Is ACSM CPT easier than ACSM HFS????????? - Personal Trainer Community - Forum

[healthfitness2009]

I recently graduated from EAST CAROLINA UNIV majored in Health Fitness Specialist (ACSM). I took ACSM HFS twice and failed by 10 points and I cannot get a job without some type of cert. IS ACSM CPT cert easier than the HFS cert??? Please don't flame me. I would hope it's harder than the CPT since they require at least an associates degree for the HFS. Thanks.

[C Lenart]

I took HFS exam from ACSM back in November 2007 and passed with a score of 650. Most of the people I went to school with opted for the CPT exam from ACSM instead and passed with scores over 700. The HFS exam goes for a few hours longer than the CPT exam and is more in depth than the CPT test because the HFS cert gives you the ability to work with clients with "controlled" levels of disease.

Most of the people I have worked with in the last year and a half are CPT's whether it be through NASM or ACSM. I specialize in Health Advising. The CPT's I work with do a good job of health advising for most clients but they are not as proficient as they could be when it comes to clients with existing coronary artery disease and some of the complications arising from that condition.

[healthfitness2009]

I bet you and they get paid the same also for training clients. Most gym owners are telling me I wasted my time and money getting a degree I could have just gotten easy personal trainer cert soon after high school and I would have been making the same.

[kelli m]

Healthfitness2009,

I hope YOU do not feel that you wasted your time getting a real education. Those gym owners are idiots.

[C Lenart]

All the people I work with have degrees either in Exercise Science, Exercise Physiology, Biology/Pre-Med or are Registered Nurses.

The ACSM Health/Fitness Specialist certification is an advanced certification meant for individuals who wish to work with patients/clients with controlled levels of cardiovascular and other diseases. The CPT certification is a much shorter examination and is meant for individuals who wish to train "general populations." If you just wish to work with general populations, you probably only need the CPT certification.

I happen to work with individuals who have had heart bypass surgeries (CABG), angioplasties, and other heart conditions. I knew when I was doing my fitness certification at UCLA that I did not want to work with general populations but rather I wanted to take on people with advanced cardiovascular conditions. That's why I opted for the ACSM Health Fitness Specialist certification. Had I had more time at UCLA, I would have gone for the Clinical Exercise Specialist cert through ACSM. Some of my instructors opted for the advanced CSCS certification through NSCA because they were interested in advanced conditioning skills. Nothing wrong with that.

All depends on what populations you wish to cater to. I never wanted to work out of a gym. I prefer a hospital or clinical setting or situation. Most people I went to school with at UCLA are very good people but they probably wouldn't like to work in a clinical environment talking to people about blood pressure or how to improve their cholesterol or how to work at the right intensity level when on calcium or alpha channel blockers.

My advise is to select the population of people you want to work with first. If it's general population, go for the ACSM CPT certification. With regard to degrees, the racquet club I work out at has trainers all of which have Master degrees either in Exercise Physiology or Kiniseology. They make close to $100 per hour.

Curt
ACSM Health/Fitness Specialist

[Christina]

healthfitness2009,

I think Curt and Kelli have given you some great advice. You have not wasted your time or education.

I am willing to bet the ACSM CPT exam is much easier than the Health Fitness Specialist. I scored over 700 on the CPT exam. At UCLA Curt was an extremely dedicated student and I guarantee if he had taken the CPT exam he would have scored over 700 as well.

If you do not plan on working with people with underlying health conditions why not just go for the CPT? You can always get some experience and then take the Health Fitness Specialist exam at a later time.

If I were you, one thing I would do is find a personal training studio or upscale private health club to work for. As Kelli so eloquently pointed out, the gym owners you've been talking to are idiots.

Christina

[healthfitness2009]

Here I can't seem to get a job even at some gym like Golds and you guys making $100 an hour. Ain't that a B*t*h. People I talked with don't even wanna pay $20 a session how do you get people to throw away money to just hear YOU DO CURL YOU GOT BIG BICEPS?????? I know it's more than that but still it is not rocket science and people can look up all this info on google if you wanna do it on their own.

[pookie]

The people who are making $100/hour have masters degrees...

[healthfitness2009]

I like to find out how they are getting people to pay $100 per session I m smelling some bull*hit. Just getting masters can't really get you paid more than most lawyers or docs. Even a lawyer don't get paid that much for an hour. Not trying to be a prick but I like to learn your trick so I get someone to shell out 100 bucks for one workout.

[kelli m]

The rate is more dependent in what area of the country you are working.

Trainers rates in larger cities will always be a little higher.

I know great trainers with master's degrees that have wonderful clientele and long waiting lists that are charging in the $60-70 dollar range.

Don't get hung up on rates or what you are making. Make your service the best around and you will command whatever rate your market will support.