Personal Training Certification

[wartime100]

I am looking to get my personal training certification but there are so many different cetification programs. My question is what is the best one to get and the most commonly required.

 

[Arioch]

Most training certifications are worth about the paper they are printed on. Unless the gym you will be training people at requires a specific certification, they are all pretty much interchangable.

The exceptions being the ones that require actual study and education, such as the CSCS from the NSCA and a couple of cert's from the ACSM.

There may be others that require proof of higher education that I am not aware of.

 

[bignate73]

Most training certifications are worth about the paper they are printed on. Unless the gym you will be training people at requires a specific certification, they are all pretty much interchangable.

The exceptions being the ones that require actual study and education, such as the CSCS from the NSCA and a couple of cert's from the ACSM.

There may be others that require proof of higher education that I am not aware of.

not necessarily true.

nsca-cpt was not difficult. i didnt study for it. CSCS might be better.

ace was very basic.

nasm was informative and useful for structural assessment.

issa is by far a very comprehensive cert. im currently doing that one. (independent study)

acsm (from what i've heard) is more clinical and not as applicable to the average gym setting.

of course nothing beats a college education but for self study, some of these certs package it up nicely.

 

[Arioch]

Nate, did you read the NSCA study on personal training certification a few months back?

And the study guide for the CSCS is just as boring now as it was 15 years ago when I took it. It is even more boring than the crap I write, and that is saying something.

 

[greenday]

I have 3 certificates, and ISSA was by far the hardest. If you are training people on your own, it doesn't matter which one you pick, cause most people don't know the difference, between the easy and hard ones. But if you want to work for Bally's, Gold's gym, etc., they usually prefer a certain certificate.

 

[wartime100]

Thanks for the help bro's!

 

[OlympicLifter17]

Isnt a bachlors required for the NSCA? It really doesnt matter to me.. iam going to be a certified SC coach by the NSCA after i do get my bachlors but my college education doesnt stop their.. iam hoping to also get my Masters and maybe a Ph.D in a field of Biomechanics of Physiology... who knows. I dont need the Ph.D but i really would like to have it. Alot of people doubt my ability in my family and what i want to do.. so why not disprove them.


Lifter

 

[bignate73]

NSCA-CPT doesnt require a degree. CSCS does.