This is an excerpt from Jim Bell’s new book “The Rules of Engagement (ROE) for Fitness Professionals” scheduled for release May 1, 2005.

Becoming the Best Personal Trainer

Tools needed:

1. Education

2. Experience

3. Communication Skills

4. Motivation Skills

5. Certification

6. Continuing Education in your field

     You will need to focus on this short list if you decide to take the journey toward becoming the “Best of the Best.” You must learn to take criticism and objectively evaluate where you stand in each of the tools listed above and develop your own customized program of self-development. You have many resources available to you. Use the IFPA website and its many resources to aid you on your journey of becoming “The Best of the Best.”

     My first recommendation to you is to go to the IFPA website at:  www.ifpa-fitness.com, click on the Resources block, Fitbits Article Archive and scroll down to the article titled: “Recommended Reading for Personal Development” dated 8/18/03. Click on the article and Read…Study…Learn. Choose one of the books on the list and begin your journey!

     It does not matter which book you start with…just start! When you read these books, don’t just read…READ! Before you begin, set it in your mind to READ… STUDY …LEARN! Outline each book if you want to maximize your learning (with the possible exception of  “Atlas Shrugged.” Outlining a novel as engrossing as this would be a distraction, but do allow yourself to be engrossed).

     “The journey of a thousand miles begins with but a single step.” You are embarking on a great journey and it too begins with but a single step, but you do need to take that step. You will also need to take a second…and a third…and a fourth step. No matter how often “life gets in the way,” you need to keep taking steps. As long as you keep taking those steps, you will remain on that great journey. And here’s the best part of taking those steps… “Success is a journey, not a destination!” That’s right, as long a as you keep taking those steps, YOU ARE A SUCCESS!

     You are going to encounter problems, obstacles, emergencies, crisis’s and everything you can imagine and maybe something you can’t, on your journey… it is inevitable…it is guaranteed. That is why the Wiseman once said “Life is what happens when you are making other plans.” You have an infinitely better chance of surviving life’s challenges if you remain steadfast in continuing your journey. If you have a powerful goal…a powerful WHY… you can bear any HOW. You must learn that this strategy for dealing with the onslaught that life throws at you provides a healthy alternative to maximizing pleasure and minimizing pain, far, far superior to sex, drugs and other destructive behaviors that too many wandering souls resort to in times of crisis.

     I want you to be well armed when the tough times come, so I’m going to share with you something that has inspired me, many times over the years. One of the many blessings that I am eternally thankful for was my good fortune to have as a teacher a Franciscan Nun, Sister (Mary) Lawrence. Sister Lawrence was tough-as-nails and wise beyond belief. She did and said many things that raised my level of consciousness and I am going to share this story with you, in the hopes that it will raise your level of consciousness. I and many of my friends in grade school were from the “wrong side of the tracks.” We got into a lot of trouble and a lot of fights. By the time I graduated from the 8^th grade, I had logged more fights than Mohammed Ali. I am in awe of Sister Lawrence, to this very day for many, many reasons, but I will unashamedly admit, that despite fighting in 3 different styles of martial arts and many, many violent years, Sister Lawrence, to this day, has the most memorable right hook my jaw has ever blocked. 

     She was a powerful woman, physically, mentally, emotionally, intellectually and spiritually. I now know that she gave me what I needed, when I needed it. At the time, I did not appreciate her or the other Sisters that worked long and hard to shape my life, but I am grateful beyond measure that I had the opportunity to return to my grade school following my graduation from college, commissioning as a U.S. Air Force Officer and earning my wings from U.S Air Force Pilot Training. I thanked Sister Lawrence, Sister Benedict, Sister Maria and Sister Sebastion and the other Sisters, for all the thankless work they put into me. These incredible women all took a vow of poverty and dedicated themselves to educating and shaping a bunch of unappreciative street urchins and turned them into productive citizens. I and many of my friends were the first in their families to graduate from college. Sister Lawrence supplied me with the tools for academic achievement and in memory of this great woman and all the great women that dedicated their lives as she did, I am going to give you those tools.

Tool #1:  READING! 

     Sister Lawrence made us read volumes of material. Book after book, and we were required to fill out a book report for every book we read. In the 4^th Grade I turned in 117 book reports and was rewarded for my efforts with a unique prize…I was awarded a Book! Of course the real prize was that during my reading comprehension test that year, I scored as a 12^th grader in his 8^th month. My reading ability was 8 years beyond my grade. You need to know this, because if you are like the many, who prefer to get all their knowledge and entertainment from T.V. and video, you need to change. I understand you may not WANT TO READ but if you WANT SUCCESS then you NEED TO READ.

     The difference between a “worker” in a field and an “EXPERT” in a field is one hour/day of reading in the field, for about 3 years. The difference between an “EXPERT” in a field and a “World Renown EXPERT” in a field is one hour/day of reading in the field for about 5 years. If you are looking for an alternative to work in order to become an EXPERT forget it. If you think there is something else you can do besides READ…you can’t. If you believe there has got to be an easier way to achieve success, then you need to change your beliefs.

Tool #2:  MEMORIZATION!

     I can hear you groaning now! If you don’t like to read, I’m sure you hate to MEMORIZE. If you don’t read and have never memorized anything, you will probably deem the following request as highly unreasonable, but I am going to ask anyway.

THINK!

You are a Fitness Professional. You already know that Physical Exercise is used to improve, strengthen and create a better body. 

THINK!

Reading and memorization improve, strengthen and create a better brain.

THINK!

     The more you read and memorize the facts concerning your field, the closer you come to the lofty goal of “EXPERT STATUS.” It is the “Gold Ring,” the “Pinnacle” of our profession, and it is yours for the taking if you discipline yourself to READ one hour/day and memorize the critically important facts of the fitness and nutrition field. Besides, unless you are a one-in-a-million professional athlete, a strong brain makes more happiness and success than a strong body; just ask Bill Gates or any other billionaire.

     How will your client react when you know the correct name, location and action of the muscles that need to be strengthened or stretched to prevent rotator cuff injuries? How will your client react when you know the correct nutrients they need to consume to prevent anemia or osteoporosis, the foods that contain those nutrients and the correct RDA for your client’s age group? How will your client react when you know to call 911 when they report severe chest pain and pressure of their chest “like a heavy man is standing on my chest?” How will your client’s family react if you didn’t know they were having a heart attack and you did nothing to save your client?

THINK!

     Reading and memorization separate the professionals from the “hacks.” Which group do you want to be in? Sister Lawrence made us memorize a lot. THANK YOU SISTER LAWRENCE!

     One of the poems that Sister Lawrence made us memorize was the “Charge of the Light Brigade.” This is not the place for a lesson on British Military History but this poem was written by Alfred Tennyson as a description of an actual battle of British Light Calvary charging with indescribable gallantry into an impregnably defended valley of canon batteries. It was a mistake! No Field Commander would send Light Cavalry against such a heavily defended position. It would mean certain death for every Cavalryman in the unit, but the order was given and the 600 brave heroes of the Brigade followed orders and charged.

When I was a young boy, I marveled at the courage that Tennyson described, as a man, I want to share with you a passage from that poem to help you learn a lesson:

Canon to right of them,

Canon to left of them,

Canon in front of them,

Volleyed and thunder’d;

Storm’d at with shot and shell,

Boldly they rode and well,

Into the jaws of Death,

Into the mouth of Hell,

Rode the six hundred.

     You may be one of our honored veterans that actually know what it’s like to live through the terror of war and found the courage to fight on. You may never have been in combat and experienced the carnage of war, but I bet at least once in your life you have been “underfire” from a mental, emotional, financial or spiritual cannon. This poem and this verse specifically have helped me find the inspiration and courage I needed when I needed it most. I hope it helps you. If your taste in poetry is different than mine, then I recommend you find something that appeals to you and use that in times of need. MEMORIZE IT! 

The objective is to keep going, to keep fighting, no matter how much you feel like quitting…you just keep going. The fifth verse of the poem is:

Canon to right of them

Canon to left of them

Canon behind them,

Volleyed and thunder’d’

Storm’d at with shot and shell,

While horse and hero fell,

They that had fought so well

Came thro’ the jaws of Death,

Back from the mouth of Hell,

All that was left of them,

Left of six hundred

Steel yourself for the fight. No matter how many canons life fires your way, fight through the jaws of Death. Fight back from the mouth of Hell.

Jim Bell, PhDc

IFPA President