One of the biggest misunderstandings I run into as an athletic trainer is the assumption that I’m simply a personal trainer. Don’t get me wrong—there’s a lot of overlap. We both understand human movement, we can write effective workout programs, and we spend a lot of time coaching people toward their goals. But that’s really where the similarity ends. Athletic training extends far beyond the gym floor, touching everything from injury prevention to rehabilitation and sustainable physical performance. And the distinction isn’t just a matter of title—it can be the difference between progress and plateau, or worse, reinjury.
What a lot of people don’t realize is that the educational paths for these two professions are completely different. To become an athletic trainer, you have to earn a bachelor’s degree at minimum—although many of us go on to pursue master’s degrees as well. That education isn’t just classroom theory, either. It includes a significant amount of hands-on clinical hours working under licensed professionals in real-world settings. Athletic trainers are trained to recognize, evaluate, and manage injuries. We’re taught how to assess biomechanics, understand complex healing processes, and develop rehab strategies for both acute and chronic injuries.
In contrast, personal training typically requires a certification. These certifications vary depending on the organization, and while some are definitely more rigorous than others, they don’t require a college degree or formal clinical experience. That doesn’t mean personal trainers aren’t knowledgeable or passionate about what they do—they absolutely can be—but the scope of practice is narrower. Personal training focuses more on general fitness and performance, not on managing injuries, diagnosing dysfunction, or handling post-operative recovery.
Let’s talk about something a lot of people experience but don’t often analyze: that sudden “tweak” in your back when you bend to pick something up. It feels random. Maybe you chalk it up to age, a bad night’s sleep, or just an off day. But chances are, that moment didn’t happen out of nowhere. More likely, it was a result of underlying instability—something like a weak or uncoordinated core. And I don’t mean visible abs. You can have a six-pack and still lack the functional strength needed to stabilize your spine during everyday movements. That disconnect is a perfect example of where athletic training comes into play.
As an athletic trainer, my work goes deeper than building visible muscle or increasing the number on a squat rack. I focus on the stuff you can’t always see—the way your body prepares for movement, absorbs impact, and adapts to stress. When you’ve had an injury, whether it was a sudden sprain or a slow-building overuse issue, your body compensates in all sorts of sneaky ways. These compensations can linger, setting you up for future injuries, especially if you return to a traditional workout routine too soon or without the right progression.
Injury rehabilitation isn’t just about resting and then jumping back into your old routine. It’s a calculated, thoughtful process that includes retraining your body’s proprioception (your sense of where your body is in space), restoring your range of motion, and rebuilding strength in a way that’s both safe and smart. We also look at agility and power—yes, even for everyday life, not just athletes—because your ability to change direction, absorb force, and generate movement quickly matters just as much at age 40 as it does in high school sports.
I’ve had the unique opportunity to work in both physical therapy and fitness settings, which has really shaped how I approach training. Being immersed in a clinical environment gave me insight into just how layered the recovery process is. It also helped me learn to recognize when someone is ready to move from rehab to performance, and how to create a bridge between the two that feels empowering instead of overwhelming.
Through that lens, I started to develop a style of programming that doesn’t live in a silo. It pulls from body building, physical therapy, functional training, and good old-fashioned movement science. My goal isn’t just to help someone lose weight or build muscle—it’s to help them own their movement again. That might mean teaching a new mom how to rebuild her pelvic stability, or helping a middle-aged runner recover from years of compensation patterns. Whatever the case, it starts with a conversation about how their body feels now, what their goals are, and how we can connect the dots safely and effectively.
Sustainability is the name of the game. Flashy workouts are great, but what good are they if your knees are screaming the next day or your shoulder pain returns by week two? I work with clients in a way that makes movement a lifelong skill, not just a temporary fix. That might not sound as sexy as a “30-day shred,” but let’s be honest—your body deserves more than quick fixes. It deserves a plan built around your history, your habits, and your future.
I want my clients to feel capable, confident, and educated about their bodies. That empowerment doesn’t come from mindlessly pushing through reps; it comes from understanding why you’re doing what you’re doing. Why this exercise, why this sequence, why this pace. It’s about creating connection—between you and your body, and between your workouts and your life outside the gym.
That’s where athletic training really shines. We aren’t just checking boxes on a workout template. We’re watching how you move, listening to how you feel, and adjusting based on the full picture. Maybe you have a history of ankle sprains, or you sit at a desk all day and your hips are paying the price. These details matter. They shape the way we build your program, the cues I use, and even how we warm up.
If you’ve ever felt stuck between physical therapy and “regular” workouts, you’re not alone. That’s a common gap, and it’s one that athletic trainers are uniquely equipped to fill. We don’t just get you back to baseline—we help you move beyond it, with confidence and resilience.
So no, we’re not just personal trainers. And that’s not a knock on personal training—I have a ton of respect for my colleagues in that field. But if you’re navigating injury, coming back from a setback, or trying to create a training plan that supports your body long-term, you might need something more comprehensive. You might need someone who can speak both languages: the clinical one and the performance one. Someone who understands what it means to hurt and to heal, and how to translate that into movement that serves you today, tomorrow, and ten years down the road.
That’s what athletic training is all about. And that’s where I come in.
