Any Personal Trainers on here?

[Dog Biscuit]

Just looking for some advice....

I'm looking to undertake the training to become one and want to select the best, most comprehensive and cost effective provider that has all the right associations for insurance.

I'm 51, currently qualified an amateur boxing coach with England Boxing and well versed with all aspects of physical training and student management etc.

My target market with the PT route is my current demographic where Ilive - older people, say 50 plus who are finding things are harder than they used to be, fitness has deteriorated and accumulating the associated ailments of older age. Like a get fit and improve mobility rather than weight loss and smashing out PBs.

Many thanks

[milesgiles]

I’m not but I think it’s a great idea. I would just get the minimal qualifications your gym requires but LOOK THE PART. I’m 50 myself, if you look fit at that age I’d be amazed if you didn’t get business

[Dog Biscuit]

Thanks Giles and yeah I agree; if you're selling the dream you have got to live the dream.

Fortunately I'm in good fettle as I work out daily, be that cardio, boxing or weights. It's partly my reasoning for the move - I want to help others get into shape and enjoy life better in later years.

[milesgiles]

Since it’s not my job I don’t diet strictly enough to be ripped. But I still stand out a little for my age and get asked bits and bobs here and there. Got to believe there’s an obvious niche for older trainers training older clients

[Dog Biscuit]

milesgiles said:

Since it’s not my job I don’t diet strictly enough to be ripped. But I still stand out a little for my age and get asked bits and bobs here and there. Got to believe there’s an obvious niche for older trainers training older clients

That's my feeling too

I just don't think people really realise how much their strength and mobility deteriorates with age and before they know it they are struggling.

The mental lift is a big benefit too.

[milesgiles]

Dog Biscuit said:

That's my feeling too

I just don't think people really realise how much their strength and mobility deteriorates with age and before they know it they are struggling.

The mental lift is a big benefit too.

Just don’t think a twenty year old has any concept of the limitations of middle age. I know I didn’t. Makes no sense to me hiring a much younger pt unless of the opposite sex obvs

[popeyewhite]

Hello OP, I did the Premier personal trainer course about 20 years ago. To my mind they were quite thorough. I went on to teach for Premier, already having a couple of exercise related Degrees, and like yourself a long term history of sports coaching: mine in strength and conditioning and martial arts.

A quick Google informs Premier still exists, I can't really speak for any others though I have a qualification from ABC as well. Regarding insurance: I source my own. Regarding clientele: you adapt your style to whatever demographic you choose. Unless you take a specific course (ie post operation rehab for heart patients) you could coach almost any age group provided you screen properly initially.

[Dog Biscuit]

popeyewhite said:

Hello OP, I did the Premier personal trainer course about 20 years ago. To my mind they were quite thorough. I went on to teach for Premier, already having a couple of exercise related Degrees, and like yourself a long term history of sports coaching: mine in strength and conditioning and martial arts.

A quick Google informs Premier still exists, I can't really speak for any others though I have a qualification from ABC as well. Regarding insurance: I source my own. Regarding clientele: you adapt your style to whatever demographic you choose. Unless you take a specific course (ie post operation rehab for heart patients) you could coach almost any age group provided you screen properly initially.

Ah great thanks for that - really useful and I appreciate it!

I'll take a look at the premier route and see what they offer.

[DrEMa]

I'm a PT and massage therapist, also not that much younger than you (45). My advice would be to find the cheapest course to get the qualification for insurance, then invest your time and money in to learning from people who are experts in their field - every PT qualification course will cover basic gym exercises, programming etc but realistically none of that will make you stand out from the crowd. They're also way behind with regards to things like anatomy and functional movement (in the true sense, not CrossFit stuff). Feel free to give me a shout if you want any advice on where to start looking.

[popeyewhite]

DrEMa said:

They're also way behind with regards to things like anatomy and functional movement (in the true sense, not CrossFit stuff).

When I was at Uni on a Sports Coaching Degree (Bsc) we did a very thorough module on anatomy. We were joined for the entire module (1x pw/5 weeks) by students on the Premier personal trainer course. This was a while back now. To be fair I have no idea - other providers who run these courses may do exactly the same, I'm not trying to promote premier in any way!

[DrEMa]

Unfortunately anatomy is taught as the human body being made of parts, muscles that just act through origins and insertions, that they stretch, joints as levers etc. nothing on fascia, that everything works as a system (isolation is impossible) with ultimately 2 forces - tension and compression. The more you go down that route, the harder it is to accept things that are not as you are taught. While this isn't an issue in principle, what you start working with human performance in terms of basic movement and corrective movement it undoes so much of the traditional ideas of training (this is why no sprinters squat these days, cleans are getting dropped at a high level for S and C out with weightlifting athletes). I had my mind was blown in 2015 when it was first explained to me that muscles don't stretch and I've been trying to constantly evolve what I do ever since as I keep learning. I just happen to be in a very fortunate position that one of the people involved in some of the current anatomy research works at my gym.

[Dog Biscuit]

DrEMa said:

I'm a PT and massage therapist, also not that much younger than you (45). My advice would be to find the cheapest course to get the qualification for insurance, then invest your time and money in to learning from people who are experts in their field - every PT qualification course will cover basic gym exercises, programming etc but realistically none of that will make you stand out from the crowd. They're also way behind with regards to things like anatomy and functional movement (in the true sense, not CrossFit stuff). Feel free to give me a shout if you want any advice on where to start looking.

Hello DrEMa

Thanks for an informative and comprehensive response.

I'm leaning to getting the 'basic' qualification and building on my current capacity from the boxing plus S&C coaching.

I also appreciate the offer to contact you too...I might just do in the near future

Thanks again to all

[popeyewhite]

DrEMa said:

this is why no sprinters squat these days

Noah Lyles, the fastest 200m runner in the world, and current 100m Olympic Champion, does squats. He also swears by stretching his hamstrings. Is he wrong to do this?

[TownIdiot]

Have you considered using your boxing experience as your differentiator?

Could be a good niche.

[DrEMa]

popeyewhite said:

Noah Lyles, the fastest 200m runner in the world, and current 100m Olympic Champion, does squats. He also swears by stretching his hamstrings. Is he wrong to do this?

Your conflating elite performance with health - they are two very separate things. A hugs amount of athletes are pretty trashed at the end of their careers and live in pain.

I should have been clearer - barbell back squats with significant weight? That's not what I've been told (this coming from one of the sprint coaches at the Olympics). Deep static stretching wouldn't suprise me - gymnasts do loads of stretching and an awful lot of coaching is pretty dogmatic. It's performance Vs long term health. It will have long term negative consequences, but it's a price they're happy to pay to be the best in the world. High level athletes are also genetic freaks, a lot can perform fantastically in spite of what they do, not because of it (Usain bolt and his chicken nuggets for example).

If you think I'm talking nonsense, that's absolutely fine, it's not an easy thing to accept from some random PT on the internet. As I said, I just happen to work with someone involved in some of this.

[Bill]

It can be difficult changing athletes perceptions too. If they believe stretching helps do you risk affecting their psychology by pointing out the evidence doesn't support their habits.

[popeyewhite]

Bill said:

It can be difficult changing athletes perceptions too. If they believe stretching helps do you risk affecting their psychology by pointing out the evidence doesn't support their habits.

Depends on the muscle group. But if the practice isn't harmful and doesn't take up too much time and the athlete 'feels' better in some way then I'd leave them be. It also depends on what kind of coaching is being given, and what the sport is.

[Bill]

Much like lucky pants!

[popeyewhite]

Bill said:

Much like lucky pants!

Haha yes, exactly.

[Jefferson Steelflex]

The gap in the market these days, and perhaps relevant to your Over-50s demographic, is the understanding of functional movement and the impact of habits on health and wellbeing.

There are more and more people, myself included, who have got themselves into such bad postural habits because of siting down to much or just being too sedentary in general, that they just get strange injuries. A modern PT who could look at functional movement patterns for older patients and understand the body's desire to compensate, would be very handy and probably inundated with work.