Personal Trainer Certifications: What's The Difference? - Personal Trainer Community - Forum

[Joe Cannon MS CSCS]

Personal Trainer Certifications: What's The Difference?

When I hold personal training certifications for AAAI/ISMA, I am often asked what the "best" certification is. Different people may have different answers to this but in general, a certification is only as good as the person who holds it. A certification may open a door for someone but it's what that person does after he/she steps through that makes the difference. I have met people who have Masters degrees as well as really good personal trainer certifications, but I felt they did not know much. By the same token, I've met people who have no personal trainer certification or formal education, but know quite a bit (because they read the right stuff, attend workshops, etc).

Some of the biggies out there are as follows:

CSCS. Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist. Offered by the NSCA. One needs at least a bachelors degree to take this 4 hour certification.

NSCA-CPT. This is the personal trainer certification offered by the NSCA. You do not need a bachelors degree to take this certification. It's a 2 hour test.

NASM. Very similar to certifications offered by the NSCA. Both NASM and NSCA place much emphasis on science and strength training technique. NASM also has an online Masters program.

ACSM. The American College of Sports Medicine. Often called the "best" certification. It is very comprehensive.

ACE. American Council on Exercise. Offers many certifications.

The bottom line is that I don't think that there is any one "best" personal trainer certification. Again, whichever certification you hold, it is only as good as your personality, willingness to stay on top of things and ability to interact with others.

Joe

[Danielle]

Hi Joe
Just joined this site this evening. I have been studying for ACSM since last May and took the 3 day workshop, over the summer I took the test and failed . Working full time and being a single mom, I do not think I gave myself enough time to study (3 months to be exact) I will take it again, but for right now I'm pretty discouraged and I'm finding studying difficult.
I was considering going for NASM for now to get started and going back to ACSM. Do you think this is a wise choice? Do you think NASM is an easier test?
I have been working one on one with a personal trainer and was inspired to become one myself. I did get my CPR/AED certification this summer, however I have no experience in actually teaching personal training as of yet. I would like to start off in a reputable gym and want to at least have a reputable certification to begin with.
Please advise
:respect: Thank you

[Christina]

Hi Danielle, I am not Joe, but I will chime in if you don't mind.

First of all, I think it's really cool that you went for ACSM right out of the gate. I definitely encourage you to continue studying since you have all the materials. Some of the exams can be difficult for people who have no background in exercise science so don't be hard on yourself. You've come this far so don't give up!

I know certifications can get expensive but if you would like to go for a different one I would recommend ACE. I have been told that the ACE personal trainer certification is a really good one for people just entering the industry. Definitely consider this one. In fact, there are several people on the forum who are ACE certified so maybe they would sell you their study materials.

Christina

[Danielle]

Christina
Thank you so much for your input. I welcome any and all tips you can give me :respect:
Honestly I was devastated when I failed the test, I really took it hard and felt like a big failure. I thought it would come a lot easier and when I got into the test room and started answering the questions I could not believe how hard it was. Everything was on the anatomy and I just realized at that point that I did not know the material. I looked into NASM last night and it looked like I would have to invest about $500 for that. I have already invested a great deal of money into the ACSM textbooks, workshop and test, however I want this bad enough and I will find a way to make it all work.
Thanks again

[Christina]

Danielle,

Did you purchase the ACSM online practice exam? I took the practice exam multiple times but did not ever look at the answers. All I looked at was the scores I got in each section. If I scored low in a section I went back and studied the book. In fact, to this day I have no clue what the correct answers are on the practice exam!

Anatomy can be tough. I would recommend you get a book such as Dynatomy. (If money is tight get it through an interlibrary loan.) All of the higher end personal trainer certifications and advanced certifications require that you have a good grasp on anatomy. As you saw on the ACSM exam, there is much more to anatomy than simply knowing the names of muscles and bones.

I suspect that physiology was another tough area for you on the exam. I recommend you get a text such as Physiology of Sport and Exercise. I love this book and it is one that I refer to often. Again, if you do not have extra money right now, go to the library and get it through an interlibrary loan. I get a ton of stuff through interlibrary loans. Healthy Learning Videos are fantastic too.

Finally, at the bottom of my signature is a link to a list of personal trainer resources. Check out some of the anatomy and physiology links. Sometimes it helps to see things animated or in 3-d.

Don't be hard on yourself and don't give up. Like I said, the high end personal trainer certifications can be tough for people who have no background in exercise science. If you have any questions at all don't hesitate to ask.

Christina

[Danielle]

Yes Christina, I purchased all the textbooks and the online test and took it several times. However I seemed to have memorized all 100 answers so after taking it several times I was getting 100% correct. Yep, anatomy was my weak area. I work full time, and have kids, so I was doing my studying late at night and I spent the summer with my head buried in the textbooks every weekend while lounging around at the beach. Granted I could have really studied much more, but my head just couldn't handle it, I was starting to get too anxious and just wanted to get the test over with already.

When I was in college many years ago I my major was law, so I have not studied anatomy since High School back in the 80's. I went through a long period of bad health and then after a divorce I lost weight, got my health back and instead of dreading exercise, I loved it. I hooked up with a personal trainer who has her masters in all this and she is certified in ACSM and NSCA, she said that if I could change my lifestyle and lose so much weight then I could motivate people to as well. So now I have been looking forward to starting a new career. I think I rushed taking the test, I was very anxious. I'm going to try and set a goal for the Spring and not be so hard on myself this time.

I must say after taking the test I appreciate certified trainers more and more

[megfit]

Danielle,

I would agree with Christina on her suggestion to consider ACE. It is an excellent entry-level certification and a very good organization. They have a very good book and study guides, plus I believe they have workshops to help.

Also as Christina mentioned, don't be hard on yourself. Congratulations for going for a dream! If we never failed at anything, how will we learn and become stronger?? So, my big question to you is what did you learn from the experience?

I heard something in your notes. You need experience. When I started to plan for my certifications, although my background was in group fitness (totally different, of course), I knew I needed a 'guinea pig'. My dad was very kind to be that for me, as he was my target market. I then found a small, local program to go through. Again, excellent hands-on experience. By the time I was ready for exams, I WAS ready.

Finally, a comment on choosing organizations. Review their mission and purpose and primary membership to decide which one(s) fit with you and your personality and your professional goals. Don't choose one because that may be an easier exam.

Margie
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[Danielle]

Your right about not picking a certification just because it is an easier exam.

What my plan was now is to get certified so I could get my foot in the door at a reputable gym and then move ahead with ACSM. I've been checking out ACE and I'm not sure at this point if I should just order the new study materials and start preparing for that one or immerse myself back into studying for ACSM. Like I've mentioned before I've invested in all the textbooks, workshop, practice test and the test that I failed. Now I'll have to invest in ACE. I don't know what to do, its not like I'm broke and I know in the future it will pay off, but at the same time, I really do not have the extra money to keep shelling out for exam materials.

I'm thinking I should stay focused on ACSM and get cracking again with the studying.

[megfit]

Danielle,

One little thing to keep in mind. Physiology and kinesiology and anatomy are the same, regardless of who tests you for it. The basics are going to be the same, no matter WHO you test through.

With that said, however, the VERY best of luck to you and if there's any way I can help, don't hesitate to ask!

Margie
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[Christina]

One little thing to keep in mind. Physiology and kinesiology and anatomy are the same, regardless of who tests you for it. The basics are going to be the same, no matter WHO you test through.

Good point, Margie. A couple of years ago I ordered a cd that was designed to help people prepare for the NSCA-CPT exam. I was completely confused when I got the cd because it said in the enclosed literature that it would help individuals prepare for multiple personal trainer certification exams. I remember sitting there thinking, "How can this thing help me prepare for all of the exams? Doesn't each exam have unique content?" What I quickly learned is that exercise science is exercise science. (And this particular CD contained a lot of exercise science! ) When I tested for the ACSM exam I spent a lot of time studying anatomy and physiology. When I took the NSCA exam I didn't have to spend as much time studying these topics because I already knew the information. Anatomy, kinesiology, physiology, etc. doesn't change from one exam to the next. I think the big difference is HOW MUCH each certifying organization requires you to know.

Another thing to keep in mind is that many certifying organizations reference ACSM in their manuals since ACSM is known for their research. I know that the NSCA recommends many of ACSM's guidelines. I'm positive ACE does too. And since you are already familiar with ACSM's guidelines, you are probably already on your way to passing the ACE exam.

Danielle, please don't think for a second that you have thrown away any money. I know it's disappointing not passing the exam on the first try, but the books you have invested in are very valuable and you will refer to them often when you start designing exercise programs. (My NSCA text is literally falling apart!) And also keep in mind that if you go with ACE for now the ACSM certification is always there waiting for you. As trainers I don't think we should ever be satisfied with where we are. (I think that holds true for any profession.) Some people would say that since I have personal trainer certifications through ACSM and NSCA that is enough but it isn't for me. I want to test for the CSCS and get my Master's degree. Some would say since Margie is an RD and has her NSCA-CPT that is enough, but she is working on an MBA and writing books. Joe has his Master's degree as well as his CSCS and many trainers would say that is enough but in addition to training he writes books and gives seminars. My point is if you start out with an ACE certification it doesn't mean you have to end there. It is just one of many stepping stones along your career path.

I know the other big thing is cost. (Shelling out money for certifications does get expensive.) Try looking on eBay, Craig's List or post something on this forum saying that you are looking for used study materials. And not to keep sounding like a complete geek but the library is a good place to find materials as well.

Good luck, Danielle!