3 certifications that can help take you to the Next Level as a Fitness Pro

3 certifications that can help take you to the Next Level as a Fitness Pro

    Since I have the privilege of working with many young fitness pros, I often get asked what certification they should get once they have finished school. I will tell you my top three, this does not mean there are not other great certs out there to get. These are just the three that really changed my perspective on training and helped me take my training to a whole new level. 

The 3 certifications are in no particular order.

DVRT from Ultimate Sandbag by Josh Henkin

     Let me start by saying this cert honestly had nothing to do with sandbags. When I first walked in I was expecting to lift Sandbags all day and found that we were using kettle bells, trx's, thera bands, and more. The cert focused on changing the variables of movement as opposed to just always increasing load. For example, you can change the tempo of an exercise to make the exercise more difficult. Have the athlete/client do a squat super slow and see how efficient they are. It's amazing how hard an exercise can become by changing the time under tension. If you have ever read the book The Talent Code, you would learn how training movement in slow motion is important to increase efficiency and speed of neurons firing.  We also changed other variables to increase the difficultly, like base of support, position of the sandbag, exercises in multiple planes of motion, etc. 

So why is this one of my top 3?

1.  All the information in this certification could be used with any piece of equipment. So even if you don't own a sandbag, you can still take the principles learned in the cert and apply them to anything you already use. 

2.  You learn the importance of progressions and regressions in your training. This to me is something that lacks in training education today.

3.  It will challenge you in ways you never thought possible. 

TRX RIP Trainer Certification by TRX

   I will begin this one with a true story. I had the RIP trainer for over a year before I took this cert. The only reason I took the cert is because a friend of mine had got me a free slot to take it. I walked in the class super arrogant because I was one of the only people in the class who even knew what it was and I thought I  had been using it correctly. Boy was I WRONG. Casey Stutzman was our instructor and 20 minutes into the cert I felt like I had no idea what I had been doing.  He totally took it back to the basics of movement and I learned so much from this course. The biggest thing I learned that day was how important Anti Rotational exercises are for athletes. Since that class until today I use almost every single exercise I learned in that class with all my clients, everyday. I don't think a day at FLO goes by where we do not use the RIP trainer.  With the proper education this tool can be the biggest part of your training. 

Why the RIP training course is in my top 3?

1 .  Anti Rotational exercises have redefined our training at FLO. I also use it for rehab and have seen a reduction in injuries.

2.  Asymmetrical loading. You think you are strong until you are under load asymmetrically. It will show you how weak one side of you body is compared to the other.

3.  Explosion! You want to build power? There are some sick explosive exercises that you can do with this tool that will leave you shaking like a leaf. The best part is once your done with one side you will have to switch it up and do the other side, haha. Good luck 

Animal Flow by Mike Fitch

   Once again I begin with a story. I had never heard of Animal Flow and my friend Ana from Puerto Rico was flying in to take r cert. since she was crashing on my couch I decided to join her for the cert. My buddy Dr. perry had raved about the cert so I was excited to check it out.  The course began and Mike talked for about a half hour, the information was cool but I still had my doubts. Then he asked for a volunteer to demo a move called the "Static Beast". He showed the move and I raised my hand to try it since it looked so harmless. Once I got in position and he had me hold it for about 30 seconds, and I thought I was going to drop. Then he told me to lift one hand, that was an epic fail.  I could not believe how hard this one simple looking move was. From that moment on, I was hooked and lucky for me the class just got better and better. 

I took the class about 3 years ago now and have used the Animal Flow moves with every one of my athletes/clients ever since. It's all ground based training, so there are no weights or tools involved. Just your body weight. It has been a blessing because these moves teach you how to control and move your body with very little risk of injury. I have also implemented many of the moves into my rehab that I do with injured athletes.  The class opened my eyes to how important body weight training is and how ridiculously effective it can be in training.  I personally use the moves in my own workouts all the time. 

Why Animal Flow is in my top 3?

1.  No tools needed. While other certs get you to buy some product, this is the one course where you are the product. For small business owners it makes sense because it is cheap and you can use it anywhere with anyone. All you need is floor space.

2.  I am a fan of movement. This cert teaches you how to move your body. The transitions and traveling forms are like dancing on the ground. 

3.  Fun fun fun! You will have so much fun learning the moves. You will also have a blast teaching them to your clients. This is the one form of training that my clients actually look forward to and enjoy doing. 

(FYI, I love this form so much that I became a Master Instructor for them)

These are the top three that have changed my world of training.  Many will disagree with me but that is ok. We all have different journeys in our fitness quest and mine has taken me down many paths. I will continue to learn and grow as a fitness pro. These certification mentioned have been like lights in my journey guiding me in what I feel is the right direction and I hope they can do the same for many of you. If you have any question about these certs be sure to contact me at flofitness@gmail.com, I will be sure to put you in touch with the right people to get you in a class today !