Personal Training Certification
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2009-06-10 12:10 PM |
Veteran 152 Brownstown, MI | Subject: Personal Training Certification I am thinking of becoming a certified personal trainer. Could someone tell me what is the most nationally recognized organization for ceritification? Thanks alot! |
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2009-06-10 11:22 PM in reply to: #2207880 |
Extreme Veteran 315 South Jordan UT | Subject: RE: Personal Training Certification There are a bunch. ACE and NASM are probably the most commonly accepted and recognized in gyms. If you have a bachelors, NSCA would be a good option. |
2009-06-27 12:13 PM in reply to: #2207880 |
Veteran 262 Sarasota, Florida | Subject: RE: Personal Training Certification Without trying to offend any of the ACE or NASM cert. holders out there, although I probably will, the NSCA cert is probably more thorough than the other two. I trust an NSCA-CPT holder more than an ACE/NASM certified instructor to 1) know what they are doing, 2) keep me from dying while training, and 3) tailor a program to my needs, and not just throw together some random exercises. |
2009-06-29 5:42 PM in reply to: #2207880 |
Member 22 | Subject: RE: Personal Training Certification I have my Cert from ISSA... just another one for you to look at. ISSA is accredited by a different National Organization than many of the other big ones, it is also the only one backed by the Dept. of education. Good luck with whatever you decide. Best, Neil |
2009-06-30 11:39 AM in reply to: #2209303 |
Master 2167 Livonia, MI | Subject: RE: Personal Training Certification gcirongirl - 2009-06-10 11:22 PM There are a bunch. ACE and NASM are probably the most commonly accepted and recognized in gyms. If you have a bachelors, NSCA would be a good option. x2, and I'm in Michigan. Each region/gym seems to have its own school of thought on which organization is the most comprehensive. It may be smart to figure out where you would like to train and contact those business/gyms to see what certs they like to see. |
2009-07-04 6:42 AM in reply to: #2207880 |
Extreme Veteran 467 | Subject: RE: Personal Training Certification I own 4 personal training facilities and the most common and probably the best in my opinion are NSCA, ISSA and ACSM. NASM is okay at best and in my opinion, ACE, AFAA, NESTA are all junk. I can't tell you how many people get those certs and are very one dimensional when it comes to training. There are a few academies out there that are not that bad such as NPTI. They do a good job giving practical experience. But, it's not your normal cert., it's more of a school. |
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2009-07-04 8:42 AM in reply to: #2207880 |
Member 1487 Scottsdale, AZ | Subject: RE: Personal Training Certification I was certified as a NSCA-CSCS for 4 years while I worked in the Wellness community. My boss gave me an option...get the ACSM or NSCA...that was it. Having a Bachelors degree in Exercise Science/Exercise Physiology, it was still a tough cert. While in school we used to laugh at the people who got the ACE/AFFA certs (and please, no offense to anyone, there were plenty of people in the program who got the other certs) and called the ACE cert the All Cheesy Easy certification. I think it just depends on where you want to work and what you want to do/who you want to work with. Just do some research into what each program entails. Don't know much about the NSCA-PT program, but I would think it is held up to the high standards as the others are. Just my .02. Good luck! |
2009-07-04 7:50 PM in reply to: #2261117 |
Veteran 215 | Subject: RE: Personal Training Certification TriMDC - 2009-07-04 4:42 AM I own 4 personal training facilities and the most common and probably the best in my opinion are NSCA, ISSA and ACSM. NASM is okay at best and in my opinion, ACE, AFAA, NESTA are all junk. I can't tell you how many people get those certs and are very one dimensional when it comes to training. There are a few academies out there that are not that bad such as NPTI. They do a good job giving practical experience. But, it's not your normal cert., it's more of a school. I looked into NPTI when I decided to get my certification. It uses the NSCA CPT text and prepares the student to take the NSCA CPT exam. Their own 'cert' is really just a certificate of completion of the program, not a true CPT certification. You are expected to take the NSCA CPT exam, although that is not included in the cost. I couldn't afford the $6,000 for the program so just educated myself and got the NSCA CPT in January. For the past few years, I was working at 24 HR Fitness to get my feet wet and while there earned the NASM (they paid for all materials and the exam), so I have that one as well. NASM seems to have a good name, but I don't really understand why. I found it to be pretty easy to obtain and there is a lot of stuff I don't agree with (i.e., must squat with feet straight ahead and an over-emphasis on balance training). I like the NSCA-CPT for working with the general population. I was thinking on getting the CSCS as well, but since I don't really plan to work with athletes, I decided it wasn't needed and just an extra expense. |
2009-07-09 2:30 PM in reply to: #2207880 |
Regular 59 | Subject: RE: Personal Training Certification I just got certified through ACSM, they have the general reputation as being the "gold standard". It is clinical, but not impossible. I have heard it is harder than the other CPT certs, but I have no first hand experience. Good luck no matter which one you choose. |
2009-07-12 2:47 PM in reply to: #2207880 |
Regular 65 | Subject: RE: Personal Training Certification jonnyfive82 - 2009-06-10 12:10 PM I would advise that you get a degree vs. a certification. I have an M.S. in Exercise physiology which by far outweighs a certification. That is if this is a serious career move for you. There are alot of certified trainers out there who do not take it seriously without the education background and injure people. Then they come to me to fix them. I am thinking of becoming a certified personal trainer. Could someone tell me what is the most nationally recognized organization for ceritification? Thanks alot! |
2009-08-09 8:02 PM in reply to: #2207880 |
New user 2 | Subject: RE: Personal Training Certification Good Evening Thread Poster, across the industry there are (2) certifications that standout. NSCA-CSCS (www.nsca-lift.org) and the ACSM-HFS (www.acsm.org). Both require a degree, as mentioned in the many posts before hand. Another thing to take into consideration is WHO can get these certifications. You have to have specific degrees in exercise science to get them. Then both are the hardest to maintain. The NSCA-CSCS is the hardest to maintain on the market. To preface my previous comment; I worked in the fitness industry for 10 years before I broke in to the college/pro weight rooms. There is only (1) certification that will get you in the door at the Olympic Training Center, College Weight Room or the Pro Weight Room. The NSCA-CSCS. Our armed forces only use the NSCA-CSCS. Individuals who have it and can maintain it are the most qualified based on their education and they have to give back to the strength community through writing articles and doing research to move in to the 'Certified w/ Distinction' level of certification. The side certifications; ACE, NASM, PACE ect. were created by NSCA or ACSM individuals to provide CEC's and educational outlets for people who didn't want a degree, but wanted to help people better their lives. If you have any questions please feel free to call me @ 317-903-6817 or email ([email protected]). |
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2009-08-09 8:20 PM in reply to: #2207880 |
Veteran 215 | Subject: RE: Personal Training Certification Except you don't need an exercise science specific degree to get the NSCA-CSCS, you just need a bachelor's or higher in any area. |
2009-08-09 9:30 PM in reply to: #2207880 |
Subject: RE: Personal Training Certification NSCA all the way. I keep thinking I'll get around to doing that cert someday... |
2009-08-18 1:58 PM in reply to: #2207880 |
Veteran 139 SC | Subject: RE: Personal Training Certification I am looking at getting my personal trainer cert right now and have the same question as the original poster but with some additional information. I am going back into the job market after being at home with my kids for a few years. I need to work part time now so that I can be home when they get home from school. I plan on going back to college next year and working towards a Public Health degree. Then using that degree to get into the Health Wellness field working for a company that helps other companies find ways to get their employees healthy to keep health care costs down. I do not have a degree right now. I am trying to figure out the right path to take. Also once you get the personal trainer certification how do you go about getting experience? Thanks for any help Melissa |
2009-08-19 7:39 PM in reply to: #2207880 |
Member 49 | Subject: RE: Personal Training Certification I have 4 certifacates through the issa none being in spelling cause I think i spelled cert. wrong. Its a great course. You send them money, they send you the study materials and you take the test online or in a seminar. There seminars are really good as well. http://www.issaonline.com/ Edited by BAD@SSFord 2009-08-19 7:42 PM |
2009-09-03 7:15 AM in reply to: #2207880 |
Pro 4353 Wallingford, PA | Subject: RE: Personal Training Certification Sorry to hijack here, but there seem to be some folks with good knowledge about the fitness industry, so maybe someone can answer my question.... I'm interested in getting my feet wet in the fitness industry, and looking for a little guidance on which direction to go. At the moment, I'm more interested in teaching in a group setting (specifically indoor cycling instruction) than in personal training. I'm planning to start by pursuing an indoor cycling instructor certification, and hope to begin to teaching a few spinning classes this year. Down the road, I could see myself seeking specific certification to teach other group clases (pilates, for example), and maybe eventually seeking nutrition certification, and perhaps USAT coaching certification and beginning to work with some individual clients to meet endurance training and weight-loss goals. I'm wondering if either Personal Trainer or Group Fitness Instructor certification would be helpful to me now, or maybe in a year or two. I'm not looking to work full-time in a gym... but I would love to help people work toward healthier lifestyles. I also want to be sure I have the knowledge to do it safely.... BTW, I do have a college degree, but not in an exercise-related field. Thanks for any input/suggestions!! |
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2009-10-02 12:54 PM in reply to: #2337440 |
Veteran 262 Sarasota, Florida | Subject: RE: Personal Training Certification msmogreen - 2009-08-09 9:20 PM Except you don't need an exercise science specific degree to get the NSCA-CSCS, you just need a bachelor's or higher in any area. Which is still more than is required from the other major certs out there. ACSM HFS cert. only requires an associate's, and the others only require that you send them money. There's also a push within the NSCA right now to require that bachelor's degree to be in an exercise science-related area, so this is something that could happen with a few years. |