PT certifications are an overview of fitness. We can help you correct muscle imbalances etc but no basic PT cert covers bodybuilding/maximal strength/power output (NASM comes close but only touches on these subjects). I can watch you squat and tell you about your anterior pelvic tilt and help you correct the imbalances that are causing this. Much else is outside the scope of PT. We are not allowed to give much nutritional advice (as we are not RDs and can be held liable for false information).

High level as in I am an IPL World's qualifier (not that impressive) and hold an "Elite" total by USPA standards (165 raw).



There isn't much quality control in the USA for PT certifications either. NASM is one of the most reputable and even their exam was a joke. I went in with only 2-3 hours of studying/reading beforehand and passed on my first try. 50% of the exam was muscle imbalances involved in APT, Upper-crossed Syndrome, etc. Anyone can pass these exams with a bit of effort and still have NO idea what they're doing in the gym. Specialized coaches are your best bet for competing at any high level strength sport. Or PTs with more knowledge than just a certified personal trainer exam. Look for people who have CSCS certs (certified strength and conditioning specialist) or previous experience in the sport you want to get into. I've learned more from Bill Clark than from ANYWHERE else. He's one of the "founders of powerlifting" and not even a certified coach.

This post was edited by HoneyBadger on Nov 11 2014 05:56pm

So if I decide to become a pt through med school I could be held liable for giving out nutrition advice? Who determines if it's false or not? Much of the truth opposes typical convention and I'd trust myself to give nutrition advice before I would a large portion of RDs/nutritionists

If you hold a degree that allows you to give nutritional advice, then you're fine. However, PTs are only allowed to give out information such as that found on government nutrition websites etc... I can tell someone that a gram of fat has 9kcals and etc but I cannot say "for breakfast every day you should only eat 4 eggs, and some toast" or say "sounds like you've got a vitamin A deficiency, try this..." PT is a very general certification so you are not allowed to give medical/nutritional advice and so on.

Trust me... I think it's stupid but it's that way for a reason. Many PTs give out bro science advice in terms of nutrition ("bro take 25,000 IUs of vitamin A a day and you'll be ripped in 6 weeks!"). Then when your client goes blind due to vitamin A toxicity you're held liable. NOW I can give advice as a FRIEND outside of the PT setting and that's completely fine. But as a PT I cannot tell my clients to do this/that if it's outside my scope of practice, which happens to be very small if you're only a certified PT.

I can give advice better than most RDs or Doctors in terms of nutrition, but it's not allowed.

Hehe me thinks I'll abuse the shit out of that loophole
cool
thanks for the information, though I guess it does make sense overall for the regulations.

You have to specify that you are giving this advice as a friend and they are asking you as a friend and not in a client/PT relationship. I specifically tell my clients if you text/Facebook me that I'm giving you this advice as a friend and not as a PT. Still have to be very careful though and if you're not 110% sure the information is accurate then you're safer not giving it to them. Another way around it is to give them a link to something and letting them make their own assumptions.

The regulations are in place just to keep people with very little training from telling others false information. When in doubt, don't answer.

yeh, when i got my cert, something they emphasized was not operating outside your scope of practice, and not to give nutrition advice.

Yeah, pretty much just do that and ofc be specific about the context of the info being provided. What I do is go a step further and explain what my wife would advise since she is an expert in nutrition (wayyyy beyond dietican/nutritionist basic stuff). There is always a loophole. And if there isn't, just do PT without the license. Call yourself a coach and they can't touch that afaik. However I don't live or work in the US and los americanos seem to sue for everything so idk if that would "fly" over there

I mean it's the same thing with doctors. Some of them know about nutrition and they know about preventative medicine, exercise, etc., but they can't prescribe it and they can get into trouble if they so much as explore ways to improve people's health Such general fuckery.

PT's are great if you want to pay an absurd amount for a friend an hour a day. And pay to learn the same stuff you can learn on the internet. And if you're not dedicated enough to watch your own form... Then you should probably just give up rather than pay tons of money. (Last sentence is meh, but really...) I work at a gym. 2/3 of the trainers here are morons. Even if you get a smart trainer who is worth it, it's still never worth it because you can get the same knowledge on the internet for free.

There is a clear exception. The trainer who is a great coach. If you look at NBA superstars even the greatest players are improved by great coaches. It's the same for anything. But to find a coach or mentor who specializes in your interests is the trick. In the realm of personal training, great coaching is sorely lacking, but it exists in pockets and in individuals.

That's semi true. But those coaches also mentor those players 24/7 for years at a time usually.. Your average gym PT that is worth $35-50/hr isn't going to do that for you. Great coaches don't just mentor their players on just the game either, but life as well.