A lot of unfair criticism is given to Certificate 4 in Fitness. In actual fact, there is no problem with the course at all. The real problem is the widespread misconception that ‘fitness’ means athlete development.
Fitness exercise literally means doing any, random pointless activity that does not develop athleticism. That’s not my opinion; that is simply restating the dictionary definition! It sounds crazy to most people. But, again, thats only because they wrongly think fitness is more than it is.
The dictionary states that ‘Fit ‘s a synonym for ‘suitable’; or in the context of physical health: the absence of illness and injury. That is all it is! It is physical mediocrity. It has nothing to do with sports performance or body composition.
Realising that the goal of fitness is only to not be injured, and all sports coaching contains a risk of injury, sports coaching is not allowed by Personal Trainers. This is not my opinion but is stated in the Fitness industry (FA) Scope of Practice and the major PT insurer product descriptions. PT’s are not covered for any sort of athlete development training.
So Cert 4 doesnt teach any advanced, effective training specifically because it is not allowed to be practiced. It is not fitness.
So don’t hate on Cert 4 in Fitness. I agree that it is garbage. But it is about sustaining mediocrity. How deep and involved does a course need to be to teach how to achieve nothing?
If you are a PT who wants to train your clients for better than mediocrity then don’t look for learning in the fitness industry and don’t call yourself a fitness trainer. Practice your craft, get mentored by an accomplished coach and either join Recomp or the ASCA to represent your service correctly.
