| Have you been completely confused by all the | | | | The Blessed Eight |
| companies offering a Personal Training Certification? | | | | Let's take a look at the eight Personal Training |
| What's an NCSF Certification or an ACE exam? Are | | | | Certification groups that have been blessed by the |
| they any good? Why is this so difficult to figure out? | | | | NCCA so we can eliminate non-accredited programs |
| When I started learning about becoming a Personal | | | | that are being advertised daily on the web. |
| Trainer, I couldn't believe how unregulated and | | | | 1. The American College of Exercise (ACE) offers a |
| distributed the Personal Training Industry had become | | | | personal trainer certification and three other health |
| in the last few years. All I wanted to know | | | | certifications. A series of practical training programs |
| was...what types of certifications were available in the | | | | are offered in major cities around the country. These |
| United States that are recognized by clients and | | | | courses consist of fifteen hours of instruction in two |
| quality fitness professionals? Why should that be so | | | | days. The organization also has home study courses |
| hard? | | | | to prepare for the certification exam. These courses |
| Turns out that the fitness industry is one of the least | | | | take about three to six months to complete and |
| regulated professions. The most important thing for | | | | allow you to work at your own pace. |
| aspiring trainers to learn before they start their | | | | 2. The National Council on Strength and Fitness |
| career is how the industry is self-organized to | | | | (NCSF) offers a Personal Training Certification |
| highlight reputable certification organizations. | | | | program and home study courses for exam |
| NCCA - The Only "Gold" Standard | | | | preparation. It takes home the acronym absurdity |
| Here's the key to it all... The National Commission for | | | | award with a certificate labeled "NCSF-CPT". They |
| Certifying Agencies (NCCA at is the main accrediting | | | | have quite a selection of offerings and you can |
| body for Personal Training Certification programs in | | | | choose between home study and interactive |
| the United States. | | | | workshops. When you have finished the course and |
| Personal Trainer Certifications from an accredited | | | | exam preparation, you will be ready to take the |
| NCCA certifying body are the top-tier certifications | | | | certification exam. The exam is available at over four |
| personal trainers can earn. Furthermore, most gyms, | | | | hundred testing locations around the country. |
| clients, and people in the business expect a | | | | 3. The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) |
| competent personal trainer to have their certification | | | | offers two ways to prepare for their certification |
| from one of the NCCA certified bodies. | | | | exam. They offer one to three day workshops or an |
| These eight endorsed organizations offer a variety | | | | exam preparation home study course. They also |
| of fitness and personal training educational | | | | offer a popular Health / Fitness Instructor certification |
| workshops, materials, and degrees. All of them are | | | | for people interested in teaching classes. |
| recognized as valid training certifications and can be a | | | | 4. The National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) |
| crucial first step on your way to becoming a personal | | | | has a Certified Personal Trainer (CPT) certification, |
| trainer. | | | | among a whole slew of other certifications. They are |
| General Certification Similarities | | | | very well known in the fitness industry and many top |
| Each certification organization is administered a little | | | | fitness clubs accept their CPT certification. The CPT |
| differently, but all require their 'graduates' to take one | | | | exam has some strict limits (such as number of times |
| or more competency exams. Many times these | | | | you can take practice exams and time given to sit |
| exams include an in-person practical. (I believe they | | | | for the exam) and must be done in person. It's also |
| ALL should, but unfortunately they do not.) | | | | offered in computer based testing centers around |
| The eight NCCA accredited organizations offer , | | | | the country. |
| along with their certifications, their own test | | | | 5. National Strength and Conditioning Association |
| preparation materials to study and prepare for their | | | | (NSCA) also known as the NSCA-PT, comes from |
| exams. | | | | the National Strength and Conditioning Association. |
| If you pass these exams, you will receive a | | | | They offer two types of certifications, one known |
| certification that will last for a predetermined time | | | | as the C.S.C.S. and a personal training certification |
| frame, usually 1-3 years. | | | | called NSCA-CPT". |
| After you're certified, each organization has different | | | | 6. The Cooper Institute (CI) is a new NCCA |
| rules about how many "Continuing Education Credits" | | | | accredited organization offering a Personal Training |
| (aka CEC's or CEU's) their trainers must take during | | | | Certification. The CI-CPT designation comes from the |
| the year to stay current. They also require trainers | | | | guy that started the entire Aerobics craze with his |
| to recertify when their certificates expire...for an | | | | book published in the 70' s called, well, "Aerobics"! |
| additional fee, of course! | | | | 7. The National Exercise Trainers Association (NETA) |
| Let's take an example...American College of Exercise | | | | is also a new NCCA accredited organization. Although |
| (ACE) has a "Personal Trainer" certification that you | | | | its reputation is still catching up with its quality, it |
| can take for about $300. The certification is good for | | | | strikes me as a certification where the student gets |
| two years. After the two years is up, you have to | | | | a lot for his or her money. |
| pay approximately $400 to re-certify with ACE for | | | | 8. The National Federation of Professional Trainers |
| another two years. That includes a re-examination | | | | (NFPT) is also an NCCA accredited certification. NFPT |
| and registration fees. The $400 is an average of the | | | | offers a Certified Personal Trainer (CPT) program |
| renewal fee ($69) and the 20 hours of CEC's you | | | | with a whole slew of additional 'advanced' courses |
| must take (and pay for) | | | | also available. |
| Although many certification programs insist that you | | | | These Personal Training Certification Organizations |
| do not need to purchase anything to be eligible for | | | | offer quite a variety of ways to get the education |
| their exams, new trainers need to be very familiar | | | | needed to become a certified trainer. They all have |
| with the type of material on each particular exam. | | | | at home, online, and workshop classes and some |
| Each group tests a central core of skills and | | | | even offer correspondence courses at local colleges. |
| knowledge (say, anatomy and exercise science), but | | | | Each has it's own strengths and weaknesses that |
| most have some different aspects included (like | | | | vary according to your training goals. |
| nutrition or sports trainers) that you may not even | | | | Hopefully this clears up some of the confusion about |
| be aware of if you study from a different set of | | | | quality Personal Training Certifications out there in the |
| materials. | | | | world today. |