PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. - Personal trainers are seen at almost any gym. They can be seen coaching, pushing clients, or even giving a small little pep talk after words. In Plattsburgh, New York there is a surplus of many gyms. They range from Planet Fitness, Eclipse, Crossfit, campus gym, Powerhouse etc. Walking into a gym doesn’t always mean exact results will happen. That’s where personal trainers can come in.
Personal
trainer is by the National Federation of Professional Trainers (NFPT)
definition:
“is
a fitness professional possessing the knowledge, skills and abilities
for
safe and effective exercise and fitness program design, instruction
and
assistance for the purpose of reaching personal health and fitness goals.”
There are several different ways to
go about become a personal trainer. The Aerobics and Fitness Association of
America, is one of the most common certifications for group exercise teachers,
and personal trainers because it covers so many different areas. AFAA refers
to personal training, group exercise,
kickboxing, step, pilates etc. certifications.
People
use personal trainers for many reasons. Sean Howard a current baseball player
used a personal trainer to help with his strength, mobility, and conditioning.
His trainer helped him with baseball specific workouts. He noticed a big
difference than had he just done workouts on his own. Howard was on his own for
nutritional help, which is not always the case.
Jennifer
Thume is a personal trainer for the Lake Placid, Plattsburgh, and Vermont area.
Her clients’ goals are what she works and continues to work for. She has many
certifications, but is not afraid to refer her clients elsewhere if she feels
her services wouldn’t be best suited.
One of the
certifications that she has obtained is her Crossfit level 1. To be certified
as a level 1 Crossfit there is no prerequisites but is designed to make the
future trainers more aware of the proper techniques, and able to use and teach
the program correctly.
She also has her
NFPT certification which is NCAA accredited. The NFPT has a little more
nutritional side to it. Thume also has her Bachelors in Nutrition. She finds
encompassing the nutritional side of training to be beneficial in her business,
and her clients’ goals.
In a couple weeks
she is taking her Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist which is the
top recognized certification. You can’t apply for the CSCS without having a
bachelors in something related to health and fitness. The acceptance of the
bachelors is decided by council.
Not all personal
trainers are determined to make their clients goals their number one priority,
as stated by Thume. She takes pride in the fact she has several different
certifications. She can work with other trainers and that’s actually where she
gets some of her different ideas. Thume is an avid reader. She reads for new
ideas, networks out to Utah, Chicago, and Lake Placid. One of her biggest
pushes and help in the industry is her comradery with Powerhouse gym owner and
trainer Michelle Mosher.
Mosher is a
personal trainer with a bag full of goodies under her belt as well. She trained
and competed competitively as a bodybuilder. After receiving her pro-card she
wanted to help others and their goal to eat right, get fit, and be on stage as
well. She has her AFAA, Peak pilates, Zumba, Madd Dog spin, and Biggest Loser
Pro certifications.
The Biggest Loser
Pro certification was because she saw the need for it here in Plattsburgh. “You
can’t train bigger people like you train smaller people” she says. She wanted
the safe and proper way to train those who needed it. To get the Biggest Loser
certification though there is a
She has recently
been working with Thume to get herself back into the swing of things. She was
one of the first people to be certified with Madd Dog Spin when it came out in
1992. She retired from teaching spin classes in 2012/2013. After 20 years she
was just burned out. But she still can jump in and teach a class if she has to.
Mosher gets a lot
of her information from “slamming ideas” off of other trainers. She likes to
read for new, fun, and updated routines, and ideas for different training.
Different types of
certification are needed to maintain the AFAA certification. It is also the
easiest and cheapest to maintain. There are discounts available to those who
teach at the college campus.
Emily Alexander is
one of the group exercise leaders at SUNY Plattsburgh. She teaches a Dance Fit
class, which is 25 minutes of Zumba like movements, and then 5 minutes of
strength and conditioning. She has her AFAA in group exercise and pilates. In
her hometown she taught pilates. But at the school she just does the Dance Fit.
She also has a minor in nutrition
There is a free
way for students, and faculty to obtain a personal trainer through the school.
Most of the personal trainers are fitness and wellness majors at the college.
They have to have their American College of Sports Medicine certification. They
need 92 hours of personal training time. Not all of the personal trainers are
fitness and wellness majors. But they do need to obtain some form of personal
training certificate.
One of the members
of the personal training team at SUNY Plattsburgh who is not a fitness and
wellness major is Ariel Monserrate. She is passionate about working out and
loves to share her passion with others. She is also considered as supervisory
level in the gym. She still gets a little time to work in the gym with her
clients. She manages to make time outside of her scheduled work hours to get
her training time in.
There are
different types of personal trainers. Some come with the gym, some are
freelance. Not all trainers have the same certifications so it’s important to
research what each trainer offers. Trainers often work with each other, and
they bounce ideas off each other. It not only helps clients but it helps them
become more marketable in the business world.
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