Comments on: FIC Protects Against Personal Training and AED Legislation in Ontario

by: Lynn Johnson

Thu, 31 May 2007 04:17:31 +0000

I so agree we need regulation in our profession. I currently work in British Columbia as a Registered Personal Trainer and Trainer of Fitness Leaders, with the BCRPA Fitness Branch. I went to UBC in the 70’s and have a PHED degree not a Kin Degree–matter of fact Kinesiology was not available when I was at University.
I am a regional committee member for our registration and we are working on a project to mandate BCRPA registration in British Columbia, based on the standards we have created for all Fitness Professionals. We are not demanding that everyone have a KIn degree as that would wipe out almost 75% of our registered Personal Trainers.
But we are trying to stop those individuals who believe a weekend course gives them the right to Personal train.
I also agree with the comment above–I believe you don’t need to have a degree to personal train, but you certainly need post secondary education–college or other wise–with a curriculum that follows the standards of the industry and tests the individual for their competancies.

by: Chris Duguay

Tue, 22 May 2007 16:08:57 +0000

Let me make this clear that in my facility every personal trainer is certified. So i do agre that there should be some form of regulations against non certified trainers and very high fines. But I do agree that Kin’s are most of the time not even close to the practical knowledge required to guarantee results for clients. If this is there chosen perfession than they need to know nutrition and training tech. to get the job done.. Which then means now everyone would have to take Kinesiology and Nutrition as an undergrad to be truely certified, where does it end. I am the director for 30 trainers and all are certified in nutrition as part of our companies futher education program!!!

by: R B

Wed, 02 May 2007 22:27:15 +0000

I agree that there are too many individuals calling themselves “personal trainers” with no qualification to do so. The statements provided in the document above contain a lot of the misinformation given by “for-profit” organizations that provide designations based on a weekend course. If you look at the requirements of being a CSEP-certified professional and/or kinesiologist you will see that there are major differences in the Scope of Practice and core competencies of these university educated specialists. The public is increasingly becoming aware of the need for university-trained health and fitness professionals. Regulation is long overdue and warranted. Congratulations to the government of Ontario for attempting to regulate an industry that truly needs regulation.

by: Ariella Tsafatinos, FIS, PTS, PNS, Certified Pilates Instructor

Wed, 02 May 2007 21:08:00 +0000

Oops, hit the wrong button.

I was going to say, just as there are CEO’s who don’t have degrees but do a great job of running companies, there are many knowledgeable trainers without degrees to do a great job of training, particularly because they’ve taken that journey themselves and have sought out knowledge because they truly wanted to know more, usually to help someone they were working with, and not simply because they were fulfilling the course requirements for a degree.

I personal train, teach all kinds of fitness classes, have trained for for triathlons, and own and operate my own fitness club in Toronto, all without a degree.

by: Ariella Tsafatinos, FIS, PTS, PNS, Certified Pilates Instructor

Wed, 02 May 2007 20:59:10 +0000

The worst case scenario is quite scary.

My first professional role in fitness years ago was and continues to be as an aerobic instructor. When, after years of teaching group fitness, continuing education workshops, practicing and trying out new exercises, and basically walking the talk, I took the personal trainer certification to be accredited doing one-on-one what I had been doing for years 30-40- and 50 to one. There were kinesiology students in my “weekend course” who didn’t know the difference between a ballistic stretch and a static stretch, and some who didn’t even know how to stretch the various muscles.

Just because a trainer doesn’t have a degree, doesn’t make them unprofessional or lacking knowledge. By the same token, just because a trainer has a degree, doesn’t make them better or more knowledgeable than one who doesn’t.

Just as there are many CEO’s

by: Malinda Wilson

Wed, 02 May 2007 14:27:19 +0000

I think this is an excellent idea, as there are too many people calling themselves “Personal Trainers” with as little as a one weekend course on the subject.

I am a Personal Trainer as well as the Supervisor of all the Personal Trainers in my organization - and we have all completed our degree as well as our CFC and or PFLC certifications. We are out there - now it’s just a matter of the government backing us in our chosen career.