My Certifications, Questions to Ask Your Personal Trainer, Part 4

June 8, 2014 2:53 pm / Posted in Blog

Burke Cleland Nutrition

Hopefully you’ve been following the Questions to Ask Your Personal Trainer series that I began a little while back. This series goes through the 7 most important questions to ask anyone helping you get in shape, lose weight, or improve your diet.

One of the most important questions to ask your personal trainer is what certifications they have? The reasons for this question are fairly straightforward. If you hire a carpenter to work on your home, you want to make sure they have their Journeyman papers. Similarly, there’s a reason most doctors display their medical school degree prominently in their offices. Somewhere, deep down inside, everyone wants to make sure that the person treating them knows what they’re doing.

The same holds true for a personal trainer. An unqualified practitioner can do some real damage. For the sake of this article, let’s call unqualified trainers “work out coaches.” These are people who know a lot about “working out” and who can help spot you while you’re lifting weights. They can give you a little bit of advice about your form while you’re doing pushups. They can be a good buddy to work out with.

That said, they might not truly understand how the different parts of the body are connected to each other. Their advice can potentially result in exercises that are uncomfortable, or worse, harmful. A qualified personal trainer will customize an exercise program to the client, taking into account previous injuries, issues with chronic pain, and other complications.

On a related note, whereas a conventional “work out coach” might suggest that you “diet,” a qualified trainer can make recommendations surrounding your nutrition. They can help you gradually change your habits towards a healthier lifestyle and go far beyond simple calorie counting.

My Certifications

While you can read my certifications here, let me go over them here. Click on the links below to get a sense of the details of the programs and to better understand the path I have taken to become the trainer I am today.

Fitness Lifestyle Management – Algonquin College
Precision Nutrition Coach – Precision Nutrition
C.H.E.K Practitioner – Chek Institute
Jump Start – Muscle Activation Techniques
Canadian Lifeguard Association (Bronze Cross & Bronze Medallion)
Pilates Instructor Matt Level II – Spinn
Can Fit Pro (Personal Training Specialist)

I’m also constantly learning new skills and information. I read about health and nutrition regularly and am eager to share my knowledge with my clients. If it can help them improve their lives then it’s all worthwhile!

Certifications are more than just a paper on the wall. They represent a body of knowledge and practice that you should look out for when you’re hiring a personal trainer. That’s why it’s one of the most important questions to ask your personal trainer. I would be happy to talk with you about my own certifications at any time. Simply fill out the contact form on this page and I’ll get back to you right away.