I was asked this question by one of my students just recently. He attended an On The Edge BOSU conditioning workshop and was working with his friend practicing some of the exercises. His friend was standing on the BOSU while he did partner taps when a trainer ran over and told him that he should never do this exercise because of the instability it causes to the ankle. The student, who is not yet through his personal training certification, did not know what to say. He didn’t know who this trainer was, his experience or educational background.

After he told me what happened I remembered a similar incident I experienced when I first started personal training and I also didn’t know what to do. I felt very unsettled because I was following what I’d learned in my course and what my instructor taught me. There was no reason to doubt what I’d learned. However when that trainer came up to me and criticized me on an exercise I was teaching in front of my client I felt like I didn’t know anything and my confidence was seriously shaken.

At some point in your personal training career someone will offer their opinion on an exercise or perhaps critique how you explain something to a client. For whatever reason, some people feel compelled to share their knowledge in a manner that is “crisp” rather than helpful. Whether this has to do with their own ego or whether they sincerely believe they are just trying to “help you out” the manner, style and method of delivering feedback is important but unfortunately not always thought out.

I would like to offer some suggestions on what you can do if you should find yourself in a similar situation.

Suggestions

1) If a personal trainer approaches you while working with a client say, “Thank you for taking the time to come over and speak with me. I would like to hear what you have to say however this is not a good time because my client is paying for my time. Can we chat later and in private?” It’s important that feedback not be given in front of a client as this can undermine the trust between yourself and your client.

2) Listen respectfully, seek to understand their point of view and ask probing and thoughtful questions.

3) Ask for educational resources to back the information and if there are books, web references or published studies you can review. If they can provide you with that information then they most likely have furthered their knowledge in a way that you might be interested in learning more. If they fumble trying to give you those resources then chances are they heard it from someone else and aren’t really sure why themselves.

4) Do your own research around the topic. Talk to other industry professionals and perhaps even get back in touch with your instructor and ask them their thoughts on the topic.

Information in the fitness industry constantly changes. When you become a fitness professional you commit yourself to a process of life-long learning. You can’t just stop at the courses you’ve taken to become a personal trainer and never do anymore reading or continuing education. You must constantly be updating your knowledge because new research comes out regularly. Share what you learn with other trainers and be respectful of how you deliver this information so that it comes across as helpful and not threatening.

As a personal trainer you develop the ability to break down exercises, to analyze form and technique in order to ensure that clients move and lift properly. It’s an aptitude that all trainers need to develop. Knowing what an exercise looks like when done correctly and what to look for when it all goes wrong and be able to correct it is the job of a competent personal trainer. But that’s just the starting point. To take things further in your knowledge of movement analysis you need to understand the issues around common muscle imbalances and how they play a key role in muscle compensation. As well as learn the concepts behind myofascial and muscular chains, muscle slings and trigger points which can greatly assist you with your program design. You will gain much insight during taking your ability to analyze movement and exercise another step further.

If this sounds interesting and you want to learn more about these concepts come join me and Susana Abreu on Sunday, May 27^th at 9:00am, where we will cover these topics. We will take you through the analysis of three primal movement patterns and apply what you’ve learned during the session.

However, if you haven’t taken your course with us and you are struggling to find work then here are some tips to help you out.

1) Take a walk. Take a walk or drive through your community and locate all the fitness clubs or private personal training studios. Walk in and introduce yourself to a staff member. Have your resume handy and inquire if they are looking to hire. Not all jobs are posted so you never know if you might walk in at the right time when they are looking for a trainer.

2) Talk to people. Let people know that you are a personal trainer and that you are taking clients or looking for a job. People are a great resource and someone within your circle of influence might know of a job or people looking to hire a trainer. Even if something doesn’t happen right away, give it time and remind people of what you need.

3) Check the internet. There are so many job posting sites so check the internet often to see what’s been posted. Read the job posting carefully and check for qualifications. Don’t just send in your resume if you don’t meet the requirements. This sends a strong signal that you don’t pay attention to detail and will land your resume in the bin.

4) Be proactive in your search. Jobs won’t come to you if you aren’t proactively looking and talking to people about your search. Stay positive and it will make it easier for you to hunt for a job.

5) If you do land an interview, go prepared. Knowing about the company you are applying for is easy. Check out their website and learn as much as you can about the organization. Drop-in and take a tour of the facility. If you know someone who works there ask them questions to gain a deeper understanding of the company, their vision and mission. Dress in business casual for the interview unless they ask you otherwise. Show up early and be ready and eager to sell your skills as a personal trainer. Humble arrogance is the way to go. Don’t oversell yourself but be confident in your abilities and humble in your approach. Nobody likes a show-off or know-it-all.

There are lots of jobs for personal trainers who have the right training, a great attitude and the ability to connect and engage people.

Over the past twenty years as a personal trainer I’ve trained in all kinds of places. I’ve trained in people their homes in the smallest of rooms. I’ve trained on the beach, at the park and in many make-shift basement gyms and offices. Being flexible, adaptable and creative as a personal trainer is just part of the job and also part of the fun.

When you are just starting out as a personal trainer, like anything new, it might feel very overwhelming to step out of the norm which in this case would be the gym. This is probably the case because as a new personal trainer your exercise repertoire is limited and you might not know how to work with all the personal training toys like the BOSU, TRX, extreme balance board and fitness balls which restricts your program design capabilities.

The best advice I can give you is to do these three things to expand your knowledge and versatility;

1) Attend workshops

• In the first two years of your new career you should be attending as many workshops as you can to learn more exercises, how to use small equipment, program design, special population and how to fix common exercise problems.

2) Practice and teach what you learn

• As soon as you learn a new exercise practice it yourself first and then quickly teach it to as many people as possible. In this way you guarantee that you remember the information you’ve learned.

3) Play and create your own exercises

• Don’t be afraid to pay and create new exercises. It’s so much fun to pick up a BOSU and a fitness ball and see what crazy exercises you can come up with. Obviously safety comes first and we don’t want our training sessions to turn into a circus act but don’t be afraid to try new things.

When you learn exercises that don’t require big and expensive pieces of equipment you will be able to train anywhere. Challenge yourself by creating one hour programs where you just use the ball, BOSU or band. See how many exercises you can come up with just using one piece of equipment. Once you’ve mastered that then add a new piece or combine two pieces of equipment. Before you know it you will have so many new exercises to give to your clients all of which can be down in a small space.

The key to being versatile and adaptable is to plan ahead and ask yourself what if I get a client that wants me to give them a session in their 100 square foot office and all they have is a fitness ball and a band? Would I turn the business away just because the space is too small and I don’t know how to use a band and ball or would l look at what room and learn what I need to do to make it work? I don’t know about you but I certainly would not turn business away just because I’m not sure what to do. Would you?

It dawned on me that after twenty years in the fitness industry I don’t think there has ever been a workshop or article that has addressed the topic of how to successfully attend a fitness workshop and I knew I just had to write one. But first before I share my tips on how to get the most out of your workshop experience let me recount the typical workshop experience for most of us.

We sign up for a workshop where the speaker goes through a series of exercises. They demonstrate exercises and then participants get all excited, get up and try it. They often don’t pay close attention to form or technique and if they are in partners might not correct, coach or cue their partners to perform the exercise properly. It’s all fun and games but what might be forgotten is that there is more we can do to maximize our learning experience.

I never thought about how we attend workshops and how we integrate and use the information we learn while we are learning it. Master classes are typically just that. Classes that are taught by a master trainer who shows the latest and greatest of what they have to offer. Most of the time workshops are so jammed packed with exercises that there is little to any time left to break down exercises and teach trainers how to actually teach them to their clients.

So how do you get the most out of your workshop experience? Here are a few suggestions you can use the next time you attend a workshop.

1) Ask questions. Most people don’t like to ask questions in a group mostly due to fear that they will show what they don’t know. Workshops are the perfect place to ask questions and participate. New concepts are constantly being introduced in the fitness industry and many are based in science so when you don’t understand something, put your hand up and ask a question. I guarantee someone else has the same question and is too afraid to stand out and ask.

2) Do less and watch more. It’s exciting to learn new exercises and as fitness professionals we love to move our bodies but sitting down and taking notes has tremendous value. You can do a few exercises then take some notes so you remember what you saw. You can also watch other participants and analyze their form and technique and think about what you would say and do to correct it. Even better walk over and lend a hand by pointing out alignment issues and step into your trainers shoes.

3) Review your notes and teach someone else right away. If you really want to remember what you’ve learned then after the workshop review your handout and notes. Then within twenty four hours of the workshop teach what you’ve learned to as many people as you can. Teaching is the highest form of learning because you have to repeat back what you’ve learned. If you can’t articulate what you’ve learned then you’ve only learned it at a superficial level and will have to go back and review.

I hope these tips help you enjoy your workshops and get the most out of them.

BOOTCAMP CLASS

We are very fortunate to live in Vancouver and that the temperate climate allows us to run outdoor group training classes pretty much all year long. We can take advantage of the beaches, mountain trails and pristine beauty of our natural surroundings to give clients an ultimate outdoor experience.

During this workshop you will learn how to create, design and deliver a group training class for 10-15 people. In addition we will cover important safety considerations for being outside, permits, insurance and how to get your group classes started.

This session is rain or shine so come prepared. You will be working out for the first 45 minutes to get the experience and the remainder of the time will be spent on covering the aspects mentioned above.

Sunday: August 12, 2012

Time: 9:00-1:00pm

Location: Panorama Park Picnic Area in Deep Cove, North Vancouver

Investment: $125.oo plus hst (includes manual and business start-up material)

SOCIAL POT LUCK PICNIC LUNCH TO FOLLOW

Phone Number

Management Coach

Your clients want to lose weight. They come to you for help — but many of them have health, lifestyle and fitness barriers getting in the way. As an ACE-certified Lifestyle & Weight Management Coach, you will be able to identify those barriers and design plans to help clients overcome them. You will learn to assess your clients’ fitness and related behaviours, readiness to change and unique training needs. By recognizing what motivates clients, you can identify how to effectively communicate your advice and determince the best way to help them safely achieve their goals.

Developed by leading industry experts, the ACE Lifestyle and Weight Management Coach Certification highlights the essential relationship between physical activity and nutrition, and illustrated how permanent weight loss is most effectively brought about through a change in lifestyle. Upon successful completion of the ACE Lifestyle & Weight Management Coach Certification Exam, you will have demonstrated the ability to apply your knowledge of:

• Psychological aspects of weight management
• Biomechanical and physiological impact of obesity
• Techniques for lifestyle coaching to facilitate behavior change
• Relationship between exercise and nutrition in weight control
• Exercise programming and weight-management strategies and progressions

Sundays; September 16 - October 7, 2012

Time: 9:00-1:00pm

Location: JK Fitness/Base Fitness 1350 Pemberton Street. North Vancouver

Investment: $695.00 plus hst (includes textbook)

(does not include exam fees)

Phone Number

HOSTING THIS ACE

ACCREDITED WORKSHOP

Functional training continues to grow in popularity as the foundation for fitness and sports conditioning programs. Training to imporve posture, movement efficiency and overall muscular performance related to a variety of activities definies functional training. Enhance your knowledge and applied skills with the latest tools and techniques in personal training to stay ahead of the game.

This one-day (8.5hour) ACE Functional Training & Assessment workshop teaches the important concepts of functional assessments and training by instructing experienced personal trainers on how to;

• Conduct postural assessments and movement screens
• Design restorative exercise programs
• Instruct primary movement patterns
• Develop effective core-conditioning programs
• Introduce foundational concepts to sports-conditioning built upon functional movement

To Register go to www.acefitness.org/calendar

Saturday, June 16, 2012

Cost: $175.00 USD

Hosted by: On The Edge Fitness Educators

Location: JK Fitness/Base Fitness 1350 Pemberton St. North Vancouver

Approved for ACE, ACSM, NASM, NSCA, AFFA

Group discounts are available. Please call 800-825-3636 ext. 713 for more details on this workshop.

The Attitude Effect is an influential, powerful and dominant force.  It does not have physical form yet it can take over your clients thoughts, feelings and behaviours which can impede their ability to achieve results. Understanding what you can do to help your clients shift their attitude is vital to their growth and development. Join Donna Hutchinson and Susana Abreu as they take you on this journey of discovery where you will learn how to help your clients change their attitude and thus remove unwanted barriers.

As a group fitness instructor you were discouraged from becoming a performer. But the fact of the matter is that being in front of a group means you take on the role of motivator, director and yes entertainer. You are in a leadership position and there is a clear distinction between performing and showing off.

Join Susana Abreu, Vice-President of Fitness Education at On The Edge Fitness Educators, singer/song writer and percussionist as she takes you on a journey to discover how you can enhance your participants enjoyment and class experience. Susana uses her twenty four years of stage performance to teach you the elements of music and how they can be used to enhance exercise adherence. She will teach you how to choose the right music and create motivating play lists for your classes that have your participants engaged in their workouts. You will finish this workshop with tips on how to build the ultimate performance experience and will participate in a class taught by Susana putting all the elements together.