NCEF vs NTC Personal Training Courses

gillyhug

HI Guys,
Would love to get any more recent information with regards what course i should do. I am looking to do a personal training course part time, this is mainly for my own learning and benefit as i love working out and want to get a a better understanding of what i am doing, but if i am going to invest a huge amount of time and money to doing this i want to make sure i walk away with the best qualification out there.

At the moment i had shortlisted it down to doing the NCEF course in Dublin with Motions.ie at Palmerstown Sports Complex. From research i got the impression this is a better accredited course and more widely recognised than ITEC.

Does anyone have information on how a NTC qualification (Fitness Instructor Courses: Exercise, Health Studies & Personal Training) compares to a NCEF qualification and what companies are the best to do them with?

Anyone who has experience with ImageFT? As far as i can work out this isn't credited with EQF?


cheers
Gillian

Will Heffernan

gillyhug wrote: »

HI Guys,
Would love to get any more recent information with regards what course i should do. I am looking to do a personal training course part time, this is mainly for my own learning and benefit as i love working out and want to get a a better understanding of what i am doing, but if i am going to invest a huge amount of time and money to doing this i want to make sure i walk away with the best qualification out there.

At the moment i had shortlisted it down to doing the NCEF course in Dublin with Motions.ie at Palmerstown Sports Complex. From research i got the impression this is a better accredited course and more widely recognised than ITEC.

Does anyone have information on how a NTC qualification (Fitness Instructor Courses: Exercise, Health Studies & Personal Training) compares to a NCEF qualification and what companies are the best to do them with?

Anyone who has experience with ImageFT? As far as i can work out this isn't credited with EQF?


cheers
Gillian

I'd say you'd probably be able to find out if these organisations were allowed to advertise here like LIA are able to but it appears boards is an LIA affiliated forum so I doubt that the organisations your enquiring about will be able to promote and advertise here as LIA and Hanley have.

Personally I would love for it to be a fair and open discussion but based on current experience I hold out little hope.

gillyhug

Thanks Will, to be honest LIA does look good but i don't think it is right for me as i am not looking for a quick fix of a course if that makes sense. Did you train here in Ireland?

Will Heffernan

gillyhug wrote: »

Thanks Will, to be honest LIA does look good but i don't think it is right for me as i am not looking for a quick fix of a course if that makes sense. Did you train here in Ireland?

I am willing to say that it probably is good.

To give you some context I am back at Uni doing some study now and I am using a neuroscience text book from when I studied human biology at Uni back in 1991. Aside from some changes in some terms it is all exactly the same...we obviously aren't evolving that fast

The anatomy in all courses will be the same.
The physiology in all courses will be the same.
The applied exercise physiology will be the same.
...and on and on it goes.

What will change is how it's delivered.

The differences will be in 'application' and when it comes to training methodology it comes down to the individual.

I have my opinions on strength and conditioning but every single day I come across people with very different opinions who are getting results their way.

80% of what you are going to get you will get EVERYWHERE because some things are just fundamental and you couldn't teach it different if you tried.

The big differences in these colleges come down to everything EXCEPT the course content.

LIA has invented nothing. Hanley doesn't have new information.

They do things differently for sure and good for them.

You want to know a secret? Some people like aerobics. Some people want to do exercise to music glasses. I've worked in places here in Aus where you have to book in and pay in advance to do a class and if you don't show up...then too bad. You want to know what else? Someone needs to teach these classes. Some colleges have to cater for that.

Not everyone wants to learn how to take photos of every meal they consume. Not everyone wants to pretend they're Oly lifters while they do snatches with training plates. Not everyone wants to look like a narcissistic imbecile who isn't recognised in public because no one has ever seen a photo of them with the shirt on.

So there needs to be courses for everyone. You need to decide what you want and what you need.

That being said...in all honesty for a heap of people LIA is probably perfect. It is probably exactly what they need to move their career on.

...I used to work in Ireland but am working back in Australia now.

gillyhug

Will thanks a million for your input, to be honest all the others just did seem to be pushing their own agenda. LIA doesn't suit me as i can't dedicated so much time in a short period of time.

LIA nearly comes across as a cult!!

Will Heffernan

gillyhug wrote: »

Will thanks a million for your input, to be honest all the others just did seem to be pushing their own agenda. LIA doesn't suit me as i can't dedicated so much time in a short period of time.

LIA nearly comes across as a cult!!

Misguided, inexperienced and naive and the sooner they and their 'publicly' recognised representatives here cop on to themselves the better they'll do.

I am certain that they have all the ingredients to do a fantastic job now and in the future.

I am dead certain that every single organisation operating in Ireland have their pro's and cons but that every single one of them have want to see the industry thrive.

JJayoo

The problem I have with all these courses is that once you're finished you get your cert and you're on your own with zero work experience. Every single job that I have applied for has requested a minimum of 1-3 years work experience which kinda sucks when you have zero. If a course wanted to stand out from the crowd they would offer some sort of internship.

Will Heffernan

JJayoo wrote: »

The problem I have with all these courses is that once you're finished you get your cert and you're on your own with zero work experience. Every single job that I have applied for has requested a minimum of 1-3 years work experience which kinda sucks when you have zero. If a course wanted to stand out from the crowd they would offer some sort of internship.

That is always and issue. I remember a lecturer from UL telling me that well over 70% of sports science graduates found there first job after leaving university in the construction industry.

This is what is a bit frustrating about what's been going on here.

1. Most sports science graduates can't even get a job as a gym instructor let alone as personal trainers and you have LIA, NCEF and NTC etc etc arguing over who's 100+hr course is the best? I don't get it...they are all at the very most delivering the absolute least and then people are arguing about who's course is the best at delivering the least.

2. What these colleges should be telling you is how many of their 'graduates' have a job in the industry 6 months or 12 months after paying 2000+ euro. You should ask Hanley since he works for the LIA and he has a presence here and since they've been getting such a massive wrap. Everyone seems to be of the opinion that they are so much better than all the other colleges. They have everyones email addresses and details. Should take 15 mins to send an email out to all their graduates and find out of those who weren't already employed prior to doing the course have secured work after shelling out their 2000+ yo-yos.

3. This isn't just applicable to fitness courses and personal training. I've worked for a massage school and I doubt if more than a couple of people who did the course who weren't working beforehand found any serious work afterwards.

4. If you really expect to find work in the industry than you should know the material as good if not better than the instructors at any of the colleges. As I said in other threads if you are learning anything on these courses then you are a long way from being qualified to be an instructor.

5. You have to go out and get experience. Go help out with coaching at a GAA club or basketball...whatever...do anything. Get experience...any experience you can so that when you do go for the job you actually want you can say with honestly and confidence that you have been working and putting your skills into practice in some way.