Personal Trainer Certifications

Since there are no laws or regulations for determining who can call themselves a personal trainer.  Personal trainer certifications are a way for someone to establish credibility as a certified professional.

Almost all gyms, spas, fitness centers and athletic departments require personal trainer certifications for anyone to be hired at a personal trainer position.

If You Want to Succeed as a Personal Trainer a Certification is a Must

Even if you have years of experience in the gym and even 1 or 2 college degrees, a certification is pretty much required for you to be considered a personal trainer.

Personal trainer certifications automatically give you the minimum credibility as a professional a CPT  or Certified Personal Trainer.

The price of personal training certifications widely varies.  Does this mean the more expensive the better?  Probably not.

The Cost of the Personal Trainer Certifications Depends on Several Factors

Workshop

Some certifications offer a workshop where you can learn first hand, some of the techniques you must know for the exam.  Learning first hand in groups is the best way for some to learn.

If you learn better live and in person, the group activities of personal trainer certifications workshops will help you prepare for the exam as well as give you better experience which you can use during your career as a personal trainer.

Personal trainer certification exams usually follow the workshop.  The advantage to this is all of the knowledge you learned is fresh in your head.  Workshops tend to be best for people with limited experience in the fitness industry but benefit all.

Study Materials

Books used to be the favorite study materials for certification exams but have since been joined, if not replaced by interactive CD/DVD Rom presentations.

Some interactive study materials are usually included in the cost of personal training certifications these days.  There are some materials which can be purchased at extra cost as well.

The definite advantage of online or DVD interactive study materials is convenience.  You are not bound the hours of the workshop and you can study at your own pace.  This is invaluable if you are already a personal trainer and want more personal trainer certifications, work a busy job, or need to take care of kids at home.

Certification Exam

The exam itself can cost just as much as the study materials.  Some personal training certification organizations allow you to take the test without purchasing any of the study materials.

Contrary to what you may think, the exam alone usually costs around the same price as the entire workshop, books, and interactive study materials package.

Some personal trainer certifications have a practical section of the exam.  Since the practical section of the exam requires other people to be present, the cost of the personal training certification may be higher to accommodate for the wages of the proctors, test subjects and exam administrators.

Which Certification you are Taking

The cost of personal trainer certifications these days is usually pretty constant.  Different personal training certification organizations with different levels of prestige and history charge different prices.

More Expensive Personal Training Certifications are Not Necessarily Better than Lower Priced Personal Trainer Certs

The best practice is to ask other trainers in your area or find out which certifications the place you are training at recommend.  Different organizations have different methodologies  You want to get the personal training certification which fits in best with the place you will train your personal training sessions.

There are many personal training certifications to choose from.  Choosing which certification is right for you takes some research, thought, and decision making.

The Top Tier of  Personal Trainer Certification Organizations

NSCA

The National Strength & Conditioning Association was founded in 1978 and has 2 certifications.  The CSCS or Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist which is a strength coach was accredited in 1985 and CPT or Certified Personal Trainer which was accredited in 1993.

The NSCA-CPT certification is known to have one of the most challenging exams of all certifications.  NSCA certifications require a 4-year college degree.

ACSM

The American College of Sports Medicine was founded in 1954.  Since it has been around the longest it gets tremendous respect by employers.

The ACSM takes a clinical approach to fitness as most of the material is more clinical than practical for the majority of gym users.

It has well respected certifications for personal training as well as other professions such as cardiac rehab.  Some ACSM certifications require a college degree in order to be eligible to sit for the exam.

The Next Tier of Personal Training Certifications are Very Good and Respected

NASM

The National Academy of Sports Medicine was founded in 1987 and has since established itself as the "new kid on the block" as far as personal trainer certifications go.  The NASM is fast growing and may become the largest personal certification, continuing education, and higher education provider for exercise science.

The NASM offers many certifications including the CPT or Certified Personal Trainer which is becoming one of the most popular and respected personal trainer certifications in the world today.  The CPT does not require a college degree but some other NASM certifications do.  NASM also offers online college degree programs in partnership with major US universities.

ACE

The American Council on Exercise was founded in 1985 and is well respected in the personal training community.  ACE certified personal trainer has a reputation as being the "easy" certification for beginners or old-school fitness trainers.  ACE has multiple certifications which include group exercise instructor certifications.

Other Notable Personal Trainer Certification Organizations

Certifications from other organizations  such as the ISSA, AFAA, NFPT and Cooper Institute are also respected, but not nearly as the four big ones mentioned previously.

Remember there are hundreds if not thousands of personal training certifications!

Some are as easy as taking a test online and getting your certification in minutes.    Beware of anything that sounds too good to be true.  If you are interested in a personal trainer certification make sure you check with the place you want to train at and see which certifications are accepted.

Another good idea is to talk with trainers with the certification and ask if they recommend it.  If you want the sure thing, the first 4 certifications are a definite sure bet to get your a job as a personal trainer in most gyms in the country.

There are many education options which will be good for a personal trainer.  Personal training certifications are just icing on the cake if you have a college degree in exercise science, kinesiology, physical education or a related field.

Becoming a Personal Trainer

Learn exactly what it takes to be a successful personal trainer from the start.

Colleges

The best exercise science programs which will give you the basis of knowledge you can use for a successful career as a personal trainer.

Online College Degree

If you already have a full time job, kids or simply don't have the time to attend college courses.  You can get college degrees online which are designed to fit your schedule.

College Loans

Want to go back to school or start fresh with a new career in personal training?  You can get loans to fund your college degree if you want more than personal trainer certifications