Here’s how this personal training course helped me overcome my gym anxiety

About NCSF Singapore

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When it comes to personal training, there are a number of certifications with a good reputation in Singapore being offered by a variety of training centres. While some participants sign themselves up in hopes to be certified personal trainers, you can, however, sign up for the course to gain a more acute understanding of your body and equip yourself with the knowledge to train safely.

Over the weekend, I had the opportunity to attend a personal training course over at NCSF Singapore to learn more about fitness and nutrition. But before I dive in on what I did during the course, for those who are unfamiliar with NCSF, the training school is basically for aspiring personal trainers and sports nutritionists. Mainly, they offer a subsidised Certified Personal Trainer Course (CPT) and a Sports Nutrition Specialist Course (SNS) to fitness enthusiasts in Singapore.

It’s perfect especially if you’re looking to learn more about what you can do in the gym, the different muscle groups to target, the different forms you should take note of when you’re executing an exercise and learn more about how you can form your own exercise plan. What’s more, during the course, you will also get to learn more about the common mistakes people make at the gym, as well as the basics of creating your own meal plan. For example, differentiating carbs, protein and fats that go into our diets every day, can help us make better-informed food choices.

The course is helmed by Chung Tze Khit, also known as one of Singapore’s most renowned personal fitness trainers. With more than a decade’s worth of experience, Khit has even trained the likes of Gurmit Singh (Celebrity), Jia En (Fitness Influencer), and Kingsley Tay (National Volleyball Coach). But aside from training aspiring personal trainers himself, Khit also mentioned that most of his students enrol in the course to equip themselves with better fitness knowledge and learn about their bodies.

On a weekly basis, Khit also runs NCSF Uplift sessions, a fitness training programme designed to help special needs individuals to benefit from strength training. More interestingly, trainers who have completed the PT course can also volunteer to be part of the programme too.

The programme

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The personal training programme extends over the course of two days and lasts for up to five and a half hours each.

Located at The Grandstand, the programme starts off with a theory lesson on understanding the basics of personal training. This includes the roles and responsibilities of a personal trainer, safety issues to look out for, nutrition and supplements to consume, and lifestyle issues as well as a fitness assessment.

That being said, you don’t exactly have to be very fit to be a personal trainer. The reason why personal trainers are more likely to be fit is because they have a good understanding of fitness and nutrition which they gained while studying accredited courses. In doing so, it becomes easier for them to apply this knowledge to their own lifestyle and training, allowing them to maintain a certain level of health and fitness. I figured that by doing so, I had a better understanding of my body and what I could do to tweak my daily habits to improve my holistic well-being and lifestyle.

After going through all the basics, we then moved to the second half of the programme, which included learning the different exercises we can do in the gym with free weights and improving our forms for some of the most important exercises like deadlifts and squats.

The programme was pretty hands-on and we had to group up with the other students in the class to have a feel of what it’s like to be a personal trainer and correct one each other’s forms.

On the second day of the programme, we started by getting to know more about the different exercises we could do on the Smith machine. While it may seem like a no-brainer for some, I felt that it was important to focus on perfecting the exercise before going on to heavier weights – which many people tend to overlook because they do get carried away chasing their PRs and their personal bests. More importantly, doing so, not only helps you get stronger and have better progression but also prevents the high risk of injury if the exercises are not done properly.

After the Smith machine, we then focused on the different exercises for each body part including the arms, chest, core and legs. The session also included some important cardio exercises that we could do on days when we’re not hitting the gym as well. Think – burpees, skaters, and bear crawls, just to name a few.

What I learnt from the course

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Prior to the course, I had no intention to be a personal trainer. I thought that gymming was something that was pretty straightforward. You lift a few weights at the gym, you go on the treadmill to burn some calories, and you go through this routine where you do exercises that are comfortable for you at the gym or go for the machines that aren’t occupied.

However, after spending close to eleven hours on the course, I realised that there was more to gymming than just lifting weights. Learning the different exercises to incorporate into my routine was one of them, but I also realised a few common mistakes that I’ve been making in the gym as well that could potentially risk leading to an injury. Aside from that, as someone who doesn’t stick to a particular diet, the course made me more conscious about the food I was consuming and the lifestyle habits that I should be working towards too.

It’s pretty much a wake-up call for me, and I realised that like many of us, I’m a work in progress too. Now, speaking of self-improvement, the course also taught me to be a lot more confident in the gym. Working out alone in a gym filled with men can be very daunting for most of us, but after learning more about the Do’s and Don’ts, I’ve realised that I was more excited to practice what I’ve learnt in the gym, and I’ve started to have a more positive approach to working out.

Important takeaways

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Overall, whether you’re a newbie or a fitness junkie, I totally recommend attending the course if you plan to expand your fitness knowledge. Not only is it a good way for you to learn more about the world of fitness but it also allows you to have a better understanding of your body and allows you to gain that newfound confidence the next time you hit the gym.

To learn more about the course and what it has to offer, visit NCSF’s website here.