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CHRIS COOPER NSCA-CPT LMT
CHRIS COOPER NSCA-CPT LMT
[ The State of Personal Training: Personal Reaction to the New York Times Article, "A Jobs Boom Built on Sweat in an Age of Belt-Tightening" (June 30, 2012) ]Last year, the New York Times published a story which argued that the career of personal training as being the job of the future. It highlighted the fact that there is recent boom in the amount of personal trainers in the industry citing statistical growth (link) of close to 44% occurring between 2001 to 2011 (to a total of 231,500).
On the whole these numbers make for a great statistic given the current unemployment rates (link) of today's economy. But while these numbers demonstrate raw growth, they say nothing about the quality of personal trainers that are coming into the industry.
What's more - the fact that this article emphasizes that anyone can jump into being a trainer by taking a simple test online (link) without an education background that shows that there is still this stigma that anyone can be a personal trainer. Retired, or just lose your job? No big deal, go be a personal trainer. It’s super easy and there are little to no educational requirements. I’m sorry but that will not fly with me.
Admirable as it may be, to say that “many Americans are trying to transform a passion for fitness into a new career;” statements like these are a slap in the face to fitness professionals who have invested time, money to earn a proper education in kinesiology, or exercise science, or related degrees.
