Questions about ACE certification

[GravityLee]

Website says the test is $400. Several study guides on amazon some are cheap. I know in college they like to make slight changes to the book and reissue as the new edition for hundreds of dollars for classes sometimes. Which study guide do I need like I said lots of them on there and prices vary quite a bit.

Also if I go ACE will I regret it and wish I had chosen NASM thanks

[RamsdenF]

Also if I go ACE will I regret it and wish I had chosen NASM thanks

Perhaps....

I know only the big 3 of a) ACSM b) NASM c) NSCA are actually worthy. As a business owner, I won't hire any ACE trainers. Too easy of a course and have experienced wayyyy to many of the trainers they produce in action. Just one small business's opinion....

[penafitness]

If the gym you are aiming to work for accepts ACE, then you may not care once you're in there. Your clients won't care that's for sure. ACE has a reputation as being the bottom of the academic totem pole. If you're broke, have no college degree, love working out and can borrow a few hundred bucks for a certification, then the first place you go to is either ACE or AFAA. If you have a bit more self respect you go for NASM, but don't fool yourself...they're pretty easy too. If NASM keeps with their aggressive advertisements and payment plans, so that just about anyone can get NASM certified, then they too will one day be like ACE.

[BC02]

Perhaps....

I know only the big 3 of a) ACSM b) NASM c) NSCA are actually worthy. As a business owner, I won't hire any ACE trainers. Too easy of a course and have experienced wayyyy to many of the trainers they produce in action. Just one small business's opinion....

so youll hire nasm trainers whos curriculum is more of a watered down wannabe physical therapy curriculum then pers training, yet you wont hire someone with ACE?......SMH. someones had too much nasm koolaid

[RamsdenF]

so youll hire nasm trainers whos curriculum is more of a watered down wannabe physical therapy curriculum then pers training, yet you wont hire someone with ACE?......SMH. someones had too much nasm koolaid

That's correct.

NASM is not my favorite but it's better than ACE. I don't expect you to understand since you are ACE certified and obviously biased. ACE simply floods our industry with bottom dwellers(uneducated/unqualified personal trainers) that we all have to deal with in one form or another.

[BC02]

That's correct.

NASM is not my favorite but it's better than ACE. I don't expect you to understand since you are ACE certified and obviously biased. ACE simply floods our industry with bottom dwellers(uneducated/unqualified personal trainers) that we all have to deal with in one form or another.

i also have been nsca-cpt certified and recently got my cscs(sept 2014). nasm trainers are lost without a bosu ball, balance board etc. also, to base a fitness assessment on an overhead squat is rediculous. the biggest jokes who turn training sessions into circus acts are 90% of the time from my experience nasm trainers

[ptfitness4life]

i also have been nsca-cpt certified and recently got my cscs(sept 2014). nasm trainers are lost without a bosu ball, balance board etc. also, to base a fitness assessment on an overhead squat is rediculous. the biggest jokes who turn training sessions into circus acts are 90% of the time from my experience nasm trainers

I simply can't get past their ridiculous OPT model of "core stability" training on unstable surfaces

[Oatmeal12]

I hear that ACE is at the bottom as well. Can you really learn what you need to from a weekend course? I mean there's just so much that goes into personal training right? From assessing a persons movement pattern to applying exercises for muscle imbalances etc. You're the first line of defense, so either you help the client become healthier and reach their goals or you keep them in the same place or make their problems worse.

Take my advice with a grain of salt, I haven't researched ACE much, but if it is a weekend course like I hear then I doubt you will have the tools necessary to be an optimum pt. There are some successful ACE trainers though, I've seen one up at Lifetime who's like a level two or so. I writ ACE off real quick and have already decided to go for NSCA.

[FyrFytr998]

Also if I go ACE will I regret it and wish I had chosen NASM thanks

Without getting caught up into the cert vs. cert drama, all I will say is that regardless of what alphabet you decide to put after your last name. Only you can determine whether or not you will have regrets.

By that, I mean that if you are just looking for a cert to get you into a job, then more than likely yes, you will have regrets. On the other hand, if you are a true student of the profession, and continue in your quest to learn everything you can to better yourself, then your regrets should be few if any.

[ptfitness4life]

I hear that ACE is at the bottom as well. Can you really learn what you need to from a weekend course? I mean there's just so much that goes into personal training right? From assessing a persons movement pattern to applying exercises for muscle imbalances etc. You're the first line of defense, so either you help the client become healthier and reach their goals or you keep them in the same place or make their problems worse.

Take my advice with a grain of salt, I haven't researched ACE much, but if it is a weekend course like I hear then I doubt you will have the tools necessary to be an optimum pt. There are some successful ACE trainers though, I've seen one up at Lifetime who's like a level two or so. I writ ACE off real quick and have already decided to go for NSCA.

Young man, Where did you get the idea that ACE is a weekend course???
I would venture to guess that if you studied for a weekend you would fail the certification test big time.

[FyrFytr998]

@Gravity

There is a site called Starting A Personal Training Business .com that shows all the certs side by side and what is required to get them and how long they take. ACE is certainly longer than 2 days. Check it out.

[penafitness]

Young man, Where did you get the idea that ACE is a weekend course???
I would venture to guess that if you studied for a weekend you would fail the certification test big time.

I know people who didn't study at all and passed the ACE exam. It's not difficult at all.

[NKSTRONG]

The most important thing that I would recommend before deciding on any certification is checking with the gym/gyms you plan to apply at and see not only what certifications they accept but also what their top certification recommendations are. I've run several gyms in the past and some of the corporate gyms actually offered certifications through national organizations for their PT's.

To answer your question about ordering the ACE materials from places other than ACE, you can usually get away with it as long as the material isn't over a year, maybe 2, old. There generally aren't enough significant changes to cause you to miss more than a couple of questions on the exam. I would definitely recommend using any study guides you have available to get used to the format of the questions.

I've accumulated several national certifications (as well as plenty of specialty certs) over the years including ACE, NASM, ACSM, NCCPT, NSCA-CSCS and NCSF. I will say that the most inclusive general national cert (I'm excluding the CSCS) was ACSM. It's important to note that no amount of test taking or even classroom learning will prepare you enough for actual personal training, but any of these certifications will give you a solid foundation that you can begin to build on from a knowledge standpoint.

Whichever cert you choose, you're always better off including a live course/workshop (if you have no previous Personal Training experience) because you will be able to act out different client scenarios and ask questions to a live instructor.

[ptfitness4life]

I know people who didn't study at all and passed the ACE exam. It's not difficult at all.

I doubt it. Not saying if one has a background in anatomy, physiology, and nutrition you could not do well but ACE as well as all the other big time certifications have enough questions on their exam that are particular to what each one espouses...ex(OPT, Integrated Fitness Model, etc) that unless you are familiar with their protocol, it would make it very tough to pass going into an exam blindly.

[jnewman0910]

The most important thing that I would recommend before deciding on any certification is checking with the gym/gyms you plan to apply at and see not only what certifications they accept but also what their top certification recommendations are. I've run several gyms in the past and some of the corporate gyms actually offered certifications through national organizations for their PT's.

To answer your question about ordering the ACE materials from places other than ACE, you can usually get away with it as long as the material isn't over a year, maybe 2, old. There generally aren't enough significant changes to cause you to miss more than a couple of questions on the exam. I would definitely recommend using any study guides you have available to get used to the format of the questions.

I've accumulated several national certifications (as well as plenty of specialty certs) over the years including ACE, NASM, ACSM, NCCPT, NSCA-CSCS and NCSF. I will say that the most inclusive general national cert (I'm excluding the CSCS) was ACSM. It's important to note that no amount of test taking or even classroom learning will prepare you enough for actual personal training, but any of these certifications will give you a solid foundation that you can begin to build on from a knowledge standpoint.

Whichever cert you choose, you're always better off including a live course/workshop (if you have no previous Personal Training experience) because you will be able to act out different client scenarios and ask questions to a live instructor.

This is some good info bro I will definitely look into a workshop just don't know which to get first

[penafitness]

I doubt it. Not saying if one has a background in anatomy, physiology, and nutrition you could not do well but ACE as well as all the other big time certifications have enough questions on their exam that are particular to what each one espouses...ex(OPT, Integrated Fitness Model, etc) that unless you are familiar with their protocol, it would make it very tough to pass going into an exam blindly.

High school and college are different... Much different than when you were in school (assuming you went to college). Today, the ACE exam is easier than your average junior biology exam in high school. Believe me. Those in college laugh at the ACE exam.

[NKSTRONG]

This is some good info bro I will definitely look into a workshop just don't know which to get first

Price is always going to be a consideration of course but I would check with the gym that you want to work at before making a final decision.

[klaximilian]

I can't speak for ACE because I haven't been certified by them, but from what I've heard it's fairly easy to pass in comparison to most other certs. That said, no cert…whether it's NASM, ACE, ACSM, etc….will make or break you as a personal trainer. You decide how much you want to learn and how you want to apply it towards your career. Choosing one cert over the other and expecting more success/failure because of the cert is asinine.

Great trainers come from many different training backgrounds. A few letters after your last name doesn't mean squat in the grand scheme of things. Just like doctors…just like lawyers…just like everyone. A passing test score is not a determining factor of excellence.

[BC02]

High school and college are different... Much different than when you were in school (assuming you went to college). Today, the ACE exam is easier than your average junior biology exam in high school. Believe me. Those in college laugh at the ACE exam.

and the nasm exam is laughed at also