This month’s column is a little different than prior months. In my log on bodybuiding.com I’ve had some questions from students studying the science of building the body. They wanted to know my take on what paths, both in school and in future careers, are available to them in this field. For those of you who don’t know, I’ve been in the field of personal training for almost a decade and I’m a few credits from finishing my BS in Fitness and Wellness and I’ll finish my MS in Exercise Science in 2012. So, I wanted to share my experience and also talk about other paths one can take in studying the science of training the body. WARNING: I am about to partake in self indulgent nostalgia and talk about myself more than necessary. The point I’m trying to make is that you have to blaze your own trail if you want success in the fitness industry. But, if you survive my narcissism, you’ll find I end this article with a summation of other options for careers in the field of exercise science. The fitness industry is unique. It has pros and cons like anything in life and although I’m not a shining example of success, I have had the unique experience of working in a variety of jobs in the field. I volunteered in late ‘01 for the Air Force Physical Conditioning Staff during tech school. I helped run the PC program for our squadron. I was promoted to PC Staff Commander soon after and I was put in charge of the program. Later, I volunteered as a PC Mentor at my duty station. I aided Airmen who had trouble passing the PC test. In essence, I was a personal trainer for Airmen. It was structured, it was clear what my duties were and I could easily tell when I was successful: either my Airmen passed, or they didn’t. I didn’t know how easy I had it!
If you talk to someone in the Army or Marine Corps they’ll tell you Air Force PT doesn’t exist, PROOF! I finished my enlistment in 2005, got certified through the ISSA and started working as a trainer at the YMCA in Augusta GA. This was a great experience, the YMCA is a nonprofit and I had bosses that gave me free reign to do my job. I was also lucky that Doctor’s Hospital had a partnership with the Y and they had trainers on staff who worked with special needs clients. One such trainer was my friend Mike. He was experienced, more than 10 years my senior and he had his MS in Sports Medicine, was a licensed Athletic Trainer and a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist. He had worked at the collegiate level and was kind enough to take me under his wing. He was my go-to and inspired me to become a student of the science of building the body. Between clients I read his copy of the Essentials of Strength and Conditioning and picked his brain. I was at the Y for a little over 6 months, but in that time I became the trainer with the most clients and the most success with clients. While there I taught classes on weight lifting, helped organize and compete in the Y’s first Powerlifting meet, got certified through ACE and Mike was hired at a college as the athletic director. When he left he gave me his clients. I was flattered, but I was scared. I’d never worked with special populations so I bought ACE’s Clinical Exercise Specialist Manual and studied my butt off because I was afraid of killing someone! It sounds funny, but I was a green trainer that all of sudden had clients that were high risk. I had one elderly client who had had multiple strokes, multiple joints replaced, degenerative arthritis, and heart disease. I had another client who was a bi-polar diabetic with multiple sclerosis. I also had my first paraplegic client who worked out in his wheel chair. This was a far cry from working with clients who wanted to “tone up” for their cousin’s wedding.
Village People, their song inspired me to get a job at the YMCA. In the end, I didn’t kill anyone, I gained valuable experience, and I was offered the position of Head Physical Director at the Y. I had a lot of success with my clients, they valued my expertise, and my coworkers and I respected each other. I turned down the position; because although I loved working at the Y in Augusta, California was my home. When I got back to California I worked for National Home Trainers (a now defunct company). They marketed and when a client signed up in my area, they let me know. I met clients in their homes, bringing exercise equipment and National Home Trainers paid afterwards. After working for them for 6 months or so, I stopped getting paid. As a trusting guy with my only prior experience being with the Y and the military, I kept training my clients unpaid figuring it was a mistake. It was not, they went bankrupt and disappeared. They still owed me money and my clients had paid for sessions that I couldn’t render since I was no longer being paid. This was my first experience with the bad side of the industry. But, I saw the benefits of not working in a gym: my clients were comfortable, I became more creative and I didn’t have to share equipment. After this, I tried training independently and found without marketing or a place to train, it’s impossible. I also volunteered as a Strength and Conditioning Coach at a local private high school and got valuable experience there. But, it was unpaid and limiting the few hours I had with my clients. So, I started looking for work. I interviewed at 24 hour fitness and it went well. The pay was decent and working full time they offer health insurance. The pay was based off of your certifications and increased with experience. 24 also had a partnership with NASM and I respected that organization. I was excited going into the second interview until I found out about the sales quotas, the commissions on supplements, and the commissions on training packages and re-signing. At the Y I occasionally told clients not to re-sign. They had reached their goals, knew what they were doing and I didn’t want to be their crutch. I depended on referrals and I got plenty of them. We had the policy of not recommending supplements due to liability issues and I was paid by the session, not for sign ups or re-signs. I found the concepts of having a vested interest in re-signs, being encouraged to push supplements and having my value based on sales versus results unethical. I turned down the job.
“Functional training” at 24 hour fitness, perfect for function in everyday life. But hey, he’s probably a great salesman. A week later I got a call from a training studio called Fitness Together. FT is a franchise that has studios all over the country. Although the pay was comparable to 24, I really liked that it was a studio. In commercial gyms, they make money from memberships, training is icing on the cake, so they can afford to focus on sales. In a studio, you must provide high quality training to keep the doors open. It was a good gig, but the timing wasn’t right. We had three owners during my 3 years there, I had health insurance off and on and my raises and bonuses were inconsistent and below what I was worth. I attribute this largely to the economy, but I loved my job and I learned an incredible amount. I got certified through NASM, worked alongside trainers with advanced degrees and experience in physical therapy and I eventually became the head trainer, training the folks we hired. I became quite the networker. I attended seminars, met with owners of other studios, helped start a studio with one of my old coworkers (I worked there briefly) and I competed in 7 bodybuilding shows and 4 powerlifting meets. With this foundation I was able to hook up with my fellow coaches at 3DMJ and venture out on my own. It’s a work in progress, but I now support myself with in-home training and online and in-person consultations. Most of my clients are bodybuilders and powerlifters, it truly is my dream job, but it’s been a long road. Enough about me, if you don’t want to pursue a job as a personal trainer, my experiences may have been interesting but are largely irrelevant. The question becomes: what other options are there outside of bouncing around the industry and trying to start your own business? Probably the three most common jobs are: Physical Therapy, Athletic Training, and Strength and Conditioning. The coursework for each is slightly different, but the jobs and requirements for each are quite different. To become a Physical Therapist requires a graduate degree in an approved physical therapy program (which a BS in exercise science will set you up for), a residency and passing state and national licensing exams. You will learn a lot about the body and you will work in corrective exercise. The downside is you have to work in the health care system.
An athletic trainer position doesn’t require as much schooling, but the coursework is similar to a PT’s. The difference is a focus on athletic injury versus all injuries. You need at least a BS in an approved athletic training program and you need to complete an internship to get certified as an athletic trainer. You will work with athletes doing taping, reconditioning, rehab and injury prevention. In this field a master’s is recommended.
To become a Strength and Conditioning Coach you need a degree in exercise science or a related field. At the collegiate and pro level, a graduate degree is recommended. You’ll also need to get certified in strength and conditioning. The most regarded certifications are the CSCS through the NSCA and the SCCC through the CSCCA. Most likely, you’ll have to start from the ground up, with an internship and then an assistant position before you’ll become a full-on S&C Coach.
It’s important to note there are differences depending on school (or team if you are working with pro or semi pro athletes) in S&C. Sometimes, strength coaches are also athletic trainers. The coursework is similar and S&C coaches prevent and work around injuries and athletic trainers work in concert with S&C coaches. So, it might be smart to get a degree in athletic training and get certified as both an S&C coach and an athletic trainer. This would round out your resume and give you a fighting chance in a competitive field. Lastly, if you want to go all out with your education and get your PhD, you can become a professor and teach exercise science courses and do research. There is also the perk of getting to sound cool like Dr. Layne Norton and Dr. Joe Klemczewski.
You know you want your PhD after seeing this picture. Do you have a bodybuilding question for Eric? Send your questions to erichelms@3dmusclejourney.com To learn more about Eric Helms; click the link below. |
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