Perfect Practice Makes Perfect!
Important IFPA Personal Fitness Trainer Job
Description Update. We are in the process of a Job Description Update
and request your help in getting our Job Description PERFECT! Please
look over the Job Description carefully and add your comments,
criticisms, suggestions and ideas in the space provided at the bottom.
This Job Description is a critical step in the development of all IFPA
Exams, Certifications, and Courses, and is our primary guide to help you
become the best of all Fitness Professionals. Your diligent efforts to
get this right will enable the IFPA to provide you with the knowledge,
skills and abilities you need for high levels of achievement. Thank you
for all your efforts. Together, we are all making our country a fitter,
healthier and happier place to live.
Best regards,
Jim Bell, PhD
CEO
------------------------------ Job Description
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Entry-Level Personal Fitness Trainer
Establishes
ongoing appointments with clients for fitness training sessions. The
entry level PFT should have a clear understanding of Exercise
Physiology, Exercise Science, Anatomy, Nutrition, Biomechanics and
Exercise Safety guidelines as they apply to the generally healthy (no
medical restrictions to exercise or fitness type activities) adult
population. Personal fitness training programs include all of the
following elements:
1.
Client Consultation and Assessment
2.
Fitness Testing & Evaluation
3.
Program Design (Exercise Prescription)
4.
Exercise Management
A.
Exercise Physiology
B. Anatomy
C.
Biomechanics
D. Safety
E.
Instruction/Motivation
F.
Tracking Progress of Client
5.
Nutrition Education
6.
Exercise Physiology and Anatomy
Duties and Tasks
(1) Client
Consultation and Assessment
-
Establish client’s
health and fitness goals
-
Interview client with
Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire (PAR-Q) to identify if the
client is physically ready to exercise-use in combination with Health
History Questionnaire (HHQ)
-
Interview client
screening using a Health History Questionnaire (HHQ) to identify
medical conditions that may affect workout
-
Interview client with
other forms to learn about diet, nutrition, exercise, and health
practices/habits that might be improved (example: Lifestyle Profile
Evaluation Form)
-
Determine the Client’s
knowledge (or lack thereof) of Nutrition
-
Prepare to consult,
advise, educate client on the fundamental need for healthy nutrition,
nutrition planning and implementation
-
Nutrition Education:
the majority of clients have little knowledge & understanding of
proper, healthy nutrition. In order for the PFT to guide their
clients to achieve their health & fitness goals, PFT must educate
their clients on nutrition. As a minimum the PFT must be prepared to
educate the client on :
-
--Macronutrients:
Carbohydrates, Fats & Protein
-
--Micronutrients:
Vitamins & Minerals
-
--Hydration: Healthy
Water Intake
-
--Energy Management:
Caloric Intake vs. Outgo
-
--Meal Planning:
Frequency & Volume
-
--Nutrition for
Health Improvements
-
--Nutrition for Body
Composition Improvements
-
--Nutrition for
Optimal Performance
-
Explain Consent &
Release forms
-
Explain policies and
describe the program
-
what client is to
expect
-
rules
-
payment policies
-
cancellation policies
-
administrative forms
(2)
Fitness Testing/Evaluation
1.
cardiorespiratory endurance
2.
muscular endurance
3.
muscular strength
4.
body composition
5.
agility
6.
balance
7.
coordination
8.
joint flexibility
9.
speed
10.
power
-
Nutrition Education:
All Components of Fitness may be affected by both Nutrition (optimal
performance issues) and/or Body Composition (Fat Loss vs. Lean Tissue
[muscle & bone]). The PFT must be prepared to educate the client on
healthy, nutritional and lifestyle changes necessary to guide their
client to their health and fitness goals. In some cases, it may be
necessary to refer their clients to a registered dietician for help in
achieving their goals.
(3)
Program design--establish a workout plan
(see chart
for an example)
-
Needs analysis;
establish a workout plan that fits the client’s goals, and information
obtained from initial consultation and fitness testing
-
Review fitness data to
determine level of fitness of client: beginner, intermediate,
advanced, elite
-
Evaluate 10 components
of fitness of the client (cardiorespiratory endurance, muscular
endurance, muscular strength, body composition, agility, balance,
coordination, joint flexibility, speed, power) and determine any
component is lacking
-
Review/Incorporate the
goals of the client (example: weight loss, lean muscle gain, general
health improvements, strength and power gain, flexibility, etc.)
-
Identify obstacles
(example: pain, prior injuries, health and medical issues-refer to
advanced personal trainer for special populations) that need to be
considered when creating exercise program
-
Design exercise program
incorporating level of fitness, level of each component of fitness,
goals of the client and obstacles that affect training
-
Establish periodization
for resistance training (utilize exercise physiology principles (-GPO,
FITT, SAID, etc.)
-
Professional Program
Design requires a thorough knowledge in:
Example of periodization - 3 phases for resistance
training
1) First 4 weeks-hypertrophy-high volume, low
intensity; goal-increase volume and muscle size and strength (example:
First 4 weeks-high reps 12-15, sets 1-2)
2) Next 4 weeks-strength phase-moderate volume and
intensity; goal increase strength (example: next 4 weeks moderate reps
8-12, sets 2-3)
3) Next 4 weeks-power phase-low volume and high
intensity; continue increasing strength along with peak power output
(last 4 weeks, low reps more weight reps 7 and below, sets 3 or more)
Variations can be made by changing exercises,
repetitions, weight, number of sets, frequency of exercising a different
muscle group, and resistance training systems.
Establish a routine for cardiovascular training
1) First 4 weeks-increased time, low intensity-30-45
minutes at 60-70% Maximum heart rate (MaxHR)
2) Next 4 weeks-moderate time and intensity-60
minutes at 70-80% MaxHR
3) Next 4 weeks-decreased time and high intensity-60
minutes at 80-90% MaxHR
(4)
Exercise Management
-
The Entry Level PFT
must have a clear understanding of all ten components of fitness: 1)
Strength, 2) Speed, 3) Power, 4) Anaerobic Endurance, 5) Aerobic
Endurance, 6) Agility, 7) Balance, 8) Coordination, 9) Flexibility,
and 10) Body Composition
-
The
Entry-level PFT must have the requisite knowledge, skills & abilities
(KSAs) to consult, assess & evaluate each client for each Component of
Fitness in order to determine the safest, most effective method for
guiding the client to achieve their health & fitness needs, wants,
desires and goals
-
Instruct client in
resistance training (with or without weights) exercises, insuring
proper breathing, timing, exercise technique (kinesiology &
biomechanics), safety guidelines, and spotting, warm-up, workout, and
cool-down
-
Encourage client to
reach level of exertion needed to achieve goals
-
Instruct client on
cardiovascular equipment for aerobic workout
-
Move weights and set-up
equipment
-
Monitoring the client
during exercise to insure proper breathing and exertion level
-
Document exercises
performed including type of exercise, amount of weight used,
repetitions, sets, cardiovascular endurance (exercise log)
-
Track changes-increases
or decreases in performance
-
Modify workout to
better achieve client’s goals
-
Knowledge of: anatomy,
muscle physiology, cardiorespiratory physiology
-
Knowledge of: basic
kinesiology and biomechanics
-
Knowledge of: primary
exercises and muscle groups worked (example: squat for the
quadriceps, bench press for pectoralis major, pectoralis minor)
-
Knowledge of:
variations of primary exercise and their implications for muscles
worked (example: squat-sumo squat-emphasizes inner thighs, vastus
medialis; narrow stance squat-emphasizes outer thighs, vastus
lateralis)
-
Knowledge of:
resistance training systems, different methods of strength training to
promote results (example: single set, multiple set, superset, light
to heavy, stripping etc.)
-
Knowledge of: safety
and injury prevention practices (e.g., proper range of motion for
exercise, proper spotting techniques, recognition of errors in form).
-
Knowledge of:
Nutritional considerations for the Personal Trainer
-
Knowledge of:
adaptations to exercise
-
Knowledge of: energy
metabolism
-
Knowledge of: CPR and
First Aid certification, emergency procedures
-
Ability to: Create
organized sequential workout plan for maximum results (periodization).
-
Ability to: Apply
Exercise Physiology principles (GPO, FITT, SAID, etc., obtained from
certification and/or formal education).
-
Ability to: Integrate
knowledge to develop effective exercise programs
-
Ability to: communicate
clearly with clients
-
Ability to: In order to
stay safe & effective the entry-level personal trainer must continue
his or her education and keep up to date on current health & fitness
information and to obtain knowledge on working with special
populations.
-
Nutrition Education:
Experienced and knowledgeable CPFT’s know that nutrition can be 80% of
the battle in helping your clients achieve their goals. Knowledge in
nutrition and the skill & ability to educate your clients on nutrition
is essential to helping your clients achieve their health and fitness
goals.
Machines
and Equipment
Anaerobic
-
Free weights
-
Weight machines
-
Fixed resistance
equipment
-
Variable resistance
equipment
-
Isokinetic resistance
equipment
-
Nontraditional
Aerobic
-
Treadmill
-
Stationary bicycle
-
Stepper
-
Elliptical machine
(Refer to
“The Book on Personal Training”, Dr. James Bell, Dr. Karl Dauphinais,
2006)
Special
Populations: The Entry-level PFT can safely & effectively train the
generally healthy adult population (no medical restrictions to
exercise). Many special populations require advanced education and
training. The knowledge, skills and abilities that an Entry level PFT
possesses may not prepare them for dealing with the higher risks of
Special Populations Groups such as:
Each of these
Special populations Groups can benefit greatly from professional
exercise prescription, program design and exercise management, but the
PFT must have the requisite knowledge, skills and abilities to safely
and effectively deal with the special needs of each special population
group. This requisite knowledge, skills and abilities can be gained
through the numerous advanced courses offered through the IFPA.
NOTE: Due to
the Advanced knowledge, skills and abilities necessary to deal with
special populations, the IFPA does NOT recommend entry level PFT’s
attempt to train individuals that fall into special populations without
specific written consent from the client’s doctor, exercise and activity
limits prescribed by the doctor and full disclosure of the limits of
your knowledge, skills and abilities to the patient and the patient’s
doctor. To do less puts the patient at risk, jeopardizes your career
due to violation of both Ethical & Professional Guides, and makes you
susceptible to potential lawsuits. The IFPA Personal Fitness Trainer
Certification Exam WILL NOT have any Special Population type questions.
(5)
Nutrition Education
-
Fitness professionals
must have a functional understanding of the healthy principles and
practices of sports nutrition sciences in order to educate their
clients on a health and fitness lifestyle.
-
Fitness professionals
must have the ability to communicate and educate their clients on
unhealthy and “faddish” nutrition trends.
-
Fitness professionals
must be able to educate their clients on supplementation.
-
Experienced and
knowledgeable CPFT’s know that nutrition can be 80% of the battle in
helping your clients achieve their goals. Knowledge in nutrition and
the skill & ability to educate your clients on nutrition is essential
to helping your clients achieve their health and fitness goals.
(6)
Exercise Physiology and Anatomy
Exercise
Physiology and Anatomy, along with Biomechanics and Safety, provide the
foundation of knowledge, skills and abilities needed by the Personal
Fitness Trainer to conduct the task of Exercise Management. [See
Duties and Tasks: (5)]
Calendar:
Arnold
Strength Training Summit
The Arnold Strength Training Summit offers
all IFPA members the opportunity to diversify and enhance their skills
as a practitioner in the most dynamic and exciting conference atmosphere
in the industry. The three-day educational conference runs March 2-4,
2007, in Columbus, Ohio during the Arnold Sports Festival and offers
attendees 18-20 contact hours at a discounted IFPA registration rate of
$150. For more conference information and to register for the Strength
Training Summit go to
www.strengthpro.com/arnold_classic.htm
and enter the coupon code IFPA07 to receive your conference registration
discount. You must register through the StrengthPro website or call
(800) 255-1017.
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Special Thanks to the
IFPA's Sponsors:
Doctors Fitness Centers
Fitness Institute of
Technology
VORTEX
SCIFIT
A4M
ACASP
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James
T. Bell, PhD is the
founder and president of the International Fitness
Professionals Association, IFPA.
More
Books from Jim Bell, PhD
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