Are you looking to become a certified personal trainer? With so many certifications available, it can be difficult to decide which one is right for you. To help you make the best decision, we've compiled a list of the top five personal trainer certifications. The International Association of Sports Science (ISSA) is one of the most popular certifications in the industry. It has earned more than 190,000 personal training certifications in the past 10 years.
To sit for the ISSA exam, candidates must be at least 18 years old and have a high school diploma or equivalent. Candidates must also have a current CPR and AED certification. The exam consists of 140 graded questions and 15 non-scored multiple-choice questions, covering the material described in the ISSA Certification Manual. The National Strength Council & Fitness (NCSF) is another popular certification.
It offers an NCCA accredited exam, requires a high school diploma and CPR certification, and will give you a basic understanding of physical training, program design, behavior modification, nutrition, and best practices to continue as a personal trainer. The Fitness Mentors CPT and Online Trainer certifications are taken online and at home, with a time limit of 120 minutes to complete the CPT 100-question exam. The CPT has one of the highest approval rates in the industry, with a success rate of around 85% for first-time users. If you don't pass the exam on your first attempt, a new free trial is available if you choose their Pro package.
Fitness Mentors is 100% online, has more study materials than many of the other certifications, offers personal tutoring, and provides access to instructors. The American Exercise Council (ACE) of the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) has been providing training and resources for those involved in physical training for more than thirty years. Their goal is to offer an elite science-based approach to personal training. Finally, there's the Action Personal Trainer certification. It will provide you with all the skills needed to train, educate and motivate personal training clients. If you're not interested in pursuing a career based on personal training but want all the knowledge that a personal trainer has (and the right to boast of being certified), this is a great option. When deciding which certification is right for you, it's important to understand your own fitness journey and goals.
You should also understand the personal trainer job description and the typical duties and responsibilities of the personal trainer. Additionally, consider combining nutritional training with a specialization in addition to your personal training certification. No matter which certification you choose, NCCA accredited fitness certifications are the gold standard for being a certified coach and virtually every major nutrition certification and the best online personal trainer certifications will have NCCA accreditation. We hope this article has helped you choose the certification that best suits your training style and personality.
