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How To Become
A Fitness Trainer:
Certification
Requirements
Requirements
for Fitness Trainer Certification
Before you can take any of the different certification tests for becoming a
fitness trainer, you have to meet certain standards. These standards will
sometimes change according to the type of fitness trainer certification you're
applying for, as well as the standards set by the ruling body of the fitness
organization from which you're applying for certification. A good rule of thumb
is to make inquiries before applying for a certification test, asking what
requirements the organization may have. By and large, however, here are some of
the requirements that are common to most, if not all, fitness organizations for
certification.
Age Limit and Diploma - most organizations will set the age limit for their
certified trainers at around 18 or 21, and will require, at the least, a high
school degree. Not every group requires college degrees, though some of the
stricter ones require college degrees in sports sciences even for basic fitness
trainer positions. If you're applying for advanced trainer courses though, such
college degrees are a hard prerequisite.
First Aid Training, Especially CPR - knowledge of first aid is a must, and the
minimum requirement you can expect to see in most organizations is a
certification from taking at least CPR course. These certificates must be at
least 1 year up to date, and old or expired certificates are not accepted. Some
certification courses require full first aid training, right down to splinting
broken bones and dealing with shock and trauma. This is more commonly needed in
fitness trainers for sports therapy related fields. We will be discussing first
aid in depth in an upcoming chapter.
Basic Knowledge of Anatomy - a basic knowledge of the parts of the human body is
a must. The tests for fitness trainer certification don't simply deal with
muscle groups, but also include knowledge of the cardiovascular, respiratory,
and nervous systems, as these are all integral to fitness and health training.
Basic Knowledge of Cardiovascular Exercise - one of the basics of fitness
training is cardiovascular work. The certification tests will determine if you
have the necessary knowledge of the drills and exercises required to bring
overweight and out-of-shape people back up to speed in terms of their endurance
and wind. Having some basic training in jogging/running and aerobics will
usually be enough to fill this bill.
Basic Knowledge of Resistance Training - this is another field of study that's
basic knowledge for any fitness trainer. Working with weights and isometric
machines is a necessary part of any fitness trainer's regimen. You need to know
not only how to pump iron, but how to do so safely, including knowledge of how
to work solo, with a spotter, using free weights, resistance machines, and the
like.
Basic Knowledge in Nutrition and Sports Nutrition - these two areas of knowledge
are important in fitness and health. You have to be able to determine the
dietary habits of your clients and recommend necessary changes to keep them fit.
Some organizations require that you know only one of the two, but the stricter
ones require that you know both the dietary requirements for basic fitness as
well as the ones for higher end dedicated athletes.
Watch for upcoming chapters on nutritional strategies and sample fitness meal
plans.
Basic Certification (for advanced courses) - advanced trainer courses will
require that you already have passed the basic fitness trainer requirements
above, and have a certificate for them. Advanced courses will often have their
own fields of specialty, kind of like the difference between a heart or brain
surgeon as opposed to a general medical practitioner, and they will train you in
those specialized fields, like certification as a yoga instructor or children's
sports and fitness instructors.
Specialized Knowledge (for advanced courses) - as stated above, advanced courses
usually focus on a specialized field of study. While they often teach most of
the necessary skills during the certification course, some fields will actually
require that you have at least a passing knowledge of other areas of study
related to the chosen course. For example, an advanced fitness trainer in
basketball sports science must, of course, already know the nuances of the game
intimately.
Prior Work Experience (for advanced courses) - lastly, advanced fitness trainer
course certification requires at least 1 year's experience working as a
certified basic fitness instructor. Some organizations actually require 2 or
even 3 years experience first, depending on the estimated complexity and
difficulty level of the advanced course you're applying for.
>>> Table of
Contents
Fitness Trainer News:
MSN
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Google
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