College Degree

I had another question following up a thread I started a couple days ago (P.E. vs. Personal Training). I was just wondering if any of the personal trainers here have a college degree. I know it is not required. If you guys could tell me from your experiences if you think it helps to get clients and more money or if its a waste of time and a waste of money it would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks
N. Robinson

Even if you actually plan on being a personal trainer for the rest of your adult life, a college degree will still turn you into a more informed and proficient member of society.

I do have my degree in Physical Education. I have my CSCS and ATC certifications also, and they require a degree to sit for the exam. ATC is athletic trainer certified and it requires 1500 hours of field experience and passing a 3 part exam.

I’ve been training clients for over 14 years, and I firmly believe my degree has helped with being more credible and being able to charge what I do. I work full time at a physical therapy clinic and run my own training company. I couldn’t tell you how many patients come the clinic after their trainer has had them doing something they’re not ready to do. And unfortunatley 99% of the time the trainer has an “in house” certification.

Like I tell patients when they ask what they should look for in a trainer, would you go to a doctor without his MD?

[quote]MarkN3 wrote:
I do have my degree in Physical Education. I have my CSCS and ATC certifications also, and they require a degree to sit for the exam. ATC is athletic trainer certified and it requires 1500 hours of field experience and passing a 3 part exam.

I’ve been training clients for over 14 years, and I firmly believe my degree has helped with being more credible and being able to charge what I do. I work full time at a physical therapy clinic and run my own training company. I couldn’t tell you how many patients come the clinic after their trainer has had them doing something they’re not ready to do. And unfortunatley 99% of the time the trainer has an “in house” certification.

Like I tell patients when they ask what they should look for in a trainer, would you go to a doctor without his MD? [/quote]

Thanks alot this exactly the kind of response I was looking for. I was thinking the same thing you were saying about the the credibility factor that comes with a college degree. The doctor example is a great way of showing it.

Thanks again,
N. Robinson

[quote]N. Robinson wrote:
Thanks alot this exactly the kind of response I was looking for. I was thinking the same thing you were saying about the the credibility factor that comes with a college degree. The doctor example is a great way of showing it.

Thanks again,
N. Robinson

[/quote]

Just a couple notes to think about:

  1. Of all the personal trainers I know, the most happy ones do it as a side business or own their own facility.

  2. You probably won’t want to be in personal training all your life.

Getting the degree is a good idea, even if it’s in business.

-Dan

Athletic trainers live in a cruel world. They go through pristine college degree programs, gain experience through hard work…

…only to be screwed by personal trainers who passed a highly questionable certification program and have 1 month of experience. A college degree gives you the necessary preparation, and your post-college experience allows you to apply it; it gives you one of the best professional qualifications you can have.

Yet, for the general population, an athletic trainer with vast education and experience is unrecognizable from a naive, uneducated (unless you consider a magazine and online browsing a comparable education), and inexperienced trainer.

Athletic Trainers, I feel for you. As an engineering student I will never have to deal with the wanna-be’s who destroy my profession’s reputation and force me to bring my charging rates down to compete with highschool kids who get clients by charging $25/hr.