Are We Sacrificing Expertise for Efficiency? The Debate on Face-to-Face Learning in the Fitness Industry - Written by Paul Russell.
Following an always neuron stimulating conversation with my good friend, colleague, and mentor, Keith Smith, I found myself looking through some old certificates this morning - to send to the uncommonly delicious people at the Pocket Rocket Group - and caught myself reminiscing about some of the wonderful learning experiences I have been blessed with over the past 20 years.
Then I fired up a bit of LinkedIn while I ate lunch at my desk (beans and cheese on a potato, only it was a sweet potato, and the cheese was Gouda), and spotted an exciting post by Future Fit for Business about an upcoming conversation on, training and retraining the best PT's - a topic they describe, and I agree, to be crucial.
And I will listen to this episode of, Beyond The Talk, when published, but in the meantime, this felt like the right time to replay my one track record on the subject of professional standards and education within the fitness industry. Which is, that both will be elevated and improved profoundly, when CIMSPA - or the powers that be, mandate minimum face to face learning hours on all courses, workshops, and qualifications. Meaningful, minimum learning hours.
The Walking, and Circuit Training, certificates shown in the picture I've posted, were obtained 6 months apart, enroute to my full Personal Trainer Award with Central YMCA FIT, and each over two weekends - one full weekend of learning, then a week later one full day of assessments.
The Walking, and Circuit Training, certificates shown in the picture, were obtained 6 months apart, enroute to my full Personal Trainer Award with Central YMCA FIT, and each over two weekends - one full weekend of learning, then a week later one full day of assessments.
That's 6 full days of learning and assessments, just to lead a circuit class or outdoor workout - and with two outstanding and highly experienced tutors delivering each course, a 'pack' of top shelf assessors giving verbal and written feedback throughout, and all available to talk to and ask questions of during breaks and lunch (another warm memory all of a sudden of the, Honest Sausage).
Contrast that with where we are now, 20 years on, and all we now know about the science of the human body and mind, the beautiful and complex art of coaching, the beyond amazing training spaces and abundance of specialist equipment we now have access to - and consider that it is possible to become a fully qualified personal trainer, with fewer than 3 face to face learning days, TOTAL.
Technology, might be the best and the worst thing that happened to the fitness industry since, body building. Gym, and gym equipment design, has improved exponentially with the aid of digital wizardry, as has the experience of the home exerciser, who can now take part in a yoga class with people from every continent on the planet without leaving their bedroom, or even taking off their jim jams.
But education and training for the fitness professional, has used technology not to enhance the learning experience - which it could absolutely do with the very amazing technology available to it, but instead to create opportunities, systems, and processes, to do less and earn more. Which is surely a goal we might all aspire to, but certainly there must be an exception in the case of education?
It is definitely not the case that all training providers are evil, by the way, and probably even all of them are not evil, but where some have taken advantage of the, very, low standards endorsed by CIMSPA, the rest have little option but to follow. Once Training Provider X has advertised a course for £499 with 3 days of face to face learning, why would anyone sign up with Training Provider Y, whose course is £3,999 with 36 days of face to face learning over 6 months?
But when the standard is 36 days (I've made that number up but it feels reasonable), then both training providers, and any others, are now competing not on price, but quality. Those taking short cuts, those who teach the bare minimum, those who have the whole process on auto repeat, those who don't invest in their tutors, those who don't provide real world support for their students, those who have never actually worked on the shop floor.. either raise their game, or disappear.
And what would the PT's entering the industry look like? I am not in any way special, better, or superior, to any other fitness professional, or human being even, but I am a good gym instructor, group circuit instructor, and personal trainer. I'm good because I had no choice but to invest in myself, and the training providers I chose had no choice but to invest in my education. I am a consequence of an exceptional process, a process that was fit for purpose.
I think to become a PT, I had around 50 face to face days, and that's not because the course content was better, it definitely wasn't, and in fact is way better now, but the delivery was far, far better. The tutors on my very first course were Bob Hope and Dr. Paul Bedford. At that time, they would have had around 50-60 years of experience between them, and the biggest lessons we learned did not come from any books. To this day I know that I want to, die as young as possible as late as possible, and that I must, never make another person feel awkward, ugly, or uncomfortable.
From the courses above, Walking, and Circuit Training, I know that I must position the group I'm teaching so they they are close to me, because even in a group or outdoor environment, I can lower my voice to enhance what is heard, that I must be placed so that the sun is in my eyes not theirs, that behind me is something as dull and boring as possible so as to hold their attention, that equipment can tie you to a specific area and limit what you can do, that environment changes everything, that some people don't want to get dirty, or cold, and I know how to manage different skill and fitness levels in the same session. I don't know these things because I read them, but because I experienced them, over and over again, as a participant, and as a teacher, and because I was encouraged to reflect on and share my experience with others, and because I was given feedback throughout.
Two courses, out of 8 total, ranging from 3 to 12 days each, to obtain the exact same qualification - Level 3 PT - as can be earned to day in less than 3 days. We are failing fitness professionals, we are failing the fitness industry, we are failing the public, and I strongly believe the biggest single fix is the implementation of minimum face to face learning hours. But I also owned an air fryer for almost a year before I worked out how to use it, so I readily accept I might be wrong.
I look forward to this episode of, Beyond The Talk, to see what ideas they have, and if any of my beliefs are shared, but I'm also entirely open to hearing from anybody else with thoughts and feelings on this subject. I don't need to be right, I just want to help us move closer to finding what's right, and improve the experience, opportunities, and outcomes for all.
