IYCA is against everything you are about to hear
Because of potential criminal fallout, I’m not allowed to tell you where I saw this.
What’s criminal is the fact that this happened at all.
And the criminals in this case shouldn’t be allowed to hide behind our legal system.
But what can I say?
That’s the law I suppose.
So, with the details muddled and the offenders protected, let me tell you what happened while I was working out yesterday.
A Personal Trainer was conducting a training session with a middle-aged client.
That in itself is not a story.
The fact that I even noticed them at all was based on what I kept hearing.
Groans.
Groans of effort.
Groans of effort that eventually turned into screams.
I mean tribal screams – the kind you usually only hear from elite power lifters or world-class bodybuilders.
Rep after rep after rep, this middle-aged man was literally screaming, cursing and grunting his way through the workout.
All the while, his Personal Trainer was paying literally no attention.
I mean at all.
He wasn’t even watching.
His eyes were fixed across the gym at a couple of other Personal Trainers who had joined the rest of the people in the facility as we all watched in horror at what was going on.
Only, the Personal Trainers weren’t in shock, disbelief or concern.
They were laughing.
The Personal Trainer who was actually conducting this training session was looking at his buddies and laughing.
Rep after rep after rep.
I could go on about how poorly the middle-aged client was performing each repetition and how dangerous his movement patterns were, but that is not the point of this story.
And it isn’t where I believe the Personal Trainer erred most by not watching his client…
…This guy was turning greener and greener by the second.
And the laughing Personal Trainer, acting cool to his buddies, didn’t even notice.
And then it happened.
And anyone actually watching this freak show would have predicted it.
I did.
The middle-aged client leaps off the leg press machine (don’t even get me started on that one), and runs to the closest garbage can.
In a lucky twist of fate, he managed to pull the lid off the top just as the vomit started soaring out of his mouth.
And the Personal Trainer laughed..
He didn’t once go over to his client and see that he was o.k.
He just laughed, smirked and grinned at his buddies.
The vomit stopped, the lid was placed back on the garbage can and everyone in the gym went back to there own business.
The smug Personal Trainer walked over to the now completely exhausted and defeated middle-aged client and says – and this is not me exaggerating –
“Good job. That’s the price you have to pay. Let’s get back to work”
I want to end the story there and let you stew for a moment about all the things that are wrong about that situation…. But I have more to say about it in a second.
First, think of this –
I want you to realize and even internalize the fact that when the general public, our consumers at large, think of ‘Personal Trainers’, they think of you and the jackass in this story in the same way.
To the public, you and him are the same.
Here’s how the story ends.
As I’m walking out of the gym, pretty much ‘done’ with what I had just seen, I notice a sign on the front door that I hadn’t noticed when I walked in:
‘Coming This Winter – Our New YOUTH FITNESS PROGRAM’
There was a photograph of the Personal Trainer who will be heading up this gym’s new Youth Fitness program.
Any guesses who it was?
See, this is why the IYCA was created.
To actually differentiate you from Personal Training clowns like this guy.
I checked out his bio on the website, by the way.
He is certified by all those mainstream certification companies – the ones that you are certified by as well.
And because of that, the potential customers you and him as equal.
The IYCA is different.
We are the only certification agency that actually specializes in educating you on how best to train and develop young athletes and youth fitness participants.
In fact, we do such a great job at preparing Fitness and Sport Training professionals for the endless opportunities that exist in ‘Youth’ niche of the industry, we were recently featured in the internationally acclaimed magazine, Newsweek.
Our youth-based curriculum is not ‘one’ of the certifications we offer.
It is all we offer.
And I created it so that consumers knew that you were different than idiot-boy above.
Right now, the IYCA has certified professionals working in the ever-expanding field of youth fitness and sport development all over the world:
Canada
The United States
Singapore
New Zealand
Australia
England
Scotland
Wales
South Africa
I mean, our IYCA Testimonials page has letters and comments from professional Trainers all over the world who have been overjoyed at the way there careers have changed since becoming IYCA certified.
Have a look for yourself –
http://www.iyca.org/testimonials
The Wall Street Journal reported that over $4 billion a year are being spent on Personal Training and Coaching for youths in the United States alone.
Parents are going to take their kids to fools, or they’re going to bring them to you.
It’s your choice.
‘Till next time,
“What the IYCA has done for my career is worth more than I could ever repay”
Robert Belley
Youth Conditioning Specialist – since 2005
Become certified as a Youth Conditioning Specialist today and see how much your career will change.
IYCA Certification is the GOLD STANDARD… Click here to find out why –
http://www.iyca.org/fitspecialist1
P.S. – There was a recent story in media publications all over the world showing that nearly 1 million children and teens throughout the United States alone use Personal Trainers.
Client demands are changing in the fitness industry…
Are you prepared to change with them??
Become IYCA Certified Now –
http://www.iyca.org/fitspecialist1
This is exactly why the doors for Personal Trainers are always revolving. Any clown can gain certification through a nationally recognized program, but not everyone has the passion it takes to truly help those in need. There is no excuse for “select” training. By that, I am referring to those Personal Trainers who pick and choose which of their clients deserve full attention. I see this often where I work out and it makes me sick!!!
Do you think this Personal Trainer would have paid more attention to his client if he were training a twenty-something female? Brian, I would suggest recruiting him into the IYCA, but you can’t teach heart and desire. Hopefully the kids he is working with do not suffer the same fate as the client you saw today.
Thanks for the IYCA and everything you guys/girls are doing for the youth of this world. I am a new member and just began the Level 1 certification. It is incredibly informative and there is so much passion in the way the information is taught. I would like to believe that one day, this will be a mandatory certification for anyone working with youth in sports. Cheers!
Nothing surprises me,however,we at the IYCA need to concern ourselves about the quality we are providing and be mindful of the continued professional development the the organization continues to provide its members.Look to continually raise your standards and that will in turn develop your players.I agree Aaron with your comments.
All good points Brian. Any personal trainer reading this must understand that this is the “norm” for average PT’s across the country. I could tell similar stories from working in various health clubs – where completely unprofessional and unethical things happen day after day. If you are a personal trainer and you want to break out of the mold of “average,” then you really have to put in an effort to distinguish yourself from the rest, becoming a fitness professional instead of a personal trainer. A nationally accredited certification is no longer enough. This is one of the many reasons why organizations like the IYCA have been formed, out of necessity to fill this need.
See you this weekend, Brian!
John Sifferman
Real World Strength Training
http://www.JohnSifferman.com
Brian,
I believe the fitness profession does have many flaws, from folks not being properly certified, lacking the education, or just plain not having the commen sense, communcations skills, or the caring spirit one needs when dealing with people, let alone the youth of today.
Now, with that said, although you are doing a commendable thing by creating IYCA since 2003 and having a Cert Program folks can do, it doesn’t make sense for someone like your self to create such a product or service without NCCA approval.
If the top dawgs like NSCA, NASM, and ACSM understand this and are ACCREDITED by NCCA, then why haven’t you done it or had it done before ever even offering a IYCA Cert?
What you have done is create a Cert with accrediation, the same way online programs have colleges or certs you can get, but they mean nothing from a accredited standpoint.
Just because you are the only one that created a program and compnay from a business standpoint, doesn’t mean the certification is legitimate.
Many folks out their are creating their own certs for bootcamps, strength coach, etc… but until they are fully accreditd by a governing body like NCCA, then they are only good by groups that recognize your company or will take it.
I hope you guys get NCCA accredited someday, because it’s the right thing to do if you want total legitimacy in the fitness community, not just with folks that follow you or bought off what you are selling. Any organization, college, or company that wants to be nationally recognized should be NCCA accredited, if not, then it’s a waste.
Hi Tom! Thank you sincerely for your post. We have considered NCCA accreditation many times as an organization and will come back to it again through our evolution. Suffice it to say, I personally disagree with your feelings and speak fo the entire executive management of the IYCA in doing so. That does not mean that are position is final, however it is where we stand at this moment. As for legitimacy, I once again draw disagreement. Chicago’s Children’s Memorial Hospital, New Zealand’s Long Term Athlete Development Program, Texas Tech University, Southern Illinois University and Nike (among others) are organizations who find us quite credible and use our intellectual property or human resources for educational or project creation purposes. If you feel the IYCA is a waste of your time, then by all means, evoke your freedom to disregard us and we wish you well in your decision to find an organization you deem more credible or worthwhile. Best, Brian.