It's very satisfying for me to be able to say that I am certified by the American College of Sports Medicine. It's one of the hardest certificiations to earn, also, so I feel like I really earned the title of personal trainer. My clients are reassured that I have such a respected organization standing behind me, keeping me up to date on the latest health and fitness information.
The only reason to go with a certifying agency that nobody has ever heard of is because you don't want to spend the time and/or money (though there's little difference there) to really learn as much as you can before you take on the responsibility of teaching others.
Also, for posts that are not in Memories, you can still do a search from the userinfo page of the community.
that's exactly why i didn't sign up for fitour.com as soon as i saw it. i am definitely not the kind of person to do something the easy way because i like to be confident in my knowledge. what exactly makes ACSM more difficult compared to the others? what are your CEC and renewal requirements?
The Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist requires a bachelors degree before you can be certified. Thats pretty impressive to me.
Honestly though, almost all of the certs can be gotten online fairly easily which is why there are so many bad PT's out there putting their clients on stability balls to do curls.
My belief is that the quality of the trainer has little to do with where they got their cert and more with their own personal knowledge and practices.
too bad my two current bachelors degrees aren't in the related area.
yes, just from my personal experience with my trainer, i realized ANYBODY can be a personal trainer. and i agree, personal knowledge and practices definitely outweigh a certification from any program.
Re: certificationdukexmachismoNovember 4 2008, 12:18:53 UTC
On a related note, it's probably a good idea to see which program most closely matches your own philosophy. In other words, ask yourself what you already have to bring to the table, then find the organization that will most enhance that.
Re: certification2partswaterNovember 4 2008, 12:29:26 UTC
good point. i'm not too good at feigning interest, motivation, and commitment to something i don't completely agree/believe in. i hadn't even thought about checking the programs out in that context but i imagine there are definitely some out there with which i'd have a problem staying in.
i don't have a concrete plan just yet...you know, nothing written in stone. i have left a message with the guy who runs the training at my gym as he's also a pet care client of mine and so hopefully he can give me more feedback.
i think that's why some people don't get certified with the more "recognized/respected" certification programs. they require a lot of continuing ed classes (more money) along with lots of renewal and exam fees (even more money). while there is something to be said for continue to improve yourself and develop new training techniques/methods, these programs ARE a business and their goal is to make a profit (MONEY!).
Continuing education is a good thing. ACSM has many ways for you to meet the requirements, most of which cost very little. You do not have to go away to conferences and classes, but you do have to prove that you are keeping up with current information.
A couple of hundred dollars every three years hardly seems like a huge investment if you are going into business.
I don't know that all areas are the same, but before I chose which program to get my certification through I called around to the local gyms and checked on craigs list to get a rough idea of where I thought I would be happy working. I then called those business and asked them what their preferences were and what type of experience they wanted.
Hands down, it was NASM. I was told that it is the most recognized, and some of the larger gyms deem those with that type of certification as "golden" and in my area they pay depending on which type of certification you have and they pay NASM graduates the highest.
I don't deem that they provide the best certification over ACE, ACSM etc.. but it helps to look around in your area and find what people are looking for. NASM is pretty spendy and there are alot of requirments for CUEs, but they also require extensive knowledge of exercise physiology.
i'm certified through AFAA. i found both the written and practical exams not simple but doable, but i also have a background in anatomy/kinesiology/molecular biology.. which probably worked to my advantage. :)
whichever you choose, just remember to study your butt off.
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The only reason to go with a certifying agency that nobody has ever heard of is because you don't want to spend the time and/or money (though there's little difference there) to really learn as much as you can before you take on the responsibility of teaching others.
Also, for posts that are not in Memories, you can still do a search from the userinfo page of the community.
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Honestly though, almost all of the certs can be gotten online fairly easily which is why there are so many bad PT's out there putting their clients on stability balls to do curls.
My belief is that the quality of the trainer has little to do with where they got their cert and more with their own personal knowledge and practices.
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yes, just from my personal experience with my trainer, i realized ANYBODY can be a personal trainer. and i agree, personal knowledge and practices definitely outweigh a certification from any program.
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Something else to think about: I've known a lot of people who let their certification lapse because they found the busness to be basically a PITA.
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i think that's why some people don't get certified with the more "recognized/respected" certification programs. they require a lot of continuing ed classes (more money) along with lots of renewal and exam fees (even more money). while there is something to be said for continue to improve yourself and develop new training techniques/methods, these programs ARE a business and their goal is to make a profit (MONEY!).
Reply
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A couple of hundred dollars every three years hardly seems like a huge investment if you are going into business.
Reply
Hands down, it was NASM. I was told that it is the most recognized, and some of the larger gyms deem those with that type of certification as "golden" and in my area they pay depending on which type of certification you have and they pay NASM graduates the highest.
I don't deem that they provide the best certification over ACE, ACSM etc.. but it helps to look around in your area and find what people are looking for. NASM is pretty spendy and there are alot of requirments for CUEs, but they also require extensive knowledge of exercise physiology.
Reply
whichever you choose, just remember to study your butt off.
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