I’m thinking about becoming a certified personal trainer so I can earn some extra income on the weekends and maybe get to workout for free. I was wondering what the best certification would be to get. I also plan on getting a certification in nutrition so any advice on that would be great as well!
My plan is to get these certifications first and work for awhile then start attending some of Charles P. seminars/ certifications.
[quote]CrewPierce wrote:
I’m thinking about becoming a certified personal trainer so I can earn some extra income on the weekends and maybe get to workout for free. I was wondering what the best certification would be to get. I also plan on getting a certification in nutrition so any advice on that would be great as well!
My plan is to get these certifications first and work for awhile then start attending some of Charles P. seminars/ certifications.[/quote]
CSCS if you have a degree, otherwise whatever the gyms in your area accept. The cert. isn’t a reflection of knowledge these days, it’s just a way to get a foot in the door. I’d go with the ISSA or NSCA personal trainer certs if you’re looking for the best as-you-go education or are going to work freelance though.
The best nutrition certification is an RD. Don’t know about any of the fly by night outfits though. The ISSA sports nutrition cert isn’t bad though by no means comprehensive. I wouldn’t try to work with special populations without their Dr.'s instructions no matter what cert you get.
-Dan
NSCA or NASM would be tops. But, you can be a good trainer with ACE or something less known. It’s all about what you know, applying it, and keeping the client motivated.
I’ve been in the fitness industry for 12 years in NYC and the certification that every large, fitness facility chain accepts is the American College of Sports Medicine. With just about every other certification(i.e. ACE, NASM, ISSA) the facility makes it mandatory that you complete their in-house program as well.
CSCS if you have a degree, otherwise whatever the gyms in your area accept. The cert. isn’t a reflection of knowledge these days, it’s just a way to get a foot in the door. I’d go with the ISSA or NSCA personal trainer certs if you’re looking for the best as-you-go education or are going to work freelance though.
The best nutrition certification is an RD. Don’t know about any of the fly by night outfits though. The ISSA sports nutrition cert isn’t bad though by no means comprehensive. I wouldn’t try to work with special populations without their Dr.'s instructions no matter what cert you get.
-Dan[/quote]
Thanks for the info! I have a BS but in Finance so I guess the CSCS is a no go. I like how the NSCA has both a base then advanced certification and I’ll look into the ISSA cert. thanks again!
You can still get the CSCS with a Finance degree. The requirement is a degree however it does not have to be a specific type of degree.
[quote]mike hanley wrote:
You can still get the CSCS with a Finance degree. The requirement is a degree however it does not have to be a specific type of degree. [/quote]
Haha wow broad requirements
[quote]CrewPierce wrote:
mike hanley wrote:
You can still get the CSCS with a Finance degree. The requirement is a degree however it does not have to be a specific type of degree.
Haha wow broad requirements[/quote]
Not really, you have to know your stuff to pass the CSCS…
If you are looking for a a PT cert then i would suggest NASM, NSCA-CPT, or ISSA. Those are the most useful. The CSCS is great for working in larger groups and with athletes. The ACSM is great, but would be overkill for a training job.
it’s getting to the point where gyms are requiringyou to use their inhouse nutrition program, so getting anything along those lines will be for business cards reasons only.
Good luck on picking out a cert.
Here is a quick run down on some good certs:
NSCA - well respected and accepted, focuses more on performance
ACSM - as above, may not be quite as popular and focuses more on health
NASM - focuses primarily on functional training and movement analysis of the body
ACE - popular, been around a long time, decent book
NPTI - an actual school for trainers. It is longer, more expensive, has more practical experience and nutritional information, requires more of a time commitment. May or may not be in your area.
I have a bachelor’s in journalism. However, I wanted to get into the fitness induestry.
Can you get a CSCS with that degree? I was interested in personal training, but I also wou;d really like to get into performance training.[quote]Matt- wrote:
CrewPierce wrote:
mike hanley wrote:
You can still get the CSCS with a Finance degree. The requirement is a degree however it does not have to be a specific type of degree.
Haha wow broad requirements
Not really, you have to know your stuff to pass the CSCS…[/quote]
CSCS only requires a degree. Trust me, I had that cert for a while.
Anyone have any advice for me?
[quote]Dre Cappa wrote:
I have a bachelor’s in journalism. However, I wanted to get into the fitness induestry.
Can you get a CSCS with that degree? I was interested in personal training, but I also wou;d really like to get into performance training.Matt- wrote:
CrewPierce wrote:
mike hanley wrote:
You can still get the CSCS with a Finance degree. The requirement is a degree however it does not have to be a specific type of degree.
Haha wow broad requirements
Not really, you have to know your stuff to pass the CSCS…
[/quote]