Just took the NSCA-CPT...

[JimmyHerbst]

I found the test to be alot easier than I had expected, which in a way worries me a little, haha. But for those of you that have taken the CPT and the CSCS - how much harder is the CSCS when compared to the CPT? I have read it could take a couple of years of study to be fully prepared for the test?

[Billy Wolt]

cool dude. What are your plans?

[James Whisman]

Congrats on the CPT. The CSCS ia tough but not that tough. They sell practice test and study material which are taken straight from the test just be prepired to break the bank to buy it. I passed on my first try but sat next to a girl who was on her third. I heard her say she was a bar tender so I'm not sure she was totally serious about it. Good luck, if you have any questions feel free to ask.

[JimmyHerbst]

cool dude. What are your plans?

Well getting laid off a couple of months ago put a fire under my ass to get some things accomplished that I hadn't had the itme to do before. Becoming a certified trainer was one of those things. So right now until I find a facility of my own, I am just going to continue training my friends and perhaps get in at a NYSC in the meantime. This way I can have the experience of dealing "strangers" and get more of a feel for the business end of things.



Thanks for the insight James, hopefully it will just going to take me this one time. I only studied for a couple of weeks before the test but I still feel I had a good handle on 90% of the material and the other stuff I feel I had at least a decent idea.

[Kevin Cronin]

Good news/bad news

Bad news is that if you do get into a NYSC they're gonna want you to get the NASM CPT. Now there is the possibility that a) I am misremembering things and/or b) things have changed in the last few years, but if neither of those are the case, when I was there they (corporate) were moving away from "encouraging" you to get your NASM and towards "requiring" it, regardless of what other certs you had

Good news is that if you DO get your CSCS (and I think meet certain client minimums) you're considered a master trainer - now unfortunately there's a good news/bad news subset to that as well. Good news is that you'll be making more as a master trainer. If I recall correctly, if you bill something like 40 client hours over the course of a pay period (2 weeks) then you're making approx $45/hour - in fact, I would hope that that had gone up over the course of the last 2, 3 years. Bad news is that your clients get charged more than they will for a regular trainer, so you'll probably be getting almost zero walk-ins (ie, people who just want A personal trainer, ANY trainer and you get them almost by luck of the draw). If you're able to build up great word-of-mouth, this is little to no problem, but that's easier said than done, isn't it?

EDIT to add: If you are serious about getting your CSCS I would do that sooner rather than later. Right now you're required to have a 4 year degree to get your CSCS, but I've heard that they want to make that a 4 year degree IN A RELATED FIELD - ex phys, kines, anatomy, etc etc. I'm not 100% sure when, for all I know it may've already gone through (not as up on that stuff as I used to be) but unless you have a degree in one of those fields, time may be of the essence.

[Benjamin Kieren]

I found the test to be alot easier than I had expected, which in a way worries me a little, haha. But for those of you that have taken the CPT and the CSCS - how much harder is the CSCS when compared to the CPT? I have read it could take a couple of years of study to be fully prepared for the test?



I don't know if the rules have changed, but from what my advisor told me, you have to have a college degree or be in your senior year in college to take CSCS, so that should make it more difficult than CPT. Im assuming that you have already graduated college. With that being said, all you reallly have to do is refresh your knowledge (buy the study guides) and I think you'll be alright. I know a lot of friends who have taken it and they said it was easy, but then again, they are fitness junkies, so what they find easy could be difficult for others.

Im going to take mine this year, and everybody told me its not as hard as it sounds, so i'll be expecting a walk through the park. I've been studying pretty much everyday, so I think I got it down. I'd imagine for normal ppl it would be difficult, but since you've studied this throughout college, I don't think you would have a problem with it as long as you look over the study guides.

[JimmyHerbst]

Good news/bad news

Bad news is that if you do get into a NYSC they're gonna want you to get the NASM CPT. Now there is the possibility that a) I am misremembering things and/or b) things have changed in the last few years, but if neither of those are the case, when I was there they (corporate) were moving away from "encouraging" you to get your NASM and towards "requiring" it, regardless of what other certs you had

Good news is that if you DO get your CSCS (and I think meet certain client minimums) you're considered a master trainer - now unfortunately there's a good news/bad news subset to that as well. Good news is that you'll be making more as a master trainer. If I recall correctly, if you bill something like 40 client hours over the course of a pay period (2 weeks) then you're making approx $45/hour - in fact, I would hope that that had gone up over the course of the last 2, 3 years. Bad news is that your clients get charged more than they will for a regular trainer, so you'll probably be getting almost zero walk-ins (ie, people who just want A personal trainer, ANY trainer and you get them almost by luck of the draw). If you're able to build up great word-of-mouth, this is little to no problem, but that's easier said than done, isn't it?


Is it the NASM that's required? I have a friend who was training at an NYSC up until last year and he is NSCA certified. I'll have to give him a call, but who knows maybe it's changed since then.

As far as the master trainer situation, that does seem like a predicament. So the possibility of making a nice income is there, but the problem is actually finding the clients who have the money to spend. I think maybe if one were to get a position in the city or in one of the more affluent long island areas it might be easier to find those types of clients who'd be willing/able to spend that extra money on themselves or their children.

Thanks for dropping the 411, yo! :D

[Ryan Bracewell]

Not sure what NYSC is, but im assuming it is some club in New York.

Anyways, part of being a good trainer is your sales skills. If you are a "master trainer" because you have a CSCS, you should be able to sell your future customers on the fact that you are that much better than the lower level trainers and worth the extra money.

[Kevin Cronin]

Not sure what NYSC is, but im assuming it is some club in New York.

Anyways, part of being a good trainer is your sales skills. If you are a "master trainer" because you have a CSCS, you should be able to sell your future customers on the fact that you are that much better than the lower level trainers and worth the extra money.
Master trainer has nothing to do with how good you are, New York Sports Club just has different levels of trainers - floor trainer, pro trainer, master trainer