Accessory Certification Offers Niche Training Opportunities

Photo courtesy of East Bank Club.

When using functional fitness accessories in a group or one-on-one setting, being certified to use the accessory through a course or full-fledged certification process can be extremely helpful for trainers and instructors. Here, we spoke with fitness professionals about the functional accessories they’re certified to use, with details on what they learned.

Catina Topash, certified by KettleWorx to use kettlebells

How has the certification benefited you as a trainer?

The KettleWorx certification is ongoing education. It’s extremely important that as a trainer or instructor you never stop learning and moving forward. Because we receive new workout plans and educational materials on an ongoing basis, we will always be getting stronger and smarter about how we train.

How will having a trainer certified in KettleWorx help a club?

Because KettleWorx produces new moves and new materials every three months, I’ll always be offering new and fun ways for my clients to get a workout. This makes utilizing periodization easy, as well as keeps me from becoming repetitive or burnt out.

What are benefits of this particular piece of equipment to members? 

It has been a nice way to pull more men into the class environment. Because kettlebell training is very athletic, more men have been drawn into the classroom and they are loving it!

William Coker, certified by TRX to use the TRX Rip Trainer

How has the certification benefited you as a trainer? 

I think safety is very important. It’s kind of an awkward piece, and the certification helped my trainers and I the most from a safety standpoint. If you’re going to use the Rip Trainer in a small group setting, I would say that the training course is necessary.

What are benefits of this particular piece of equipment to members? 

I like the Rip Trainer because it gives you another way to do suspension training. I think [TRX’s] courses are the best because of the energy of the instructors and the engagement.

Overall, why is the Rip Trainer a great functional tool? 

It challenges the core just like suspension training does. The difference with the Rip Trainer is it gives you the ability, primarily in an upright situation, to mimic sport-specific movements even more. Especially for your golfers and baseball players, it’s beneficial.

Elijah Markstrom, ViPR Master Trainer

How has the certification benefited you as a trainer?

Obviously the tool is relatively weird and needs explanation. Having a trainer certified in ViPR will help the member know what to do with the piece of equipment that will likely go much beyond what they may think of doing, thus allowing for a more complete expression, both of the tools’ capacity and intended expression.

Overall, why is ViPR a great functional tool? 

ViPR is a great tool that is very versatile. When it comes to progression and regression, it is very easy to apply ViPR to a large spectrum of movements. I like the infinite variability allowed with foot print and hand print, because it allows for full expression of my creativity as a trainer.

How will having a trainer certified in ViPR help a club? 

I’ve seen members using it, but they typically use it while paired with a trainer. It’s a great tool if you know how to use it properly.

Tami Reilly, Ugi Ball Master Trainer

How has the certification benefited you as a trainer?

The certification process itself really brings home the concepts and ideas of functional training, and advances them. When you take the certification, you get the tools needed to be able to teach the 30-minute Ugi class, which is great for those in a time crunch. We’ve also incorporated the Ugi Ball into other concepts as fusion-style classes, such as Yoga and cycling.

How will having a trainer certified in Ugi help a club?

My instructors who have gone through the certification have another tool in their toolbox that helps their clients reach their physical needs. It also helps foster that mind-body connection, and offers clients a way to have more fun and advance their fitness.

Overall, why is the Ugi Ball a great functional tool? 

It gets its roots from a medicine ball and allows you to integrate core and functionality into every move. There’s a lot that you can do with this product, all of which enhance and mimic the real life movement of our clients.

By Rachel Zabonick