Advice on where to even start please!

[FitnessBunny]

Hi, I have just turned 30 and have been going to the gym solidly for the past year, in this time I have also become increasingly interested in both health and fitness.

This year I am looking to study PT, I have Googled, Googled and Googled some more and there seems to be lots of conflicting information .

I would be very grateful if anyone could offer me any advice as to where to start, i.e. studying the anatomy? Best course? Qualifications required?

My aim is to move to Australia within the next few years, so would the UK qualifications stand up in Oz?

Sorry if this has already been asked, but thought I would ask myself rather than reading someone else's question as I know it is tailored to my requirements then.

Thank you :jump1:

 

[Goldfish]

Back when I did my Cert III and IV in Fitness in 2008, here in Australia, there was a woman in my class who had worked in the fitness industry for 13 years over in the UK. I'm not sure if her qualifications weren't recognised here, or if they'd just expired, but she had to requalify herself once she got here.

I have no idea what the standards are in the UK, but in Australia, you need a Cert III to be a gym instructor, a Cert IV to be a Personal Trainer, and further education to deal with moderate and high risk clients (clients with health issues).

In my mind, here are the things you'll want to learn about:

- Anatomy. They typically do a subpar job of teaching this. But if you know exactly where a muscle attaches to the bones, and understand that contracting the muscle pulls the bones in the direction of the centre of the muscle, you'll understand how and why various exercises work, which becomes increasingly important as you deal with people who don't have textbook skeletal structures/posture/response to exercise...which happens to be most people.
- Nutrition. You don't need to have the knowledge of a dietician, but you do need to be able to give basic, accurate, relevant nutritional advice.
- Exercise technique and programming. At the very least you need to know how to do (and coach) exercises safely, and put them together in a non-harmful program. At the best, you need know how to do (and coach) exercises productively, and put them together in a program that gets results.
- ACSM guidelines. At the very best, this will help you to deal with clients that have some risk factors or controlled health issues. At the very minimum, it'll help you figure out who to refer on.

 

[CrazyOldMan]

Based on what goldfish has said, YMCA could be a good place to go for this stuff, assuming they still do training.
Theirs qualifications and assessments seem geared to the level required here, good mix of theory and practical application.
I know YMCA has global presence, or did back when I did some with them. Goldie will be able to advise if they have any presence or recognition in Oz.

I would always advice using these courses as a base then adding what else you need. I started with BAWLA, then YMCA, then went specific. Reading wise I used the theory from YMCA as a start point then read further in depth.
There will be some who declare the books are useless and only practical counts. These will be the same who complain of constant plateus, and don't understand why they happen.
Anatomy and kinesiology, basically understnading how the body is built and moves, if that isn't some of the most important stuff to know I don't know what is. Admittedly there is not a lot of gain from understanding the actions of myofibril for most of us, but the all or none rule of muscular contraction and understanding which muscles are used in which movements, something sorely lacking, are very useful.
Nutrition, real actual understanding, not the fad style in most comics.
Ability to plan balanced general or activity specific routines and get people enjoying them is absolutely key. I was the last routine to be assessed for one of my quals, so assessors were fed up and nervous seeing me buzzing around flapping a bit, and expected a disaster. The people I would be coaching had all done their assessments so weren't feeling like a new session. Once set up I took a few seconds out to get the most important part ready, me. This done, big loud clap, bigger smile 'Right, here we go...' and everything went well. No matter how you feel, scared, tired, fed up etc. the class or customer has to see a totally upbeat and encouraging trainer.

 

[Goldfish]

The YMCA's definitely around in Australia. I'm not sure if they provide fitness qualifications here, or if even their own fitness qualifications from overseas are valid here, since you still need to be licenced and insured by an Australian company. We have an RPL system (recognition of prior learning) at the TAFE institutes, and that may give you partial or full transfer of qualifications here.