The NCSF Personal Trainer Tools section of the NCSF website provides Members with some of the most comprehensive and practically useful articles, videos, forms and downloads as well as some of the most functional calculators in the fitness industry. How often have you been asked by your clients “How many calories should I consume each day?” or “What percentage of my caloric intake should come from protein, fat, or carbohydrates?” or “If I can lift 50 lbs 8 times, what is my one (1) rep max for this exercise?” Well, now with a few simple clicks, you’ll have all those answers and many more with the NCSF Personal Trainer Tools.

The Personal Trainer Tools section of the NCSF website is just one of the many member benefits afforded to current NCSF Members. Other benefits include access to a health insurance program, discounted liability insurance, access to the Career Center, and online and toll-free technical support. Even with the wide variety of great benefits NCSF members have access to, the NCSF Personal Trainer Tools provides added value for practicing personal trainers. Once you have logged in as an NCSF Member, simply click the Personal Trainer Tools icon on the top right side of the NCSF website. You will be redirected to the Personal Trainer Tools homepage, featured here in the accompanying screenshot:

The tabs across the top will provide you with access to the following sections: Calculators, Forms, Articles (nearly 200 currently available), Videos, Training Equipment, and archives of both the Newsletter and E-News. Feel free to read and distribute to your clients any of previous editions of the NCSF newsletter and E-News as well as view over 100 exercise videos demonstrating proper form and spotting technique as applicable. The Trainer’s Calculators section will allow you to calculate the following values for your clients: resting metabolic rate, daily nutrient intake, daily caloric need, estimated caloric expenditure, target body weight, body fat, BMI, target heart rate training zones, predicted 1RM, multi-rep max, and percentage of max effort. Once you have clicked the first tab “Trainer’s Calculators” you can choose the desired calculator from the drop down menu. Below is a sample of the Target Heart Rate Training Zones calculator. You simply input the client’s age and resting heart rate and the training zones are automatically calculated:

In addition to the many useful calculators NCSF Members have access to, the NCSF Personal Trainer Tools section also provides many of the forms trainers will need when practicing. Some of the featured forms available include: Food Log, Health Status Questionnaire (HSQ), Health Behavior Form, Informed Consent, and Medical Clearance Form among others. These forms can be accessed by logging in as an NCSF Member and selecting the 2nd tab “Forms & Downloads” as seen below:

For those individuals who are currently NCSF Members (a 1-year membership is included with your course registration for the NCSF Home Study or Workshop Course or any Collegiate program test registration), please take advantage of these great membership benefits. Utilizing these tools, specifically the trainer’s calculators, will make you a better trainer, increase the value of your services, and better serve your client base; further distinguishing yourself among your peers. If you have any questions about membership and/or the benefits you are entitled to, or how to use the Personal Trainer Tools, please contact an NCSF Instructor at 800-772-6273 or via email at info@ncsf.org.

For individuals whose membership has expired or who wish to become an NCSF member, you may do so at any time. Membership registration can be completed online, over the phone, or through the mail. Each NCSF Member will be issued a unique NCSF Member # granting them access to all NCSF Membership Benefits; a complete list of which can be found at: NCSF Membership Benefits. Current membership dues are $65 for a one 1-year membership or a discounted $117 for a 2-year membership.