Which training cert would you get?

[JimmyHerbst]

I was thinking of getting my training cert before I go back to school this winter. I am not sure which one to go for though, it seems an NSCA cert is better to get than an ACE cert. Can anyone offer some insight on this?

[Kurt Hessenbruch]

I was thinking of getting my training cert before I go back to school this winter. I am not sure which one to go for though, it seems an NSCA cert is better to get than an ACE cert. Can anyone offer some insight on this?

Yes, you are correct. Get your CSCS or CPT from NSCA, depending on what kind of training you want to do.

*edit: If you feel you need it, that is.

[Patrick McGuffin]

You have to have a bachelors of scinece for the CSCS.... if I remember correctly.

[Ryan Bracewell]

If you are going to train at a chain gym such as Gold's Gym, 24-hour, Bally's, etc. then the best possible cert to get is NASM-cpt. Not because its the best one out there, but because it is the one that those companies prefer you to have. Many of them will require you to get it even if you have another cert or even a degree in the field. I was a fitness manager(head trainer) for a Gold's Gym, and I was forced(by my boss) to make one of my trainers get an NASM cert when they had a BS in kinesiology. Pretty dumb, but thats how corporations are.

If you are getting it for personal knowledge or freelance training, then I wouls go NSCA-cpt all the way, then get your CSCS later if you plan to stay in the Biz. NSCA is by the the most useful certs you can get.

[chrisklavette]

I think the level 1 oly WL coach cert is good. Oly lifting is the most dynamic way to train any athletes in just about all sports. I know most big ten schools are using O lifting to enhance their athletes and most schools will probably be gravitating towards O lifting for performance.

http://www.eventbrite.com/event/130240553/

[Matt Brouse]

Is this for doing personal training or for training athletes? Or both?

NASM is also required by Lifetime Fitness, Inc. which is one of, if not the, number one growing club and number one money maker in the country.

Many clubs will have specific requirements or certifications they prefer so look into that before anything, I'd say.

[John Schuna]

This is a tricky question. Its going to vary based on what you would like to do career wise and then where exactly you are trying to get a job.

The NSCA - CSCS or CPT do tend to carry more weight than others such as the ACE, AFPA, NFPT, ISSA, etc., etc. There's so many I won't bother listing them all. Ryan is correct in his statement about the NASM garnering a lot of resume power among many of the top commercial gyms in this country. Personally, I don't care for Mike Clark (president of NASM) or any of his certifications for that matter. Not that they don't have value, but I'm just not a big fan.

You do need a bachelors degree in order to hold the CSCS credential from the NSCA. However, you are allowed to sit and take the exam during your senior year of undergraduate college. You will not receive your credential until you actually graduate and send the appropriate paperwork in. The NSCA - CPT credential does not require a degree though and is in my opinion one of the better personal training credentials.

I think Chris Klavetter was referring to the USAW Level I Club Coach certification in his post. A very good credential to hold; however, recent changes to the requirements for this certification require that you have a registered USAW athlete that you coach prior to completing the coaching course. This stipulation was created to shift people towards the USAW's other entry level certification - The Sport Performance Coach certification. The overflow of strength coaches taking the Club Coach course apparently became too much to handle for the USAW.

The USAW credentials have the advantage in terms of their hands-on component which are rarely addressed by any other credentials. Very good courses, but again you must decide whether or not they apply to your need.

Lastly, the most comprehensive and toughest credential to obtain, is the Strength and Conditioning Coach Certified distinction from the CSCCa (Collegiate Strength and Conitioning Coaches Association). Significant hands-on as well as written portion with supervision from top-level collegiate strength coaches during the hands-on portion. However, in my personal opinion, and this is just an opinion, the CSCCa is controlled and rooted in the old ways of the football strength coach dinosaurs. Founding members include Boyd Epley (Founder NSCA, former Strength Coach at Nebraska), Jeff "Mad-Dog" Madden (Strength Coach at Texas), and Chuck Stiggins (Former Strength Coach at BYU).

Hope this helps.

[Matt Brouse]

I was hoping you'd chime in John. Good stuff.

[Lou Torres]

This is a tricky question. Its going to vary based on what you would like to do career wise and then where exactly you are trying to get a job.

The NSCA - CSCS or CPT do tend to carry more weight than others such as the ACE, AFPA, NFPT, ISSA, etc., etc. There's so many I won't bother listing them all. Ryan is correct in his statement about the NASM garnering a lot of resume power among many of the top commercial gyms in this country. Personally, I don't care for Mike Clark (president of NASM) or any of his certifications for that matter. Not that they don't have value, but I'm just not a big fan.

You do need a bachelors degree in order to hold the CSCS credential from the NSCA. However, you are allowed to sit and take the exam during your senior year of undergraduate college. You will not receive your credential until you actually graduate and send the appropriate paperwork in. The NSCA - CPT credential does not require a degree though and is in my opinion one of the better personal training credentials.

I think Chris Klavetter was referring to the USAW Level I Club Coach certification in his post. A very good credential to hold; however, recent changes to the requirements for this certification require that you have a registered USAW athlete that you coach prior to completing the coaching course. This stipulation was created to shift people towards the USAW's other entry level certification - The Sport Performance Coach certification. The overflow of strength coaches taking the Club Coach course apparently became too much to handle for the USAW.

The USAW credentials have the advantage in terms of their hands-on component which are rarely addressed by any other credentials. Very good courses, but again you must decide whether or not they apply to your need.

Lastly, the most comprehensive and toughest credential to obtain, is the Strength and Conditioning Coach Certified distinction from the CSCCa (Collegiate Strength and Conitioning Coaches Association). Significant hands-on as well as written portion with supervision from top-level collegiate strength coaches during the hands-on portion. However, in my personal opinion, and this is just an opinion, the CSCCa is controlled and rooted in the old ways of the football strength coach dinosaurs. Founding members include Boyd Epley (Founder NSCA, former Strength Coach at Nebraska), Jeff "Mad-Dog" Madden (Strength Coach at Texas), and Chuck Stiggins (Former Strength Coach at BYU).

Hope this helps.

This is really good info...thanks alot..I'm honestly just starting heading down this road now....if dont mind Im going to Pm you with some more questions.

[JimmyHerbst]

Thanks alot for the responses everyone, much appreciated. For me personally, this will be a job I pursue while I go back to school for the next couple of years. So I may end up training at a chain gym if I can't find some place more appropriate.