blog

Nicole Carroll: Just one of the people I’ve been lucky enough to learn from.[/caption] One of the most frequent criticisms of Functional Fitness is that you can open a gym after taking a weekend course. I can sort of understand the concern some people might have, but you have to remember it’s pretty easy for the public to regulate the fitness industry. If a trainer or gym does not make a client fitter, the client should look elsewhere. In that scenario, it should be obvious that subpar trainers and gyms shouldn’t exist for very long. And indeed the industry spits out a great many people who were never meant to run gyms, lead classes and make clients fitter. But the criticism really rings hollow to me because it implies that the Level 1 is some sort of end goal, which it is not. Instructors clearly make that point during the seminar, and attendees are encouraged to pursue all sorts of additional education. [caption id="attachment_737" align="alignright" width="300"] After learning from Tommy Rudge, Nadia Shatila and Adrian Bozman, Crystal taught them about the Horns. (Boz already knew a lot about them.)[/caption] After running Functional Fitness 204 for five years, I’ve discovered not one trainer who’s content to sit back on a Functional Fitness Level 1 certificate and think the world of fitness has been conquered. Some pursue additional certificates and certifications. Others hold several certificates and are constantly maintaining them through required continuing education. Others voraciously read and research everything they can, acquiring impressive amounts of knowledge that would easily allow them to challenge a host of fitness tests and emerge with more certificates. The point is that no passionate trainer would ever consider learning at an end. As a group, our coaches are in constant communication with each other, talking about how to assist various athletes, how to run classes, how to teach movements and so on. We’ve got qualified care providers funneling information to our coaches to help us improve training for our athletes, and we hold regular coaches meeting at which we share information, review movements and teaching procedures, and introduce new techniques to make us better. [caption id="attachment_19" align="alignright" width="300"] A weekend with Louie Simmons of Westside Barbell showed me a completely different way to approach strength training.[/caption] As a gym, we’re in regular communication with industry experts, other gym owners and top trainers, and we’re constantly grilling them for ideas on how we can improve. Our support network runs from coast to coast in Canada and deep into the United States, and we’re very confident we’re connected with the people who can help us improve. Individually, our coaches pursue continuing education beyond that which is required to maintain certificates. One of our coaches—who already holds a degree and another fitness certificate—recently took the Functional Fitness Level 1, and five more are currently en route to a USA Weightlifting Seminar, where they’ll be learning more about teaching the snatch and clean and jerk. Two of the coaches in that group just completed the Functional Fitness Level 1, so I really don’t see a lot of coasting going on. Instead, I see people who are learning and want to learn more—which is, of course, why we want them on our staff. [caption id="attachment_215" align="alignright" width="300"] I’ve been privileged to learn from Greg Glassman’s coaching on several occasions, and it’s always a good reminder of how much there is to know.[/caption] All in all, it’s part of a commitment to our members. The day we decide we’re “good enough” is the day our members will know we aren’t. You can review the qualifications of our coaches on our Staff page.