Just as with Part 1 of this blog, there are plenty of folks who have certs not listed in this email who do a fantastic job. Generally, folks know who cares enough to continuously learn and explore new avenues of their training mantra. I certainly have changed my approach from when I started in 2005.
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First, let's approach the ever-important "who should certify me?" question:
There are a handful of reputable professional organizations that I trust for
certifying personal trainers. They are:
- American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) http://www.acsm.org OR http://certification.acsm.org (ACSM does the majority of research upon which most certifications base their guidelines)
- National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) http://www.nasm.org
- National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) www.nsca.com (get the CSCS sub-cert if you want to work with sports teams)
These are okay:
- American Council on Exercise (ACE)
- International Sports Science Association (ISSA) (I actually ordered ISSA material back in 2005 and was extremely disappointed in the presentation and how juvenile the questions seemed. I sent it back and got hooked up with ACSM; I understand that they have improved since then.)
These are poor:
- NFPT
- AFAA
In light of the Crossfit craze and the increase in many people's interest in olympic lifting and kettlebells, I recommend these agencies for education on form:
- USA Weightlifting http://www.teamusa.org/USA-Weightlifting.aspx
- StrongFirst http://www.strongfirst.com (Dragon Door's RKC was once the gold standard in kettlebell certs, but there was a company dispute...SF is now what you should pursue)
I am a big stickler for form, and if you are serious about teaching others, be sure to teach them correctly! I learned more in a 1-day KB course than in a week-long professional conference. I use that knowledge in all aspects of my training, not just teaching KB technique.
There has been talk in "the community" for a few years about creating some sort of national licensure exam for personal trainers. This would be very helpful so that no matter what certifying body you go through, your clients or the gym that hires you knows for sure that you know what you are doing and have taken the time to educate yourself. I have no idea if licensure is going to happen, but we can dream....I have seen lots of unqualified people with certifications through the years.
I guess the real question is, "What do you want to do as a personal trainer?" This might seem silly, but some certifying bodies have sub-specialties that better suit your career goals. When I was first certified, I really wanted to work with athletes. After a few months on the job, I quickly realized that those clients are few and far between. Most of the clients you come across will have limitations of some sort, such as old injuries that weren't rehabbed, limited range of motion, chronic health issues, limitations due to medication...you name it. I have been employed by pregnant ladies, cancer survivors, folks with multiple sclerosis, persons medicated for depression, IBD, total hip replacement, etc. I guess the point I am trying to make is that you will rarely encounter clients who are "normal" or completely "healthy". The 3 organizations that I listed above all do a decent job of covering different types of clients in the general CPT of CFT educational material. If you want to focus on getting people moving better and significantly reducing the risk of future injury, I love the Functional Movement Screen (FMS) as a method of "pre-habbing" clients.
The fitness community understands that normal is a rarity and many organizations have sub-specialties. Once you get certified as a personal trainer, you might want to expand your knowledge by diving into one of them. For example, ACSM (my cert. body) has sub-certifications for working with cancer patients/survivors and another one for individuals with chronic diseases and conditions (ie, multiple sclerosis, chronic pain, HIV, etc). The second is called an "inclusive fitness trainer" and I hold that cert.
Costs: Most certifications will cost about $300-500 (including textbooks). Continuing education credits or conferences will set you back about $300-400 every two years. It can seem quite pricey, but after a few years I have noticed that the more expensive certs and conferences almost always have better, more inspiring information.
What you charge depends on the market and who you work for. Here in Clovis, $30/hour is the norm. In Saint Louis / Scott AFB, $45-75 was average ($45/h for large packages, or $60+/h for individual purchases). Gyms will take anywhere from 10-55% of your hourly rate.
Finally, give yourself plenty of time to study and prepare. Even though I have a background in science, it still took me about 6 months to prepare for my ACSM exam. The language of the textbooks is scientific and professional in nature so it isn't always an easy read. But, this is a good thing! The test itself takes up to 3 hours and some of these tests require a practical component, where you have to instruct an actual person or respond to
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A great trainer will admit when he or she has a client whose acute or chronic problems exceed his/her scope of practice and will suggest an appropriate replacement or complementary professional (massage therapist, chiro, physical therapist, physician, etc). Trainers are not diagnosticians, and should never dole out medical advice without first suggesting a client seeks medical attention.
No matter what agency you decide to go with, or what type of trainer you work with, don't be afraid to talk to them about their scope of practice and what type of clients they prefer to work with. One trainer does not fit all!
Finally, give yourself plenty of time to study and prepare. Even though I have a background in science, it still took me about 6 months to prepare for my ACSM exam. The language of the textbooks is scientific and professional in nature so it isn't always an easy read. But, this is a good thing! The test itself takes up to 3 hours and some of these tests require a practical component, where you have to instruct an actual person or respond to
a case study.
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A great trainer will admit when he or she has a client whose acute or chronic problems exceed his/her scope of practice and will suggest an appropriate replacement or complementary professional (massage therapist, chiro, physical therapist, physician, etc). Trainers are not diagnosticians, and should never dole out medical advice without first suggesting a client seeks medical attention.
No matter what agency you decide to go with, or what type of trainer you work with, don't be afraid to talk to them about their scope of practice and what type of clients they prefer to work with. One trainer does not fit all!
