X Close Editor

Submitted by: sportyjk

Title

Comment
From a professional liability perspective, you really should NOT be training CLIENTS (people who pay you for your services) until AFTER you're certified as a trainer. You can practice with friends, or on yourself, as you prepare to get certified... To look at it another way: If you were about to go into a court of law, would you rather be defended by a LICENSED lawyer, or someone whose "applying-for" or "pending" a license? As personal trainers, we're not required to be licensed by the state (as lawyers, doctors, nurses, even physical therapists and certified athletic trainers are required), which means there's even MORE chance of less-than-qualified people working in our field. A client sometimes becomes overly-concerned about certain aches/pains & if (s)he has a "bad session" with you (BIG area of interpretation on that term!), (s)he may decide to "sue you" ... even for things like "being mean" or "not understanding" or "not achieving the results you promised". Seems outlandish, but it has happened. Do yourself a favor & 1st get certified (lack-of-income should be a strong motivator!), then immediately apply for professional liability insurance(being a member of a professional trainers' organization like ACE, NASM, ACSM, will generally allow you to enjoy a group discount, partly due to the fact that you had to pass a minimum-qualifying test to be certified). This is esp. important if you plan on training 1:1 from your own home or from the client's home/outdoors. Not only is it your word-vs-your client's word, if there's an insurance claim, there's likely no witnesses, either. That could be very expensive, very quickly. One claim could put you in debt for a long time. On the other hand, some fitness clubs or private studio owners may allow you to train clients BEFORE you're actually certified, provided you demonstrate that you are actively working on attaining certification (like setting a test date & getting the training manuals.)... they will temporarily cover you under the club/facility's liability insurance. As a matter of fact, if you only work at a fitness club/studio that already covers its employees with prof'l liability insurance, you will likely NOT need to get your own liability insurance coverage. Good luck in your new training career!

Cancel Delete Delete & Ban

Updating Comments page...

X Close Editor

Submitted by: Anonymous

Title

Comment
A much shorter answer than the last one... NO. You don't need to be certified to have insurance and you don't need to be certified to train. HOWEVER This is a slippery slope if you practice without certification or insurance...even with your friends. There is real risk if injury and you will be held liable due to neglegence Insurance: Personal Trainer (PT) insurance is just standard liability insurance. You can buy this for your self at any time through any insurance company. You may already have this if you currently have insurance on your home or apartment. PT liability insurance would be MORE and used specifically for your business. Many insurnace companies will ask if you are certified and may not provide coverage for your business if you are not. IF they do it will be a significantly higher premium. Training with or without a certification: You don't need a certification to train. However, you do to call your self certified, clearly. There is no regulatory group or agency for trainers. Basically I can create a test...call it a certification and if you take it you are certified...being recognized is a different story. However, if you are going to represent youself as a trainer you should; 1. be certified or be VERY clear that you are not. 2. have insurance.

Cancel Delete Delete & Ban

Updating Comments page...