Reason TV: State Licensure for Training

[Mark Rippetoe]

Too often, people seem to willing to abdicate their responsibilities because they put government up on a pedestal and act as if their rules and guidelines are infallible and handed down from on high, rather than crafted by bureaucrats who, like anyone else in the world, can be wrong. That's not to say that the government is always wrong in its guidelines, or inherently doomed to be wrong in all cases, just that it deserves the kind of scrutiny people are (generally) inclined to give to other sources of information.

It deserves a much higher level of scrutiny, because there are no personal consequences for its employees when they fuck up the issuance of guidelines. Have you ever heard of a bureaucrat being fired for incompetence in the drafting of rules and guidelines? Has it ever happened, anywhere? This leads in one direction only.

[Michael Wolf]

I think it would certainly force a lot of good people out of the business. I can speak for myself and probably many other SSCs (as well as some competent crossfit coaches, trainers, etc) that I'd probably shut down my coaching practice before I'd change my methodology to some bullshit I know didn't work / wasn't helping people. It would simply depend upon the nature of the regulation. I could probably stomach having to take people through some sort of non-sensical "assessment" but I couldn't stomach having to take them through a non-sensical prescription to be considered "legal." I think people like me would probably be forced into a 100% online type of business where we were limited to selling information products only. This is unfortunate because for many people information products aren't enough. Coaches bridge the gap between text and movement and we're in short enough supply as it is

I've thought about this some. The legal eagles would have to pipe in if this would actually work, but I would think that rebranding away from "personal trainer" or "fitness instructor" or any of those terms, to "powerlifting coach," "strengthlifting coach," "crossfit coach," etc... would work and allow us to keep doing exactly what we do. Unless those sports become illegal themselves, I think that would probably work. Hell, maybe even just "Starting Strength Coach" as a standalone.

I also wonder what effect such a law would have on the strength and conditioning profession, both those employed by institutions such as HS and collegiate S&C coaches, and also those employed privately at places like Velocity and others who run S&C programs and camps for kids and such. For all we disagree on the way much of that field operates, many of them probably do some things that CREP wouldn't approve of.

[Mark D]

Different field, but my brother was an excellent plumber. He was employed by the state of NY, so by their own rules didn't have to be licensed by the state or belong to the plumbers union (although he belonged to the state employees union). He did a lot of side work, and did better work than some state licensed plumbers I've seen, but never got the magic pixie sprinkle of state licensure even though they deemed him qualified to work in state facilities.

Just leaving that there for discussion if any is needed.

[George Christiansen]

I think it would certainly force a lot of good people out of the business. I can speak for myself and probably many other SSCs (as well as some competent crossfit coaches, trainers, etc) that I'd probably shut down my coaching practice before I'd change my methodology to some bullshit I know didn't work / wasn't helping people. It would simply depend upon the nature of the regulation. I could probably stomach having to take people through some sort of non-sensical "assessment" but I couldn't stomach having to take them through a non-sensical prescription to be considered "legal." I think people like me would probably be forced into a 100% online type of business where we were limited to selling information products only. This is unfortunate because for many people information products aren't enough. Coaches bridge the gap between text and movement and we're in short enough supply as it is

New SS T-shirt: "When squats are outlawed, only outlaws will squat."

[CKehoe]

I've thought about this some. The legal eagles would have to pipe in if this would actually work, but I would think that rebranding away from "personal trainer" or "fitness instructor" or any of those terms, to "powerlifting coach," "strengthlifting coach," "crossfit coach," etc... would work and allow us to keep doing exactly what we do. Unless those sports become illegal themselves, I think that would probably work. Hell, maybe even just "Starting Strength Coach" as a standalone.

I also wonder what effect such a law would have on the strength and conditioning profession, both those employed by institutions such as HS and collegiate S&C coaches, and also those employed privately at places like Velocity and others who run S&C programs and camps for kids and such. For all we disagree on the way much of that field operates, many of them probably do some things that CREP wouldn't approve of.

It likely wouldn't work. If a typical government agent is empowered to regulate something, he will regulate it in the way that best serves him, which usually means as broadly as feasible, so he can accumulate more and more power and prestige. Ask Uber how teh "independent contractor" categorization is going for them around the world. Most places are trying to fuck them, in the name of broader government power and taxing authority (think workers compensation), usually prodded along by the taxi lobby, who, having been fucked in the ass by the regulators, pay the regulators to fuck any upstarts in the ass even harder.

[Michael Wolf]

It likely wouldn't work. If a typical government agent is empowered to regulate something, he will regulate it in the way that best serves him, which usually means as broadly as feasible, so he can accumulate more and more power and prestige. Ask Uber how teh "independent contractor" categorization is going for them around the world. Most places are trying to fuck them, in the name of broader government power and taxing authority (think workers compensation), usually prodded along by the taxi lobby, who, having been fucked in the ass by the regulators, pay the regulators to fuck any upstarts in the ass even harder.

This is certainly possible, and I don't pretend my opinion is legally informed. But, since powerlifting, olympic lifting, crossfit, and strengthlifting are now all established sports with hundreds to hundreds of thousands of participants, it does seem like a legitimate possibility. It's not just semantics. Cause think about the alternative - would only licensed personal trainers be able to coach those sports? Would those sports become illegal due to personal trainer licensure, whose standard of practice doesn't allow below parallel squats or overhead press or heavy deadlifts? That seems unlikely. The more likely alternative is that those sports would fall outside the purview of this licensure. Seems so to me, anyway, but I don't really know.

[TommyGun]

With state licensure, it is ALWAYS about the money. The state "Board" requires you to write a check to "sit for the exam", and to "recertify" every two years. The lobbying group providing the "mandatory state approved CEU's" required for said biannual recertification also must be paid. Can you tell I have had to go through this during my career?

So in addition to all the other arguments, I tend to follow the money. As Tom Woods says, don't worry.
Your Wise Overlords/ well meaning civil servants always act in your best interest.

[Culican]

It's also about protecting those who already are licensed and establishing barriers to entry against competition.

For example the fight that is going on here over blow drying hair:

Hair stylists and other professionals licensed by the Arizona Board of Cosmetology on Monday protested a bill that would eliminate licenses for "blowout" treatments at salons.
...
However, hair stylists and cosmetology school operators say training is important — even if they aren’t using shears or razors — to prevent the spread of lice, staph infections, scabies, hepatitis or other ailments from customer to customer.

Who knew that hepatitis was a big risk from getting your hair blow dried. Got to protect the public.

Blowup over blowouts: Bill to deregulate hair stylists clears hurdle