Does it matter which personal training certification you get?

by Sarah
(Louisiana)

I'm currently studying for my personal training certification with NCSF (National Council on Strength and Fitness). It is accredited and has testing centers and schools all over the US. However, I'm a little concerned because some personal trainers I have talked with do not recognize this certification.

Does it really matter what certification you get? When applying for a job, are you going to be judged highly on the type of certification, even though there are so many options out there?

In advance, thanks for your input!

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Does It Matter Which Cert You Get?
by: Jeff Moore

Hi,
When it comes to certifications there are many to choose from. I would definitely go with one that is NCCA accredited. But, the agency you choose depends on a couple of things. One being to find out if the gym you want to work for accepts that cert. Another, is how serious you are about being a trainer, it would be crazy to shell out thousands of dollars on a cert. At least your first one anyways. Best advice find out which ones your local gym accepts, go with the cheaper one at first. Education is ongoing in the PT field, so you can always go bigger and better with your certs. Good Luck

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PT?
by: Robby

Im in school to be a DPT and would like to get my certification for Personal Training. Not wanting to make spend a lot of money or time because I need all the money and time to devote towards school. It's not a big problem but one that bothers me since I have spent 8 years of schooling to be overlooked and compared to personal trainers and massage therapists. PT stands for Physical Therapy not Personal Training.

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PT? abbreviated
by: Jeff Moore

When I used PT in my post I was abbreviating personal training. Since this is a personal training site I thought people would figure that out. I see your side also! It would be different if a person who is a trainer used PT after their name, but that rarely happens. Alot of trainers also have thousands of dollars wrapped up in degrees and certifications. It bothers us when people think we are just uneducated meatheads. Also when people can't differentiate personal trainers, athletic trainers, physical therapists etc. So when people ask me, I always explain the difference, so that they will understand the role we play in the fitness industry. I have had clients recommended to me after they went through physical therapy, they definitely know the difference! The best thing we can do is educate the people we work with. Good luck with your education. And hope you enjoy personal training!

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Yes it does.
by: Anonymous

Like said above it really matters who you want to work for and who they accept or like the most. I've talked to many gyms and many personal trainers and the organiztions NSCA, NASM, and ACSM keep coming up as the best. Thats just my research.

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