A bugbear of mine is the recent surge in online PT’s/coaches.
Not because that this is more competition for me but because you require zero qualifications to call yourself one.
To work in a gym you need to provide proof that you’ve completed your L3 Personal Training course, however working online is kind of like the Wild West – it’s not regulated by anyone.
You could change your Instagram profile to say you’re an online coach and that would be perfectly legal even if you didn’t know the first thing about training or nutrition.
It’s safe to say that this makes choosing a qualified personal trainer a little bit tricky.
The same goes for a nutritionist, it’s not a protected title here in the UK.
If you see someone state that they’re a nutritionist in their social media bio then just be wary because unlike dietitians or psychologists, anybody is within their right to call themselves one.
If they’ve done an accredited course like mine then you can probably be confident that they’re the real deal. For example, I have to follow a specific code of conduct – breaching that will result in the title being taken away from me & I’ll be struck off their register.
Qualifications Matter, but They Aren’t Everything
However, qualifications aren’t everything.
Just because someone has Dr. in their name then it doesn’t make them qualified or knowledgeable in this field.
I’m not going to name specific people because I don’t want to give them any more publicity but there are chiropractors, pharmacists and brain surgeons who have a large social media presence yet they solely post fitness/nutrition content.
Steven Barlett got into a spot of bother late last year for allowing these types of people to spout their crap on his podcast and not contending their views. If you want to read more about this then here is the BBC article, however here are a few of the interesting claims some people have made on his podcast:
- PCOS (poly-cystic ovarian syndrome) and autism can be reversed with diet
- Testosterone can be boosted by up to 1300% through fasting
- The keto diet can help treat cancer
If you see a Dr. posting content then it’s worth double checking that their PhD is actually in a relative field (exercise science, nutrition etc.) and they aren’t straying outside their scope of practice.
Things to Check Before Hiring a Coach:
- Are their qualifications recognised?
- Are they working within their scope of practice?
- Do they explain evidence rather than follow the hype?
- Do they have real client results?
