The internet is one of all our means of obtaining information in todays day in age. However, even though there is all this information throughout the world wide web, there are a lot of people that try to portray false information. This means that you must check your resources when trying to gather information, otherwise you may be relaying the same false information. There are a few different aspects when looking for proper information, such as the type of webpage you’re on, or if it lists the authors and date of publication. Typically, if the webpage is a .GOV, .NET, .EDU, or .ORG they tend to be more credible than the .COM webpages. Unless again, the author and date of publication is on the page. I am going to review a few sources that are credible, as well as one that is not.
One of my favorite websites to visit is the Onnit Academy website for a various amount of reasons. They are known nationwide for their workout systems, supplements, nutrition assistance, and training courses to be able to be certified in a variety of types of workouts. According to Aubrey Marcus, one of the founders of Onnit, they specialize in kettlebells, maces and clubs, battle ropes, barbell workouts, and even at home bodyweight workouts (Aubrey Marcus, 2020). Their website is easy to navigate, with different subcategories to select that open more information that everyone desires to see. They are also the founders of a lot of their own supplements like alpha brain, which is a nootropic that helps with brain function and clarity. Same as their proteins and other typical types of supplements that one would use for exercise and fitness gains. I personally know that this is a reputable source since I have done a lot of my own research on the owners of this Academy. From their own podcasts, to others like The Joe Rogan Experience, they have touched on the information that has went into the production of their products and how they have obtained them through years of their own research.
Another great site would be the National Academy of Sports Medicine which offers certification programs with their own type of fitness education, which is the site that I used to acquire my Personal Trainers Certificate. Their OPT model which stands for Optimum Performance Training Model is a great way to break down different types of workouts for separate levels of training. They state that in order to reach optimal training, a trainer will need 6-9 months to complete their OPT Model (NASM., 2020). They have different types of ways to obtain the certificate, which carries a high level of accreditation. I completed the 10-week study course that was broken down into separate weeks, which made the means of accessibility a lot easier than meeting deadlines daily. I know they are reputable because their domain is a .ORG entity, and they have information about how many people that have been certified through their program. The academy has also been working on this line of work for over 30 years, making them very knowledgeable about this type of career.
Along the same lines of NASM, The American Counsel of Exercise is another reputable source for personal training certification. They are a .ORG domain as well, making them in the category of reliable sources of information. They offer a variety of certifications as well that vary in pricing and you can do monthly payments, to make it more affordable over time. Their websites states that their mission is to get people moving and shows all their values which include: Honesty, Integrity, Ingenuity, Passion, Collaboration, Connectivity, and Continuous Learning and Development (ACE., 2020). They have certified over 90,000 personal trainers within the United States and continue to create movements to help better the health and wellness of our communities.
American College of Sports Medicine is another great reputable source as well. Again, with their domain being a .ORG, making them an organization that has been around for quite some time. Their website states that they have been around since 1954 and is one of the most inexpensive training certifications on the market today (ACSM, 2020). They have a subcategory that shows their different types of certifications and compares them with pricing from other personal training certification websites, which is something that the others don’t offer. Their website also gives you assistance in finding a job with your personal trainer’s certificate within your area. The accreditation that you can receive from this certificate is quite well, matching the other sites, but with half the price.
A site that you can find within the same searches on the web, that isn’t quite that reputable is GymTalk.com (GymTalk, 2016). They discuss different aspects of training and how you could be doing it wrong. Even though it has a date of publication on it which is almost five years old, it doesn’t offer who the author is. As well as it being a blog, which most times doesn’t offer the most reliable information. They also have ads all over for companies that are trying to make a quick dollar by fooling the consumer with their products that may not even work. The site is just all around not a good place to acquire information.
So, when searching for your information on the web, make sure you check all the information that you are using, especially if it is for something that is important. Of course, you are going to run into a lot of biased information as well, especially if it comes to politics. So, just ensure that you look at both sides of the information you are acquiring, and again, check your sources. You don’t want to relay wrong information to your peers, colleagues, or other classmates, so know your information, even about the information that you are receiving.
-Cyral I Callender III
References
American College of Sports Medicine. (2020). ACSM Certification: Become a Personal Trainer
Today. Retrieved from: https://www.acsm.org/
American Counsel of Exercise. (2020). The World Needs You Now, More Than Ever: Your
Passion, Your Purpose, Your Profession. Retrieved from: https://www.acefitness.org/
GymTalk. (Apr. 29, 2016). The Worst of the Fitness Industry. Retrieved from:
The Worst Of The Fitness Industry
Marcus, Aubrey. (2020). Onnit Academy: Fitness. Retrieved from:
https://www.onnit.com/academy/category/fitness/
National Academy of Sports Medicine. (2020). Become a Personal Trainer from Home.
Retrieved from: https://www.nasm.org/
Health and Wellness Repertoire 
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