Quality of the trainers

Status: 2020

Assessing the quality of trainers is not that easy! In addition to the often very different levels of training, the regularity of further training, experience, their own sporting activities and, in particular, the empathy with which they approach those wanting to train play a key role.

I am actually proud of how many people who are overweight with or without insulin resistance or type II diabetes I have been able to motivate to go to the gym. I am just as disappointed that most of them came back frustrated after a few weeks because they had experienced more disadvantages than advantages due to overloading during training. And this was despite the fact that we had given the trainers appropriate guidelines after the stress test (spiroergometry with lactate test) carried out in our practice! There is still a lot to be done at the interface between medicine and trainers, e.g. in fitness studios!

Education

In Germany, there are a large number of different institutions that offer training in the fitness sector. These range from courses run by various associations to professional and further training institutes that offer qualifications, as well as colleges and universities. It is not easy to get an overview of this forest of awarded competencies, especially not at European level. Nevertheless, I would like to try!

The DQR, which came into force on March 1, 2014, provides some guidance. In principle, this orientation is a comparable framework for all training occupations that is oriented towards training.

DQR / EQF level

The German Qualifications Framework, which applies to all qualifications, is an adaptation of the European Qualifications Framework (EQF) to the conditions in Germany. In it, dual training was upgraded, the certified master craftsman and the certified business administrator were put on an equal footing with obtaining a bachelor’s degree at a university.

https://www.dqr.de/media/content/2016_DQR_Liste%20der%20zugeordneten%20Qualifikationen_01.08.16.pdf

A distinction is made between the following DQR levels:

DQR 1 Basic Know-how
DQR 2 Entry-level qualification
DQR 3 2-year vocational training
DQR 4 3-year vocational training
DQR 5 Certified IT specialist
DQR 6 Bachelor’s degree, certified business specialist, university, at least 2+ years
DQR 7 Diploma / Master’s degree, university, at least 3 years
DQR 8 Doctorate

Transferring the DQR levels to the fitness sector results in the following classifications:

DQR, Level 2, Fitness Trainer B-License
This primarily refers to trainers with B-licenses from various institutes. A distinction should be made between the fitness trainer B-license, which covers general, relevant basics of anatomy, physiology, and training sciences, and B-licenses for leading special fitness courses.

As a rule, this license is obtained within 6 months of practical work in a studio, during which several study books or online content must be worked through. In addition, 6 – 8 days of attendance at the training institute (3 weekends) are usually required.

DQR, Level 3, Fitness Trainer A-License
This primarily refers to trainers with A-licenses from various institutes. Here too, a distinction should be made between the fitness trainer A-license, which, in addition to the B-license, provides expertise for working with athletes and preventive and rehabilitative training for health-oriented individuals, and A-licenses for leading special fitness courses.

As a rule, the fitness trainer – A license is completed within about 16 working days in an appropriately qualified training institute

DQR, Level 4, Sports and Fitness Management Specialist
The Sports and Fitness Management Specialist is a state-recognized vocational training program. The vocational training is uniformly regulated nationwide and lasts 3 years. It concludes with an examination at the Chamber of Industry and Commerce. The focus of the training is on internal business processes. Often, fitness studios value their trainees also acquiring a B- or A-license as a fitness trainer alongside their vocational training.

DQR, Level 5
Not defined for the fitness sector. At most, students of health economics or similar fields in higher semesters can be placed here.

DQR, level 6 certified business administrator, Bachelor’s degree

In the DQR, it was achieved that the “Meister” was equated with the Bachelor. In terms of its acquisition requirements, the certified specialist largely corresponds to a master craftsman in the fitness sector. There are various basic requirements, e.g. a completed examination as a sports and fitness manager and a longer period of professional activity in this field. After usually 18 months of dual study, during which attendance phases must be completed in addition to distance learning, the examination is held by the IHK. During the examination, knowledge of business administration, human resources, sales, marketing and advertising must be demonstrated. Sports-specific qualifications include knowledge of training science, sports medicine, aspects of nutritional science, gymnastics and aerobics as well as equipment handling.

The Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) is usually obtained in a 3 – 4 year dual study program. This training can be obtained at universities but also from various private providers. The degrees that can be obtained are varied (sports management, sports economics, fitness economics and others). As a rule, it is a dual course of study in which attendance phases must be completed in addition to distance learning. During their studies, students gain practical experience in a corresponding training company.

There is also the normal sports science course at universities, which award the Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) as the first degree. This is a typical full-time course that lasts at least three years.

From the TUM description: The Bachelor’s degree program in Sports Science is divided into three study phases. Basic knowledge is taught in the first three semesters. In the fourth semester, a 20-week internship provides initial professional orientation. In the fifth and sixth semesters, an individually plannable in-depth sports science phase…. Graduates have a holistic understanding of the human musculoskeletal system. In addition to the technical basics, he/she can set his/her own initial focus through internships and elective modules and prepare for the start of his/her career.

DQR level 7, Diploma / Master Sports Scientist

Sports science graduates have already completed their studies before the study reform; corresponds to the Master’s degree in sports science. (M.Sc.)

A description of the sports science degree program is taken from the website: Sport studieren.de.

“Full-time study is the most common form of study for Bachelor’s and Master’s degree courses. Here you are a full-time “student”: during the day you attend lectures and seminars at the university”…. “During the first semesters, students mainly focus on training theory, for example analyzing movement sequences in sports. The curriculum also includes exercise theory, the history of sport, methodology and health promotion. A wide range of specializations are possible in the main course. Students can focus on sports education or sports medicine, for example, or the course can be the foundation for further studies in sports as a teacher.

The focus on prevention and rehabilitation is probably the one with the highest aptitude as a trainer.

Several universities now also offer a dual course of study to obtain a Master’s degree (M.A.). In addition to distance learning, there are also longer attendance phases in blocks – often including weekends – in which the knowledge is imparted.

DQR Level 8, Doctorate in Sports Sciences
A doctorate in sports sciences requires a qualification at DQR Level 7. Usually, the doctoral candidate works on their scientific project as an assistant at the university. Additionally, doctorates with the help of scholarships, cooperative doctorates, or external doctorates – sometimes a challenging endeavor – are possible.

However, the qualifications as a fitness trainer in levels DQR 6 – 8 are additionally dependent on the specific course of study in which the qualification was acquired. The focus on prevention and rehabilitation should be regarded as the highest level of qualification as a trainer. For example, a DQR 7 or 8 with a focus on prevention and rehabilitation is also a prerequisite for courses that can be offered in accordance with § 20 SGB and are subsidized by health insurance companies.

At this point, however, the suitability of physiotherapists and occupational therapists should also be emphasized, even though classification in this system is not easy.

Own sporting activity

Many well-known coaches have had their own career in the sport in which they work as a coach. This applies to almost all sports. It is also difficult to imagine that someone who has no sporting experience can achieve much as a trainer in health sports.

This is probably also the reason why sports scientists at universities are expected to gain experience in many sports, from soccer for women to ballet dancing for young men. It is also important for students to realize that each sport requires different muscles to be trained before they can perform more intensively. A trainer who has never had to find the right level of intensity for their own training has a hard time putting themselves in the shoes of those they are advising.

Further training

In all professions, further training is a prerequisite for sustainably good performance. Knowledge is also developing rapidly in sports science. Large soccer clubs now have a whole team of experts in a wide variety of fields – from personal training to nutritionists, psychotherapists and motivational coaches to huge rehabilitation departments. Improving performance in top-class sport is hardly possible today without in-depth insights into biomechanics and metabolism! The fact that athletes’ health is repeatedly put at risk – even by the athletes themselves – must be a cause for concern, especially when substances are used for doping! (it is said that there have also been sports physicians and sports scientists who have trained in the discipline of “doping”).

Continuing education is mandatory for the health sector, specializing in prevention and rehabilitation. Accordingly, a current certificate of further training is required at least for the authorization to conduct health insurance courses in accordance with § 20 SGB V. Feel free to ask your sports club or university about the further training of your trainers!

Experience

After graduating, there is often (not always!) a lot of knowledge in your head. Experience helps to organize it and make it retrievable. The bad experience that a trainer has had with a training method on another person no longer needs to be shared with you! However, this assumes that your trainer has a good deal of self-reflection! A trainer with experience will not immediately follow every hype in the training sector. The more knowledge and experience they have, the better they will be able to judge what innovations make sense and what remains a fad. Further training is a great help in correctly integrating the new into your wealth of experience.

Empathy

What good is all the expertise of your trainers if they are not able to explain your goals to you and cannot motivate you when you need it (again)? The difficulty for your trainers is usually that they can’t imagine how difficult an exercise can be, especially if you haven’t exercised for a long time. The most important thing is that your trainer challenges you, but never overwhelms you. It’s often not so easy to find the right dose for you personally!