First CEC in kettlebells or Pilates?
Brand new trainer with ACE cert. Going to start part time at small gym contracting, and in home sessions.
Is a male Pilates instructor a turnoff for clients? Kettlebells seem like an effective and inexpensive way to train in home clients. For me first CEC, which one is better? I could possibly learn both by the time my CECs are needed. Which should I do first?
It kind of depends on what your strengths are, your focus is, what sort of clients you think you will have, or think you would like to work with.
Taking CEC classes is a great way not just to keep up with what is going on in the industry, but to keep rethinking about what works and why and for whom. I would say try a lot of things, but don’t just choose what seems to be popular or lucrative just because it is popular or lucrative. Each CEC you take will give you new ideas and skills to integrate into your work. For instance, I am took several months of karate. I could NEVER teach it without years of work, but there are ideas about stance and awareness that I have woven into my yoga, or my group ex classes. What a 3 hour CEC class will not do is make you a master of a subject.
At some point you will find something that really calls to you and you will want to spend more time on it to really master it. This usually will require more training than just a few hours of CEC training…. sometimes significantly more (in the case of Pilates), sometimes less so. A CEC class will let you learn to use some Pilates principles in your work, but the types of Pilates base certifications even for mat work are pretty intense.
As far as a male Pilates instructor being a turn off remember Rael Isacowitz, who has presented, written books, and is very well known. There is also Johnathan Urla who wrote “Yogilates”. I do not know the ratios within the industry, though my experience has been mostly with female teachers, but unless you feel the area in which you live and teach tends to have some issues like this (and even then it is good to fight such stereotypes by showing they are wrong) I do not see it as something to worry about.
Lead with your heart as well as your head; do what you love and truly believe in, and you will love and truly believe in what you do. When you do that, rather than just trying to go where the most money is people will respond to you, and more importantly you will continue to have joy in the work.
Good luck in your career
Wow, thanks. That was a great answer with a lot of good points. I think I would
Have to be a student of any group exercise and study it for a while before I’d feel comfortable teaching it.
A workshop would be a great foundation and a springboard for further learning.
I think I have a much better idea what I’ll do now. Thanks!
It would be great to have both, but you want to focus on several criteria, including but not limited to the following:
Which technique could you still implement while training clients without having a a specific certification?
Which one would set you apart compared to other trainers/instructors in the area?
Which technique is more desired or needed where you train?
What are you most interested in?
What would bring you the most amount of additional clientele and or revenue?
Jonathan
www.integratedfit.org
