I have personal training for 6 yrs now. i have an ace cert.i must admit their are a lot of cert. trainers out there who don’t know squat or how to do the exercise either. i got most of my knowledge from training hands on and doing lots of reading. not from my cert. i’ve only had a few people ask me about my cert. when they hire me. so is a cert. a must? i think you need to be cert. it show you put forth the time and effort to study for a test. which usually takes 6-10 months. but i don’t think it will make you a good trainer.
Rob, stay certified. You need to be certified to have liability insurance. You never know what could happen. Stay current on your CPR also. It doesn’t matter who you are certified thru.
Just keep reading and stay on the cutting edge. If you have to change your way of doing things because science shows better results, don’t be afraid to change. Most clients don’t remember anyway. As far as prospective clients asking about your credentials…most just ask how long you have been training people. It’s usually the trainers who have nothing better to do, who ask who you are certified thru, just to try and knock you.