Certification: ACSM ACSM Certified Personal Trainer - ACSM Certified Personal Trainer
Fitness training is one of the fastest growing careers as the population demographic begins to skew older and people are beginning to be more concerned with their health and longevity. Of course, one must be congenial and with an upbeat personality and have the skills to motivate and encouraging clients. It is also important to be a good listener, in order to properly assess a clients goals and individual needs.
A career as a fitness trainer has a median salary of $31,000 or about $15 an hour. The responsibilities are myriad and can be anything from working individually with clients to leading group classes. A common career path is from personal trainer to a management position and there are many sub areas in which a trainer can specialize.
A number of people are choosing to make fitness training a second career as they become concerned about their own fitness and health. It is often advantageous to an older person, as many who desire one-on-one training prefer to work with someone closer in age.
Three paths to becoming a personal trainer:
1. Some facilities or companies will hire trainers who possess a basic high school diploma, however most require additional training and/or education. The club or facility may even pay for the employee to become certified. The learning curve is steep and many employers do not want to spend the time or money required to train someone to train others
2. Ideally a candidate for personal trainer would have a higher degree, such as a bachelor’s in exercise science, physical education, kinesiology, or similar area. This credential is often the best means to a career path that leads to management or entrepreneurship.
3. There are also many organizations that offer certifications. The following are among the top organizations that offer such certification, however there are likely a dozen or more bodies that offer certification as a personal trainer.
ASM (American College of Sports Medicine) Certification
One path to becoming a certified personal trainer is to pass the ASM exam. The ASM not only administers the exam, but they provide study materials at a fairly substantial cost. The most cost effective option is to purchase all three study guides for $143.48. These include ASCM’s Resources for the Personal Trainer, ASCM’s Guidelines for Exercise Testing & Prescription, and ASCM’s Certification Review. ASCM recommends attending one or more of their workshops or webinars in further preparation for the exam.
The exams are offered through Pearson VUE, which is a computer testing organization with more than 5,000 testing centers. The actual exam costs $219 for ACSM members, $279 for non-members, and if a retest is needed the fee is $150.
After certification, depending on the type of certification, a certificate holder must re-certify after three years. There is a fee associated with recertification along with a required number of continuing education credits (CECs).
ACE (American Council on Exercise (ACE)
This organization offers three different study bundles to prepare for its exam.
These include: Standard at a cost of $599, which includes the ACE Personal Trainer Manual, an exam voucher, and access to the ACE Academy, which offers guided email, a practice test, exam review, and access to the ACE Resource Center.
The Premium package at $699 adds an upgraded version of the ACE academy called Ace Academy Elite, which includes video lectures and a second practice test;ACE’s Essentials Of Exercise For Fitness Professionals;Essentials of Exercise Science Flashcards; and a study guide called: Master The Manual.
The Premium Plus option at $799 adds an iPad app that allows access to the Ace Academy Elite resources, and a retest voucher.
To recertify for an ACE certificate a certificate holder must complete a total of 20 hours of CEC every two years.
Furthermore ACE requires that its fitness professionals not undertake any of the following: diagnose, prescribe, treat, counsel, or work with “patients.” All of this is to insure that clients do not have a misunderstanding of the scope of the fitness professionals’ expertise.
NASM (National Academy of Sports Medicine)
The NASM offers a CPT (Certified Personal Trainer) exam. The organization offersa number packages to achieve this goal. It is the most comprehensive offering of all three organizations.
If one wants to pay only to take the exam, the cost is $599.
The CPT Self-Study package includes, in addition, a textbook, online CPT materials, and a flashcard bundle at a cost of $699.
The CPT Self-Study With Live Workshop adds the online workshop and an Exam Prep Super Bundle at a cost of $849.
The CPT Online Classroom, adds CPT e Teach, which is an online learning and structured study plan. The cost is $999.
CPT All Access With Job Guarantee adds a free retest and a 60-daymoney back guarantee in finding a job. The cost is $1,499
Associate Personal Trainer Experience With Job Guarantee adds hands-on, in club training. This extra training gives experience with assessment, tailored program design, application of exercise techniques, marketing training and business development, small group training, tips and tools to further understanding of the fitness industry. The cost for this program is $1,999.
Associate Personal Trainer Experience Powered by Life Time Academy adds a live 8-week professional trainer “externship” at Life Time Fitness upon certification.
NASM offers a financing program for all programs, beginning at $50 a month for the basic package.
In addition to fitness trainer certification, NASM offers many specialized credentials.
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