Which certifiication?

[-iceman-]

Hi, I have been thinking about getting into the fitness world on a more career minded level. I would love to become a personal trainer and have been spending countless hours researching the best way to go about it. I have read all the posts here but am still confused. I've come across the ISSA, the NSCA-CPT, and the NFPT. Now, how do you decide who to get certfied with? All of them seem reputable.

What do you guys think? Does having more then one certificate benefit you in any way? It's the same knowledge, is it not?

Any info/help would be greatly appreciated.

I have such passion for health and fitness and I think this could be the start of something great for me. It's just getting passed the beginning stages.

Thanks everyone

[Lisa~]

I think the NSCA certifications, either the CPT or the CSCS, are the most respected in the industry. More than one certification might benefit you if you become certified in a different area, say nutrition or USAW. It would all depend on what you want to do with your certifications.

Bip did a whole long journal leading up to taking his CSCS I think. I'll see if I can find it, or if somebody's got a link, please put it up.

[Lisa~]

Here it is. It might be helpful to you.

http://forums.menshealth.com/eve/ubb...21/m/489107041

This was a pretty good thread on this subject:

really necessary to join NCSA?

[-iceman-]

I will give that a read for sure. I was leaning towards the NCSA-CPT, but ISSA, no good? I only ask because I applied for more info and they called me instantly and talked to me on the phone about their program. I wanted to do some back work on them, to see if they were reputable.

[Jean-Paul]

ISSA is good. I think the point that Lisa is trying to make is that for career CPTs who want to write/educate/etc, the CSCS credential is pretty much the gold standard. Adam Campbell and Lou Schuler (current and former editors of Men's Health) have both written about it, and that is just about standard if you want to be published with a major mag.

Just to get a cert that provides good information and education to its trainers though, ISSA is good, and you won't be screwing over your clients to have it.

[Isaac Wilkins]

Originally Posted by Jean-Paul

ISSA is good. I think the point that Lisa is trying to make is that for career CPTs who want to write/educate/etc, the CSCS credential is pretty much the gold standard. Adam Campbell and Lou Schuler (current and former editors of Men's Health) have both written about it, and that is just about standard if you want to be published with a major mag.

Just to get a cert that provides good information and education to its trainers though, ISSA is good, and you won't be screwing over your clients to have it.

That's a really good explanation of it. If you're just looking to train clients, then 95% of them won't know the difference between the certifications, though you should get a well-known, respected cert, obviously.

Most of your learning as a trainer is going to come from outside of your certification program or from your continuing education.

[-iceman-]

I agree fully. Right now, and I don't see it changing, I am looking to train clients. I'd like to become a full time CPT. I really don't have any interest in writing.
I agree, clients will not know the difference between the two, but does the NCSA look better to eomployers? Or is at all the same to them also?

[Isaac Wilkins]

Originally Posted by -iceman-

I agree fully. Right now, and I don't see it changing, I am looking to train clients. I'd like to become a full time CPT. I really don't have any interest in writing.
I agree, clients will not know the difference between the two, but does the NCSA look better to eomployers? Or is at all the same to them also?

It sort of depends on the employer. I'd say that the NSCA cert is more widely recognized, but decent size and informed employer should know about the ISSA, too.

You'll find that certain employers have preferences to certain certs. When I open up shop, I'm going to be looking for NSCA certs. I have NSCA certs, I understand them, and I like them. The gym I'm at now has a lot of AFFA trainers (which I'm not particularly impressed with) because they hire a lot of people without certs and have a relationship with AFFA in which they host tests a couple of times per year.

Other gyms I've been to have preferred ACE, ACSM, or some of the other companies.

Do you have a place in mind where you'd like to work?

[-iceman-]

Well, if/when I do get certified, I would try to get a personal training job at a local chain gym around my area. (Family Fitness, Premier Fitness etc.) As the days went on, I'd want to establish myself so clients can hire me as a personal trainer so I'm not just a personal trainer at a gym.

[Isaac Wilkins]

Originally Posted by -iceman-

Well, if/when I do get certified, I would try to get a personal training job at a local chain gym around my area. (Family Fitness, Premier Fitness etc.) As the days went on, I'd want to establish myself so clients can hire me as a personal trainer so I'm not just a personal trainer at a gym.

*nod*

I'd call up the gyms that you're thinking about and ask them what, if any, certifications they prefer. That'll give you kind of an idea.

[Lisa~]

Usually a gym will have a list of certifications they accept. If you know where you want to work, ask them for it.

[-iceman-]

Great advice. Thanks everyone. I really appreciate it.

[Keith S.]

iceman,

Esteban made a great post in this thread, describing the different certifications.

Originally Posted by Esteban

If you are interested in sports conditioning, with a concentration in youth-specific training, consider these options:

As ichbinba has said, the NSCA's C.S.C.S. credential is widely recognized. For this one you need a 4-year degree (in any field) from an accredited university. This is not a youth-specific option; however, I think one could enroll in appropriate Continuing Education or specialization courses to cover those topics. Other options you could consider are NASM's Performance Enhancement Specialist (PES) and ISSA's Sport Conditioning Specialist (SSC). As their name implies, both of these "specialization" certifications require that one already possess a fitness trainer certification from a recognized organization, or a degree in a health and fitness-related field. The ISSA also offers a Youth Fitness Trainer (YFT) certification at the same level of their Certified Fitness Trainer (CFT) certification; that means that you could use the YFT as an entry point for their SSC certification.

NASM's PES page:
http://www.nasm.org/Certification/pes.aspx

ISSA's home page:
http://www.issaonline.com

ISSA's YFT program:
http://www.youthfitness.com/

As far as I know, the ACSM doesn't offer certifications targeted at sports or youth conditioning; their focus is on the health, fitness, and clinical applications of exercise. I guess it should be possible to use their certifications as entry points for other specialization certifications, but all of them, excluding their certified Personal Trainer (cPT) one, require a university degree in a health-related field.

For youth conditioning programs, you might want to investigate the offerings of the International Youth Conditioning Association (IYCA). This forum's very own Brian Grasso, Bill Hartman, and John Berardi are part of the Board of Directors of this association:

http://www.iyca.org

It would behoove you to know as well that some organizations require you to attend a workshop or seminar in order to earn certification.

Regarding costs:

If you choose the NSCA-CC as your certification agency, it would be a good strategy to become a member of the NSCA first: besides receiving a number of journals and other useful resources and benefits, you would be able to take advantage of significant member discounts in exam fees and preparation materials.

NSCA - Certification information:
http://www.nsca-cc.org

NSCA - Membership information:
http://www.nsca-lift.org

Keep in mind that, in the case of NSCA, exam fees are separate from the cost of preparation materials and workshops. As an effect of being NCCA-accredited, the NSCA can't advertise that one *requires* to purchase and study with their preparation materials to pass their exam; it should be possible for anyone to take (and possibly pass) their exam without using those specific resources. That is also the case for NASM's Certified Personal Trainer (CPT) certification, which has just obtained accreditation from the NCCA (I'm not sure whether this applies to their PES certification as well.) Here's the C.S.C.S. study guide, which includes a list of recommended readings:

http://nsca-cc.org/downloads/Study_CSCS.pdf

The ISSA's programs are not NCCA-accredited, and they do require that one purchase (and study with) their preparation materials. This is part of the issue that you might want to consider before arriving at a decision, taking into account the industry's ongoing discussion regarding NCCA-accredited organizations, on one hand, and the NBFE (National Board of Fitness Examiners)-affiliated organizations on the other, which has been presented previously in this thread:

http://forums.jpfitness.com/showflat...32/an/0/page/0

Other thing you might need to consider is the availability of exam and workshop locations and dates. The NSCA, for example, has fixed exam locations and dates, which might not give you adequate time to study and prepare. I believe that the ACSM and the NASM use computer-based exams that give you more freedom when it comes to selecting the date and location in which you might want to take the exam. ISSA's exams offer the most freedom: they can be taken online, or mailed in (but these exam formats lessen the credibility of their certifications, according to some people.)

With all that being said, expect to pay $500-700 for any of these certifications. That would include exams fees and preparation materials and events, if you need them (books, videos, practice exams, workshops, etc.)

Most organizations require trainers to periodically renew their certifications, generally every two years, and for that it is necessary to fulfill a predetermined number of Continuing Education Credits (CEC), or Units (CEU). Take a look at which CE courses are available (including their prices) at each organization and at third-party providers. Pay special attention to the third-party courses you might be interested in, since it may happen that your chosen organization doesn't accept some of the them; generally, however, when a course is not accepted directly, you can send a petition to your organization and get it approved. For an example of the available CE courses, check the sites of these providers:

Human Kinetics Online Education Center (here you can browse the courses accepted by each particular organization)
http://www.hkeducationcenter.com/courseCatalog.cfm

Personal Training on the Net
http://www.ptonthenet.com/

The ISSA, and possibly other organizations, accept college credits as CEUs, which would help you if you are a student in a health-related field.

With all these issues in mind, this would be the order of my preferences for sports conditioning certifications: NSCA, NASM, and ISSA. You could complement any of those with the programs provided by the IYCA, and, of course, by extensive reading on your part on the many topics that are of interest to any serious, professional trainer.

*One thing to note is that the NSCA is beginning to use computer based testing sites (if this means much to you).

[kuri]

I was speaking with the PT Manager of a well known chain that in their literature explicitly aligns themselves with the NSCA. This manager did not have an NSCA cert when he was first hired, which shows it wasn't mandatory (can't remember what cert he had but he said it didn't mean crap), but applicants with NSCA certs seem to be given preference.

The message is that in my experience, as a newly CSCS'ed person, is that you NSCA is well respected at all levels.

[DKing]

Originally Posted by Isaac Wilkins

*nod*

I'd call up the gyms that you're thinking about and ask them what, if any, certifications they prefer. That'll give you kind of an idea.

This is big. The gym I work at requires every employee to have a NASM CPT regardless of what other certs you have. So I would call the places you want to work and see what they like trainers to have. That can save you a lot of time and money.

Danny

[Jean-Paul]

Danny, are you at a Parisi Speed School now?

[DKing]

Originally Posted by Jean-Paul

Danny, are you at a Parisi Speed School now?

Nope, I wish! I work for a chain of gyms called Lifetime Fitness. Its okay but I would love something out of the commercial gym atmosphere.

Why do you ask? If they want to hire me I would love it!

Danny