ACSM CPT exam vs. NSCA CPT exam - Personal Trainer Community - Forum

[avey]

Hi! Just found this great resource and have been reading posts for the last couple of hours. This is my first *official* post

I would like to know what are the main differences & areas of emphasis when comparing the ACSM & NSCA CPT exams. I have read all of the threads for each one, but am still not clear. Does one require more math & calculation than the other? more emphasis on anatomy? Would you recommend one over the other? What would you say are the biggest differences? Pros? Cons? Any clarification would be greatly appreciated.

*Just as a note, I have been a successful PT for a while (i'm one of the knowledgeable PTs without a cert that got in w/an old school gym), and am also a certified fitness instructor & certified holistic health counselor. So now I want to go 'legit' and get my PT cert :wink:

Thank you!

[Christina]

Hello avey and welcome!

In my opinion the ACSM exam focuses more on physiology and the health aspects of fitness whereas the NSCA exam focuses more on anatomy and resistance training. Some people on this forum think that ACSM's views on fitness are outdated while others view it as a top notch organization.

Let me ask you... Who are your clients? The ACSM focuses on health and disease prevention. Is this an area of interest to you?

If you are more interested in resistance training then you should probably go with NSCA.

Why not compare the table of contents for each text?

ACSM:
http://www.lww.com/product/?978-0-7817-9053-6
(On the right side of the page click 'View Table of Contents') As you can see, the ACSM goes more into behavior modification and the personal trainer's role as a teacher. Depending on your personality this may or may not be something of interest to you.

NSCA:
http://nirsa.humankinetics.com/showp...=9780736000154
(Click on 'Table of Contents')

Hope this helps a little.

Christina

[avey]

Thank you for taking the time to reply Christina!

My focus is on women's health. I have clients that are obese trying to lose weight, some older clients that just want to maintain good health, and some that are interested in bodybuilding...so a little bit of everything.

May I ask what ACSM views do people find outdated?

I am indeed interested in the 'role' of teacher. I grew up an overweight child & teenager that eventually struggled with an ED for many years. So it's important to me to educate people on prevention & good health.

I see that you are certified in both. Which exam did you find more difficult and why? (not because I want to take the easier one, I'm just curious :wink: )

Thank you so much for your time & expertise!

[Christina]

Hi avey, sorry for the delayed response!

May I ask what ACSM views do people find outdated?

Jeff (rbd) can answer this one. He said that he let his ACSM HFI certification lapse because of he found it to be outdated. Jeff? Are you out there? If he does not respond I will do a search on his previous posts.

I see that you are certified in both. Which exam did you find more difficult and why?

I found the ACSM exam easier for some reason. I scored well on it. The NSCA exam seemed more difficult but I did not spend as much time preparing for it. I seem to remember a lot of anatomy type questions and that was not a strong area for me at that time. (I am still not an expert in anatomy/biomechanics but I have learned a lot since then.) I can't remember a whole lot about the exam.

Do you plan to stay at the gym you are currently working in? Do they have a preference?

Christina

[avey]

Thank you for your reply Christina.

The gym doesn't have a preference, but the head of PT is 100% pro NSCA. I haven't decided what I'm going to do, but after getting my cert I'll probably look at some other gyms.

still can't decide which one to get, but I appreciate your time & input!