feel free to email me at EPfitness7@gmail.com so I can get your viewpoints. It would be great to have a discussion regarding such a matter and to have a follow up discussion on what your views are. I am honored to be in the same industry as you and it is only together that we can make a difference in this world. What do you feel should be done regarding this matter and whether or not you agree or disagree with my viewpoint, why do you feel that way? Should we push for a bill, or is their an easier, more economical way to solve this problem within the industry? And please feel free to ask me any questions as well. I enjoy a good conversation about a great subject and am very open-minded in discussing different viewpoints. And just as well, what certifications do you have or do you recommend when trying to become established in the industry? What are your top picks and why? I really look forward to hearing from you and in seeing what your viewpoints are. Let’s get some controversy rolling!
So you see, Faithful Reader, this isn’t about me, this isn’t about you. It’s about US and what we are willing to do to change what is wrong about the industry we have dedicated our lives to. With your reputation on the line and the state of the industry in our hands, how long are you willing to sit still and to keep quiet?
Until next time, Faithful Reader...
“All labor that uplifts humanity, has dignity and importance and should be undertaken with painstaking excellence.” –Martin Luther King Jr.
“Your work is to discover your world and then with all your heart, give yourself to it.” –The Buddah
“You are not here merely to make a living. You are here in order to enable the world to live more amply, with greater vision, with a finer spirit of hope and achievement. You are here to enrich the world, and you impoverish yourself if you forget the errand." –Woodrow Wilson
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