Weight Loss
Senior Fitness
Strength TrainingTrusting Your Personal Trainer—Go For the Gold
Gold Certified from ACE and the Gold Standard of all certifications from ACSM.
Tad Campbell has all
three professional
certifications
A personal training license does not necessarily an expert make. "The industry is highly unregulated, and it puts the public at risk," says Walt Thompson, Ph.D., professor of kinesiology at Georgia State University.
To make sure your personal trainer is qualified, Thompson recommends asking about his or her certification and the training required to get it. A study by the University of California at Los Angeles tested 115 fitness professionals and found that only those who held a bachelor's degree in exercise science or were certified by the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) or by the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) answered most fitness questions correctly. Of the 115 tested, 19 percent had a college degree in exercise, and only 9 percent were certified by one of the two organizations. In addition to ACSM and NSCA, Thompson says the American Council on Exercise is a legitimate certification organization.
Thompson advises looking for warning signs of an unqualified trainer. "If, at a first session, a trainer does no evaluation or doesn't ask about pre-existing conditions, that's unacceptable," he says. "And if a trainer ever walks away or doesn't give you his or her full attention, skip the rest of the session and find someone new."
—Christie Matheson, April 2003, "Exercise Magazine"
Choosing a Trainer? Beware of the Following
- Gyms that take your membership dues but are hands-off and don't help you
- Trainers that work only one muscle at a time
- Trainers with "weekend" certifications, earned in one weekend
- Education that doesn't include a fitness or wellness related degree
If you're looking for a personal trainer in Orlando, Tad is a trainer you can trust. With over 12 years experience, and being fully certified and degreed, he is one of Central Florida's Premier Fitness Experts. With Tad your results are proven. Don't settle for less.