This post is part of an ongoing series about my learning process as I train to become a personal trainer. In this post, I’m going to look at the code of ethics that we sign up to as personal trainers in the UK, before we are entered on the Register of Exercise Professionals (REPs).
***
The what?
The Register of Exercise Professionals (REPs). You can find the website here. According to REPs, they are an independent public Register which recognises the qualifications and expertise of health enhancing exercise instructors in the UK. One of their functions is to provide a system of regulation for instructors and trainers to ensure that they meet the health and fitness industry’s agreed national occupational standards.
***
Code of Ethical Practice
As part of their goal of providing a regulatory framework for exercise professionals, REPs provide a code of ethical practice that all personal trainers are expected to sign up to. You can see a copy here.
***
The Role
The role of the personal trainer, as defined by the code of ethics, is described as follows:
- Individual needs – to meet the (fitness) needs of individuals
- Improve performance – to improve performance or fitness through programmes of safe, effective and enjoyable exercise
- Motivate – to create an environment in which individuals are motivated to maintain participation and improve performance or fitness
- Conform to ethical standards – to comply with the ethical code
I’ll come back to these principles when we look at programming in the New Year. I suspect that most average fitness professionals concentrate far too much on point three and far too little on points one and two. But, in this post, we’re just looking at point four.
***
The Four Principles
The code is based around four principles, which are:
- Rights – exercise professionals will be respectful of their clients and of their rights as individuals
- Relationships - exercise professionals will nurture healthy relationships with their clients and other exercise professionals
- Responsibilities – exercise professionals will demonstrate and promote a clean and responsible lifestyle and conduct
- Standards – exercise professionals will seek to adopt the highest level of professional standards in their work and in the development of their career.
***
#1: Rights
The key areas covered by rights are:
- Individual differences - as personal trainers, we need to be aware that each person has a very different background and genetics. Of couse, there are some principles that invariably always apply, like overload and calories-in-calories-out. However, genetically, some people respond better to different types of training than others, may have different challenges and strengths and different preferences.
- Discrimination – as with all people working in a client-facing industry, personal trainers need to be aware of the harm that discrimination can cause, and be alert to it so that we can stop if from happening.
- Confidentiality – personal trainers often come into possession of confidential information, particularly upon receipt of the medical questionnaire that we encourage our clients to complete (because you’re not just going to do a PAR-Q are you?). As in any client-facing industry, the people who are unable to keep such sensitive information to themselves soon become pariahs who nobody wants to work with…
***
#2: Relationships
The key areas covered by relationships are:
- Recognition of client needs - as personal trainers, we need to focus on the fundamental principle: that we are responsible for meeting a client’s needs. We may be the world’s best fat-loss expert but if the client needs to put on 10lbs of muscle then we need to get a different tool-box out. Putting a client’s needs first is the first and most important step to becoming a better personal trainer. Distinguising between a client’s needs and wants is a slightly different and much thornier issue…
- Communication with other professionals – as personal trainers, we can add value significantly to our clients if we are able to tap into a network of other professionals who can help where physiotherapy or nutritional advice are needed. In these relationships, it is important to understand where the responsibility and activity of each professional begins and ends to avoid noses being bent out of place.
- Integrity - as in any people-facing industry, the people who can’t help themselves from getting into unprofessional relationships are the ones who end up in difficulty. Personal integrity is like the integrity of an egg shell: once lost it’s hard to get back…
***
#3: Responsibilities
The key areas covered by responsibilities are:
- Professional appearance - we noted in the last post about communication that how we present ourselves is a communication. As personal trainers, we need to look like we train ourselves. We need to present an image of health, strength, stability, mobility and athletic ability. I think there is probably some leeway here if you are a specialist powerlifter training other powerlifters…
- Accountability – as any professional, we need to be aware that our claims can and should be tested. We need to be aware of what constitues a reasonable claim to make, even if the marketing people are screaming for us to be outlandish. I would say that standing up to marketing people is one of the most personally rewarding things you can do for your self-worth. They really are the modern equivalent of Mephistopheles. And for those of you who have succumbed to the Faustian pact, well, you know who you are…
- Client safety – it is possible to hurt yourself during any physical activity or environment and the gym is no exception. We need to be aware that for the duration that a client is in our care, we must consider them our responsibility.
***
#4: Standards
The key areas covered by standards are:
- Ongoing development – as professionals, we need to be engaging with our professional development seriously. This doesn’t mean going on a one-day course once a year. It means actively pursuing improvement through study, discussion with other professionals in our fields and in related fields, and testing protocols with clients.
- Accept responsibility – similarly, if what we are doing with clients isn’t working, then we need to accept responsibility for that and change what we are doing so that it does work. So if that 3 sets of 10 machine-based protocol isn’t helping your client progress, maybe it’s time to look outside of the box…
***
Congratulations if you reached the bottom of this post! You’re clearly either very bored or extremely dedicated. Let’s try and make the personal training industry a better place together…
