Introduction
You're looking for a fitness career. You've chosen the right path, but you're not sure what certification is right for you. Luckily, there are many different certifications available to help guide your career in the field of personal training. When it comes to choosing which one is best suited for your needs, you'll want to consider several factors: industry demand (what's most in-demand) and job satisfaction (how well does this position align with your goals). Here are 13 popular certifications that will help put you on track toward fitness success!
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Best Personal Training Certifications to Ace in Fitness Career |
American Council on Exercise (ACE)
The American Council on Exercise (ACE) is the largest fitness certification organization in the world, and it offers many different certifications to help you advance your career as a personal trainer.
The ACE Certified Personal Trainer (CPT) is one of their most popular certifications, with over 90% of all CPTs being certified by them. It's worth noting that there are no requirements for this particular certification other than passing an exam or completing a course from ACE—so if you aren't ready for anything more challenging than making sure that people don't fall asleep during their workout sessions, this may be right up your alley!
The ACE Certified Fitness Instructor (CFI) has similar requirements as well: passing one of their exams or completing a course from them will earn you this credential too
National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM)
The National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) is the largest sports medicine and fitness organization in the world. The NASM offers a wide range of certifications for personal trainers, including:
Certified Personal Trainer (CPRT)
Registered Exercise Physiologist (REP)
The organization also has an accreditation system to ensure that each trainer meets certain standards before they are able to apply for certification. In addition, if you're interested in getting your hands dirty with some serious research into nutrition and exercise science, consider earning a Masters degree from one of their accredited universities!
The NASM has been recognized by the National Registry of Credentialing Agencies as just one example of how well-known this organization has become as a result of its high quality education programs and continuing education opportunities for professionals who work with individuals on their journeys toward better health through fitness training
Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS)
The Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) is a certification that you can take to become a personal trainer. It's one of the few certifications that requires you to have an associate degree or higher in order to obtain, so if you're just starting out and don't have any college credits under your belt yet, this may be worth looking into.
The requirements for getting this credential include:
Completing 18 contact hours at an accredited school
Passing an exam that covers all areas related to strength training including anatomy, physiology and biomechanics
National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA)
The National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) is a professional organization that provides educational opportunities for people in fitness, nutrition and sports medicine. They also offer certification programs for personal trainers who want to become certified fitness professionals.
NSCA offers three levels of certification: Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS), Master of Science in Kinesiology or Physical Education (MSPE), or Doctorate of Philosophy in Kinesiology or Physical Education (DPK). At the CSCS level, you will be eligible to take part in some national competitions as well as receive discounts at many gyms across the country.
The benefits of being an NSCA member include: access to exclusive online courses; access to conferences; discounted rates on textbooks; discounts on certifications exams such as CPR/First Aid; eligibility to apply for scholarships through their scholarship program called "NSCA Fellowships."
National Personal Training Institute (NPTI)
National Personal Training Institute (NPTI) is a fitness and wellness education provider with over 100,000 graduates. NPTI offers a wide range of fitness certifications, including certified personal trainer and group fitness instructor. The company was founded in 2006 by founder Dr. Anthony Beato as a way to help people get fit at home or on-the-go through their mobile app, which offers free access to more than 3,000 exercises from over 500 instructors across North America.
NPTI's courses are available online or in person at locations across the country including New York City and Los Angeles; they also offer weekend workshops where students can learn more about the industry while meeting other likeminded individuals who may want assistance with completing their certification process
International Sports Sciences Association (ISSA)
ISSA is the largest fitness association in the world, with more than 70,000 members. The ISSA has a wide range of certifications that can be helpful to any personal trainer looking to specialize in sports performance.
ISSA offers two levels of certification: Fitness Professional and Performance Specialist. These certifications are designed for personal trainers who want to get into sports-based training or offer specialized services for athletes at all levels.
Cooper Institute for Aerobics Research
The Cooper Institute for Aerobics Research is a nonprofit organization that promotes fitness and health through research, education, and practice. They offer certification programs in personal training that are designed to help you build your knowledge base while helping you earn money as well.
The institute offers three different certifications: Fitness Instructor (FIT), Personal Trainer (PT) and Advanced Practitioner. Each one comes with different requirements so it's important to know what each one entails before signing up!
American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM)
The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) is the largest sports medicine and exercise science organization in the world. ACSM provides a wide range of certification programs, including Personal Trainer, Exercise Specialist, Group Fitness Instructor, and Fitness Nutrition Specialist.
The ACSM offers several different certifications for personal trainers:
Personal Trainer-Certified
Exercise Specialist - Certified in Exercise Science
Group Fitness Instructor - Certified Professional in Personal Training
American Fitness Professionals & Associates (AFPA)
AFPA is a non-profit organization that has been established since 1989. The organization offers personal training certification, fitness nutrition certification and fitness business certification.
AFPA was founded by Ed Burke who was a personal trainer himself and saw the need for professional standards in this field. He created AFPA with the goal of educating its members about the principles of effective personal training; paving way for them to become leaders in their respective fields.
American Academy of Personal Training (AAPT)
American Academy of Personal Training (AAPT)
This certification is good for beginners and those looking to get into the industry. It's also great if you want to specialize in a specific area of personal training, such as Pilates or Yoga. You'll need this if you want to become certified in a modality like Kinesiology, which focuses on muscle testing and movement analysis.
International Fitness Professional Association (IFPA)
IFPA is the largest fitness association in the world. The organization has over 8,000 members in over 100 countries and has more than 2,500 certified personal trainers worldwide. IFPA offers a number of certifications that are recognized by employers as well as other organizations like the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM).
The requirements for earning an IFPA certification depend on what level you wish to achieve:
Certified Personal Trainer (CPT) - This is your first step towards becoming an expert in fitness and exercise science who can help people get results through training programs or classes that they design themselves at home or work!
Master Trainer - If you have at least five years of experience working with clients then this might be right up your alley! You'll receive additional training so that after passing all tests required by IFPA there will be no excuses left when it comes time for job interviews...
Collegiate strength and conditioning coaches association (CSCCa)
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Best Personal Training Certifications to Ace in Fitness Career |
The Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coaches Association (CSCCa) has been around since 1985, and it's one of the oldest certifications in the fitness industry. It’s also a non-profit organization that helps educate coaches, athletes and fitness professionals throughout the country.
The CSCCa offers more than 200 courses through its online learning platform as well as live classes at colleges across the country; there are even camps you can attend if you want hands-on training with real-life scenarios! The certification is offered in five areas: strength training; sport nutrition; exercise physiology; biomechanics/kinesiology & human performance analysis.*
The NSCA is an affiliate of CSCCa so if you'd like to get certified, this program would be perfect for you!
There are many amazing personal training certifications that can help you build your career
If you're looking for the best personal training certifications, they are ones that will help you get a job and advance in your career. While there are many amazing certifications out there, some of them aren't as relevant to your goals or needs as others. The following list includes some of the best personal training certifications available today:
NASM Certified Personal Trainer (CPT) - This is an entry-level certification that qualifies students with knowledge of anatomy, physiology and kinesiology while also providing instruction on how to create safe exercise programs for clients who have specific medical conditions or injuries.
ACSM Certified Personal Trainer - This is another entry-level certification offered by the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM). It requires candidates to have at least two years experience working with adults prior to taking this exam; otherwise they'll need additional education first before applying again later on down the road once more time has passed since their last attempt failed due to lack thereof.* NASM Registered Clinical Exercise Physiologist (RCEP) - This is similar but not identical as CPTs because it takes place after one completes either RCEPs program rather than before hand like CPTs do.* American Council on Exercise-Certified Instructor Level II Certification Program
ACE Certified Group Fitness Instructor Level 1 Coursework Package
Conclusion
The personal training world is growing rapidly and there are many exciting career opportunities for you to explore. With so many certifications available, you can choose one that fits your training goals and set yourself up for success in this field. If you’re looking forward to a career as an expert trainer, we’d recommend learning more about each one of these certifications before making a decision! We hope this article has given you some insight into how they work and what they offer. Good luck on your journey!
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