Can I become a personal traner without being certified?

[pottersbar]

That would be their choice. They can judge by my own accomplishments and what they see from their trial sessions. Then decide if they would like to keep going. I already have guys who want to work with me which is why I even thought of this in the first place.



I rejected book knowledge because I haven't became certifed? Lol. There is this marvelous thing called the internet, and if you seek the knowledge it has the ability to teach you far more than what your basic certification program ever will. Everything anyone will ever need to know can be researched, studied, and learned on the internet.

I have played football for 6 years, wrestling for 3, boxed for 2, and mma for 2. Through high school I have made myself far more bigger, stronger, faster, and more athletic through lifting weights solely. Like I've said before people do not have to hire me if they don't want to, their choice.

I would not work with you, I only work with high school and college athletes.

I've trained MMA for 3 years, lost 30 kg's before that and have read and studied nutrition and exercise for years.
I'm coming to the end of a years study doing my 2 PT certificates, and believe me, what I learnt from my own training, experiences and self learning didn't even scratch the surface of the things I needed to know in order to successfully complete my exams and course.

Basically you're telling us several things:

1. You're extremely immature and ignorant
2. You're extremely disrespectful to those who've worked and studied hard in this field
3. You don't really know what you're on about
4. You're completely clueless about legal and ethical issues
5. You're going to fail badly.

Your replies to the responses in this thread are childish and ignorant, I find it insulting that you can be so bold in stating you'll "only have about 10 clients" despite no quals!! Where will you find 10 complete idiots who are happy to put their health in an unqualified persons hands?

You are offering nothing more than what any gym freek can offer in the way of advise, why would anyone pay you for it?
You won't get a job at a gym, you won't be allowed to train others at a gym.
The only way you'll get close to having multiple clients is if you hide the fact you're unqualified, the scary thing is I can imagine someone like you actually doing that, with the immaturity, arrogance and ignorance to think you can get away with it.

Stop disrespecting the field and eitiher a) Go do the studies or b) Sod off

[JoeCannonMSCSCS]

Please get certified. More than that, be qualified also. That means learning AFTER you get "certified". so many trainers dont. Technically if you play the part of a personal trainer and are not certified you could get into legal trouble if anything bad happens during a training session. Also most gyms worth their salt will ask you for a cert before they hire you. if you try to be self employed, you will need liability insurance. That insurance company will ask you for your cert.
Bottom line. take the time to be certified - and keep learning after ward - if you are really serious about being a personal trainer. It will only help you.

Joe

[jalundah]

Lopez, I understand where you're coming from because I know plenty of people who are paid personal trainers and couldn't pass the ACE, but you could easily get certified for one of the cheaper, (more) worthless *****

There's a big difference between knowing that technique is important, eating more protein is ideal, burning 500 calories extra a day will result in a 1 lb loss per week, etc, and knowing WHY and HOW these processes work. In my opinion, I think most personal trainers should at least have a degree in a related field, but you can be a successful trainer without a degree or high cert if you can market yourself and at least know the basics... Everyone here is against that, though, and you can't blame them.

[ProXimi7yyy]

I train at 24 hour fitness. I plan on having all my clients being 24 hour fitness members as well, so how would the gym not allow me to workout with them? It would be just like were training partners.

I could certainly afford a certification I just don't think it is necessary.

I work at Cardinal Fitness and we ban people for that. You are certainly more naive than you're ready to accept.

[Borschtbeet]

No you do not need a certification to become a personal trainer. Most gyms will hire trainers without a certification so long as they have a 4 year degree in exercise science, health and human performance, exercise physiology, or kinesiology.

[hardeepgill]

You can do your certification online as well. 3 months and you are certified.

[BrotherWolf]

Can't I have them sign a contract stating that if injured I am not held liable?

And I'm sorry to tell you all, most good trainers became good at what they do through their own experience and search for knowledge not through their certification that they passed a test for and paid a couple hundred dollars to get. Most good trainers that I know only got their certifications because thats what clients want to see because they think it means something not because they wanted to become better at what they do.

As much as I agree with you for most part about generic PT education/certification, it's also true you can get a better education if you go to college instead of getting a $500 certification
and regardless where you get your education it's really up to you to become a better trainer , getting certified does have some advantages one of them being you won't be able to get a job at a gym without one.
The only time I see possible to become a successful trainer/coach without a certification is if you were a retired pro athlete with an outstanding reputation and possibly some kind of degree like physical therapy, kinesiology, physiology, biomechanics etc..

[BrotherWolf]

Yeah, 24 hour Fitness will be suing his a$$ too

no they'll just kick him out ...

[BrotherWolf]

Like I said from a previous post, "I only plan on training a small amount". I don't plan on training random people for random goals. I plan on specializing my practice for athletes who are looking to get bigger, stronger, and faster. Specifically football players, rugby players, wrestlers, and fighters. I plan on keeping my client load at a maximum of 10 people.

then get over at the NSCA web site and get your Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialists certification

[mama2boys2]

okay, I've got to chime in here.

First, let me say that OP, I DO think you SHOULD get a certification, especially considering your age and your (lack of) experience. You also should be CPR certified.

However with that, I can also understand where you are coming from.

There is a trainer at my gym who isn't certified, yet he is very knowledgable and good with clients. LIke people have mentioned, there are trainers who have certifications who aren't good or who don't know their stuff. I can understand this point of view.

I personally have a certification and a four year college degree, but I'm "new" in the training business. SO, someone who has been doing this longer than me and has more experience probably knows more and is better than me. That's just the way it is when you have years of experience training people in different circumstances. Even though I'm certified and all that, I still have SO MUCH to learn and I am always learning new things.

I can totally see your point OP about not needing a certification because "its just a piece of paper" and whatever, but please understand that it's something simple for you to do and will actually help you. You are young and even though you've played sports, you only have so many years of experience. You will learn a lot form studying and passing your certification, and that will only give you MORE knowledge and help you out with your personal training and training other clients MORE.

You'll be happy you got it! Good luck.

[qoohhlt]

Some ppl own a profitable company without having a business mng degree. Yes, being street smart is dif than book smart. I am both street smart and book smart. And I realize that with my life , I don't use all the theories in the book. And its efficient to save time if ur just looking for particular answers. If he wants be a street player then go for it. With a degree ppl can trust u; with a good result ppl can trust u too. It's just different ways to get the info u need. And mostly ppl are looking for big guys to train them instead of a skinny clever person unless that skinny is very popular or good records

[youngnjacked]

in all honesty NO..............just because people wont take you seriously especially if you dont look the part

[JoeCannonMSCSCS]

Its not ethical and if you are ever sued for hurting people you will be in a LOT of trouble. If all you do is work yourself out, then you dont know how to be a personal trainer. Trust me. Please take the time to get certified. if you are really serious about this, you need to get certified.

[XCrushFitnessX]

I THINK THE ISSUE HERE IS: there is an obvious inflation of education but also a certain naivite to this person that would make him an extremely focused trainer if he applied himself. I trained all my friends since the age of 14 because I was in the best shape (I lived and breathed exercise and nutrition to almost obsessed autistic POV). I was also the most focused, since I lacked all the adult distractions. Now I have my own business & am certified but can't sit around reading all the sites he listed all day. But he doesn't have enough life or clinical experience so i wouldn't hire him. He decided to quit just because he had to pay for a cert & insurance. That is disrespectful to our craft and peers, if you truly love something respect it.

I do however believe that an automechanic w/o a degree can be just as good as one with a degree, as complicated as cars can be, depending on the person. Why should biomechanics be different?

Its not ethical and if you are ever sued for hurting people you will be in a LOT of trouble. If all you do is work yourself out, then you dont know how to be a personal trainer. Trust me. Please take the time to get certified. if you are really serious about this, you need to get certified.

There are a lot of certified trainers who would hurt individuals by ramping up a program too soon, partly at a cheap clients request. Here is another issue currently, why does everyone want instant gratification and turn around and sue?

then get over at the NSCA web site and get your Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialists certification

Dont you also need a 4 year degree to sit for the exam?

As much as I agree with you for most part about generic PT education/certification, it's also true you can get a better education if you go to college instead of getting a $500 certification
and regardless where you get your education it's really up to you to become a better trainer , getting certified does have some advantages one of them being you won't be able to get a job at a gym without one.
The only time I see possible to become a successful trainer/coach without a certification is if you were a retired pro athlete with an outstanding reputation and possibly some kind of degree like physical therapy, kinesiology, physiology, biomechanics etc..

I disagree that sitting in a class learning from an out-of-shape professor provides a better learning environment than a physical training program at a gym. The issue is we need more peer mentors and CEs in training facilities without the Machismo.

No you do not need a certification to become a personal trainer. Most gyms will hire trainers without a certification so long as they have a 4 year degree in exercise science, health and human performance, exercise physiology, or kinesiology.

I'm currently premed, but of all the degrees mentioned above (physical therapy, kinesiology, physiology, biomechanics , exercise science, health and human performance) which would best compliment the premed workload yet give future-focused training for a physical training? Pretty much I'm looking for a solid degree that offers a diverse and respected curriculum, with more hands-on practical labs.

[predateur1]

Is not very complex to get your certification so you have to get it for two raisons

First: clients will trust oon you
Second: not to have problems if someone get hurt or any other problem

[rollinsband2002]

Dang...I read this entire thread before realizing it was 3 years old :/

Wondering though how things turned out for the OP...his profile is now inactive so I'm guessing he decided to choose a different career path.

[timk81]

Can't I have them sign a contract stating that if injured I am not held liable?

Hahahahahahaha.....hahahaha. That's the stupidest statement I've read on this site in a long long time. Thank you for the giggle.

[KyleAaron]

Wondering though how things turned out for the OP...his profile is now inactive so I'm guessing he decided to choose a different career path.

This is most common. Between my two schools,
1. students = 42.
2. passed the course = 21
3. sought employment in the industry = 5
4. found employment as a trainer = 2
5. are still a trainer 5 years later = 1, so far as I know. Me.

The fitness industry is like hospitality, it has a low barrier to entry, irregular hours with irregular pay, and things can only improve if the individual is driven to excel in at least one of sales or professional competency. Lots of people seek to become a PT because they don't know what else they want to do with their lives (low barrier to entry), then drop out of it because of the irregular pay, lack of drive to improve themselves, etc.

We get quite a lot of people doing a related university degree (nutrition, etc) who do PT as a side job the way arts students do waitressing. Typically they're poor trainers, and once their degree is finished they hang around in the gym for another year or so out of inertia, start going on overseas trips with their savings (they were living at home while at uni) and drift off to some graduate job.

[WoofieNugget]

This is most common. Between my two schools,
1. students = 42.
2. passed the course = 21
3. sought employment in the industry = 5
4. found employment as a trainer = 2
5. are still a trainer 5 years later = 1, so far as I know. Me.

Funny. I did a quick check on my college graduating class and of the 24 people we had graduate only three are still in the industry (now that is also 12 years later). Myself, one of my good friends who is a terrible trainer but bounces from job to job and always falls back onto training if she needs to, and another girl who has her niche with the elderly in retirement homes. One became a paramedic, one a physiotherapist, one a nurse so I guess those are somewhat health related. Everyone else is doing something else.

[KyleAaron]

As I understand it, you did a university degree to become a trainer. Ours was a technical college education. I imagine you'll get higher retention after a 3-4 year degree than after an 8-26 week course.

A number of my classmates are in related areas, too. One was a trainer for a bit then went to a supplement shop. Another is a netball coach (volunteer position). And so on.

[Wannabetrainer]

I'm not certified... 6 yrs Army 4 yrs Marines and semi pro football . Start training boot camps and footwork and power lifting with 1 student athlete and now I have 83 young men for football and now opening a gym for sports training . I have gone to gyms where certified trainers don't know what the hell they are doing... I will take experience over any new certified trainers

[FyrFytr998]

When my brother was an 8th grader he asked me to show him how to lift weights for football. Once I showed him everything I knew about the very basics, he took it upon himself to start learning everything he could about legit strength and conditioning as a hobby. He never had any designs on being a coach or CPT. Fast forwarding through high school and college to semi pro ball, my brother is noticing that younger kids are starting to emulate his workouts at the local big box gym. Which leads to questions. Which eventually led to, "Will you train me?"

At first he thought he could bypass the "certified" route like the OP was trying to do, but quickly found out that the gyms were hip to those kind of schemes. I mean he literally started training other kids for gift certificates to avoid tax issues, lol. Eventually though, he reached a plateau as far as learning went. Some questions he got weren't as easy to answer as "how many reps?" A person can learn a great deal from researching magazines, books, and the Internet, but there are a great many subjects glossed over or just plain disregarded in terms of training. Special populations, nutritional guides not linked to a trendy supplement or fad workout, etc. he finally realized "fake it til you make it" wasn't good enough anymore. Despite all the knowledge and experience he gathered for himself, he knew it wasn't enough to properly pass on to other folks. So he finally dove in and got multiple certifications. And instead of "ninja training" dudes at the Globo Gyms, he got a business plan together, got an investor, and opened his own place.

The great thing is that my brother went from being a meathead training other meatheads, to a Certified Trainer training a broad demographic of people (Although his speciality is still S&C with athletes). And in talking with him about his journey to where he is now, I can't help but feel like that adage about the student becoming the master. I'm in my 40's and cut my teeth on Arnold's Encyclopedia as a teenager. I now help him manage his gym doing grunt work so he can focus on training, but damned if I don't learn something new from him every time I set foot in that place. To the point that I too am now trying out a certification just to understand what the hell he is talking about, lol..

My main point is this. While you might not need certification and a vast amount of experience to be an effective trainer to a "very small" demographic. You will certainly need it to become a "complete" trainer. I've witnessed it firsthand.

Even though this a necroed thread from 2011, I'm certain that the OP will see the light if he decides to ever pursue that career path, what 19 to 20 something doesn't generally think they know everything about everything, lol? It's the age. I look back on my 20's and wonder how I made it sometimes.

[420Bandit]

Lopez27: Do you have a lot of money if you do send me your address so I can come train with you. I would love to get hurt while you train me. Since you don't have a cert it would take about ten minutes in court to get all your money.
Why do people come to this sight where most if not all of the people have a certifcation and say ***** are usless? Do you go to your doctor and say I want a non certified doctor to work on me since I had a certifed doctor that was'nt very good, do you go to a lawer that has'nt pasted the bar because one that has did'nt repsesent you very well?
By the way iif you don't have any money please send your address anyway the courts can set up a payment plan or put a lean on future earnings.

But how many of us really go to a doctor or lawyer and asks to see a certification? I don't think you need the certification as long as you have the KNOWLEDGE.

[JoeCannonMSCSCS]

You better not do it. You think you know how to be a personal trainer because you like to workout. personal training is different. If you are charging money you are acting like a personal trainer - even if you tell them you are not certified. If you ever want to do this, here is how to be a personal trainer : http://www.joe-cannon.com/how-to-be-...sonal-trainer/

[penafitness]

For many, the certification processes just a formality. For others, its a necessity. The answer is yes, legally you can. Only you know whether or not training clients without a certification is a viable business strategy. It is, however, not possibly to get professional liability insurance without a credential.

[kaykay87]

Certification is not required. I myself am an uncertified trainer. All my clients sign a full disclosure contract numerating my end and their health issues. Also a waiver of liability contract. All signings are done before a notary. And I refuse to take on clients with physical issues or extensive medical issues. I turned down a client the other day because he had a badly dislocated shoulder and his range of motion was a factor. I referred him to a certified trainer and wished him the best of luck. I know my limits and that is the key to being an uncertified trainer. Keep it simple.

[WoofieNugget]

Certification is not required. I myself am an uncertified trainer. All my clients sign a full disclosure contract numerating my end and their health issues. Also a waiver of liability contract. All signings are done before a notary. And I refuse to take on clients with physical issues or extensive medical issues. I turned down a client the other day because he had a badly dislocated shoulder and his range of motion was a factor. I referred him to a certified trainer and wished him the best of luck. I know my limits and that is the key to being an uncertified trainer. Keep it simple.

Thanks for posting, and as a result I have a couple of questions.

Obviously these people know you are uncertified (or at least you say you disclose it). What motivates them to sign up to train with you versus another trainer? Do you have skills in a specific area or experience dealing with, for example, bodybuilders because you are a competitive bodybuilder yourself?

Or, are your rates much lower since you have no qualifications so you end up with price shoppers? And do you do it full time or are you simply doing it to earn some extra money on the side. I'd also be curious to know where you work out of.

[Ronin4help]

The question shouldn't be 'Can I be a trainer without a certification?'. The question should be 'What kind of trainer do I wish to be?' It isn't what you can get away with. It's what decisions you should make to do everything the right way.... the most respectable way possible. I am assuming, of course, personal training is a profession you deem a serious and ethical one.

[ProjectFitness1]

Sometimes in the UK gyms will pay for your training so long as you work as a PT in their gym, maybe its the same in the states or elsewhere? If your going down the legal side and doing contracts etc they will be cheaper than the course (some in the UK are around £3000).

[sonti]

Certification is not required. I myself am an uncertified trainer. All my clients sign a full disclosure contract numerating my end and their health issues. Also a waiver of liability contract. All signings are done before a notary. And I refuse to take on clients with physical issues or extensive medical issues. I turned down a client the other day because he had a badly dislocated shoulder and his range of motion was a factor. I referred him to a certified trainer and wished him the best of luck. I know my limits and that is the key to being an uncertified trainer. Keep it simple.

Good luck with that holding up in court. Contracts and waivers don't supercede areas of law.