QUESTION: Which certificates are the best?

[wwasil]

40 years old and needing a career change -- would i be wasting my time getting a CPT??? basically asking are there people/gyms willing to hire a 40 y/o new PT?

[Fitness9834]

NSCA, NASM and ACE are good, like others have said.

Recently I stumbled upon a new tennis-specific training certification organization called the International Tennis Performance Association (ITPA). I don't know much about them, but there seem to be lots of experts involved. Could be another certification avenue for those who train tennis players. itpa-tennis.org

[Ep1cOne]

40 years old and needing a career change -- would i be wasting my time getting a CPT??? basically asking are there people/gyms willing to hire a 40 y/o new PT?

I'm in a similar position and would like to hear others thoughts on this. I've talked to some gums and they seem to think it would be a good move. Another concern is the pay which I'm still looking into.

[gulhassanfx]

I'm an engineering student living in canada, but I also have a passion in becoming a personal trainer (been helping a lot of my university buddies in the gym)
I have no kinesiology/ bsc prerequisite and was wondering which certificate I should get? I've been hearing canfitpro?

[GL89]

I'm an engineering student living in canada, but I also have a passion in becoming a personal trainer (been helping a lot of my university buddies in the gym)
I have no kinesiology/ bsc prerequisite and was wondering which certificate I should get? I've been hearing canfitpro?

Honestly canfitpro is a mickey-mouse certificate, but for what it's worth it's all you need to get hired in places like good life and get foot in the door

[gulhassanfx]

Honestly canfitpro is a mickey-mouse certificate, but for what it's worth it's all you need to get hired in places like good life and get foot in the door

yea it's around $500 as well for the certification.. What would you recommend in its place?

[GL89]

yea it's around $500 as well for the certification.. What would you recommend in its place?

well depends what you plan on doing with it...if you want to work at good life for example they make you take the canfitpro certification no matter what certification you have...its quick way to get a certification...if you want to learn something i would recommend going with NASM or even with the NSCA-Cpt...in the end, some experience will be needed at most gyms if you want to get hired

[Mr.Serpent]

Hey everyone, I'm not actually sure if this belongs in the personal training section, but I have a question. I want to get a Strength and Conditioning certification, and this website seems to the largest and most legit organisation in the UK.

http://www.uksca.org.uk/uksca/Common/home.asp

This is their description of the level 1 course they offer, it costs £250 for a 2 day course.
http://www.uksca.org.uk/uksca/pdfs/Foundation%20LOs.pdf

Does anyone have any experience in this field? Am I looking at the right kind of course?

[NickH87]

Fockin hell, to get an ACE cert its like $250 for the test, they are selling a bundle of sh!t to prepare for it but I dont have that kind of money to spend right now. What study materials should I purchase, or is there anywhere online I can find all the information im going to need to prepare for the exam?

[Will4Success]

To be honest, any well known cert will get you started as a PT! but answering the question I live in Canada / Quebec, and the cert that all the gyms and trainers I've asked say that issa is the way to get started, although, it doesn't stop there, that only gets the door open for you! Your going to have to invest some time in, to learn more! Although knowledge is the most important thing! The look sure do make a big difference! any client would rather pick a PT with a built body over some lanky person!

[Camouflage11]

Hello

I am debating between ACE and NASM certifications.

Can anyone who took the tests comment on which one is easier?

I have a good physique and all I really need is to get hired at a gym I dont feel like turning into a scrawn bag by spending all my time with my nose in a book about excercise when I can be in the gym working out.

Thanks

Thanks

[corbs2424]

One answer.... CSCS.... and your and idiot if you think differently

[ygbodybuilder10]

man i'm confused on which program to get to certified thru

[LiquidSword]

I have my degree in Nutrition and Exercise Science, and I am going to get certified through ACSM. My question is, should I get the ACSM CPT cert or get the ACSM Health and Fitness Specialist certification (requires a bachelors)? Anyone have any experience with these and are they essentially the same? Is HFS just a better kind of CPT cert?

[micahjfreedman]

Does getting ISSA certification help in getting other certs?

[pierz]

Any recommendations for a UK lad? I know you have to get anything that registers you on REPs, but does anybody have any specific recommendations on where to take the course(s)?

[3stripes]

Very interesting topic

This is something I am looking at getting into. Lack of job security has me looking for a back up plan. While at first it would not be full time it would be something i could do in the mornings when I am off

For me, it is more about overall fitness rather than out and out bodybuilding and training with weights.

i've been into fitness sports from an early age playing soccer, and badminton and squash for my country

Now, I am an avid rock climber, trail runner and also use the weights as well.

My aim would be to get some certification and offer a wide variety of programs to clients. I live in the Bay area and have access to 3 climbing gyms, all equiped with weights and cardio equipment, numerous trails for hiking and running and open fields for various exercises. My wife is also a qualified Pilates treacher so we offer different services to our clients.

Is there any particular route, or organization that would be better suited towards my needs.

Thanks and good luck

[mrliftbig1994]

In australia you get certificate 3 and 4 in fitness through government education (tafe ) or you can pay 6000 and get them both in 8 weeks at aif

[AirKev]

Looking at getting my PT certification through NASM or ACE. Still weighing my options

[93LumberJACKed]

Im not sure if it makes a difference but does anyone train here in Missouri and know what is most commonly excepted at gyms?

[PhagBucket]

Isnt the ISSA the first organization to offer cft's?

And can anyone pm me what the general requirements are to become a personal trainer at most gyms? I live in california.Is it just a cft with any well known organization? Or do they want more than that? And is nasm really the ****? Its a little more expensive but ill fork it over if its worth it

[davidwhatever]

I have the NASM materials but am not that impressed with them or their website, not sure why people seem to think they are so great. ACE has a very well done website with many well written articles and equipment reviews as well as an active youtube channel, not so for NASM. ACE is doing a much better job of promoting fitness to the public. NASM seems to concentrate mainly on selling their training and thats about it. I have found links on their site that are still broken 5 months later, emailed them with a question and never got a response and pretty much no after the sale follow up. So I'm going to ditch my NASM and buy the ACE stuff.

[Chinee]

hey fellas which cert exams can be done online? ACE? ACSM?

[pitRZ]

Can anyone give me an idea, help me pick, if I was choosing between NAMS and ISSA?

[MuscledHorse]

I highly recommend the NASM certification. It is comprehesive and detailed. The only chapter I was disappointed in was the speed, agility and quickness chapter. Otherwise, you need to know your A&P and most importantly, how to APPLY that knowledge to your particular client. The NASM exam rivaled the national licensure exam for Dr. of Pharmacy graduates. Don't look for the easiest exam or program; certifiying bodies who start making it easy will quickly lose reputation.

[sbhf]

Im leaning torwards ISSA...Not sure 100% why. I do not plan on working for a gym. This would be a part time thing to fill in my free time from my regular job (which I hope to drop for training).

Any other opinions?!??!?!

Here's my 2p worth... STAY with ISSA, if you want to be an independent fitness professional then Fred Hatfield Phd. is the man to listen too and take advice from, he is far and away the best. Fred is the original and real deal, if fact ask anyone in the industry worth their credentials about Dr Squat (Fred) and they will tell you he is an icon in the lifting industry. He was the first man to SQUAT more than 1000 lbs in a competitive life at age 46. ISSA was set up by Fred in the early 80's to bring some professionalism to the gym industry and get rid of the frauds out there taking money from people for cookie cutter programs. He is still a leader in the industry now working on gaining Board Certification for Trainers, the same standard of Board Certs required by doctors across the nation. You may not be aware but currently you are only supposed to work in the state in which you are certified, and the reason for that is that there are so many bogus certification programs out there, in fact most of them are not worth a damn and no uniformity. Once Board Certs are included in the Fitness Industry then the testing criteria will be the same and uniform thru out the industry and will allow any trainer that qualifies to ply their trade in any state in the nation, further professionalizing the industry.

I just answered a post by a newly certified NASM trainer who is asking people for books with programs or programs that he can use on his clients. Sounds to me like he got ripped off with his cert there. He apparently doesn't have a clue how to set up a program for a client and is already relying on other people to write his programs for him, what did he pay NASM for?... enough said I think. I need to get off of the horse.

[sbhf]

Can anyone give me an idea, help me pick, if I was choosing between NAMS and ISSA?

ISSA, read a cpl of posts down I ranted a bit about why there...

[sbhf]

Does getting ISSA certification help in getting other certs?

If you get educated thru ISSA then you won't need to go anywhere else. They have all the continuing education that you need and programs that will set you up for life in the Personal Training industry. You can eventually have the education of a 4 year degree by completing all their courses, including having been a published author of health and fitness articles in nationally recognized publications.

[sbhf]

man i'm confused on which program to get to certified thru

Let me help clear up your confusion mate... ISSA is it. Fred Hatfield Phd, the founder of ISSA is one of the biggest legends in the fitness industry. Google him, he was the first man to squat 1000lbs in a competitive life at the age of 46 none the less. His personal website is drsquat.com and has a link there to his ISSA certification programs. You won't regret it.

[CAC758]

NSCA or NASM are both quality certs. I personally am CSCS certified but i also incorporate a lot of NASM material into my work. It all depends on what field you want to work in.