What to do when you see an unprofessional personal trainer?

by Kathryn Weihen | Monday, November 14, 2011

As fitness professionals, where do we draw the line in pulling up our colleagues when using incorrect techniques whilst training their clients?
 
During my own training sessions I often see clients performing exercises incorrectly while under the supervision of their personal trainer. All too often I see lunges performed incorrectly, free weights being lifted with poor technique and clients being instructed to do exercises that are too advanced for them. This unprofessional approach to training could stem from a lack of experience on the part of the personal trainer, lack of competence, or simply a poorly designed program.  ...read more

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As a Personal Trainer do you know what you don't know?

by Alisha Smith | Thursday, September 22, 2011

“At 13 weeks pregnant, the baby is only about as big as the tip of your finger.” When my close friend, C, told me that her personal trainer had said this before insisting that she continue with the crunches and planks on which she had questioned him, I insisted that she find a new trainer.  ...read more

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Do we need a Code of Conduct for PTs?

by Oliver Kitchingman | Monday, July 11, 2011

The following post was written by Meredith Julliard, a personal trainer, coordinator and group exercise instructor.

I have worked in the fitness industry for the last 16 years and have had the privilege of helping hundreds of people reach significant fitness, health and, more importantly, personal growth goals.  ...read more

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Is this your dream job? PT on a Criuse Ship?

by Rebecca Myers | Wednesday, March 02, 2011

Imagine waking up in a different port every morning and working in a gym that has constantly changing views from its windows.   ...read more

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Hugh Jackman and Jennifer Aniston have one.

by Rebecca Myers | Sunday, February 06, 2011

Have you ever dreamed of being a trainer to the stars?

  ...read more

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The Unprofessional Fitness Professional

by Oliver Kitchingman | Monday, January 31, 2011

The following post was written by San Diego industry professional Anthony Carey  of Function First. Recently I posted on Facebook some grainy photosof a personal training session I stumbled upon in the Pacific Beach area in San Diego. I had parked my truck above the bayside beach to take in the view and draw inspiration for some goal setting and strategic planning I was doing.

Well, I was inspired alright. Inspired to vent my shock and disbelief for what this ‘trainer’ was pulling off as a paid personal training session.   ...read more

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Are You an Ethical Personal Trainer?

by Lisa Champion | Saturday, November 27, 2010

Today on the Sydney Morning Herald website a news article caught my eye which was titled ‘Fitness group rescued off NSW beach’. It was purely an informational piece reporting on a trainer’s decision to take his boot camp clients into the ocean after an apparently hard training session on the beach.

The article stirred up some strong feelings in me. What was the personal trainer thinking? Was jumping into the sea after a hard training session on the beach wise? Did he/she take time to think about the greater implications of that decision?  ...read more

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Career "Life Span" of the Personal Trainer

by Ryan Hogan | Wednesday, October 20, 2010

The following post was written by exercise physiologist, FILEX presenter and industry consultant William Sukala. You can read the original post on his blog by clicking here.

I was having dinner with a personal training colleague the other day when the conversation fell on the topic of the average professional "life span" of a personal trainer. We anecdotally observed that most trainers in the industry last anywhere from 1 to 3 years and then drop it for something else altogether. This prompted the question -- why so short?  ...read more

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The 10(ish) Commandments for Professional Personal Trainers

by Ryan Hogan | Monday, August 30, 2010

Over the years the Network crew and I have seen a huge explosion in the personal training segment of our industry. Personal trainers are now a mainstay in small and large health clubs. The personal training courses have become more professional, and the quality of trainers has never been higher.

In analysing the professional behaviour of the most successful personal trainers out there I have come up with what I believe to be some really clear guidelines for professionalism. This list doesn’t cover topics on how to be better at programming or training, it simply reflects what I believe the behaviour of a professional trainer should be.  ...read more

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What is the dollar value of a Personal Training session these days?

by Ryan Hogan | Monday, July 19, 2010

Some years ago when I first moved to Sydney, I *gasp* took some time off exercising after having taught classes for more than 10 years. After a few months of getting rather porky and feeling pretty unfit, I decided it was time to make my way back into the health club scene. I promptly joined a local chain of gyms and began working in earnest to lose some of the beer and pie weight accumulated over the previous six months.

After working very hard on my own for a while, I decided to do some research into hiring a personal trainer to help me achieve my fitness goals. By this stage I was already working at Network and being immersed back in the fitness world I was sure that a PT would be just the thing to whip me back into shape. After speaking to the personal training manager at the club I was a member of, I was referred to a trainer who promptly interviewed me and did a very thorough needs analysis. We then moved on to the sample workout which was outstanding.  ...read more

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