JP Fitness Forums - View Single Post - I hope this didn't come across as "snobby"...

Sarah Rippel · 11-25-2008, 05:47 PM

Okay, I just replied to a "i want to be a trainer" guy's post on the Art of Strength forums (have fallen in love with the AOS approach to kettlebell training), and of course was long-winded and now i'm worried that I may come across as an elitist-trainer-snob. He was asking if he needed a personal training cert or just the AOS cert to work with people. FYI the AOS cert is a weekend workshop. I may be wrong in this, but it seems there are lots of people out there getting kettlebell certified and then going and training people...without any other prior fitness industry experience. Is it wrong for me to think this isn't necessarily the best approach?

This was a response he got:
If you plan to train people in their homes, then just go straight to AOS. As far as insurance goes - it's easy! You can just google "personal trainer insurance" and you'll find a ton of stuff. You can find it as cheap as $100/year for a million bucks coverage. Is it important to know anatomy and physiology? Well, to be honest, in 8 years of personal training, I've NEVER had to use any of that, even though the other certs focus on it a lot. With AOS, you will learn A LOT about how the body works. Just by learning to teach the Turkish get-up, you will know how to correct imbalances, instabilities, and weaknesses. I hope this helps. Let me know if you have any other questions. I will try my best to help!

"Never had to use anatomy and physiology?" WTF? Anyhow...here is my response:

Hi Keith! (be ready to read, lol)!

Congrats on your decision! I can honestly say that being a Fitness Professional is a blast IF it's what you should be doing, and it sounds like it is for you!

With that being said, i've been training clients since I was 19 years old...over 13 years now. I have multiple certs and a BS in Exercise Science. I even got a Pilates cert...yeah, I know...lol. I am not certified thru NASM, however, I feel that they are one of the best CPT certs out there, especially for those coming into the industry without a prior education in Exercise Science. I have worked for several gyms, chiros, and a studio. I can honestly say that the "big box" scene isn't where I need to be anymore. Back in the day, though, it served its purpose, as it allowed me to "get my feet wet" with many different types of clients. Over the years, i've been able to train people of all fitness levels, ages, backgrounds, etc...and have been able to work with special conditions such as Bell's Palsy, Fibromyalgia, pre- and post-natal, morbidly obese, diabetes, chronic fatigue, Crohn's, etc. I am stopping there because my brain is tired and i'm sure you get my point. I believe these experiences have been invaluable to me as a Fitness Professional. There's no way I would have been able to get so much experience had I not worked for a "big box" gym, and there's no way I could have been able to get to the point i'm at now without having been a slave to the "system." Oh, the meager wages!

Nowadays, i'm self-employed and work with my clients in their homes as well as outdoors, and i'm planning on opening my own studio next year. I don't advertise...my clients advertise for me. I have found my own niche in training clients in-home, and I feel there is a great need everywhere for such a service. This is why i'm a little apprehensive to jump into all the craziness and bills that a studio entails, BUT for me it's my goal and has been a dream for 12 years, so...can't fight it!

I am planning on getting my AOS cert this upcoming year. I believe it's the way I need to go as far as kettlebell certification. Just as with Personal Training certs, you have to find the one that is in-line with your approach, beliefs, etc. I'm with Njama, i'm not knocking the AOS cert in any way, but I feel it's not the only qualification one should have. A medical doctor doesn't go to a weekend workshop and get certified to perform plastic surgery, then go out and establish a practice. They spend years and years working up to it. Obviously this is a bit different for trainers, as anyone can get online and pay $25 and get a cracker-jack cert in an hour (complete with certificate)! My point is that knowledge is power, and if you look at the most respected professionals in this industry, they have spent years and years on their education and in the trenches working with clients...and are STILL working with clients. If you're wanting to train people, the only way you're gonna get good at it is to TRAIN PEOPLE! You're not going to ever know everything...you're going to learn along the way...if you get complacent, you're gonna end up falling behind, because what i've learned over the years is that there is no one "best" way of doing things, and that what works for one client doesn't do diddly squat for another. You safely apply techniques that will get your clients from point A to point B. If the technique doesn't work, then change it. I spend countless unpaid hours reading up on things and improving my working knowledge so that I can better serve my clients.

I look at the AOS cert as another AWESOME tool in my "trainer's toolbox." No way in hell i'd put myself out there as a "kettlebell trainer" without it. In this "toolbox" are also modalities such as Active Isolated stretching, myofascial release, core (ugh, overplayed term) stabilization techniques, Gray Cook's Functional Movement Screen, the NASM "OPT" method, ankle/hip/thoracic mobilizers, etc...even stuff like BOSU drills that I feel are somewhat "trendy" and borderline gimmicky are in my toolbox...because I feel it's important to have a broad range of tools from which to pick from...bringing me back to my point - one approach isn't going to work for everyone.

I'm not a trainer who spits out big scientific words to my clients...for I feel that many who do so are just doin' it to impress people. My clients could give a rat's ass what a sternocliedomastoid muscle is. They just know it's tight and they have headaches and want me to help them.

So, if you don't have a working knowledge of functional anatomy, can you be a good trainer? No. No way. Not these days. The days of "bodypart training" and just knowing specific exercises are long gone. Obviously you're onto this, or you wouldn't be a kettlebell nut! With that being said, do I feel you need a college degree to be an awesome trainer? No, I mean, i've never had to hook a client up to a spirometer or perform hydrostatic weighing on anyone, lol! A degree is a plus, though...I mean, it's credentials you can't just pay for and receive overnight. I feel i've learned a hell of a lot more post-grad but it's been because I WANTED it more. I graduated from college and just wanted to be done with it. Who would have known i'd go back 2 years later trying to get into med school? I MISSED LEARNING and I knew I wanted to do MORE. Well, "more" meant not throwing away my passion and calling as a trainer...it meant doing everything in my power to enrich my knowledge, skills, and experience, and I can honestly say that I do this every day.

I realize i'm really long-winded and I hope none of this came across as anything less than helpful and upbeat! As you can tell, i'm extremely passionate about this kinda stuff! I'm going to end this NOW because I need to work out and I don't want to keep blabbing your eyes off!
Yours in Health,
Sarah

11-25-2008, 05:47 PM	#1 (permalink)
Sarah Rippel Nerd Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 86	I hope this didn't come across as "snobby"... Okay, I just replied to a "i want to be a trainer" guy's post on the Art of Strength forums (have fallen in love with the AOS approach to kettlebell training), and of course was long-winded and now i'm worried that I may come across as an elitist-trainer-snob. He was asking if he needed a personal training cert or just the AOS cert to work with people. FYI the AOS cert is a weekend workshop. I may be wrong in this, but it seems there are lots of people out there getting kettlebell certified and then going and training people...without any other prior fitness industry experience. Is it wrong for me to think this isn't necessarily the best approach? This was a response he got: If you plan to train people in their homes, then just go straight to AOS. As far as insurance goes - it's easy! You can just google "personal trainer insurance" and you'll find a ton of stuff. You can find it as cheap as $100/year for a million bucks coverage. Is it important to know anatomy and physiology? Well, to be honest, in 8 years of personal training, I've NEVER had to use any of that, even though the other certs focus on it a lot. With AOS, you will learn A LOT about how the body works. Just by learning to teach the Turkish get-up, you will know how to correct imbalances, instabilities, and weaknesses. I hope this helps. Let me know if you have any other questions. I will try my best to help! "Never had to use anatomy and physiology?" WTF? Anyhow...here is my response: Hi Keith! (be ready to read, lol)! Congrats on your decision! I can honestly say that being a Fitness Professional is a blast IF it's what you should be doing, and it sounds like it is for you! With that being said, i've been training clients since I was 19 years old...over 13 years now. I have multiple certs and a BS in Exercise Science. I even got a Pilates cert...yeah, I know...lol. I am not certified thru NASM, however, I feel that they are one of the best CPT certs out there, especially for those coming into the industry without a prior education in Exercise Science. I have worked for several gyms, chiros, and a studio. I can honestly say that the "big box" scene isn't where I need to be anymore. Back in the day, though, it served its purpose, as it allowed me to "get my feet wet" with many different types of clients. Over the years, i've been able to train people of all fitness levels, ages, backgrounds, etc...and have been able to work with special conditions such as Bell's Palsy, Fibromyalgia, pre- and post-natal, morbidly obese, diabetes, chronic fatigue, Crohn's, etc. I am stopping there because my brain is tired and i'm sure you get my point. I believe these experiences have been invaluable to me as a Fitness Professional. There's no way I would have been able to get so much experience had I not worked for a "big box" gym, and there's no way I could have been able to get to the point i'm at now without having been a slave to the "system." Oh, the meager wages! Nowadays, i'm self-employed and work with my clients in their homes as well as outdoors, and i'm planning on opening my own studio next year. I don't advertise...my clients advertise for me. I have found my own niche in training clients in-home, and I feel there is a great need everywhere for such a service. This is why i'm a little apprehensive to jump into all the craziness and bills that a studio entails, BUT for me it's my goal and has been a dream for 12 years, so...can't fight it! I am planning on getting my AOS cert this upcoming year. I believe it's the way I need to go as far as kettlebell certification. Just as with Personal Training certs, you have to find the one that is in-line with your approach, beliefs, etc. I'm with Njama, i'm not knocking the AOS cert in any way, but I feel it's not the only qualification one should have. A medical doctor doesn't go to a weekend workshop and get certified to perform plastic surgery, then go out and establish a practice. They spend years and years working up to it. Obviously this is a bit different for trainers, as anyone can get online and pay $25 and get a cracker-jack cert in an hour (complete with certificate)! My point is that knowledge is power, and if you look at the most respected professionals in this industry, they have spent years and years on their education and in the trenches working with clients...and are STILL working with clients. If you're wanting to train people, the only way you're gonna get good at it is to TRAIN PEOPLE! You're not going to ever know everything...you're going to learn along the way...if you get complacent, you're gonna end up falling behind, because what i've learned over the years is that there is no one "best" way of doing things, and that what works for one client doesn't do diddly squat for another. You safely apply techniques that will get your clients from point A to point B. If the technique doesn't work, then change it. I spend countless unpaid hours reading up on things and improving my working knowledge so that I can better serve my clients. I look at the AOS cert as another AWESOME tool in my "trainer's toolbox." No way in hell i'd put myself out there as a "kettlebell trainer" without it. In this "toolbox" are also modalities such as Active Isolated stretching, myofascial release, core (ugh, overplayed term) stabilization techniques, Gray Cook's Functional Movement Screen, the NASM "OPT" method, ankle/hip/thoracic mobilizers, etc...even stuff like BOSU drills that I feel are somewhat "trendy" and borderline gimmicky are in my toolbox...because I feel it's important to have a broad range of tools from which to pick from...bringing me back to my point - one approach isn't going to work for everyone. I'm not a trainer who spits out big scientific words to my clients...for I feel that many who do so are just doin' it to impress people. My clients could give a rat's ass what a sternocliedomastoid muscle is. They just know it's tight and they have headaches and want me to help them. So, if you don't have a working knowledge of functional anatomy, can you be a good trainer? No. No way. Not these days. The days of "bodypart training" and just knowing specific exercises are long gone. Obviously you're onto this, or you wouldn't be a kettlebell nut! With that being said, do I feel you need a college degree to be an awesome trainer? No, I mean, i've never had to hook a client up to a spirometer or perform hydrostatic weighing on anyone, lol! A degree is a plus, though...I mean, it's credentials you can't just pay for and receive overnight. I feel i've learned a hell of a lot more post-grad but it's been because I WANTED it more. I graduated from college and just wanted to be done with it. Who would have known i'd go back 2 years later trying to get into med school? I MISSED LEARNING and I knew I wanted to do MORE. Well, "more" meant not throwing away my passion and calling as a trainer...it meant doing everything in my power to enrich my knowledge, skills, and experience, and I can honestly say that I do this every day. I realize i'm really long-winded and I hope none of this came across as anything less than helpful and upbeat! As you can tell, i'm extremely passionate about this kinda stuff! I'm going to end this NOW because I need to work out and I don't want to keep blabbing your eyes off! Yours in Health, Sarah __________________ "If you love what you do, you'll never have to work a day in your life." Visit my blog: "Outside the Box" Training!