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rino60

Member
G'day Team AusBB - for those of you who've been around for a while, you might remember me. Long time member; I breeze in and out with long periods of inactivity. My training has remaining (mostly) consistent while my contributions to the forum have, unfortunately, not.

I just wanted to throw a question out there to those in the industry - for those who have experience (as owners/trainers) in the industry, what kind of course, training and accreditation would you 'rate'? Which have you found most helpful, most valuable, perhaps most appropriate, and how have you real world applied it?

I'm not looking for a weekend course the will make me certified to run my own Crossfit box, nor am I looking for a twelve month internship at Westside - I'm just curious as to what you've found most valuable.

I've spent a few years doing this whole 'fitness training' thing, and like most on here, I thoroughly enjoy it. I'm not at a point in my life at the moment where it would be good for me to go out on my own and do it for a job - mainly because I don't want to! I've got financial stability, enough time to pursue my personal goals and train with my wife. That said, it is something that might be on the cards for the future - it's certainly something I've thought about lying awake many an evening.

As a result, while I'll continue to gain experience by getting in the gym, sweating it out and playing with my programming and exercise selection, I'm curious about what you've found was the best training, course, certification or accreditation that you've picked up along the way, and why.

Thanks in advance. I know you've all got a life outside this thread, so appreciate any feedback.
 
Not an owner and haven't been in the industry long, but have to recommend the AIPT FastTrack course.
Has a 10 week practical component where you learn with different industry professionals including physiologists, PT's and gym owners.
As well as the opportunity to train clients in a gym environment before you become accredited, so that when you do go out into the field you already have experience.
Not just an online course where you didn't actually meet and train people.

It took me the 10 weeks of the course, plus 2 months for the online theory and I had my certificate 3 & 4.
I got around 50 hours doing practical course work, and another 20 hours training my own client.
Plus whatever the theory took, not long for me apparently. Most people it takes longer to 12 months.

As part of my CEC's & PDP's I did a few courses with Adrian Rodriguez which was awesome.
Maximal Strength techniques and Strength to Power Conversions were informative and gave me a lot to think about.

It's always good to have your own experience to back up your accreditation. Whether it may be the small amount from the course.
Or preferably life experience such as big weight loss, transformations or a consistent fitness regime.
It means a lot to clients when you can honestly tell them what works because you've done it yourself.
 
Not an owner and haven't been in the industry long, but have to recommend the AIPT FastTrack course.
Has a 10 week practical component where you learn with different industry professionals including physiologists, PT's and gym owners.
As well as the opportunity to train clients in a gym environment before you become accredited, so that when you do go out into the field you already have experience.
Not just an online course where you didn't actually meet and train people.

It took me the 10 weeks of the course, plus 2 months for the online theory and I had my certificate 3 & 4.
I got around 50 hours doing practical course work, and another 20 hours training my own client.
Plus whatever the theory took, not long for me apparently. Most people it takes longer to 12 months.

As part of my CEC's & PDP's I did a few courses with Adrian Rodriguez which was awesome.
Maximal Strength techniques and Strength to Power Conversions were informative and gave me a lot to think about.

It's always good to have your own experience to back up your accreditation. Whether it may be the small amount from the course.
Or preferably life experience such as big weight loss, transformations or a consistent fitness regime.
It means a lot to clients when you can honestly tell them what works because you've done it yourself.
Thanks mate - appreciate the time and the detailed reply.

Strongly agree with the whole 'experience to back up accreditations' - unfortunately, many within the industry look at it as accreditations to indicate experience, which I strongly disagree with.

All the best,
Rian
 
Hey mate I totally agree with everything Puggy just said , especially about bringing your own personal experience's , from in and out of the gym .

I must warn you DO NOT study with AIF - Australian Institute of Fitness , they are purely in the business for quantity over quality . By day 2 I knew there was something wrong lol .
 
80% of what you need for the job is communication skills and being able to teach correct movement. No Cert III/IV courses teach you that, you have to learn for yourself.

You also need anatomy and biomechanics, lots of courses teach that. In Melbourne wyn.edu.au is pretty good, one of the guys in it was my teacher at RMIT.
 
80% of what you need for the job is communication skills and being able to teach correct movement. No Cert III/IV courses teach you that, you have to learn for yourself.

You also need anatomy and biomechanics, lots of courses teach that. In Melbourne wyn.edu.au is pretty good, one of the guys in it was my teacher at RMIT.
Yep. And more than most never ever bother that most important critical component. Never seen a PT in a commy gym teach anything correctly.

Dont be one of those people. Learn. Learn. Learn. Then learn more.
 
Hey mate I totally agree with everything Puggy just said , especially about bringing your own personal experience's , from in and out of the gym .

I must warn you DO NOT study with AIF - Australian Institute of Fitness , they are purely in the business for quantity over quality . By day 2 I knew there was something wrong lol .
Thanks Jake - I'd heard similar about AIF, so a second opinion simply reaffirms that.
 
80% of what you need for the job is communication skills and being able to teach correct movement. No Cert III/IV courses teach you that, you have to learn for yourself.

You also need anatomy and biomechanics, lots of courses teach that. In Melbourne wyn.edu.au is pretty good, one of the guys in it was my teacher at RMIT.
The people that I've trained so far have all seemed quite receptive to the way that I communicate and teach - the fact that I honestly love it I think makes a big difference.

I've got a fair foundation in biomechanics, which I only plan to develop - as an engineer by trade, I always want to determine the root cause of 'why', instead of just working at the symptom level. This obviously extends to injuries, imbalances, maximising levers, indirect sport training, etc.
 
Yep. And more than most never ever bother that most important critical component. Never seen a PT in a commy gym teach anything correctly.

Dont be one of those people. Learn. Learn. Learn. Then learn more.
Yeah, I quite often want to push the commercial gym trainer out of the way and explain to their client what they body is doing, and what they should be thinking about and focussing on. It's frightening to see how little many of them know or care.
 
The people that I've trained so far have all seemed quite receptive to the way that I communicate and teach - the fact that I honestly love it I think makes a big difference.
Good. The real test is what they achieve longer-term.

Not only the numbers on the platform matter. It's also retention and injuries. How many lifters did you burn out or break to get that guy with the 300 squat. Would you rather have 100 guys squat 100kg, or 3-4 squat 200kg and the other 96 burn out or get hurt? A trainer must answer the first one - those 3-4 strong guys won't be able to pay you enough to put food on your family's dinner table. Besides which, if you help a middleaged accountant squat 100, you totally change his life; take him to 200 and that's awesome, but doesn't change his life much. This really is the difference between a trainer and a coach: do you care about the mediocre lifters? Because for all the macho chest-thumping out there, most people will be doing pretty well if they actually finish a novice linear progression and then keep lifting at that same level after that; most people never finish it, and those who do, quit lifting a while after that.

When you factor in all the people who quit or got hurt, the famous coaches don't seem so awesome anymore, much better at recruiting than training people.

I've got a fair foundation in biomechanics, which I only plan to develop - as an engineer by trade, I always want to determine the root cause of 'why', instead of just working at the symptom level. This obviously extends to injuries, imbalances, maximising levers, indirect sport training, etc.
This is a good base. I've found the people with a hard science background just get things more easily. Funnily enough, those with a medical background are not. I think it's simply mindset, are you think of how things move, how systems work together, or are you thinking of individual bits and pieces in isolation.

Your own lifting will help, you don't reach a 400+ total as a guy without figuring some things out along the way. You don't need a 100 or whatever bench as such, but you should have trained for long enough that you got stuck, and had to figure some way around it. This will give you a perspective lacking in most trainers. If you've had a trainer or coach, even better, even if you didn't learn much, it gives you some empathy for the poor bugger grinding out a heavy weight and worrying that you saw his knees cave in.
 
Good. The real test is what they achieve longer-term.

Not only the numbers on the platform matter. It's also retention and injuries. How many lifters did you burn out or break to get that guy with the 300 squat. Would you rather have 100 guys squat 100kg, or 3-4 squat 200kg and the other 96 burn out or get hurt? A trainer must answer the first one - those 3-4 strong guys won't be able to pay you enough to put food on your family's dinner table. Besides which, if you help a middleaged accountant squat 100, you totally change his life; take him to 200 and that's awesome, but doesn't change his life much. This really is the difference between a trainer and a coach: do you care about the mediocre lifters? Because for all the macho chest-thumping out there, most people will be doing pretty well if they actually finish a novice linear progression and then keep lifting at that same level after that; most people never finish it, and those who do, quit lifting a while after that.

When you factor in all the people who quit or got hurt, the famous coaches don't seem so awesome anymore, much better at recruiting than training people.


This is a good base. I've found the people with a hard science background just get things more easily. Funnily enough, those with a medical background are not. I think it's simply mindset, are you think of how things move, how systems work together, or are you thinking of individual bits and pieces in isolation.

Your own lifting will help, you don't reach a 400+ total as a guy without figuring some things out along the way. You don't need a 100 or whatever bench as such, but you should have trained for long enough that you got stuck, and had to figure some way around it. This will give you a perspective lacking in most trainers. If you've had a trainer or coach, even better, even if you didn't learn much, it gives you some empathy for the poor bugger grinding out a heavy weight and worrying that you saw his knees cave in.

I agree with all that you've said - for many (if not all), longevity is the name of the game once you realise that this isn't a 'quick' sport - it's a lifestyle choice with many different and enduring goals.

Ive never had a long term trainer (especially not a terrible one), but have spent enough time in and out of commercial and specialist gyms that I've seen examples of both good and bad.

I've said to many of my trainees that I don't care if you lift half what someone else lifts or double it. When I ask for everything you've got, you've gotta try and give it. When I tell you to hold back so that we can focus on the longer game, you've gotta have the ability to look beyond this next rep, or this set and appreciate that, as above, the goal is an enduring lifestyle, perhaps interrupted by competitions or significant events that we work toward, but is NOT about ruining your progression as a result of impatience, overwork or similar.

I have by no means done it all or seen it all, but I've made enough mistakes to hopefully help out a few who want to make a change or achieve a goal.
 
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