Good Morning All,

I have recently found my passion in personal training and conditioning and would like to pursue it as a full time job. I am currently certified by the NSCA but would really like to continue my education further and soak up as much knowledge as possible. I love working with the general public but would also enjoy working with athlete's (I have connections w/ hockey and figure skating). Any advice or tips to continue my education would be much appreciated.

All the best

Justin, there's always room for more education. I have been looking into prevention and education for those couch potatoes. So many just do not understand that life comes at you all at once when the doctor tells you, "Exercise or die."

It also angers me to watch personal trainers get a person that has never exercised and runs them into the ground. That person will never go back to the gym.

Learn people, learn basic psychology to read people and understand from their standpoint. If you're already personal training and want to be specific in your training, there's nutrition and sports nutrition, exercise physiology, and I can go on and on.

General education, understanding the basic concepts of lifting and how to lift. For example, a personal trainer came to me and told me I shouldn't arch my back for bench press and that bar should go mid-range on my pects.

I told him thanks, but I had a specific bench press I was working on. He also told me not to go parallel on squats, it was not necessary.

What area are you specifically looking into?

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Frank,

What type of bench press do you arch your back on? I'm just curious. I've been a trainer for several years. There are definitely your share of good ones and ones who aren't. The thing about training is everyone has their own style. Thats why some clients will like one trainer to the next. Reading alot helps but also once you actually start training people you'll learn the most from that, seeing what works on people and what don't.

quote:

What type of bench press do you arch your back on?

That's the style and form for powerlifting. Your back isn't flat on the bench. The bar movement/placement is mid to lower sternum, basically, below the the pects. The closer you can keep elbows to the side of you, the better. Elbows never are to go out or get close to parallel with the shoulder. The lats come into play for this type of bench. Any other form, I would not suggest lifting max weight, they would be builder lifts, such as the "bench to the neck." That lift should never be close to a 1RM.

There are many forms of training...thousands. However, all forms have a starting point. If I want to do body building workouts, I've got to be in shape to move to that level. Each client has a different need and goal. The majority don't want to be body builders, so their training should be customized.

These trainers that I've been seeing will not assist a sedentary/nonlifter, only scare them from ever going to the gym. Baffle with BS and scare tactics is not the way. Education and instructional training is how you encourage this type of person. Once they go on a regular basis, move them to a higher level.

A scare tactic was as one trainer telling a person 5'5", 120, "You're a cheeseburger away from a heart attack."

Knowing and learning about your clients, develop a need for your services where they want to come back to you. Show you care for their needs and of course, get some results.

What I'm seeing here at the gym I go to are one size fits all. They're eventually going to overexert someone into cardiac arrest. What I saw was this woman left in disgust. She is about mid 60's, about 5'3" 180 lbs. They had her running up and down stairs, and lifting then running. When I heard her shout, "I CAN'T ANYMORE!!" The trainer laughed and told her to walk it.

So, if someone is looking to be a good trainer with great clientele, I suggest showing that you are concerned about them and not be clinical or laugh at them. Keep files on them. Watch them progress and wait for referrals.

quote:

What type of bench press do you arch your back on?

Here's one link I'd forgotten. This is the best link to all kinds of lifts. Here's the powerlift bench press.

Power bench

This is the lift anyone trying to max on the bench should do and the bar hits mid sternum.

If you're trying to build and chisel a chest the conventional bench should be done and there shouldn't be an arch, the bar to hit higher on the chest.