Certifications accepted by both 24 Hour Fitness and Club One

I've been considering becoming certified and learned that if you want to work at a major gym, these are the only certifications accepted by both 24 Hour Fitness and Club One (though Club one also expects you to have a 4 year degree or a 2 year certification from a college in a related field) Each Gym accepts some others but if you want one certification which gives you the best chances for employment, these are the only four accepted by both chains.

American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM)
American Council on Exercise (ACE)
National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM)
National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA)

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NSCA and NASM
by: Will

NSCA has good science.
NASM has a good marketing model / concept.
I have both.

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NASM is a joke
by: Anonymous

NASM is a marketing tool more than a personal training certification. It's purpose is to delay clients' progress so they are required to purchase more personal training to get the results they desire. That's why NASM has their OPT model. It's designed to very slowly take a client through an endless series of levels. On paper this seems like a good idea because it ensures that a client will not risk overtraining. But, as a NASM-certified trainer myself with many years of experience, what this really does is line the pockets of the company the trainer works for. The big gym chains love the NASM OPT model because it creates an environment where the clients don't get the results they want soon enough so they (with prodding from their trainers) decide to purchase more training in hopes of eventually seeing those results. Many clients will get angry after spending lots of money on personal training to lose weight only to have the trainer have them standing on stability pads and pulling on elastic bands. Smart clients, after not seeing results, will NOT purchase further training and will tell other gym members that personal training is a waste of money. However, there are more clients who will fall for this scam than there are smart clients, so the gyms prefer to hire NASM-certified trainers. I would advise any trainer to stay away from NASM and spend their energies pursuing other certifications.

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Personal Training
by: Kas

Good personal trainers will make sure their clients get the the results they are looking for or better.

I always do everything possible to ensure that my client gets as close to the results they desire or better. I do everything I can so that my clients are happy.

I troubleshoot when something is not working and use nutrition techniques for clients with problems such as diabetes (which makes muscle building a real challenge especially if a client is not into changing their nutrition too much) to make sure that my client gets the absolute best product possible.

The top personal trainers are those that get their clients maximum results.

This philosophy is good for the trainer in terms of referrals which is what I use as a way to drive business for myself as well as making my client happy. They know I am not holding anything back and that I am a top level person in my field.

If personal trainers used the referral strategy, they would not have to worry about keeping a client or worry about new business coming in.

The referral strategy ensures that:

1. Your reputation remains at the highest level possible.

Reputation in business is of utmost importance.

This satisfies both moral and business responsibilities.

Customer service is the key to success in any business. People will gravitate to top end customer service even if the business is not as good as another comparable business. This is human nature, people do not like the bad guy. They gravitate to the good guy.

2. Clients get the results they desire and are happy or more than happy with your effort, knowledge, and intention of helping them attain their goals.

3. A happy/satisfied client will refer you to other people thereby driving your business.

Using the referral method, there is no need to hold back knowledge and results from your client in fear of losing business.

Thank you for your time.

Certifications accepted by both 24 Hour Fitness and Club One

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