Becoming A Certified Coach
So you want to become an OFFICIAL Trainer…AWESOME! I’m excited that you have found this post and are researching the best certification out there. The best advice I can give you is to find a certification that is NATIONAL RECOGNIZED to get certified through, especially if you want to start out in a “globo gym” set up…something that might be of value.
Working at a local “globo gym” ish environment taught me a lot of things. In no particular order…it taught me how think on the spot. Even if I wrote up a plan for a client, that piece of equipment might not be available so what do you do? Standing around waiting is frowned upon (duh) so you have to get creative and quick! It taught me about timing a session. How much can you put in a time slot safely? Can you give your client/athlete a good workout AND respect their time domain? I learned to be able to go back to back to back to back with clients and stay fueled. It gave me the opportunity to work with a variety of different people/clients/athletes. While I don’t ever care to work in a globo gym setting again, it taught me so much about the fitness industry and how to manage and train clients.
When I graduated college, I got my certification through ACSM because one of my professor’s suggested that. It was relatable to the medical side of things…more of an exercise physiologist sort of thing to exact. I even think you had to have a degree in the field. Maintaining those CEUs (something we will talk about later) was a little more challenge and pricer. So when I went to renew I just did an AFPA one and also did their Group Fitness version too since I was teaching a zillion classes a week and later on became the Group Fitness Director of the facility. It worked.
But let me tell you something. NEVER in my 15+ years in the health/wellness/field not once has any of my athletes asked me what certification I have or maintain. NOT once. I proved to them and gained their trust in my method through my actions. I explained the WHY to my clients…WHY this move is important, WHY we did this different each time, WHY this, WHY that…I also practice what I preached! I never ask them to do so something I wasn’t willing to do or couldn’t demo. When I promise them “there is a method to my madness” I can always back that up.
There is a lot more to coaching/training than just the certification. But having a good certification is a good place to start, so lets look at a few. Remember NATIONAL RECOGNIZED.
CrossFit This is my current certification “company”. I have may different certifications through them. There are many facilities that do not “approve” of this certification solo. However if you have this certification you are not at most “globo gyms” (nothing against them). The methodology (for lack of better word) that goes with this company are directly in line with what I believe in. To me that means more, but if you are looking to get your foot in a gym with just a CrossFit certification then you might want to tack on an additional certification…even though you may train your clients using the learned CrossFit methodologies.
CSCS. The Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist — CSCS — offered by the National Strength and Conditioning Association (nsca-lift.org) is one of the most recognized personal trainer certifications in the fitness industry. It is also one of the most difficult certifications to earn and requires a 4-year college degree. The CSCS is commonly earned by strength coaches or personal trainers working with athletes.
ACE. The American Council on Exercise (acefitness.org) offers various health and fitness certifications and their general personal trainer certification is considered one of the best. ACE offers a 2-day workshop to help you study and prepare for the certification examination. You must recertify every two years to remain ACE personal trainer certified.
NASM. Since 1987, the National Academy of Sports Medicine (nasm.org) has been a leader in the sports and fitness industry. To become an NASM certified personal trainer, you must be at least 18-years old, CPR certified and successfully pass a two hour examination with 120 questions. You must recertify every two years and can add various specialty certifications based on your clientele.
ACSM. The American College of Sports Medicine (acsm.org) was created in 1954 and offers one of the top personal trainer certifications. The accredited certification program requires a high school diploma and CPR certification to take the 125 to 150 question examination. After earning the certification, you must recertify every three years.
NSCA-CPT. The National Strength and Conditioning Association (nsca-lift.org) started offering the Certified Personal Trainer — NSCA-CPT — certification in 1993 and is considered one of the most challenging examinations. The prerequisites for taking the NSCA-CPT test include at least 18-years old and CPR certified allowing college students to work as a certified personal trainer as they study health and fitness.
AFPA. The American Fitness Professionals and Associates (afpafitness.com) personal trainer certification uses current exercise science, sports medicine and nutrition research in the certification program. The AFPA doesn’t require any prerequisites for earning the certification which makes it one of the easiest accredited certifications to obtain. You can also add various specialty certifications from the AFPA to your personal trainer certification.
NFPT. Created in 1988, the National Federation of Professional Trainers (nfpt.com) personal training certification is accredited by NCCA and widely recognized as one of the best personal trainer certifications. You must have a high school diploma, be at least 18 years old and have at least two years of fitness experience before taking the NFPT certification examination. You must also recertify every year to maintain the certification.
NESTA. The National Endurance and Sports Trainers Association (nestacertified.com) personal training certification started in 1992 and grew rapidly to have certified trainers in more than 20 countries. You must be at least 16 years old, have good reading skills and have basic fitness experience to take the NESTA certification examination. You must recertify every four years to maintain the certification.
IFPA. Offering a total of more than 70 certifications, the International Fitness Professionals Association (ifpa-fitness.com) personal trainer certification gives you the knowledge, skills and abilities to be a successful personal trainer. You must be at least 18 years old, have a current CPR certification and a high school diploma to take the IFPA personal trainer certification. You can attend a workshop to study and prepare for the 100 question examination and you must recertify every two years.
Cooper Institute. Established by Kenneth Cooper, M.D., the Cooper Institute (cooperinstitute.org) is a nonprofit research and education organization for medicine and health. The Cooper Institute also offers the certified personal trainer examination that is recognized as one of the best certifications. You must be at least 18 years old with a current CPR certification to take the Cooper Institute exam.
The above was taken from THIS article.
