apex certification

by Ann
(Indiana)

I just started working for a gym that requires all trainers, regardless of prior certification, to get "APEX" certified. I still don't know much about it. They are taking $50 out of each paycheck to pay for the certification. Does anyone know how this compares to the well-known certifications?

Comments for apex certification

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APEX
by: Anonymous

I assume you are talking about the APEX workshops thar offer discounted AFAA certifications once a year. AFAA is nationally recognized and a good comprehensive certification accepted at most facilities.

Apex Supplements
by: Sabrina

or are you referring to Apex supplements? I know if you work for 24 Hour Fitness you need to be Apex certified and I've seen some other gyms carry their products as well.

I think as far as supplements go, Apex is a good company, I'm not crazy about most of their snacks/meal replacements though. Some are too sweet and some just don't taste good. It's a personal preference.

APEX
by: wayne

APEX is 24 hr fitness suppliment line. the certification is just a piece of paper saying that you have been trained in the use of the sups and how to sell them.

APEX = Cheap Cert for big gyms to aquire more trainers.
by: Anonymous

Yeah, 24 Hour Fitness requires you to get certified by APEX to train in their gyms. I know a few trainers that don't even have real certfications or educational backgrounds. 24hr will just give you this DVD to take home, you watch it, study it, take a 50 question test and bam...you're a certified personal trainer for 24! From what I heard, its about how to treat clients, sell products and avoid legal problems. I'm currently trying to get a job at 24hr myself and have done the research by simply asking the trainers at the gym. Most are just gym rats that'll enter stuff into the computer and make you do that work out while spotting you(and you can find that out by google'ing most stuff about trainers at big gyms).

My mom signed up with me at the gym for the first time. She got a trainer who had only been working out for 6 months! No previous knowledge, education or training...and 24 got her APEX certified. Needless to say, my mom went home sore and totally against trainers. I had a real trainer (free session only) that was ACE and NASM certified. You could TOTALLY tell the difference on who knew their stuff.

I'd say, the certification is useless, but it's a way for the big gyms to know exactly what you're being 'certified' on. Just to cover their backs and to get more trainers. The more trainers you have, the better chance you have of people buying plans. But, I'm still willing to get a job there until I finish my degree.

PS. I am a NSCA-CPT and asked a friend who is currently employed by 24 Hour on how they operate. These were pretty much his exact words.

apex? I'm sorry
by: Anonymous

It's a bull @#$t exam that 24hr fitness makes you take. Easy but annoying and a waste of time, don't expect any other gyms to accept it.

The truth about apex
by: Joe Bartovic NASM-CPT,PES WITS-CPT Lvl III

I AM an Apex Certified Fitness Professional ( apex Fit-pro ) and I think is important to clarify for many of you who don't know what the apex certification is.

First off, It is a weight management system that incorporates their 5 components of fitness. cardio ( guidelines from ACSM ), food plan ( menu program from ADA ), supplements ( made by phoenix labs ), resistance ( guidelines by NASM ), personal assistance ( you, the trainer ).

The cert. is only used at Apex licensed gyms ( like 24hr. ) who then tell new hires they have to have it to work there. This is where it get problematic, If you have no prior certifications most new trainers DO NOT have the experience to successfully guide their clients to their goals. Not a bad cert. or program as a whole, just some bad gyms who are not fully using all it has to offer and novice trainers who should get a better primary cert. before going to get a job as a trainer.

I have helped my clients together lose over 10,000 lbs using the Apex system. Apex works, but the trainer has to know how to use it.

Joe Bartovic
NASM-CPT,PES / WITS CPT-Lvl III / apex Fit-pro
myspace.com/joefit4u

AFAA and APEX...
by: DFox

I noticed that APEX is being discussed above, but I am considering getting certified as a Personal Trainer through the Aerobics and Fitness Association of America (AFAA) and I have heard that this is a great course/certification for those new to the field. I am just confused because the AFAA page mentions APEX and I am wondering if these are the same things... PLEASE HELP!!!

expiration
by: Anonymous

Does the APEX certification expire??

Make sure it's accredited
by: Amanda

I am an ACE (American Council on Exercise) certified personal trainer and I will tell anyone looking to get certified as a personal trainer to go on the NCCA website an make sure the certification they are looking in to is accredited. ACE is a great one!!!

APEX Cert
by: Anonymous

Some on here have said that 24 hour fitness will accept just this cert for you to train clients there.
I worked for 24 a few years ago and was required to go to the workshop and get the Apex Trainer FitPro Cert before i could take on clients, but I could have never gotten hired if I were not already certified by a nationally accredited certification. (24 hour prefers NASM). Legally I don't think that a corporation that size would risk the liability of hiring an uncertified trainer to work with their patrons. It is fundamentally a good guidline for trainers who are just starting out and need to have a reasonably applicable understanding of general health and nutrition.
It's possible i guess that 24 hour fitness location is allowing someone with nothing more than the Apex cert to work with a clientele, but they shouldn't. It's not wise to put a customer's health and well being in the hands of an undereducated "trainer".

AFAA/APEX
by: Anonymous

AFAA has a Personal Fitness Trainer certification. They also have what they call APEX twice a year offering certifications at a discounted price - you still have to do the home study etc before attending the APEX weekend certifications.

As far as certifications go, I am in an area where there are a lot of higher-end health clubs and AFAA certs are not considered accepted. Unfortunately I found out after I got my certification. I have a number of private clients right now so I am in no rush, but I am considering another certification in Group Fitness by a more highly accepted organization.

I'm Nasm cpt, pes, trainer over 15 years
by: Anonymous

APEX is good, I used to be certified by them,

24 hour fitness is a joke, the way they treat there staff and members is a joke. LA Fitnes will eventualy buy them out

Get your facts straight
by: Anonymous

I was recently hired at a 24 hr fitness facility. You MUST have a nationally recognized certification to work there as a trainer. In fact they encourage you to obtain three certs. They have never mentioned an Apex Fitness cert. The gym itself and company is very well ran and very professional. I have been to many gyms includint LA fitness. 24 Hour just blows them away.

Apex Certification
by: Justin

The Apex certification is very good. The 24 Hour Fitness I worked for required new hires to earn the Apex cert. It took one week, eight hours a day and culminated in a comprehensive exam. We were on the clock and paid for the training. I still have the massive training manual as a reference. The more certs you have, the more money you make at 24 Hour - it's a good pay plan that encourages professional development and benefits clients.

APEX
by: Anonymous

I've been certified through APEX since 2008. It is a joke. If you plan on becoming a fitness professional you will get only ONE certification and then grow into a specialty such as Muscle Activation (MAT) or Active Release Techniques (ART). Also, if you want personal training to become a career you will also look into becoming a Resistance Training Specialist (RTS). Once you finish training/testing with these programs then you can raise your price point up $50 minimum.

I'm certified through ACSM, CIAR-biomechanics (Dallas), APEX, Kinesis-functional exercise progression. I have a B.S. in Psychology and a B.E.S.S in Exercise and Sports Science. I'm currently in the process of my M.S. in Kinesiology.

From my experience in the industry working at various places all of the certs/degrees above are only equal to the experiences I have gained (which you don't get to see until you work with your trainer).

Therefore, you need to get your measly certification/degree out of the way (doesn't matter which one as long as it is accredited by the NCCA) then you can start working towards acquiring information that will actually help your clients such as MAT/ART/RTS or even certain books or continuing education classes. Those specialty certs are expensive, but you get to pay more.

Good Luck

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