This isn't so much an exercise question as it is more a question of aesthetics...

I have been searching google and the other engines for a few weeks about Certified Personal Trainers... and i tell you there is a slew of different letters following SOME of the trainers or schools that offer certifications.

My question is two-fold I suppose. Which is the "best" certification? A.C.E. - C.P.T. - C.T.A. - N.A.S.M. and many many others....

The second part of this question lies in the fact that a lot of the certifications are available as online courses costing anywhere from hundreds to thousands of dollars. Can anyone shed some light on some avenues to get started for someone interested in pursuing certifications in which schools / alphabet would be best to start with?

It kind of depends on what you plan to so with it- If you have you mind set on working at a big chain gym to get started then you want to look up the requirements of where you would like to work.

Some of the better certification due to their thoroughness are
NASM National Association of Sports Medicine
Cooper - Cooper Institute in Dallas
NSCA National Strength and Conditioning Association
ACE American Council on Education
ASCM American College os Sports Medicine

I have 2 certs one with NFPT and one with NASM These are two very different programs. NFPT gave me basic anatomy and physiology. NASM was much more thorough and included greater detail into program design, special poplulations, etc. NASM was more expensive but worth the investment and I highly recommend the Live workshop too. I feel like I am much more knowledgeable as a trainer.

The fitness industry is really leaning toward more certification and education.
I have no idea with a CTA is but a CPT is a Certified Personal Trainer
Obviously I am a big fan of NASM and I will tell you that if you work at 24 Hour Fitness you will be going through NASM training. It is very highly respected in the industry.

Thank you for the response Kathy =)

I was actually leaning towards either the ACE or NASM programs so your response was something very re-enforcing for me.

As far as the CPT program, there is a school here in Ohio called ISSAonline and they simply call their certification "CPT which I realized the meaning and thought it was a little odd - that is partly why I decided to pose the questions here =)

I'd say NASM is the better bet. There is a slow shift towards higher end certifications like ACSM and NASM. Both require a lot of work to pass, so it helps weed out the poor trainers. Both Ballys and 24 Hour prefer NASM certs.

Of course, I'm a NASM trainer, so I'm a bit biased.

Wayne if you want to get a jump start register on the the NFPT.com website and I think you can have access to the course manuals pdfs. You have to pay to take the test but this way you can learn some of the basics.

Awesome, thanks a lot both of you =)

Wayne,
Also look into ISSA, that is what i have so i may be biased but i think it is a great program. It is nationally Accredited under the Dept. of Education which i dont think some of the other programs are. Best of luck!

Neil

Good luck on getting certified, and then work hard to become qualified we need good trainers with a passion for people, fitness and respect for the profession. Choose wisely and make yourself proud.

Thanks Neil and Buffed =)

I think for starters I may order one of the textbooks offered through ACSM I think it was just to get my feet wet. So far the programs I am interested in most though are the A.C.E, N.A.S.M., ISSA and then the ACSM. Such a hard call because the websites do not offer much in the way of what the approach is geared behind for each of them.

Wayne, if you have any questions regarding the ISSA program please feel free to private message me or email me at neilur@aol.com and i will help you as much as i can.

Neil

Wayne -
I have two different certifications through ACE. I found the course material to be quite comprehensive, and I took 6 months preparing for the exam. At the time I was making my decision to become certified, I didn't qualify for ACSM or NASM (the other two I considered), because I didn't have a bachelor's degree. There is quite a bit of information available on their website under "About Us" www.acefitness.org. Please feel free to email me directly if you have any specific questions about the course materials. Best to you as you consider your options and make a decision which works best for your life!
Mary

NASM is my preference. But one thing is certain- no matter your cert, it is your experience (in all age groups, different levels of fitness, and injury rehab)- and your attitude that make or break a trainer. NASM definately covers a lot. good luck on your search. let me know if you have any questions. Wendy

Personally, I would rank the certs in order of easiest to hardest and least to most respected.
ACE
ISSA
NASM or ACSM
NSCA

All the above are great programs. Some do require a degree so make sure you check carefully. I had the Ace course material and found it quite through but because it was all home study, I felt I was missing something. Now I believe ACE offers more workshops.
I would really recommend speaking with a CPT from your local gym. Ask them what they used, if they liked it, what is out there and etc. The follow what you feel is best for you. I know many Trainers that were certified through more than one due to each course being so unique.
I am planning on getting certified next year. I've got to get my insurance CEC's done this year.
Hope all goes well. Good luck to you!

This was the first time I heard of the NSCA program - I checked that out and overall the study materials seem to be the least or near the least expensive of them all. They seem to get you when it comes to the certification. It does have the best description of what to expect from the materials too though. Thank you Bodyarchitect =)

Heather, thank you as well. I have been spending a lot of time trying to decide on which certification to pursue and in all the time I have explored I have yet to find any of the certifications listed on this thread to require more than a High School diploma as far as schooling. The rest of the requirements are consistently: 18 and over, CPR and AED certs. Some give a maximum of 6 months from time of purchasing the course others seem to be unlimited prep time. Can you point me to any of the specific places you may be aware of that require a degree so I dont mistakingly attempt that route? For now, I am looking Certified Personal Trainer so iff the degrees are related to more group specific certs that I think I am safe.

Once again, thank you all for your help in this, there is so many and each has ample info on their sites that it has been difficult.

Lots of Love, Wayne!

I have been out of the loop a little regarding cerification since I've let mine go in 2001?? I was a little confused about your blog. Are you looking for one which requires a degree? From what I remember, I don't believe any of them do. As far as I know, you if you are looking for a degree, you would probably have to check out colleges in your area which would have Sports Medicine. I know of several trainers who have degrees in Sports Medicine then get ceritified with with of the other accreditations. It's been a while since I've checked out the sites so I'm not 100% sure.
Have you had a chance to talk to a CPT in your area? They could really give you some good guidance on local classes, colleges and etc.
Good luck with which ever option you choose. Please let me know if I can answer any other questions for you.