Any personal trainers out there?

gooberr4

I think this might be something I want to look into but I want to talk to some trainers first to get some insight. I know I'd have to get certified and I'd probably have to look more fit haha but it's something I'm really interested in.


any advice?

dnharvey08

I think this might be something I want to look into but I want to talk to some trainers first to get some insight. I know I'd have to get certified and I'd probably have to look more fit haha but it's something I'm really interested in.


any advice?

I'm actually looking into the same thing right now. There are a lot of options / certification organizations, ACE, ISSA etc.. and even my local community college has a program w/ internship. It would be nice to hear from a current CPT about what route they took.

TrainingWithTonya

What kind of an exercise science background do you have? Are you interested in just a certification or are you looking at colleges for a degree? Is there a particular type of exercise you are drawn to? Maybe a particular demographic for your clients? The reason I ask these things is because they will shape your practice as a trainer. I highly recommend getting started with a certification and as soon as you get the chance go back to college for the degree, but that is the path I followed so I'm kind of partial. I actually got started as a trainer accidentally. I was happily working as an accountant and had a baby so I joined the gym and hired a trainer to lose the extra baby weight. I then saw an ad in the local newspaper where the hospital in town was sponsoring a certification for personal trainers. I asked my trainer if he was going and he told me no. So then I asked him who he was certified through. His answer was that you don't have to be certified to be a trainer. I asked him several times and he would never admit to it, but he wasn't certified. So I fired him. I then spent the money I'd been spending on that trainer to go take the certification. Had he been certified and I'd been seeing results with him, I probably wouldn't be a trainer today, so I'm actually thankful he was uncertified because it pushed me into the career I love. (It's a whole lot more fun then accounting!) After I took the weekend course, I learned what he had been doing wrong with me and dropped my baby weight. I then had a friend who asked me to help her do the same. Soon she was introducing me to everyone she had Lamaze classes with and my business was born. That was 15 years ago. Since then, I've done more research on various certifications because you have to do continuing education credits to recertify, so I took new certifications as CEC's toward my original certifications. I also eventually moved to larger cities that held conferences and actually had access to larger certifications. And I've worked in gyms from big to small as well as doing my own thing in private practice. I've basically done everything I could with just a certification, so I'm moving on to getting my degree so that I can work with special populations and athletes.

Out of the dozens of certifications I've taken over the years, I recommend 3. ACE, ACSM, and NSCA. ACE is the American Council on Exercise. (www.acefitness.org) They are the only one of the three I recommend that doesn't require a degree in exercise science to get their advanced certifications. They have several options for certifications and CEC's. They are also one of the top certifications recognized by gyms for getting a job. Last I heard, I think their pass rate was only like 60-70%, though, so buy the books and any other study materials you can afford and prepare well for the test. ACSM is the American College of Sports Medicine. (www.acsm.org) They have several different levels of certification. You can take their group exercise or basic personal trainer certification without a degree, but any of their specialist or clinical certifications require a degree in exercise science. The group exercise (for if you prefer teaching classes instead of working one-on-one with clients) and basic personal trainer allow you to work in a gym, just like ACE, but it is a little more well respected. The clinical certifications allow you to work with special populations in a hospital or other medical setting. This is more like for cardiac rehab, pulmonary rehab, etc. I will actually be going for their Clinical Exercise Specialist in the Spring after I finish my degree classes. The last one I recommend is NSCA, the National Strength and Conditioning Association. (www.nsca.com) They have 2 certifications, the CPT (Certified Personal Trainer) doesn't require a degree and is good for the general gym setting. The CSCS (Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist) requires a bachelors in exercise science and is based on designing programs for athletes. This credential gives you the ability to work with professional sports teams, colleges, etc. I'll be taking the CSCS in the Fall as part of my degree. Sorry, I haven't heard pass rates on the ACSM or NSCA tests, but from my experience, they are tougher then ACE test wise. I think that is why the exercise science degree is so focused on using the ACSM and NSCA books because they are much more detailed then any other certification I've ever taken. Honestly, I feel like I was woefully ill prepared as a trainer before taking the degree classes because they go into much more detail then anything in a weekend certification course. I guess they have us for several years so they can go into more detail then what you can get in a weekend at a certification workshop. But I don't feel as overwhelmed as my classmates who have never taken a certification because I do have that background as a personal trainer so I have heard the terms before just not delved as deep into each individual aspect.

Anyway, now that I've written a book for you, let me know if there is anything I can do to help you study for whichever path you choose.