AAPT's Education-based Approach Discussed in New York Times
New York, NY (PRWEB) August 12, 2013 -- AMERICAN ACADEMY OF PERSONAL TRAINING (AAPT) was featured by The New York Times on July 28, 2013 in an article highlighting the stark contrast between education vs. certification in the quickly growing field of personal training.
As the article by Frank Bruni points out, personal training is the new “it” profession, but the lack of credentialing regulation has led to a real dilution in quality professionalism. While the fitness industry’s 234,000+ jobs and 40% increase in employment over the last 10 years makes it “a robust exception to a stagnant or deteriorating job market,” Bruni highlights how surprisingly easy it is to get “certified” as a personal trainer.
“If you have $400 and a pulse, you can be a trainer,” Bruni’s own personal trainer told him, referring to the type of “meaningless credentials from certificate mills” that allow “struggling actors, failed athletes and even ex-cons” to take simple multiple-choice tests in order to “repurpose themselves as trainers.”
In contrast, AAPT’s intensive hands-on program represents a much needed alternate pathway into personal training—one rooted in education, not just certification. AAPT Founder Harry Hanson confirms in the Times article that there is indeed “no shortage of personal trainers,” but his mission at AAPT is finally produce “trainers who really do know what they’re doing.”
The key, according to AAPT, is education and hands-on experience, which requires both time and financial investment—things that are standard for most professions dealing with the body and health (such as physical therapy and massage therapy), but that are not yet standard for fitness training. The great news, however, is that unlike all other personal training programs in the Northeast, AAPT offers Federal Student Aid, as well as a full service admissions team in both NYC and Boston.
David Shar, American Academy of Personal Training, http://www.aapt.edu, +1 845-392-2782, [email protected]
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