NASM CPT's question "getting cold feet"

[JoelR]

Are there any NASM CPT's out there? I'm about to start my CPT course but I'm a bit worried about the recertification requirements. Online it's saying that to "recertify" you'll need 2.0 CEU's which seems a bit of a stretch to me. Not only would it get fairly expensive but eventually difficult to pull off simply due to lack of options.
I looked at the Special Populations courses and the bundle of all 3 only come out to .9 and cost $225.
Heck, even a specialized course "Corrective Exercise Specialist" is only 1.9 CEU's.

I did call and talk to someone and they said you do get some points for your CPR classes ( I think it was .2) but come on. They also said that they are going to be offering live workshops for more of the smaller CEU classes which would be like 1.9 credits but they cost $249 and most people (like me) would have to travel great distances which would make it cost much more (travel, hotel, etc.) And you have to fill this 2.0 credit requirement every 2 years to recertify! Ouch!

What the heck! ?? ! Is it worth it? Are the other Organizations like this as well?

Thank you for any advice / input you may have.
Joel

[JoelR]

anyone?

[Athena]

Sorry, just found this. (I'm late to the party again...but the first one here!)

Yes, any professional certification (if it's worth its salt) will require continuing education. It's the only way they can guarantee that you're keeping up with the industry.

I'm going for my ACE certification and they have similar requirements. Other industries, such and financial, accounting, insurance, etc., all have continuing education requirements, as does the medical industry.

It's part of recognizing that you never stop learning.

When are you going to sit for your exam?

[I dont work at Ballys]

(I am NASM cert)

you should WANT to continue your education if you are serious about it! there's no way that little exam is going to teach you everything. even if it did, its not like you'd remember it in a year. lots of courses and workshops count for CEU's so as long as you strive to keep learning you wont even need to think about if you are still "qualified" or not.

NASM is a great cert and very good start. the CES is a great step after the CPT too.

[JoelR]

Originally Posted by Athena

Sorry, just found this. (I'm late to the party again...but the first one here!)

Yes, any professional certification (if it's worth its salt) will require continuing education. It's the only way they can guarantee that you're keeping up with the industry.

I'm going for my ACE certification and they have similar requirements. Other industries, such and financial, accounting, insurance, etc., all have continuing education requirements, as does the medical industry.

It's part of recognizing that you never stop learning.

When are you going to sit for your exam?

I totally understand the continuing education and am all for it. It just seems a bit far reached to me as far as how few credits you get for the courses and how much they cost. They give great credits for live workshops which would be awesome if you lived close enough to attend them. I was hoping someone with NASM would chime in and let me know how difficult or costly it becomes.

As far as my test date,,, I haven't set it yet. I was actually waiting to see the responses of this post before get the course. My CPR course isn't untill Feb. 15 so it would have to be after that too. I doubt I'd finnish the course by then anyway.

Thanks.
Joel

[JoelR]

Originally Posted by I dont work at Ballys

(I am NASM cert)

you should WANT to continue your education if you are serious about it! there's no way that little exam is going to teach you everything. even if it did, its not like you'd remember it in a year. lots of courses and workshops count for CEU's so as long as you strive to keep learning you wont even need to think about if you are still "qualified" or not.

NASM is a great cert and very good start. the CES is a great step after the CPT too.

Don't get me wrong, I do want to continue my education & I totally understand the reason it's necessary. I explained above to Athena why I was concerned. It was just the amount of courses and the cost to obtain the required credits. That's why I posted this, so I could ask someone who is NASM cert. and see how difficult it is to meet the requirements. Not to complain about having to do it.

How long have you been certified with them? Have you been to any of the workshops?

Thanks for your input.
Joel

[I dont work at Ballys]

Originally Posted by JoelR

Don't get me wrong, I do want to continue my education & I totally understand the reason it's necessary. I explained above to Athena why I was concerned. It was just the amount of courses and the cost to obtain the required credits. That's why I posted this, so I could ask someone who is NASM cert. and see how difficult it is to meet the requirements. Not to complain about having to do it.

How long have you been certified with them? Have you been to any of the workshops?

Thanks for your input.
Joel

yeah its cool, i see where you're coming from, i just have never had a problem getting CEU's. i never went to College, so this stuff is like my schooling, i try and do a workshop or seminar at least once a month. i've been certified through them for a few years now. NASM is a great start, once you get that i would look into www.resistancetrainingspecialist.com to get more in depth and focused on "the meat" of personal training.

[JoelR]

Originally Posted by I dont work at Ballys

yeah its cool, i see where you're coming from, i just have never had a problem getting CEU's. i never went to College, so this stuff is like my schooling, i try and do a workshop or seminar at least once a month. i've been certified through them for a few years now. NASM is a great start, once you get that i would look into www.resistancetrainingspecialist.com to get more in depth and focused on "the meat" of personal training.

I take it you live near a place where they have the seminars. It would cost me a fortune to do those, especially with the price of gas now days. The closest place they have one scheduled near me is in Tampa which is about a 5 hr. drive and there is only one thing scheduled there this year.

[coloBB]

if the CEU's are such a big deal for you to do. Then just re-take the test every two years. Thats what i had to do this past year, because i let time slip away without gaining any CEU's for both my ACE and NASM certs.

[dot1]

I own a fitness center and if anyone asks me if they can train clients, the firstthing out of my mouth is are you certified? You have to be certified with insurance! I am a tennis pro by profession and I would NEVER hire anyone, tennis pro or fitness trainer etc. who was not current in there certification and insurance. My insurance will not let me. All PROFESSIONALS have to have continuing education, CPA or tennis pro or fitness trainer. I you want to be treated as a professional, act like a professional and get the education.

[JoelR]

Originally Posted by dot1

I own a fitness center and if anyone asks me if they can train clients, the firstthing out of my mouth is are you certified? You have to be certified with insurance! I am a tennis pro by profession and I would NEVER hire anyone, tennis pro or fitness trainer etc. who was not current in there certification and insurance. My insurance will not let me. All PROFESSIONALS have to have continuing education, CPA or tennis pro or fitness trainer. I you want to be treated as a professional, act like a professional and get the education.

Act like a professional?? Did you read my posts? Since when is it unprofessional to ask questions before making such a big decision? Perhaps you have $600 to gamble with but I don't & I want to make sure I am choosing the right organization to get certified through. I'm asking how difficult it is to obtain the required credits for re-certification. I'm not saying I don't want to do the CEU's. I want to go into this knowing what I'm getting into. If I just jumped into it and came back and said what the hell, why didn't anyone say something, then you'd be saying,,,, did you do your research before you chose this field and or organization?

I'd be pissed at my self if I chose this Cert. and found it hard to (not hard as in courses to hard, just that you have to do to many and they cost too much) then to find out from someone else that I should have gone with such & such a Cert. because their CEU's are more affordable, or what ever. That's why I posted this.

I guess your just dammed if you do & dammed if you don't.

[JoelR]

Originally Posted by I dont work at Ballys

yeah its cool, i see where you're coming from, i just have never had a problem getting CEU's. i never went to College, so this stuff is like my schooling, i try and do a workshop or seminar at least once a month. i've been certified through them for a few years now. NASM is a great start, once you get that i would look into www.resistancetrainingspecialist.com to get more in depth and focused on "the meat" of personal training.

That does look good. Do you know if NASM counts those courses as CEU's ? They told me to call them first & find out if they accept other organization courses.


I'm going to go out further today & try to find some trainers locally. I went before & wasn't able to find any. Anyway, I need to find out how they do it with the workshops not being a regular option due to distance.

Originally Posted by coloBB

if the CEU's are such a big deal for you to do. Then just re-take the test every two years. Thats what i had to do this past year, because i let time slip away without gaining any CEU's for both my ACE and NASM certs.

Thanks coloBB, I didn't know that was on option.


Look people, I am taking this very seriously, that's why I'm asking all this prior to shelling out all the $$ for the course. I'm not one to blindly jump into something & if I do have a concern, I try to figure it out before it becomes a problem. I don't see what's wrong with that or what makes that "unprofessional". Maybe I worded it wrong or expressed a bit too much concern? I don't know but I will go into this KNOWING damn well what I'm getting into.
As of now my goal is to make sure I'm choosing the right Cert. organization, then get certified. After I am certified I'm going to work for "Corrective Exercise Specialist".

[I dont work at Ballys]

Originally Posted by JoelR

That does look good. Do you know if NASM counts those courses as CEU's ? They told me to call them first & find out if they accept other organization courses.


I'm going to go out further today & try to find some trainers locally. I went before & wasn't able to find any. Anyway, I need to find out how they do it with the workshops not being a regular option due to distance.

yeah, by workshops i dont mean only NASM workshops, fortunately i was able to attend the one in Calabasas, but there are lots of workshops and seminars that travel around the US that would most likely count towards CEU's. im not sure how to check what NASM would accept, but i bet if you just email them and ask they would give you a list of what they give credit for. that site i linked you to is a great one man. its very highly accredited.

[fireman9170]

look into ISSA thats the one Im thinking about. everything can be done online.

[Athena]

Thanks for clarifying that you're not against the CEUs, just curious about which program seems to be the better deal -- it's not always easy to tell what someone means in a text.

My vote is this: If you're taking the time to do the research, then write out each certification program, the expected cost of CEUs, etc., then call each place and ask what qualifies in their program for CEU and get that additional info.

Final step would be to consider where you want to work, call those places and ask which cert they may prefer (many places don't have a preference).

You may have done some of this already -- sorry if you have. Just thought I'd put in two more cents 'cuz it's kind of all about me today. (kidding, really!)

~Athena