| Let's go through the staff that you will meet | | | | exercise. The following are the two most |
| on your first visit to a health club. | | | | popular certifications. |
| | | | |
| The first person that you are going to meet | | | | NCCA certification - NCCA is a 3rd party |
| at a health club is a receptionist that will | | | | governing body whose function it is to impose |
| introduce you to a salesman. The job of the | | | | certification standards and identify quality |
| receptionist is to give any new visitors a | | | | programs to candidates and the public that |
| introduction to the salesperson and to set | | | | are in strict compliance and produce valid, |
| the tone of the conversation that you are | | | | competent, and worthy personal fitness |
| about to have with the salesperson you are | | | | trainer graduates |
| about to meet. | | | | |
| | | | ACE Certification - The ACE Personal Trainer |
| Health Clubs have staff that are usually | | | | Certification is designed for trainers |
| cross trained and because of the type of work | | | | providing any form of one-on-one instruction. |
| that there is in a health club it is probably | | | | Once you successfully pass the ACE Personal |
| OK to have trainers do membership sales as | | | | Trainer certification exam you will have |
| well. Remember that if the salespeople are | | | | demonstrated your knowledge of basic exercise |
| doubling up as trainers you want to make sure | | | | science, nutrition, fitness assessment, |
| that the trainers are really trainers and not | | | | exercise programming, and instructional and |
| just salespeople that took a weekend course | | | | spotting techniques. |
| in how to train people. | | | | |
| | | | You should be asking about certifications and |
| Besides sales staff every health club has | | | | listening carefully to the answers that you |
| some kind of training staff. Quite often with | | | | get about these certifications. When I was |
| a smaller gym you will find the staff that | | | | younger certification was the first question |
| does the selling is also the same staff that | | | | that I was asked in applying for jobs at gyms |
| does the training. Other staff at the Health | | | | so this should be important to you as well. |
| club may include a receptionist, juice bar | | | | |
| staff, pro shop staff and equipment | | | | Lastly the staff that you will not see and |
| maintenance people. | | | | should know about is the person that is doing |
| | | | maintenance on the equipment in the gym. I |
| When evaluating the staff at the health club, | | | | will cover this again but just be aware that |
| make sure that you are looking for | | | | if any equipment stops working in a health |
| credentials for the trainers. There are two | | | | club or fitness center I have found that it |
| types of certifications. Health Club trainer | | | | will be fixed either in one day or in six |
| certifications are an important way to be | | | | months, the gym has to decide how important |
| able to judge whether the trainers have the | | | | it is for equipment to be fixed. |
| skills to educate and show you how to eat and | | | | |