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Should your trainer have a degree in exercise science?

2,319 Views | 16 Replies | Last: 6 yr ago by emando2000
w8liftr
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I had this discussion with a neighbor last night. He felt that your personal trainer should be a subject matter expert in health and fitness, so why wouldn't your trainer have at least a bachelor's degree in kinesiology/exercise physiology/etc? He argued that you wouldn't hire an engineer without a degree in engineering, an accountant without a degree in accounting, a doctor without a degree in medicine, etc. so why hire a personal trainer with a degree in English? He said that you'd expect them to have an underlying understanding of how all the diet, exercise, cardio work together to achieve your goals if they are going to be prescribing it.

What does the H&F Board think?
Hoosegow
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If I want to powerlift, I go to a powerlifter.

If I want to bodybuild, I go to a bodybuilder.

Most trainers aren't getting a degree because the money isn't there. I put more credence into their success and the success of people they've trained.
Rudyjax
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AG
w8liftr said:

I had this discussion with a neighbor last night. He felt that your personal trainer should be a subject matter expert in health and fitness, so why wouldn't your trainer have at least a bachelor's degree in kinesiology/exercise physiology/etc? He argued that you wouldn't hire an engineer without a degree in engineering, an accountant without a degree in accounting, a doctor without a degree in medicine, etc. so why hire a personal trainer with a degree in English? He said that you'd expect them to have an underlying understanding of how all the diet, exercise, cardio work together to achieve your goals if they are going to be prescribing it.

What does the H&F Board think?
I have seen trainers with that education who are phenomenal. I have seen trainers with that education who are mediocre.

If you're hiring a trainer and want that background, that's great. If you don't care, then that's great too. If you're hiring them on how they look, that's not always the best either.

I'm a trainer and I keep myself lean for running. I don't want to have too much weight. My goals are different than other peoples.

Great question.
wangus12
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AG
Everyone that works for our gym have at a minimum a Bachelor's, with many having a Masters in Kinesiology/Exercise Science.

Like UK said, it isn't necessary to be a great trainer. Most of the big certifications like NASM/ACSM/ACE are pretty in depth certs and I know several people with degrees who've failed those tests. I typically tell patients to look for those certs in a trainer as well as their success.

People with the weekend certs to open their own gym in their garage shouldn't cut it.

Rudyjax
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wangus12 said:

Everyone that works for our gym have at a minimum a Bachelor's, with many having a Masters in Kinesiology/Exercise Science.

Like UK said, it isn't necessary to be a great trainer. Most of the big certifications like NASM/ACSM/ACE are pretty in depth certs and I know several people with degrees who've failed those tests. I typically tell patients to look for those certs in a trainer as well as their success.

People with the weekend certs to open their own gym in their garage shouldn't cut it.


Yes, when talking to people who found out I passed NASM on the first try, many people who have science degrees failed the first go round.

But keep in mind that I have found some trainers to not be the sharpest tools in the shed but at the same time are amazing.
aznaggiegirl07
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wangus12 said:

Everyone that works for our gym have at a minimum a Bachelor's, with many having a Masters in Kinesiology/Exercise Science.

Like UK said, it isn't necessary to be a great trainer. Most of the big certifications like NASM/ACSM/ACE are pretty in depth certs and I know several people with degrees who've failed those tests. I typically tell patients to look for those certs in a trainer as well as their success.

People with the weekend certs to open their own gym in their garage shouldn't cut it.


People fail NASM?

I guess since i was studying for the CSCS, NASM was a breeze to me
Rudyjax
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Yeah. Like i said, most trainers arent that sharp.
aggiederelict
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I think the personal training world in general has improved in the past 5-10 years. There are some really good trainers out there.

Just like any industry there are good and bad professionals.

Where I start to have an issue is where people who aren't qualified to work with injuries start to think they know how to diagnose and what to do about certain injuries.

They are often just recycling information they have heard from some website, their physical therapist/chrio, or from their own reading.

It frustrates me when a massage therapist who went to school for 6-12 months thinks they understand injuries like a professional who went to school for years. It simply isn't true and it is misleading to the general public.
Rudyjax
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Amen. Anyone without specialized training should not diagnose or treat an injury.
P.U.T.U
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It amazes me of how many patients ask my wife for a diagnoses, she is a pharmacist, not a medial doctor.

I do not think they should have to have a degree in their field but they need to talk to them before they start working together. Doing some research ahead of time can educate you to ask the basic questions. If you do not do that ahead of time its your own dang fault.

Its in any profession, there are good and bad. I think for the most part people are there just to earn a paycheck, which is fine as we need a little of everything, not to master their craft. Having a certification is letting people know you put in some work at least. And some certifications are just flat out not worth the investment.

To me for the majority of Americans (2/3s are overweight) just doing something active is a start. I think too many lean on professionals but a lot think investing money is a motivator to workout. This is why there are a lot of "bad" trainers, the patients need to start from step 1 but everyone expects immediate results. So instead of doing simple body weight stuff to get the mobility needed to do anything with weights they jump right to weights, a lot of time machines. You cannot do a single leg squat but you want to throw on more weights on the bar? See you in a few weeks when you have lower back pains. But that is the society we live in now

I will cut my rant short there.

aggiederelict
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I think it is important for us practitioners to educate the public on what we do and what we don't do. Most of them have no idea and we haven't done a great job telling them.
P.U.T.U
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AG
I think a lot of it is selling media vs focusing on the data. The magazines are there to make money, trainers are there to make you healthier. But you have to keep up with the newest trials and data on your own which requires extra effort. I enjoy learning about the human body, the more I know the better I can become and help those around me if they want my assistance.

Being in the healthcare industry has to be difficult, your have to "sell" your knowledge and be PC enough not to offend people. Unless you are an expert it is hard to be blunt which most people need. I told one person that I knew drank a lot and was trying to lose weight, she got pissed when I said you need to cut drinking. Can't imagine dealing with that every day.

There are a few doctors offices out there which I love the platform, they have dietitians, physical therapist, medical doctors, etc. that work together and treat the patient as a whole. If someone is on the verge of getting diabetes giving them insulin is not the treatment they need, they need diet and exercise lifestyle changes. Even if a gym had a similar platform of trainers and dietitians I think that would be a good start. But good luck getting people to pay more for that...
BlitzBrother
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My trainer former head strength coach for couple different NFL teams - Kinda knows what he is doing - Too bad his client ,as in me at age 61 , has a way to go !
aznaggiegirl07
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aggiederelict said:

I think it is important for us practitioners to educate the public on what we do and what we don't do. Most of them have no idea and we haven't done a great job telling them.
I think its funny when trainers try to talk to their clients about nutrition...
JamesBREI06
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I would look for someone that I want to look like and would look like me if he didn't do what he did.
Rudyjax
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Sumlins Oreos said:

I would look for someone that I want to look like and would look like me if he didn't do what he did.


In theory thats correct but in practice not so much.
aggiederelict
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I think where it becomes tricky is when licensed medical professionals attempt to market their business and are incentivized to get more patients in the door. That has a strong potential to provide unnecessary interventions in order to improve the bottom line.

I see this with surgeons and the consequences can be significant. They get paid to cut. You used to see spinal fusions be recommended a lot up until recently because it paid the practice well. The general public has wised up to these interventions and the risk these procedures pose.

I have had plenty of patients with very invasive spinal interventions that flat out didn't work, or even worse the patients' condition worsened with the intervention.
emando2000
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No degree necessary. All the information is out there. The majority of people do not need an "expert" personal trainer. Hoosegow summed it up.

OP, out of curiosity, what does your neighbor do?
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