Due to the amount of hate mail I’ve received regarding the first article, “Three Reasons Why I Hate Fitness”, I figured it was time to write a follow up and let the fitness industry know that it’s still screwing things up. I’m going to step on some toes here, but those of you who have read my writings before will know that I really don’t care.
Here are three more reasons why I hate “fitness.”
Certified personal trainer
“Hi, we’re Globo Gym, and we’re certified.”
If you do a Google search for “certified personal trainer,” you’ll find that there are approximately 5,342 personal trainer certifications. Hiring a personal trainer can work great for people who need the accountability and guidance, but I wouldn’t advise hiring a trainer just based on the fact that they’re “certified.” A personal trainer certification is the fitness equivalent of a CPR certification. Just because an individual is CPR certified doesn’t mean they’re a paramedic. The same holds true for trainers. Just because he’s certified doesn’t make him an expert.
Here’s how the hierarchy goes:
- Certification
- Bachelors’ degree
- Masters’ degree
- Experience
A bachelors’ degree in exercise science or the equivalent will trump a certification. A masters’ degree will trump a bachelors’ degree, and experience in the industry trumps all of them. I have a masters’ degree, and I can tell you first hand that I learned more by working in the industry than I did sitting in a lab or classroom. The weight room is my lab! Ask anyone who has been successful in the profession and they will tell you the same. The bottom line is when you’re contemplating hiring a trainer, talk to the person. Realize that when it really comes down to it, the personal trainer is a sales person. Get past the sales pitch and find out how much that person really knows. Ask them how long they’ve been training. Is this their full-time job? Is this really what they want to do for a living? Who have they trained? Do they have any testimonials? If a trainer is unwilling or doesn’t have the ability to do this full-time, your program probably won’t be his number one priority. And if he can’t come up with a testimonial, then he may not have any clients who’ve gotten results. Again, this isn’t someone you want to hire.
Misuse of the word “tone”
Muscle tone doesn’t have anything to do with the way a muscle looks. Muscle tone is the amount of tension that is on a muscle at rest. Again, tone doesn’t equal definition. Losing fat does! The only people who should be worried about the amount of “tone” their muscles have are those with muscular dystrophy or downs syndrome. So the next time your trainer tells you that he can “tone you up,” fire him.
CAPTION: She isn’t toned. She has a low body fat percentage. Get it right.
The game
Now don’t get me wrong—I’m a business owner, and I’m all about making money. After all, it’s how the bills get paid. Here’s the problem. Thanks to the internet, any Joe Schmoe can start up a website and sell programs and spout off information. Let me fill you guys in on how this works.
The fitness industry will either overreact or under react depending on how you play this game. Put together a training program, educational DVD, or seminar series. Then make some controversial claim like “People shouldn’t do spinal flexion or rotation exercises” or “People shouldn’t squat.” Make sure that you time the release of your program, DVD, or seminar so that it coincides with the controversial statements you just made. Make sure that your controversial statements get as much publicity as possible, and presto—you have a product that will sell! So the rule is the more controversial you are, the more publicity you will get, regardless of the validity of your notorious claim.
Here’s another part of the game that you may not be aware of. Have you ever noticed that certain “gurus” tend to promote products or programs that they don’t seem to have much to do with? Have you ever read someone’s blog or an article and the author comes out of nowhere touting the benefits of some product or program that just came out of the blue? This is because he has become an affiliate of this product or program. This means he will receive commission from every click he receives from his site. So this begs the question, does he really like the product he’s promoting or is he just another spammer?
The bottom line is that it really just comes down to integrity. If you want to be successful in the industry, this should take top priority. Like I said earlier, I’m all about making money, but it should never compromise your values and what you have to offer. Remember, the two most important components of success are results and consistency. If you’re constantly changing what you offer with the direction of the wind, you won’t be able to maintain a consistent client base. If your customers don’t trust you, they won’t continue to buy from you.
I look forward to reading all of your hate mail. But if you truly are one of the offenders mentioned in this article, maybe you should reevaluate what you’re doing.
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Jason Nunn graduated with his bachelor of science degree from Indiana State University in 2005 with a major in exercise science. In December 2006, he finished his master of science degree from Indiana State University with a major in physical education and an emphasis in coaching and nutrition. During college, Jason became a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) from the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA). In his spare time, Jason is also a top-level, amateur Strongman competitor. For more information, check out 
excellent article, all valid points. I have an associate’s degree, 3 certifications and none of them taught me what I needed to learn, they are just pieces of paper. I learned all that in my 17 years in the gym and 8 years training people (some parttime, some fulltime, now fulltime career).
But there is a LOT to be said for a guy who has a degree in exercise science or physical education.
No matter if you have a bachelor’s or master’s, you should have a knowledge of basic exercise science, pick up some books and read! I’ve heard that tone word tossed around by far too many personal trainers to even mention and its maddening.
As far as the guru part goes, nothing irritates me more than a slick webpage you have to scroll down forever while reading testimonials (from their friends), videos, free bonuses, just to get to the program which costs 39.99 and has a free fat incineration guide… all of which can be found for free online with just a little research… and then seeing their friends peddle the same package on facebook, their websites, etc. which they get commission from.
Sure, making money is great, but when you take your time out of training people and become an internet guru and salesman, you are taking time away from people that actually pay to come into your gym…. unless you have a staff of people and you don’t NEED to train anymore…
it goes on and on with that, but excellent article and it will hit some people in the gut.
Great article Jason. I appreciate your honesty. I train part of the time at a commercial gym as well as in my garage and backyard. The only reason I go to the commercial gym is because the place I work for pays for it. I have seen several examples of “certified personal trainers” who don’t really know what they are doing. The other day a trainer actually had a woman squatting. The problem was that the trainer had no idea how to squat properly. When I tried to make a couple of suggestions, the trainer asked me if I was certified. I replied no but I’ve been a competative powerlifter for 15 years and know a thing or two about squatting. Later the lady that the trainer had been training came over to me and asked me about squatting. I also saw a trainer showing a person new to training how to do a push up with his hands on a balsa ball while trying to balance his feet on a medicine ball. This went on for about 20 minutes. Great workout!
We have the same issue over here in Western Australia with a whole new batch of what they Call “Fitness Professionals”.
Now i can understand there is a profession here. But for the life of me i cannot take lifting advice about lifting technique from a 19yr old with a flashy green “fitness Professionals” shirt even if they are the doogy houser of weight lifting.
Especially when you see them later on putting a lifting belt on for bicep curls in the only power rack the gym has.
Good grief.
Absolutely spot on.
Let’s face it, the only people you are going to upset with this article are space cadet trainers who have bosu’s strapped to each foot so every step is a ‘functional one’.
I have been lifting myself since 1983, collected a hell of a lot of certifications, trained professional athletes exclusively since 1996 and now i’m looking at my Masters, so i completely agree with your hierarchy too. Experience is crucial.
Also, if you’re going to come up with a training template for your clients, at least have the decency to do it yourself for a while first. There’s no better guinea pig than yourself. I’ve witnessed a client ask the trainer about an exercise and the trainer stood there ‘umming’ and ‘aahing’. It was excruciating to watch.
Great Article. Currently hole Bachelor Exercise Science and let me say “PFFFFFFFFT!” to what it taught me compared to experience.
The word(s) “tone” or “toned muscle” gets m blood pressure up also BUT i have had to use it in order to save myself the long process of debating terms with clients.
Keep the Fitness hate coming!
Steve, I see that stuff all the time my man… I train out of a commercial gym as well as do athletes on my own and it is staggering how many workouts I see that make absolutely zero sense…
bosu ball pushups while feet raised on stability balls…
bosu ball jump squats (no kidding)
hundreds of reps of piss poor hang power cleans taught by a guy with no knowledge of what that exercise is for
Then when I am teaching a client how to properly squat I get the “squats are bad for your knees when done to parallel” from one of them… I rolled my eyes and walked away.
the fitness industry needs an enema
I love this series.
I’m so new to the industry that I don’t even have my cert yet, but what I do have is 13 years under the bar and 10 years of American Football experience. I feel like I know more than the “trainers” you speak of.
I am a Joe Schmoe, I do have a website, and I am an affiliate, but at least I practice the product that I promote and update my readers on my progress regularly….even when the product isn’t for sale.
Oh, but for “muscle tone”, God, do I friggin’ hate that term!
Can’t wait to read the next installment of this series!
Thanks for reading fellas! Glad to hear that some people actually share my sentimant. I got quite a bit of hate mail from the 1st one. As for the degree issue, I really feel that they have their place. But, they are not the be all, end all. More like a stepping stone. Obviously, I value education enough to have a Master’s in ExSci. Thanks again for reading!
The dam shake weight? ?????? Enough f&*%ing said!!!!!!
Great article…I have my bachelors and masters degree in the field of exercise science. I am a NASM certified personal trainer, but I learned way more from being a division one football player and being in the weight room every day for five years. My strength coach taught me more as a player than I would ever learn from a book bachelors and masters included.
I belong to a YMCA (for close travel reasons) I have had brought a few items into the (Fitness Center). Boards, foam roller, and Some chains for my use and everone else to use, the other day I brought in a five gallon bucket and more chains. This fitness trainer comes over and tells me I can’t bring in anymore stuff to lift with. I give her the look that tells her I’m going to do whatever I please and just go away you are brothering me. No one has complained to me or any of my friends about the items I bring for their use, so why does she feel she has to stick her two cents in. She’s not even part of the Staff.
Thanks for the article. I was rolling my eyes the whole time. As a female who understands the importance of lifting heavy – chin-ups (no assistance), dips on the bar (no assistance thank you), push-ups (military style) – no bosu ball required, I make it my habit to constantly stress to the participants in my fitness class the importance of form, form, form, form. I am a dancer and have always used the gym for cross-training purposes. I watch trainers at my gym who have no idea what they are doing. They look completely bored with the client. They talk to them for 20 minutes straight as the clients “rests” from their bicep curls with 5 lb. weights. I am not a certified personal trainer yet but I hope to be one by the end of the summer. It is a piece of paper that I need. Experience is the key. I feel like walking up to so many members at the gym and asking them how satisfied they are with their trainers. It pains me to watch an overweight man do lateral raises with a 4lb dumbbell. What is wrong with this industry? Don’t people read? Thanks for putting into writing what many of us are already thinking.
Toned, toned, toned! I hate that word. I hate it SO MUCH. At a JOB INTERVIEW for a training position, my supervisor told me that if I wanted someone to lost abdominal fat, I should have them do sit ups. Are you kidding me? I’m an even bigger sucker, I took the job. And I have an NSCA certification + AFFA + B.S. in Exercise Science.
I don’t care if she’s toned, low in fat or tone deaf, who is that girl?!
Anybody who is incappable of squatting deep is not entitled to an opinion about it.
I hate doing my workout finisher to the theme from Mama Mia.
does this qualify as coming out of nowhere?
http://articles.elitefts.com/articles/products-reviews/build-the-grip-you-need/
Welcome to Australia!
The reason you goto those 8 week “PT Certfication” places is to get a piece of paper for one purpose – To qualify for insurance. No fucking way can you make someone a personal trainer in 8 weeks. No goddamned way, and it boils my blood.
I come from the experience side of the industry and the companies that give out certificates in 8 weeks truly scare me…
You are frickin awesome. Im a personal trainer at a commercial gym with 3 certifications, just got started in the industry, and all of them are frickin worthless. Aside from boosting my hourly, they dont mean squat in terms of applicable knowledge.
Its actually a joke anytime a trainer gets certified, as it usually involves taking a weekend workshop, buying 300 bucks worth of study material you will never read, and then taking the test before you “forget” everything you learned!!
Experience counts more than anything when it comes to this industry. Im amazed at the worthless exercises I see trainers take their clients through, and if I had my way I’d throw away those goddamn bosu balls (doing 10lb military press standing on a bosu ball, fucking really?!?!)
A REAL gym should be nothing but squat racks, power cages, benches, and dumbbells that go up to 200, chains, bands, and fat bars preferred. And the awesome blast straps and TRX
I did some work experience today under someone with a masters. I would let her wipe the benches at my gym. The technique issues I saw her clients have were inexcusable. And so many times i thought “just rack it already” and she would say “just 10 more” unbelievable.
And the we chatted about how much her tertiary education had enhanced her training!
Like I said. I wouldn’t let her wipe the benches at my gym. Unbelievable.
PT Certification in the UK is just as easy to get. So long as you turn up to your classes, pay your money and at least make half an effort to learn anything you get certified. They’re more concerned that you know how to take a blood pressure or VO2 max reading than making sure you actually know how to teach someone to squat properly or structure a decent training plan. I wouldn’t let 90% of the people on my PT course anywhere near any gym I was in charge of, that’s for sure.
I have been in the industry for 19 years. Associate (Health&Fitness), Bachelors (Human Performance & Kinesiology) and Master (MBA). Multiple certifications (too many to list). Basically today’s clients are not educated properly on what product they are purchasing. I have a side job with Starbucks for health insurance and pay vacation. I have a comfortable living. My training is exclusive. I turned away many clients that approach me with a “toning” mentality that did not want to be educated. The more experience trainers need to set the tone in educating clients for rest of their life, so when they go to a cookie-cutter gym, with “certified trainers”, they understand the product and walk away from the “fakes”. As long as there is a demand, there will be a supply. It is past the time for the real folks who can create and deliver a realistic regime to each different client with different goals that will get results. Set the bar extremely high, so that the fitness field goes through an attrition of trainers by product demand.
Love it. I’m Nsca cpt working towards BS. Iam I full time trainer and currently work at a few gyms. All day I hear about ” tone ” you are not a tuning fork. My manager is 21 huge arms and chicken legs in months never once seen him in the squate rack this is the guy that’s selling fitness? I couldn’t agree more with yout article keep em coming.
you know, back in the day before fitness became a big bucks industry, everybody knew that in order to get stronger and bigger, you had to do hard work with a barbell, even if they didn’t know exactly how to do it. I am convinced the only reason “fitness’ crap sells is because many people don’t know what they want and they are also stupid. For that matter, the “trainers” are stupid too because they keep doing the same worthless, silly things despite the fact that they clearly don’t get results. Of course they also do it because it impresses people and therefore they get paid.
i am only 5’10 and 185 but recently I saw a guy wearing a shirt from some commercial gym that read “PERSONAL TRAINER” on the back. This guy made me look huge, he was maybe 6’0 and 150. How infuriating.
But let’s remember that, especially for women, globogyms and “fitness classes” are glorified social hangouts. Not everybody is after strength or even any tangible goal. And many who say they want strength are not motivated enough. That’s just the way it is.
Absoluetly true – experience has taught me that what you say is absolutely correct… especially when it comes to trainers.
Great article, and no I don’t take offense even though I am a cretified trainer. I also have been lifting for the better part of 35 years. I got my certification through NSCA, and the test was killer. But I have found that the information that works best is the time tested stuff I have learned through my years of lifting. Keep up the work work and I look forward to your nedst article.
Great Article, couldn’t agree more. Those are some of the main reasons I left comercial gyms to open a Kettlebell Training Studio. The RKC with Pavel, Russian Kettlebell Challenge, was by far the most intense and informative cert I ever went for. It was a 3 day workshop, 9 hours a day, all hands on, we didn’t use the work book for anything but resting our heads on, inbetween workouts. Even if you are not into Kettlebells, what they teach you about biomechanics was worth it. Helped fix alot of my imbalances, also taught me I have never used my glutes a day in my life before that weekend. Hands on and experience is by far the best way to become a better trainer.
30 percent of the class fail, 1st thing you must do upon arrival is the Secret Servent Snatch Test. 100 snatches in under 5 min with a 53lb kettlebell. If you do not finish it, you have till the end of the week. This is a great way to ensure you do not have any slobs as trainers. You are also tested on your instructional, abliity to move yourself and perfrom exercises.
BTW i hold all 3 NASM, and they are all the same.
Hey Jason,
Just read this and the first article and they are both spot on. I’m from Australia and like the other guy said it’s exactly the same over here. I’m 24 and been a member at a couple of commercial gyms (before I knew what training for strength really was) and they both sucked balls!
Found CrossFit a few months ago and from there I’m now loving CF Football, starting strength and 70s Big (shit yeah!). Still very much starting out, but now I know I’m on the right track.
Keep up the good work!
get fit the forces way
I don’t think its your statements that ruffel people’s feathers. I think it’s the negative tone you seem to have. If seeing other people train makes you that angry maybe choose to do something else. Everyone is in the process of learning and getting better. I came to this site to find if elite did an affiliate link. in 2007 the owner claimed affiliates were garbage and he would rather get business of his good name and not from bribes. Then there is a recent post how he is all about it and it’s in the works and very hard to do. Everyone is entitled to change their mind. Lots of these certs and a joke but it opens the door for people to learn more. If you see something that doesnt seem prudent then maybe you should help. I don’t make it a point to correct other trainers, but i do invite them to seminars or say, “this is a great book, have you read it? want to borrow it?” So that way they can educate themselves.
I just feel if you put out negative vibe then you get it back. I am a director of Strength and Conditioning at a college and I find myself learning daily and sometimes teaching those who are older and have more experience. I am lucky to be in such a position.
I haven’t changed my mind on affiliates and this is not something that is in the works.
- Dave Tate
Great article. Terrific bitch slap delivered by Dave to A. Chamberlain as well lol
Love the picture of the dodgeball team with the caption!
Now you have almost every fitness chain and even non-profit gyms shamelessly promoting personal training and group fitness certifications. You can be done under 6 months and be hired or allowed as a volunteer as long as you pass the course, exam, and if we like you or be “recognized” anywhere if you choose to go elsewhere. Certifications and association memberships fees are more for supplemental income for those companies or councils that offer them. Like in any industry it is really hard to find quality training, places and even people.
Maybe group fitness classes are just meant as a venue for people to just go to and personal training is more for extra company while working out. Trying out new fitness toys are just interesting the first few times but it will never beat a real basic workout for those who are truly serious about fitness.