Selecting a Personal Trainer Certification

Selecting a personal trainer certification could be difficult with so many options available. In addition, it is actually a setback to the advancement of one's career if you select a certification that a future employer will not accept. Thus it is significant to decide if fitness is a long-term career choice or even a part-time job to earn more money. If you are choosing fitness as a career, then you definitely should seek programs accredited with the NCAA (National Commission for Certifying Agencies). However, if fitness is a part-time selection, then save on accreditation fees by choosing non-NCAA-accredited applications.

American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM)
This NCAA-accredited program may be the gold standard for personal trainer certifications in the industry and is accepted by most employers. The CPT (Certified Private Trainer) exam alone will surely cost $279. However, if you decide to pursue the workshop and buy textbooks, the cost will total nearly $800. You must also recertify every 36 months for $800.

National Academy regarding Sports Medicine (NASM)
An NASM fitness expert certification is NCAA-accredited along with accepted by most business employers. The exam alone will surely cost $549, but it is included in study packages between $599 to $799. A notable limitation from the exam is which you have 120 days to take the exam from your time of enrollment. Recertification is essential every 2 years for $700.
National Strength along with Conditioning Association (NSCA)
The NSCA offers just about the most respected NCAA-accredited personal instructor certifications available. This certification sets themselves apart by enabling work with special-needs populations. However, this exam is amongst the most difficult certification tests. Exam fees range via $235 to $405, according to membership status. Recertification is essential every 3 years for $500.

International Sports Sciences Association (ISSA)
The ISSA can be a non-NCAA-accredited personal trainer certification which is reasonably well-recognized in the fitness industry. This certification is ideal should you be seeking your first task, working part time or simply interested in additional workout knowledge. The entire program fee is $595, as well as the course and exam are 100 percent available online. Recertification is essential every 2 years for $600.

Aerobics and Health and fitness Association of America (AFAA)
The AFAA can be a non-NCAA-accredited personal trainer accreditation is moderately well-recognized by employers. An AFAA certification is ideal should you be seeking your first task, working part time or simply interested in additional workout knowledge. This certification emerges online for a total cost of $469, including exam fee. Recertification is essential every 2 years for $600.

Thinking of Becoming a Personal Trainer?

Has fitness changed your life in amazing ways? Would you like it to become something that is more than just a hobby or something you like to do? It’s possible that you are curious about what it would take to become a Personal Trainer. But it’s hard to know even where to start to become one. Well here’s a little intro guide to how to become a personal trainer.

1. What do I need to call myself a Personal Trainer? 

To be a reputable personal trainer one must take some sort of certification exam in order to be awarded the title of a certified personal trainer. There are tons of organizations that offer certifications. But the problem is that not all of them are of the same quality so some certifications might not gain you the same respect as others. The quality of personal trainer programs varies from websites that will give you a personal trainer certification for $10 and a 5 question quiz to organizations which require you to pass a very difficult quiz and have a undergraduate degree. It’s important that you find a good quality certification organization to be certified from.

2. What are some reputable personal trainer certification programs?

Some good programs are but not limited to 

1. ACSM 

-Health and Fitness Instructor

-ACSM Exercise Specialist

-ACSM Registered Clinical Exercise Physiologist

2. NSCA 

-Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS)

-Certified Personal Trainer (NSCA-CPT)

3. NASM 

-Performance Enhancement Specialist

4. ISSA 

-Certified Fitness Trainer (CFT)

5. ACE 

-Group Fitness Instructor Certification

-Lifestyle and Weight Management Consultant Certification

-Clinical Exercise Specialist Certification

-Specialty Certification - Peer Fitness Trainer Certification Program

6. American Academy of Health, Fitness, and Rehab Professionals -Post Rehabilitation Specialist

-Medical Exercise Specialist

-Medical Exercise Program Director

7. USA Weight Lifting -Sports Performance Coach

-Club Weight Lifting Coach

3. What do I need to have in order to take a certification exam?

Most certifying organizations require that you at least have a high school diploma or a GED. While some require a bachelors degree such as the NSCA’s Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist. Also in addition to this requirement most certifying organizations also require that you be AED/CPR certified in order to take the test. You can take your first aid CPR training with organizations such as the Red Cross. 

4. What do I have to study to pass the test? 

Every program has a different set of questions and many have different emphasises when it comes to what they think is most important when it comes to fitness to test you on. Most programs will provide you with optional test study materials such as books and practice tests which will help you prepare for taking the exam.

5. What does it cost to get certified? 

All programs will vary in cost but you should expect to pay somewhere between $300-600 to take the test. In addition study materials for the test can run from $50-200 dollars as well depending on how much you want to buy to prepare. Some programs offer packages where they sell study materials and test vouchers together for a discount. There are cheaper programs but often its a case of you get what you pay for and you could find yourself with a worthless certification.

6. How much can I make being a personal trainer?

How much a personal trainer can make is really only limited by how many clients you can bring in and train. The better the results the people you work with see and the better you are able to sell your skills. The more money you can potentially make will be. Amazing trainers are in high demand because they can get the people they work with results. Which causes their clients to stick with them week after week. It allows them to bring in more clients through word of mouth and reputation. It also allows you to charge more for your services because you are in such demand. 

Some statistics on the earnings of personal trainers shows. 

7. Where do I work as a personal trainer?

There are a couple of different options. Some personal trainers choose to work in a gym for a company such as 24 Hour Fitness. They tend to be payed a salary and work for the company and not themselves. This tends to reduce the potential money they can make because some of the cost of training must be payed back to the gym. But the benefits of this is that you have full access to training clients in the gym for free as well as some gyms provide insurance for trainers to protect them in the case of any injuries happening to clients that the trainer could be potentially sued for. Sort of like malpractice insurance for doctors. 

Trainers can also choose to train on their own but pay a fee to a local gym for the ability to bring clients in to use the facility. But don’t actually work for the gym. They often pay for their own insurance since they are working for themselves. But are free to attract clients how they wish and to charge whatever payment they wish for their services. 

The final option is trainers can opt not to use a commercial gym all together and can either build a home gym or use places like parks, or even the clients home as the setting for training. Usually purchasing their own equipment and bringing it where it is needed. In this type of situation the trainer is able to control how much money they make and spend as freely as they wish since they are not tied to paying fees to a gym or working for anyone. But at the same time they are liable for everything related to insurance and finding places to train and equipment.

I hope that you enjoyed this quick guide to becoming a personal trainer. Personal training can be a very rewarding and enjoyable career. But in order to be a trainer some work will be involved to get there. But anything worth doing takes a little work. But nothing compares to waking up and doing what you love day in and day out.

10 Steps to Become A Personal Trainer

Should you be a fitness enthusiast who would like to inspire others with the passion for health, maybe you should look at becoming a personal fitness trainer. The following steps offers you an idea of how all this works.

1. Decide for those who have What It Takes-Personal trainers need to have a multitude of expertise. You should be analytical, sufferer, nurturing, persistent, organized, a highly effective motivator and, most importantly, a good listener. You should love working with different varieties of people and be some sort of self-motivator. You don't have to look like a body builder becoming a fitness trainer, but you should absolutely lead a healthy lifestyle becoming a good role model on your clients.

2. Choose a Certification - There are a number of certifying organizations, just about every offering different classes, workshops and exams to get certified. You'll want to settle on an organization that will be nationally recognized and licensed. If you already have a very club in mind, call and enquire of them what certifications they might need. If you don't understand where you'll work, take time to research the web sites of major organizations to find out: How much the accreditation costs, what the pre-requisites are generally, if they offer a workshop/exam in your town or a home research program. More about accreditation organizations.

3. Choose a specialty - This is simply not required, but in this particular competitive market, many fitness trainers are boosting their particular resumes by getting specialized certifications. Getting a specialty certification means you have more to offer in addition to, even better, you can usually charge a tad bit more for your services. One example is ACE's Clinical Exercise Specialist certification which goes beyond basic personal training and means that you can work with special populations like those that have chronic diseases or incidents.

4. Get a Job in a Club - Using any local phone book, call some clubs in your town and ask them when they employ personal trainers. When they say yes, ask about option of jobs and the strategy of filling out an application. You can also visit a few of the major clubs on the internet and see what jobs they have got open. Check out a fitness center Locator to find clubs in your area.

5. Setting Up Your own Business - Briefly, setting up your home business requires: Choosing a organization entity (i. e., single proprietorship, partnership, etc. ), deciding on a business name, registering your organization, getting liability insurance, creating your gym (if you're training from the own home), targeting leads, and marketing yourself. For more info, see Guide to Be a Personal Fitness Trainer.

6. Market Yourself - After you get things going, it's time and energy to get your name out for the masses. This means producing flyers, newsletters, business charge cards, a website or even creating neighborhood seminars to bring in the business. It helps to have some equipment to use to make this simpler; having a computer, some sort of color printer and essential publishing software. Be happy to hawk your wares anywhere you possibly can: posting flyers in shoe stores, getting friends and loved ones to spread the term and sending out flyers in addition to newsletters to people you understand. Offering free consultations and seminars is a sensible way to get people in the doorway.

7. Improve Your Expertise and Education - Continuing education. It's a dirty job, but if you wish to keep your certification and turn into good fitness trainer, you will need to do it. Thankfully, there are several companies out there who's sole job would be to offer you continuing knowledge courses. Desert Southwest Fitness offers many different courses, or you could get your CEU's from your own personal certifying organization.

8. Become Indispensable on your Clients - Being successful only at that job takes work, natural talent, skill and experience. Finding a certification is no guarantee that you're going to either get clients or maybe, more importantly, be able to keep those clients. To improve upon your skills, think about joining a national organization, such as IDEA, and attending fitness trainer summits, workshops and workshops.

9. Other Options - You won't have to work in a gym as well as work for yourself. Personal fitness trainers work in all sorts of different areas: corporate fitness, cruises, resorts, spas, online training plus much more. Check out The Well being Connection or Resortjobs. com for some suggestions on what else that you can do with your certification.

10. Beyond Personal training - Once you're an existing fitness trainer, there are even more opportunities available. You can consider talking to, fitness writing, athletic coaching (with the right education), group fitness instruction as well as opening your own health club. Whatever you choose, visitors being a personal trainer provides all you could love in a work.