AAPT students and alumni, you are invited to our next AAPT NYC CAREER EXPO on MARCH 8th.

When: Thursday March 8, 2012
Time: 2:30pm – 3:30pm
Where: Hanson Fitness (Union Square)
795 Broadway, 2nd floor (between 10th and 11th Streets)
Transportation: 14 St-Union Sq: L, N, Q, R, W- 4, 5, 6

Be sure to bring your updated resumes!

An interesting question was raised on our Facebook page recently and we thought we’d start a little discussion here.

The Question: What is your opinion on the Total Gym, Insanity Workout, Nintendo Wii, Xbox Kinect & the Pushup Pump. Are these helpful?

Here are some thoughts from our Head of Education in Boston, Ted Bertini:.

There are a few ways to look at this:

1. Are they helpful as a workout alternative to the gym and the “standard” equipment such as dumbbells, exercise classes, bands, etc.
2. Or are these options looking to be used in place of going to the gym?

As an accessory to regular workouts anything that keeps you moving is usually a positive.  However, if there is no trainer there to help show you how to do the exercise and to make sure you are performing the movements correctly (for your body) you may be at a greater risk of injury (i.e., muscle strain, excessive soreness, other..).   Maybe for a change in the same old routine they might be fine in the short term but as a stand-alone feature you will tire of them easily (especially if you are at home); then, what do you do?

Having goals of being safe, effective, and efficient in your workouts is the key.  Quick fix workouts or special tv promotions may not always be presented with your best interest in mind.  Many closets have become the final resting place for these products purchased with the best intentions of using them on a regular basis.

My kids wanted that Dance Dance Revolution for the Wii.  They may have used it 10 times in total; however we go to the gym or they play in sports every week.  Same for us…we have the home setup but use it sparingly.  If you go to the gym you are committing yourself to working out.  If you choose these at home “accessories” you might find that you have too many distractions and end up not exercising at all.  Ultimately, what keeps you engaged is the key. 

What do you think?  Please weigh in!

I moved to New York City from my hometown of Lexington, Kentucky in 2001 to study acting. I was always active growing up and loved being on stage. As a busy undergraduate, however, I put on weight – almost 40 pounds! I was not very happy with how I looked or the roles I was getting. After I graduated and was auditioning full-time, I started taking classes at the gym. I didn’t really know what I was doing but slowly took off the weight through good old-fashioned diet and exercise. In 2007, I decided to train for my first triathlon and it was during that training when a lightbulb went off…I could help other people lose weight and get in shape too!

I enrolled at the American Academy of Personal Training because I wanted a great education and to be a trainer who knew what she was talking about. I wanted to back up my experience of becoming healthy with a solid foundation of exercise science, biomechanics, and nutrition. I knew I had changed my body but I wanted to tell others HOW. There were other certification programs out there but I was drawn to AAPT because the program was intense and thorough and I thought I would fit in well with the full-time program.

One of my favorite aspects about AAPT was that the day was split in two.  For the first part, we were in class – taking notes, viewing presentations, and hearing lectures.  During the second half of the day, we applied what we had learned earlier on the gym floor.  This combination of classroom and hands-on learning helped reinforce my understanding of the material.  We were in the gym, working out with equipment, learning the terminology and physiology, and training each other.  By the time I graduated in December, I had already trained 14 clients – my classmates!

I now work at a private personal training studio in Park Slope, Brooklyn.  The training studio is ideal for clients because you don’t have to share space or equipment. I have over 20 clients and I work approximately 30 hours a week. One of my clients, Nicole Brewer, was one of the kicked-off contestants from a past season of NBC’s “The Biggest Loser.” I began training her to come back for the live finale of the show. The contestant who lost the most weight at home wins $100,000! She was determined and excited to learn about fitness and wellness. She changed her life and in the process became an inspiration to others. What a joy to train her!

I love my job and the part-time hours are great. I am not as interested in acting full-time anymore but am currently staying busy planning my wedding and applying to graduate school in Holistic Health Education. I would love to round out my personal training skills by learning more about nutrition, wellness, alternative therapies, and spirituality. I am certified by the American Council on Exercise and specialize in training pre-natal and postpartum women. I also work with clients recovering from injury. I just taught my first workshop at Pongo Power about endurance training and I focus on functional training with a holistic approach.

My education at AAPT was exactly what I needed to jump start my new career. Being a personal trainer is such a rewarding job and I feel so lucky to work in an industry that helps and educates others. If you have an interest in fitness, are interested in changing careers, want to take your skills to a new level, or are just starting out like I was – AAPT is the place to be! I am so grateful for my experience there and my amazing teachers. Thank you so much AAPT!

New York: AAPT provides a 15% discount to applicants from all government agencies – Federal, State, and local. This includes homeland security. Contact us! http://ow.ly/1Fxe2y

Do you have a personal trainer?  Has he or she ever checked your blood pressure or measured your body fat?  Completing assessments on a client is ESSENTIAL for safety and to measure your progress.  Check out our current New York weekend class practicing assessments.  You can rest assured that with an AAPT educated and certified personal trainer, you will be safe and will be able to track your progress, hence being reassured that your investment is worth it!  Follow our photo stream on Flickr to stay up to date on AAPT in Action!!

AAPT students are working hard in the classroom and on the gym floor preparing to become the industries finest trainers!  On a regular basis, we will share photos of students in action.  Keep checking back on the blog or follow us on Flickr.

Boston class - hard at work!

AAPT graduates, soon-to-be graduates and AAPT fans: a top fitness club is hosting a Personal Training Career Expo in NYC at the Soho Grand on February 2nd.  It’s a great opportunity for you to gain information on this club and to hear about career opportunities.  Contact Nazira Bhaiyat at 212-242-2278 or nbhaiyat@aapt.edu for more information.

The importance of writing a 4-6 week program in advance of any training session is one of your keys to success as a personal trainer.

Trainers will argue that writing a program prior to collecting money is a waste of time.  FALSE!  Example: A builder must complete blueprints before he is hired to build a house. Would you hire someone that promised you a great house without any plans? If a potential client doesn’t buy their program initially, follow up with them after 4-6 weeks. If they have not achieved their fitness goals outlined with you, a new opportunity arises.

Many clients indicate that they want to lose fat and get stronger. To design and implement a successful program, its important to assess their strength and their body fat percentage to create a starting point – something to compare to as the client progresses.  Also what other goals do they have, they may want to prepare to run a marathon or tone up for the dreaded class reunion. Before any trainer can start to write a program they need a plan.  If an assessment of the client doesn’t happen, the plan becomes irrelevant to the client.

The program writing phase is arguably the most important component of personal training and the phase that personal trainers are most likely not to complete. We have clients and also have our own workouts; trying to remember our own workouts let alone another 20+ sessions a week – a tough task for most. If a program is not planned in advance and no notes have been taken in the form of a daily log, how can we be sure that our client is progressing? How can we create logical solutions to postural deviencies, or prescribe exercise that is relevant to our clients’ goals and needs? Not to mention the importance of remembering pre-existing conditions.

As stated earlier…Not using a program is like trying to build a house without any blueprints. It does not matter how great the builder is – if there are no blueprints, the plan is arbitrary. The builder is throwing a house together and hoping it stands.

As trainers, we have to take pride in what we do and represent our profession well. We shouldn’t be looking to sell “sessions” but rather looking to sell people on their achieving fitness dreams…sell them on their goal!

Yes, you may be the only trainer at your gym that has a program, but you are probably the trainer that has clients reaching their goals while doing it safely and injury free. Being a good trainer is about paying attention to details. So why is it important for trainers to write programs?  It comes down to one simple thing, it is what great trainers do!!

http://http://www.fitsugar.com/What-s-Like-Personal-Trainer-18161274

Check out recent article featuring AAPT graduate Lauren Fairbanks! Click here

Wake Up and Work Out with AAPT students, Wendy Muckell and Sarah Sauer!  PIX11 invited them to their morning show to teach viewers a quick and effective morning workout routine.

Watch the full video here: Wake-Up and Work Out with AAPT on PIX11

If you think that personal training is the right career for you, then you need the right education for the job. The American Academy of Personal Training prepares personal trainers for their careers with an integrated curriculum of classroom and hands-on learning techniques.