RockCity Posted November 1, 2008 Share Posted November 1, 2008 Good day, I am considering a career change, and I would really like to be involved in the fitness industry. I recently moved to the Portland, OR area, and I am interested in pursuing a career as a personal trainer. Does anyone have an opinion as to what the best certification program is? Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hsorlando Posted November 1, 2008 Share Posted November 1, 2008 There are many personal trainer certs that you can get. Some have only written tests, but no practical hands on instruction. The best thing to do is to find the cert that has the best fit for you. I went with ISCA (International Sports Conditioning Association), they are a two day pt cert, and even though it is a beginner cert it is very thorough, and includes both a written and a hands on test. There's also ACE, which is only a written test, but I hear it is extremely tough, NPTI (National Personal Training Institute) which has six month long programs, but they are also more costly, around 5,000 dollars. There's also ISSA (International Sports Science Association) they are based in CA. AFFA is also a very good cert, they have three day workshops in different areas, and they also have discounted certs available twice a year, which is called APEX. There's also countless others that I don't know as much about. Good luck on finding the right fit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RockCity Posted November 1, 2008 Author Share Posted November 1, 2008 (edited) Thanks for the info. I have done quite a bit of research since I posted that question this morning. I think that the ACE cert would be good for starting out and getting my foot in the door. Then I could always pick up a different somewhere down the road. I really just need to find a good place to work before I commit myself. Edited November 1, 2008 by RockCity Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hsorlando Posted November 1, 2008 Share Posted November 1, 2008 You might also want to talk to your local gyms and find out which certs they accept. Technically they should accept all of them, but they don't! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeaSiren Posted November 10, 2008 Share Posted November 10, 2008 You might also want to talk to your local gyms and find out which certs they accept. Technically they should accept all of them, but they don't! Ditto This may help you:http://www.starting-a-personal-training-business.com/accredited-personal-training-certification.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bodybag Posted November 11, 2008 Share Posted November 11, 2008 You might also want to talk to your local gyms and find out which certs they accept. Technically they should accept all of them, but they don't! Ditto This may help you:http://www.starting-a-personal-training-business.com/accredited-personal-training-certification.htmlThanks for the link. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VegannNY Posted December 15, 2008 Share Posted December 15, 2008 Good info (I'm interested in the certification options, as well, and thought I'd search rather than repost.) Now, the best follow-up question is - what's a reasonable income to expect for someone just starting as a personal trainer? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeaSiren Posted December 18, 2008 Share Posted December 18, 2008 The vast majority don't get rich doing it, and also have another job or work for a gym (insert don't get rich again here, lol) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VegannNY Posted December 19, 2008 Share Posted December 19, 2008 Ah. Maybe I'll go for the ACE, for the heck of it. (During day hours, I'm actually a Financial Analyst, but darn it, I gotta have fun for part of the day. And if I can get paid for it too...?) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Octopussoir Posted December 19, 2008 Share Posted December 19, 2008 ACE NSCA AFFA Top dawgs in the industry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
auburnoutlook Posted December 19, 2008 Share Posted December 19, 2008 npti is pretty amazing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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