I am specifically wondering which certification(s) to get. I heard NASM is one of the best. Any other tips or advice would be appreciated.

I apologize if I put this in the wrong section. I couldn't really decide which section made the most sense.

Thanks,

Derrick

Derrick - If you're really interested, you should PM Steve or visit him at his forum (I know it's linked from the bottom fo his posts). If I were interested in becoming a PT, he's the guy I'd go to for advice.

Thanks Kara, I will do that. I am definitely going to do this. I wanted to in college but I let my dad and my brother-in-law talk me out of it. I probably talked myself out of it also. I was only in shape for brief moments in college anyway. Today I'm a totally different person and I feel the time is right.

Hi derrick,

im a personal trainer and strength coach to super league rugby team here in the uk. ive been in the industry a while. firstly it would depend on what direction you want to go in with it?

NASM is a good base which is important, although if you have already studied sport at college etc i would seriously look at just doing the best courses in the industry, CHEK Institute for PT and rehab/corrective exercise, Charles Polequin's courses if you want to be the best of the best, he trains the most olypic athletes at every olympics with the best results, his courses are the leaders throughout the industry.

Apart from that observe everything, i always learn by analysisng my environment, people, movements etc.

and the best bit of knowledge i can give to anyone is learn the human body inside out, especially your anatomy, it will make you god and be able to draw conclusions on anything!

good luck, ben

Hey thanks Ben. The anatomy advice is great. That makes a lot of sense.

My passion lies in helping overweight individuals achieve their goals since I have been overweight myself and I know what it takes pysically and especially mentally to overcome the hurdles. However, I would certainly not turn down clients who are already in good shape. I am sure as my knowledge improves my direction could shift or evolve so to speak. Sports wise I currently train for sprint distance triathlons with swimming being my best sport. I am also a beginner at martial arts with some skill in striking. I have no idea whether any of that knowledge will help. Who knows, maybe the gym I go work for will let me start a swim program that works out a couple times per week? In addition to the typical floor training that goes on of course.

if helping overweight people is your key goal then this would be my suggestion, do the NASM to get a good grounding in everything, then do the CHEK exercise coach course to build on that, then on the diet side of things i would suggest the CHEK lifestyle coach course and then build on that with becoming an advanced metabolic typing advisor.

Hope that helps

Hey thanks a lot man. Good stuff.

Did you get my PM replies? Before CHEK or Poliquin courses I'd suggesting going with the only nationally accredited program out there... NSCA. Better yet, assuming you're going to be working for someone (a gym), I'd figure out what they like their trainers to have. That'll make all the difference in deciding which cert to go with.

hi steve, the NSCA is national strength and condition association in the US right?

but yes good advice in terms of where you think you will work whether employed or self-employed.

Steve what is your background of training? i assume you are based in the US? ben

Hey Ben,

Yes, I'm based in the U.S. And you're correct... NSCA = National Strength & Conditioning Association.

Their cPT cert is quality as far as certifications go and their CSCS is the gold standard in this industry right now as far as strength and conditioning for athletes.

Truthfully... this industry is failing in the sense that there aren't rigorous standards for calling oneself a personal trainer. This coming from someone without a degree, mind you. I started a masters in exercise physiology and frankly... it just wasn't doing anything for me.

There are very few barriers to entry in this profession. To boot, any certification, I don't care which... even if it's the best of the best... it's simply the tip of the tip of the iceberg.

The human body is too complex and dynamic to have one certification cover all facets of human body and performance. Which isn't a problem, really. The problem lies in the fact that most so-called professionals stop the learning process as soon as they pass their certification exam.

If you're going to be a truly informed trainer, you should be well versed in biology, physiology, physics (energy, biomechanics, etc), anatomy/kinesiology, chemistry, etc. as well as all the subset sciences that are born from these areas of study.

You're not going to become competent in all these fields simply by reading a certification text book. Frankly, all these texts do are prepare you for passing their exam. That's it.

My background? Truthfully not all that impressive. Two degrees in unaffiliated fields of study. Thankfully, knowledge/education comes by way of multiple paths. The fact I'm a huge nerd and love science didn't hurt. I'd finish my masters if it meant more rigorous standards would be placed on the field. Shit, I'd pay double for the degree if it meant less bozos would find their way into gyms in charge of people's health.

I currently train out of the suburbs of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. My partner and I own a training center where we train a wide array of individuals. Right now I have a client who is 570 lbs and another looking to increase velocity in his pitch and reduce injury potential so he has better chances of getting picked up by a major university to play ball. Like I said, it's a wide array of people we deal with.

I've been training for the better part of a decade.

If you have any further questions, I'm all ears.

Hi Steve, I finally replied to your PM. I had some family issues last week that required me to be away from the computer a lot. Sorry I am just now getting back to this thread.

Just so everyone knows, my gym does want the NASM afterall. They accept others but none mentioned here. Of the ones the accept they told me to get the NASM. This is just to allow me to get a job with them. Anything I want to do in life I go all out and try to be the best I can be. I am interested in numberous facets of diet and exercise. I believe I have the ability to connect with all kinds of people. Now I just want to make sure I have the knowledge to be a great personal trainer. The certification is just the start.

Awesome Derrick. Use NASM to get your feet in the door and gain experience. The learning process really comes AFTER getting certified.

its funny you say that steve...not to change the subject...but you know i'm a nursing student and I've also been told that most of what i'll actually need to know I'll learn after I graduate, on the job training...weird how that works that way huh??

i totally agree, i did work in a pretty mainstream gym and none of the trainers ever learned a morsal of new information once they had doen their certs and it drives me mad working out and watching what they do with their clients.

As long as you have the thirst to keep on learning it doesnt matter what the certs are, its your hunger for knowledge that will keep you ahead of the pack.

Im plannig on doing some polequin stuff as soon as, friends have done it and the info is awesome plus i need a cert recorgnised by everyone as mine are all certs from private institutions which are great for the knowledge but not so good as being recorgnised in the industry.

Nice to hear from you steve. ben

Haha, yea Ben, I feel you. I've worked in a number of chain gyms and it's appalling what these trainers are doing. The "functional training" movement has only worsened the problem. That's why we finally opened our own facility.

We have some trainers that train under us and we demand continuing education. We hold seminars. And we actually do some consulting in gyms where we work with owners/managers on improving hiring standards, continuing education programs for their training staff, etc.

Is Poliquin heavily recognized where you are?

Frankly, I've read Poliquin forever. He's a brilliant guy and has put out some awesome stuff in the past. That said, in the last few years, he's lost a lot of respect here in the states. His information has sort of slid. His certs are nowhere near as recognized here in the stats as something like the CSCS... like I said... that's the gold standard.