Personal Training certification...so many choices!?!?

As I continue on my journey to transform my body and my life, I keep considering the idea of becoming certified as a personal trainer. Not necessarily to make money or leave my job, especially since I enjoy my job I have now. However, I have always had a thirst for knowledge and I find that as I transform my body and my life, more and more people are taking notice and asking questions.

However, I hesitate to offer advice, especially since I am not necessarily "schooled" in fitness and/or nutrition. I kind of pick things up, draw on others, and make things work for me. But I want to do more...I find that I want to help others.

I think pursuing a certification would:

Begin to quench my thirst for knowledge
Bring confidence/credibility to advice I might give others
Allow me the opportunity to earn extra money on the side...should I ever decide to
Allow me an outlet to grow and nurture a passion that is developing within me

I have begun looking around and there are so many certifications out there. Which are the best ones, the most educational, the most practical, the ones that offer the ability for continuing education?

I am all ears to anyone that wants to point me in a direction.

Do others feel the same way as me?

Tags: advice, certfication, transformation

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Permalink Reply by Corey Light on February 23, 2010 at 6:14pm

It depends what you are looking for and how much previous knowledge you have before getting certified. Different certifications cost more or less money. Avoid going to a gym where they will train you to become a personal trainer there, because if you quit or get fired, that training is useless when looking for a job at a gym that requires you to be nationally certified. I am certified through American Council on Exercise. It's an incredibly reputable organization that will help you get your carreer started even after you get certified. It isn't easy nor is is cheap (around $700 all said and done with the exam plus cpr/aed cert. which is another $60-70 plus continuing education which is a rip off imo if you go through them). I have been working out since I was 8 years old, so I was highly experienced before getting certified. I truly believe that about 75% of what I know now I knew before I got certified, as they don't delve too deeply into the actual exercises you might have a client do, as they touch on basic exercises and focus on anatomy, exercise science, and the business of personal training. You might want to choose something different if you don't know a lot, but there are many reputable organizations such as ACE, ACSM, NCSM, and NCSF.
Here is a good link if you are really interested in getting certified:

Getting certified is a lot of work, but it is an incredibly rewarding job. There's nothing more satisfying than watching people improve in the gym and helping them lead healthier lifestyles. In some cases you could even be saving their lives. Hope this helps.

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Permalink Reply by Jeff on February 23, 2010 at 11:37pm

Hey man, I'm certified through ACSM. Like with ACE it doesn't delve into creating workout routines too much, but it does give a pretty solid foundation in anatomy and kinesiology, so if you're interested in broadening your education you might enjoy it.