There are numerous best personal training certification programs, such as the following ones covered in this article: NASM-CPT, ACE-CPT, ISSA-CPT, ACSM-CPT, NSCA-CPT, ACTION CPT, NCSF-CPT, NESTA-CPT, NFPT-CPT, FM-CPT. But, the “best” one is what best fits YOU!
As the popular interest in health and fitness continues to rise, being a personal trainer is a wise career choice for the fitness enthusiast. But before you can get on the gym floor with your first client, you need to get certified.
Their Level 3 Personal Trainer course covers everything you need to know to become a personal trainer. This includes program design and delivery for personal training, business acumen and professionalism, understanding medical conditions, health, lifestyle, and much more.
Fitness Mentors is one of the most popular names in fitness when it comes to training trainers’ service. It’s a career guidance platform that has established itself as a leading authority in advising aspiring and existing fitness pros on the beginning, growing, and maximizing their careers in fitness.
The 5 Best Personal Trainer CertificationsInternational Sports Sciences Association (ISSA) ... The National Council on Strength & Fitness (NCSF) ... Fitness Mentors – Personal Training and Online Personal Training Certifications. ... American Council on Exercise (ACE) ... National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM)
NASM. The National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) is recognized by almost every gym in the United States and is the first choice for many people looking to start a career as a personal trainer. Established in 1987, this certifying body offers guaranteed job placement within 90 days of getting certified.
It all depends on your career path and goals. If you want to work with general populations, ACE will suffice. Whereas if you want to focus more on corrective exercise techniques, then NASM would be a better option.
The NCSA-CPT* The “hardest” personal trainer certification: The NCSA-CPT is the most difficult of the three, as its content is relatively technical and assumes a solid background in the subjects of anatomy, physiology and physics.
Which Certification Should I Get as a Trainer?What Are the Different Types of Personal Training Certifications? ... American Council on Exercise (ACE) Certification. ... American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) Certification. ... American Fitness Professionals and Associates (AFPA) Certification.More items...
The easiest personal training certification to get is the American Council on Exercise certification known as the ACE Certification. In most states, this type of certification can be obtained in 3 to 6 months depending on how fast you work. Then, you must study for an exam and pass the exam.
While the NASM-CPT exam has fewer questions than the ACSM-CPT exam, both are challenging and prepare you for work in the fitness industry. You are required to fulfill CEUs every two years for NASM, and every 3 years for ACSM. In the end, the better certification is the better certification for YOU!
While NASM focuses on general populations, ISSA may be a better focus if you'd like to train athletes. There are many other certifications to compare, as well. Take a look at our ACE vs. NASM comparison to determine if the ACE option might be a good fit for you.
NASM is accredited by the NCCA, which is the most recognized and reputable accrediting body in North American sports science.
The added depth is the main reason so many potential students end up delaying, looking for concrete answers as to how hard a PT course is. And, in truth, a PT course is going to be harder than a Level 2 Gym Instructor course.
What is ACE? The American Council on Exercise offers a personal trainer certification program, as well as various other health certification programs. ACE is a non-profit organization and has been serving the fitness industry for 30 years. You need to pass the ACE exam to qualify as an ACE certified personal trainer.
Having a certification while beginning a career in the fitness industry guarantees a level of knowledge in all the areas required like anatomy and physiology which might not be available in other self-trained personal trainers who might be well-versed only in client-coaching techniques and the practical side of ...
Although it is not illegal to work as a personal trainer without certification, is severely frowned upon in the personal training industry. Not onl...
If you're curious about is it worth it to get a personal trainer certification, the answer is yes. Getting a personal training certification is def...
If you're wondering what personal trainer certificate is most respected, I would say it is a close call between ISSA, NASM, and ACE for the most re...
Most entry-level certifications last 1-2 years before you must recertify. Advanced personal trainer certifications may have different requirements
All the certifications I cover are accepted across the United States and in many other countries as well.
NASM is by far the most popular of all personal training certifications at over 22,000 attempts per year. NSCA, who is also the second-most expensive certification, has the least amount trainers with their cert.
To be eligible for most certified personal trainer exams, you typically need to meet the following criteria: Be 18 years old. Have a high school diploma or equivalent certification. Have a Emergency Cardiac Care (CPR) or Automated External Defibrillator (AED) certification.
Accreditation: most gyms only accept personal training certifications that are NCCA, NBFE or DEAC – recognized so this is an important factor for aspiring trainers. These certifying bodies are considered the gold standard for fitness certifications. Price: includes the cost of the test and the cheapest study materials.
At the other end, NSCA trainers are required to obtain 60 CEUs. However, these numbers alone don’t tell the whole story, you should also consider the time periods in which these hours are required, as well as the costs to recertify. NCSF: 10 hours of CEUs and $50 to recertify every 2 years.
Most of the certifying bodies will be very similar in their balance of educational topics, due to the NCCA regulation that forces companies to do a Job Task Analysis. This Job Task Analysis determines the most important knowledge to have to be successful in the field and is typically the same across the board. Therefore, each company is required to have the same topics of education.
The NCCA is the gold standard for third-party personal training certifications. Some of these certs include, NASM, ACE, Fitness Mentors, and ISSA.
The cert with the best pass rate is ISSA at 89.9%, while ACSM, at 54%, sits on the bottom end. The ISSA has the best pass rate because it is the only open book exam out of the bunch, and there is no time limit on the exam.
To study for the exam, you can purchase one or more of the resources available on their website. The personal trainer study kit is $206.76 and includes all recommended books to prepare you for the exam.
Personal training certification programs cost between $99 and $1,559 depending on what study materials and extra resources you need to prepare for the exam. In-person courses may cost more than online ones, and you may need to pay for travel to attend the courses, which also increases the cost.
You must recertify every two years and accumulate 2.0 CEUs to qualify. Their recertification is more expensive than other certifications, costing $139, but their variety of additional certifications and CEU courses is great to help you improve your skills and attract new clients.
Recertification is costly. $199 to retest. A well-known program, NASM focuses on corrective exercise and teaching you the skills you need to be a successful personal trainer. It offers many different options when it comes to study materials including a self-study option, a premium self-study option, and a guided study program.
Personal trainers teach their clients proper exercise form, design workout programs to help them reach their goals, provide motivation, and educate their clients on proper nutrition and good health habits. Personal trainer certification programs prepare fitness trainers to work with clients who want to improve their health ...
NASM is accredited by the NCCA and recognized by all major gyms. Like all other NCCA-accredited exams, it requires a high school diploma and CPR certification. It has great reviews online from those who have completed the certification, and reviews mention their excellent customer service.
Their basic option does not include an NCCA-accredited exam and is therefore not recognized by major gyms. Additionally, the exam is not as research-based as other certifications we reviewed, but this is likely because it is designed for the entry-level personal trainer.
Accreditation. One important caveat when considering which is the best personal trainer certification to go for is, of course, accreditation. This is a seal of approval that authenticates the quality of knowledge and method of administration in a certifying agency’s curriculum.
Try and avoid anything that isn’t stamped with one of these, and these being NCCA, DEAC, and NBFE. All the top personal training certification courses have a stamp of approval from one of these 3.
ACE Certification Take Away. ACE is a solid grounding when it comes to all-around knowledge resources for health and fitness. It helps you deal with the average man, woman, and child, and is a good direction if your career goal is just to promote health consciousness and good lifestyle habits.
Fitness Mentors have a great approach to the business of being a personal trainer, while still equipping you with the necessary fundamentals with regards to the science of health and fitness.
In some cases, such as with ISSA, the pass rate isn’t exactly indicative of how challenging the exam content is. That’s because ISSA is a self-paced, open-book exam, while still maintaining the same caliber of content as most other certifications.
NASM has a great reputation, but this reputation certainly matches its value as a useful and practical way to equip yourself with the necessary tools to be an awesome fitness instructor.
They even have an Associate’s Degree program in Exercise Science, for those interested in improving their knowledge. The Personal Trainer Certificate, while not an undergraduate degree, nonetheless provides fitness instructors and trainers with the skills they need to provide comprehensive fitness training. Curriculum.
Exercise professionals can specialize in personal training, strength & conditioning as well as sports and fitness nutrition. The accredited programs can be taken anywhere in the World online using the NCSF easy-learning system and remote testing platform.
Fitness Mentors is leading the industry in preparing trainers for the future and new-aged fitness landscape. It is more important than ever to have trainers understand both in-person training and virtual/online personal training. With all courses and testing being 100% online, this option stands out for those that want to train clients privately, in the gym, and online, providing education that helps set up all forms of fitness businesses. For the trainer that knows they want to train online, we highly recommend their Ultimate Online Training Bundle that includes their Online Personal Training Certification, Virtual Nutrition Coach Certification, Virtual Group Fitness Instructor Certification and Virtual Health Coach Certification.
In order to become a NASM-CPT, individuals must have earned a high school diploma or GED, and current CPR/AED Certification prior to sitting for the exam. Testing. Like all PT certification programs, NASM-CPT candidates must pass the Certified Professional Trainer exam with a grade above the cut score.
In order to take the ACSM PTC exam, you must be 18 or older, have a high school diploma (or equivalent) and hold an adult CPR/AED Certification. Testing. All exams are scheduled with Pearson VUE, and covers the information outlined in the Personal Training Exam Content Outline.
The self-paced curriculum is divided into practice quizzes, which will not affect your overall score. However, completion of all quizzes is required . Candidates must be 18 years of age but do not need a high school diploma or equivalent.
There’s no shortage of programs offering a personal trainer certificate. However, to ensure that you get your money’s worth, you really want to choose a program with a high pedigree, such as one of the five training certification courses listed below.
To become a NASM-certified personal trainer, you must be at least 18 years old, CPR-certified and successfully pass the final exam. You must recertify every two years and can add various specialty certifications based on your clientele.
The organization is NCCA accredited and has been around since 1994. You must be at least 18 years old, have a current CPR certification and a high school diploma to take the IFPA personal trainer certification. You must recertify every two years.
You must be at least 18 years old and have a high school diploma ...
The American College of Sports Medicine, founded in 1954, is one of the oldest fitness certification organizations in America. Its long history and reputation for excellence makes it one of the best certifications you can have.
Cooper Institute. Established by Kenneth Cooper, M.D. in 1970, the Cooper Institute is a nonprofit research and education organization for medicine and health. The Cooper Institute also offers a well-respected and NCCA-accredited personal trainer certification.
As the popular interest in health and fitness continues to rise, being a personal trainer is a wise career choice for the fitness enthusiast. But before you can get on the gym floor with your first client, you need to get certified. When you're shopping around, choose wisely. Although most of your clients won't know the difference between ...
The fitness industry is competitive, and becoming a personal trainer requires plenty of studying and, once you've obtained your certification, looking for a job or taking the steps to start your own personal training business.
With plenty of personal trainer certification programs to choose from, it can be difficult to decipher between the ones that are legitimate and worth the money and time commitment.
As with any profession, jobs for personal trainers usually require specific studies or certifications in order to be considered. Williams recommends perusing personal trainer job listings to get a sense of what qualifications are necessary for the position to help you decide what may be the best fit.
Professional personal trainers go through lots of studying, training, and examination before they can start working with clients.
With so many different institutions offering online personal training programs, sometimes it can be challenging to distinguish what is legit and what isn't. But there are a couple of things to pay attention to.
"Some things to look out for are certs that are really easy to get and require little to no preparation or knowledge to obtain," Williams says. Unfortunately, there are places offering certifications "that want to just collect money and could care less about you being prepared and knowledgeable," he adds.
The good news is there are a variety of legitimate certification programs available, but not all of them are one-size-fits-all.
This program will help you systematically develop your skill-set to engage athletes through safe and highly effective practices. It guides you in mastering performance nutrition for health, fitness, and sport. Have a look at our compilation of Best Health Coach Courses.
Become one of the most respected and highest-paid personal trainers with NASM’s Certified Personal Trainer program. The program shows you how to differentiate evidence-based practice from fitness fads and define your scope as a professional.
Kick start your career as a personal trainer by mastering the latest exercise science fundamentals, behavior change principles, and client-centered methodologies you can apply from the start. Get the skills you need to design unique exercise programs based on your clients’ abilities, needs, and goals.
This is a comprehensive program to get certified as a personal trainer. It shows you how to help others hit their fitness goals safely and effectively, be it losing weight, increasing muscle, or improving health.
The course lasts for 16 weeks and should give you all of the tools and knowledge you require to start your personal trainer career.
The PT Mentor is an excellent course provider for UK based aspiring personal trainers. If you are looking to go beyond the basic curriculum and ensure you have all the skills and knowledge required to run your personal training business, The PT Mentor UK has you covered.#N#The Level 3 Personal Trainer qualification is very popular. You will cover a wide range of subjects, from medical and lifestyle factors that impact wellbeing to the physiology, anatomy, functional kinesiology, and components and concepts of fitness. This is a comprehensive course that will leave no stone unturned while ensuring you get the support and education you require.
The NSCA also has an excellent personal trainer course to bring to the table. Four key domains are covered in this course. The first is fitness assessments and client consultation. Another section of the course covers program planning. After this, you have exercise techniques. The final element of the system is the safety, emergency procedures, and legal issues segment.#N#Program planning and exercise technique make up the most considerable percentage of the exam. Some of the different methods you will cover include cardiovascular machines, free weight exercises, machine resistance exercise, flexibility exercises, and much more.
Another option that is well worth considering is the NESTA Certified Personal Trainer course. One of the distinct advantages that this course has over the other options in the industry today is that it is valid for four years. A lot of the other options are only valid for two years.#N#With NESTA's approach, all of your training is done online, and you can expect lifetime support. Moreover, there is a business and career system included, so you will learn about everything from online coaching to social media so that you can get your career up and running smoothly.
The program they have designed ensures that you are given all of the most scientifically accurate data delivered by a modern and new digital learning platform.
www.acsm.org. There are a lot of different benefits that you will reap by going down the ACSM route. The cost of recertification is very cheap, and it is only needed every three years. In contrast, a lot of other course providers require this every two years.
What makes it even better is that sometimes they offer Three certifications for the price of one. This is called their elite trainer deal and includes their personal training certification, their nutritionists certification and one other certification of your choice.
Tyler Read has a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Kinesiology. Tyler is also a certified personal trainer with NASM, ACE, and ISSA. Tyler's main goal is to help people get started in the personal training industry and to become successful personal trainers. Tyler is the owner of Personal Training Pioneer which helps people get started in the personal training industry and become successful.