Exercise Science Majors Unite!

[quote]Nicky_Boy28 wrote:
2003 Kinesiology graduate from Universit�© du Qu�©bec � Montr�©al, here!

Just to chime in with what SSC and Stuntman said about the field. I agree a ‘‘fancy’’ degree doesn’t guarantee a trainer’s ability, but it does guarantee knowledge which escapes most of the improvised trainers I see in the field all the time with their multiple ‘‘fancy’’ 2-weekend certifications.

A good trainer has instinct, human qualities to interact and get the message across AND complete knowledge of biomechanics, physiology and neurocinetics.

I can relate to what SSC said about people more willing to spend 10 hours a week reading on the web to get info (is there a more honest and bullshit-free source of info on training on earth?) than to pay the fees for a good trainer. However, I don’t work with these folks, except when they get tired of browsing, smash their piggy bank and come to see me for program design. No, usually I work with people that make too much money per hour to waste their time with trials and error, or with the ones that need to be taught, to be coached to get it right. When the guy who refuses to pay you 60$ an hour so you can teach him how to bench press gets tired of being all-triceps-and-no-pecs, and that he sees or hear a kinesiologist coaching a client on how to do it properly…trust me…he’s openning up his piggy bank when he gets home.
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Hey Rockula, I’m down in cinci,

Anyway, I agree Nicky, but from what I can gather from the limited knowledge I have of those degrees (what people say online, credible, I know), is that the crap you learn in school is more science and anatomy related, as in why something works the way it does. I doubt they teach you much about all the lifts, how to preform them correctly, then on top of that how to design an effective program and how to progress for a long time.

I agree that there are people who don’t want to do shit for themselves and rather pay you, but how did you learn all the good stuff? Was it all from school, or was a lot of it out in the trenches?

Now for example, if you learned a lot of the good stuff out in the trenches and on websites like this or elitefts and tried a lot of crap out, what good was the degree besides being able to explain things on a very scientific level, which I doubt the trainee cares about anyway?

Not really hatin’ here, just playing devils advocate I guess. I don’t claim to know anything that goes on in the ex sci classes. I’m just a graphic design student :frowning:

[quote]Stuntman Mike wrote:
Nicky_Boy28 wrote:
2003 Kinesiology graduate from Universit�?�© du Qu�?�©bec �? Montr�?�©al, here!

Just to chime in with what SSC and Stuntman said about the field. I agree a ‘‘fancy’’ degree doesn’t guarantee a trainer’s ability, but it does guarantee knowledge which escapes most of the improvised trainers I see in the field all the time with their multiple ‘‘fancy’’ 2-weekend certifications.

A good trainer has instinct, human qualities to interact and get the message across AND complete knowledge of biomechanics, physiology and neurocinetics.

I can relate to what SSC said about people more willing to spend 10 hours a week reading on the web to get info (is there a more honest and bullshit-free source of info on training on earth?) than to pay the fees for a good trainer. However, I don’t work with these folks, except when they get tired of browsing, smash their piggy bank and come to see me for program design. No, usually I work with people that make too much money per hour to waste their time with trials and error, or with the ones that need to be taught, to be coached to get it right. When the guy who refuses to pay you 60$ an hour so you can teach him how to bench press gets tired of being all-triceps-and-no-pecs, and that he sees or hear a kinesiologist coaching a client on how to do it properly…trust me…he’s openning up his piggy bank when he gets home.

Hey Rockula, I’m down in cinci,

Anyway, I agree Nicky, but from what I can gather from the limited knowledge I have of those degrees (what people say online, credible, I know), is that the crap you learn in school is more science and anatomy related, as in why something works the way it does. I doubt they teach you much about all the lifts, how to preform them correctly, then on top of that how to design an effective program and how to progress for a long time.

I agree that there are people who don’t want to do shit for themselves and rather pay you, but how did you learn all the good stuff? Was it all from school, or was a lot of it out in the trenches?

Now for example, if you learned a lot of the good stuff out in the trenches and on websites like this or elitefts and tried a lot of crap out, what good was the degree besides being able to explain things on a very scientific level, which I doubt the trainee cares about anyway?

Not really hatin’ here, just playing devils advocate I guess. I don’t claim to know anything that goes on in the ex sci classes. I’m just a graphic design student :([/quote]

I would say 90% of the learning will happen in the trenches, but it surely does help to have a scientific baseline or background to help create a foundation for what you may be doing with your clients or athletes. At least this is the way my strength coach put it to me when I was talking with him about how to get into the field.

kinesiology degree from UMD '09, currently going for DPT at University of Maryland at Baltimore

kinesiology degree from UMD '09, currently going for DPT (physical therapy) at University of Maryland at Baltimore

[quote]Stuntman Mike wrote

Anyway, I agree Nicky, but from what I can gather from the limited knowledge I have of those degrees (what people say online, credible, I know), is that the crap you learn in school is more science and anatomy related, as in why something works the way it does. I doubt they teach you much about all the lifts, how to preform them correctly, then on top of that how to design an effective program and how to progress for a long time.[/quote]

Actually they do teach it. In Quebec they do at least. Program design and prescription, strenght training methods and periodization for athletic purposes are all 45 hour classes, sometimes 90 hours, over 2 semesters.

Both, but the base knowledge and the understanding of the principles to comprehend how to apply them to new program and new ideas came from school, then applying it in the gym and with clients, and most importantly the knowledge to adapt it to each individuals. By the way, the two most elite coaches here on the sites are Kinesiology graduates, namely Charles Poliquin and Christian Thibodeau.

You’d be surprise how many trainees ask question about their training, and the fact that you know your stuff down to the bone with a degree gives you all you need and more to conserve credibility as a specialist of the human body’s response to training.

It’s all good, you bring a good point. And I know a lot of excellent trainers who out-shine many kinesiology graduate(some graduates never set foot in a gym until graduation), but I happen to know a boatload of trainers being quite the opposite. Whenever I meet someone telling me he’d love to work in the field, my advice is this: get the degre AND apply it while learning to gather experience. Experience + knowledge = expertise

just my two cents ;o)

Just finished my associates in personal training, where they actually taught us how to be trainers, still learn more from T-Nation than school. As of yesterday have my NSCA cert. Plan to go back to school in January to get a bachelors in something sports fitness related, want to be a high school strength/football coach, which I’m doing now as a volunteer but I want the degree and a paying gig.

I graduated with a BS in Kinesiology. There is a good amount of lab classes with some good hands on experience. I even had the privilege of working with a stroke victim and a teenager with cerebral palsy in a fitness setting. It’s definately a different experience.

Oh and to the OP, Biomechanics was one of my favorite classes and wasn’t really that hard at all. I really wish we got to spend more time in the Biomechanics lab.

Going into senior year of exercise science. had the pleasure of doing undergraduate cadaver dissection and plan to continue to grad school for exercise physiology.

In response to some of the other posts, it is sometimes sad how woefully inept some XS majors are at program design. But like any field, there are some people who take it seriously and care about more than just passing. It’s often not solely the fault of the curriculum.

[quote]dday wrote:
Just finished my associates in personal training, where they actually taught us how to be trainers, still learn more from T-Nation than school. As of yesterday have my NSCA cert.

Plan to go back to school in January to get a bachelors in something sports fitness related, want to be a high school strength/football coach, which I’m doing now as a volunteer but I want the degree and a paying gig.[/quote]

That CPT exam is a killer. Congrats,get ready for all the CEU’s lol. The exam was just the beginning

Graduated in 07 with an exercise science degree. Currently in chiropractic college. A lot of my classmates also have exercise science degrees.

[quote]Ct. Rockula wrote:
That One Guy wrote:
I’m looking at becoming a Physical Therapist, going to UT, exercise science major. Probably 2012. Sophomore.

UT, as in Univ. of Toledo?
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naw man, University of Texas at Austin

[quote]Ct. Rockula wrote:

That CPT exam is a killer. Congrats,get ready for all the CEU’s lol. The exam was just the beginning

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Thanks, it was tougher than I expected. I knew the material but didn’t have a good feeling when the test was done, turned out ok. Guess I’ll deal with the CEU’s when they come around.

Thanks for the compliment jasmin! Looks like we have quite a few in the field here.

My eventual goal is to go on to chiropractic college and the Exercise Science curriculum at IC sets me up pretty good to go on to that. Training wise the past two years the information hasn’t been stellar though- I got some vague recommendation of ACSM sets/reps scheme in a personal training related class and just learned how to instruct machines in Exercise Techniques (ha! joke of a class). Don’t get to take S&C until my senior year.

[quote]Xab wrote:
Give me a little bit and I’ll be there. I gotta finish my journalism degree so I can get my CSCS, then it’s back for some biomechanic goodness. [/quote]

Good choice on biomechanics. I finished my masters in biomechanics at Ball State last year, very rewarding field.

Majoring in Exercise Science at GMU. Going into my sophmore year. Are Exercise Science program isn’t that good. Wish I had gone to JMU I am seeing the head of their strength and conditioning programs writing a lot good articles in the bodybuilding and fitness mags.

Exercise Science at UB hopefully 2012 although must admit the classes I have took so far don’t cover anything I haven’t already learned from reading online. And is it just my school but I notice a lot of the ES majors in my classes don’t look like they do any sort of lifting/athletic endeavor jmho.

Health and Exercise Science at OU, 2011.

Decided a little late I want to go to nursing school, so I’m going to finish up my degree at OU, which already includes all of the pre-reqs I’ll need. Then attend a 10 month accelerated nursing program for individuals with non-nursing degrees.

Thank God the GI Bill can be transferred to dependents, now all of the program costs will be covered, plus a monthly stipend so I won’t have to work during the 10 months of hell :slight_smile:

I am an Exercise and Sports Science Major at the University of Utah. I am entering my senior year. After graduation, I am hoping my volunteering with the S&C staff will help get me a GA position.

I was an exercise physiology type in undergrad, now a resident physician. I really love the conceptual basis of material I learned in college and grad school, but for practical reasons (namely, making a decent living) I chose to become a doctor. It’s damn tough to make it doing pure research.

[quote]buffalokilla wrote:
Xab wrote:
Give me a little bit and I’ll be there. I gotta finish my journalism degree so I can get my CSCS, then it’s back for some biomechanic goodness.

Good choice on biomechanics. I finished my masters in biomechanics at Ball State last year, very rewarding field.[/quote]

What material was on your course bk? I’ve done BSc in Exercise Science and i’m doing MSc in Sports Biomechanics starting next month. I’m hoping for a lot of computer simulation of athletes and maximising efficiency in sports movements, maybe tracing injuries back to poor running form etc.