PEPonline
Professionalization of Exercise Physiologyonline

An international electronic
journal for exercise physiologists
ISSN 1099-5862

Vol 9 No 11 November 2006

 

Personal Training GONE WILD!
Jonathan N. Mike, MS, CSCS
Exercise Physiology/Strength and Conditioning
Louisville, KY 

“Truth is incontrovertible, malice may attack it and ignorance may deride it, but, in the end, there it is.” -- Sir Winston Churchill

The Big Picture
Today, many exercise and fitness programs, especially health clubs, are mired in a deluge of certifications.  There are so many certifications that I don’t even have the interest to become acquainted with all of them. Most require no degree and even worse, can be obtained through the Internet for a small fee.  This is not the right path to credibility, especially since they are not professional certifications.  In fact, it is well known among other healthcare professionals that certifications should be a mark of excellence.  A professional certification should provide a person with a competitive edge and credibility.  This simply is not the case with weekend warrior certifications.   

The purpose of this article is to discuss trust, liability, and legal issues pertaining to facts and useful information not only for the general population, but to athletes and the faculty of exercise science/exercise physiology programs who may not know the severity of the problem before them.  By bringing this information to the forefront, perhaps, I will be able to further demonstrate the continued need for quality professional development and maintenance of strong leadership skills in exercise physiology.

In 2000, a survey was conducted that showed there were over 62,000 personal trainers at work in the United States [1]. According to the 2005 Bureau of Labor Statistics [2], there were approximately 182,000 personal trainers.  For the purpose of this article, it is reasonable to conclude that United States has close to 300 million people.  Hence, for every 1,666 persons, there is one personal trainer.  This statistic may not come as a surprise to you, but it does to me.  Personal training is on the rise.  Because personal trainers are, on average, poorly educated in the scientific content and hands-on laboratory experiences of exercise physiology, there are reasons for concern.

Since 2000, there has been a 66% increase in personal training.  Frankly, that is an astronomical increase.  The only other industry that comes to mind that may have produced a similar volume of growth is computer technology.  In 1999, the number of health clubs reached an all time high of 15,372 and the membership increased to 10 million [3]. I imagine, since we are rapidly approaching 2007, that the number has now increased to more than 20,000 facilities and more than 15 million memberships.  Of course, to manage the increase in memberships, these facilities expect their employees to be certified.  For legal and other reasons, there are now more than 250 exercise and fitness related certifications in the United States.  No wonder there is confusion within the fitness facilities and society as to who is qualified to deal with fitness and exercise prescriptive matters.

Members of most other healthcare professions are required to have a license, along with specific training and professional experience.  This is not the case with personal trainers. Due to lack of federal or state requirements for personal trainers, a professional benchmark has not been implemented.   From my view, it seems that employers are more interested in the trainer’s physical appearance.  Most clients do not know whether they are in the hands of a professional or a non-college graduate who just passed a fitness certification on the Internet. Oddly enough, clients do not question trainers, not because they are fearful, but because they lack knowledge from an ‘exercise’ or ‘health’ prospective.  Perhaps, also, they do not know what questions to ask.  This is a disaster and something should be done about it.  

A surplus of certifying organizations exists within the health and fitness industry, with each organization claiming to test knowledge, skills and abilities that are crucial for an effective trainer. However, previous research has shown that few organizations live up to this measure [4-6]. It seems to me that the three main organizations ( ASEP, ACSM, and NSCA) have done very well in the pursuit of  living up to their certification policies and procedures.  

The Education
Research conducted in 2002 from UCLA’s exercise physiology lab examined the strength and the relations between years of professional training experience, education, and professional certification credentials and actual fitness training knowledge as determined via FIKA (Fitness Instructors Knowledge Assessment); this was developed to provide a measure of knowledge in the following areas: 
  1. Nutrition
  2. Health Screening
  3. Testing Protocols
  4.  Exercise Prescription
  5.  General Training Knowledge regarding special populations  
The findings suggest that trainers who had 5 years of experience but no college degree did poorly on a test of their fitness knowledge, scoring an average of 44%. In other words, extensive training experience in the health and fitness profession does not necessarily translate into a knowledgeable and capable professional. Interestingly enough, the difficulty level was very low, considering it was multiple choice and the answers were on the page. A few examples of questions asked include the following:

  1. What intensity of exercise is most appropriate to develop a cardiovascular benefit in an apparently healthy individual?
  2. Which of the following exercise prescriptions would you recommend to a type 2 diabetic?
  3. What percent of protein should contribute to the total daily caloric intake for an average individual?
Only one group of trainers did reasonably well.  Those with an undergraduate degree in kinesiology and certified by ACSM or NSCA. However, people can be good test takers and pass and not have adequate knowledge, even with a degree in exercise science or kinesiology. The major conclusion revealed was that education may be more important than personal training experience in personal trainers. Today more than ever, it is very difficult to determine whether a trainer has the education he/she needs. Due to the overwhelming amount of certifications available, there is considerable confusion.  The identification of QUALITY and REPECTED certifications, (i.e., ASEP) needs to be enlisted and studied.    

Although education maybe more important than experience, I feel they are equally important in order to secure prominent positions (i.e., – professor vs. strength and conditioning coach) at the college and or pro level. Thomas et al. [7] studied the training experience of 58 health fitness professionals in the Houston area. Most respondents had a fair amount of experience (i.e., 41% had over 6 years experience in the health and fitness profession).  Yet, 84% of these trainers recommended a higher percentage of protein in their daily caloric intake than that a counseled by the FDA, which is probably exactly the same if not similar to the RDA [7].

Although controversial, this is not a discussion about protein intake. Fuller and Harding [4] identified a set of college courses that they believe are necessary for health and fitness individuals (such as nutrition, exercise physiology, and exercise prescription). They found that no single course had been taken by more than 60% of the respondents in their study, and that 38% of those health and fitness individuals had completed none of the key courses.  

Davis [8] found similar results with 39% of the 57 health fitness professionals in his study having degrees in exercise science.  Furthermore, Fuller and Harding [6] assessed possible relations among formal education, type of certifying organization, and level of knowledge. The authors identified 13 core courses which they considered important for preparing a personal trainer:
 
  1. Human Anatomy
  2. Biochemistry
  3. Biomechanics
  4. Care and Prevention of Athletic Injuries
  5. Exercise Physiology
  6. Exercise Prescription
  7. Exercise Testing
  8. Fitness Programming
  9. Nutrition
  10. Nutrition, Exercise, and Weight Control
  11. Human Physiology
  12. Sports Medicine
  13. Weight Training

Although the sample was small (n=9), they found that individuals certified by ACSM or NSCA, as well as individuals working in rehabilitation, had completed an average of 74% of these courses. Over 80% of the sub-sample had completed at least 3 or more of the core courses. Interestingly enough, ASEP’s required courses [9] are almost identical to the courses listed above and more. All of the content from basic science to exercise physiology core courses to electives not only match the above list, but they offer much more than that, if you look on the program accreditation page. Why don’t other college and university programs take advantage of what ASEP offers? Why do health and fitness settings automatically believe ACSM and NSCA are golden and flawless?   

Nightmare on ‘Health’ Street
Wouldn’t anyone be impressed by a degree from American Fitness Professionals and Associates?  In my own search for this, it turns out it comes from a P.O. Box in Ship Bottom, New Jersey, and can be obtained for $315. According to the online certification process, the AFPA claims to have produced over 57,000 certified personal trainers and fitness professionals worldwide. In addition, the only requirements are 18 years of age, a GED, and ‘basic familiarity’ with anatomy and resistance training. There is no requirement for CPR, but you have to score a 90% on the test. If you fail, they mail you the questions you answered incorrectly and provide a 2-week slot to get them correct. By the way, how does one classify ‘basic’ anatomy?  

It should be no surprise these places employ graduates and not necessarily exercise science graduates (B.S. or M.S.). As previously mentioned, it can be anyone from off the street.  These facilities consist of chains, privately owned facilities, commercialized, corporate or local establishments. Considering the facts, it seems that gyms would lose customers and quarrel via lawsuits by hiring Mr. ‘Expert’. The truth is, they desperately need personnel and ostensibly establish a fail-safe way to avoid liability. The explosion of personal trainers over the last 5 years has created a scramble for gyms to hire more staff.  

Through 2012, personal training is expected to be one of the fastest growing occupations nationwide. In order to deny responsibility, gyms hide behind degrees of separation. Initially, the person has to sign a waiver. By joining a gym, you most assuredly must sign a clause. An example of this wavier is below.

_________________________
Participant Name
Informed Consent/Release of Liability ***Please read carefully***

I,  _______________________, admit knowingly and willingly that I have enrolled in a physical fitness program that includes, but is not limited to, running, jumping, stretching, strength training, and exercising in different locations in and   _____________, or anywhere the participant is exercising. In consideration of my entry and of my own free will, I (the undersigned) do hereby for myself and my heirs, executors, and administrators, waive, release, and give up any and all claims, demands, liability, damages, costs and expenses of any kind whatsoever (including personal injury to me or my wrongful death) against  ______________ instructors and any persons involved in the program and all of its affiliates (including but not limited to instructors, participants, the City of __________, the City of ___________, County of ___________, Highways and Transportation District, its officers, directors, employees, contractors and subcontractors), that may arise from my participation in ____________ activities or while traveling to and from the classes, even if caused in whole or in part by the negligence or other fault of the aforementioned parties or persons. I fully understand that I may injure myself as a result of my participation in this program and hereby release  --______________, and aforementioned facilities from any liability, now or in the future, including but not limited to heart attacks, muscle strains, sprains, pulls, tears, broken bones, shin splints, heat exhaustion, knee, back, or foot injuries and any other illness, soreness, or injury, however caused, occurring during or after my participation in this exercise program. It is further agreed that all exercises including the use of equipment, as well as travel to and from ________ shall be AT MY OWN RISK. This waiver applies to every state/country. I FULLY UNDERSTAND THAT I AM FOREVER GIVING UP, IN ADVANCE, ANY RIGHT TO SUE OR MAKE CLAIMS AGAINST THE PARTIES I AM RELEASING, IF I SUFFER ANY INJURIES OR DAMAGES, EVEN THOUGH I DO NOT KNOW WHAT OR HOW EXTENSIVE THOSE INJURIES AND DAMAGES MIGHT BE AND AM VOLUNTARILY ASSUMING THE RISK OF SUCH INJURIES OR DAMAGES. I UNDERSTAND THIS CONSENT FORM AND AM NOT UNDER ANY PHYSICAL OR EMOTIONAL DURESS TO SIGN.

Signing Away Rights!

To make matters worse, the systems (gyms, health, fitness, and wellness facilities) are arranged so trainers are subcontractors. Simply, they are classified as independents. This not only sets the stage for outrageous negligence, but allows the gym to sidestep their liability. Of course, if the client becomes injured, he/she can always sue the trainer and even the facility itself. However, since most trainers are not insured, good luck winning any compensation.  After all, the client did sign the waiver. 

 

In recent years, the number of lawsuits brought forth as a result of negligence on behalf of health and fitness trainers has risen dramatically. Inadequate screening and premature certification of unqualified personnel can expose health and fitness clubs and certifying bodies to liability should clients become injured from negligence of an unqualified trainer. All parties need to implement standards that reduce injury rates and legal situations.

 
In terms of injuries, it is estimated that 50% of all health and fitness members have suffered minor injuries. Most often the parties do not complain, so is there an incentive to demand that employees are more qualified?  From a legal perspective, it seems the courts are beginning to understand more about the health and fitness industry, which may put more pressure on health and fitness clubs to get it together.  

How have these problems impacted this profession? Obviously, creating unqualified programs compromises the integrity of the industry, generating more problems for qualified personal trainers, health clubs, the public and insurance companies. Today’s trainers must take on a higher level of responsibility for their clients. They must ensure clients receive appropriate care and supervision as they continue to pursue their individual goals. Liability rests on their shoulders, and they are directly responsible for clients’ mind, body, and health. What can we do as professionals? Do we work with it or against it? Will it get worse before it gets better?

References

  1. Idea. (2000). IDEA/ASD Personal Fitness Training Survey: The Consumer Perspective. [online]. http:/www.ideafit.com/prasdsurvey.cfm
  2. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2005). [online]. http://www. stats.bls.gov
  3. Malek M.H., Nalbone, D.P., Berger, D.E., and Coburn, J.W. (2002). Importance of Health Science Education for Personal Fitness Trainers. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. 16:1:19-24.
  4. David Q. Thomas Ph.D., Kelly A. Long Ph.D. and Barbara Myers. (1993). Survey: Survey of Personal Trainers in Houston, Texas. National Strength and Conditioning Association Journal: Vol. 15, No. 3, pp. 43–46
  5. Fuller, BB., S. Feyrer-Melk, D.Q. Thomas, and F.V. Harding. (1995). A statistical analysis of the academic preparation and knowledge of fitness instructors in the Southwestern United States from 1992-1995. Poster presented at the Annual Meeting of the Southwest Chapter American College of Sports Medicine, San Diego, November 1995.
  6. Fuller, B.B., and F.V. Harding. (1994). A survey of personal trainers in the Greater Los Angeles area. Poster presented at the Annual Meeting of the Southwest Chapter American College of Sports Medicine, San Diego, November 1994.
  7. Heyward, V. (2006). Advanced Fitness Assessment and Exercise Prescription (5th ed.). Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics, 2006.
  8. Davis,C. (1994). A Survey of the level of knowledge of exercise leaders and fitness instructors. Unpublished Master’s thesis, Arizona State University, Tempe, 1994.
  9. American Society of Exercise Physiologists. (2006). [Online]. http://www.asep.org/accreditation/

 




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