certifications?

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-29-2003
certifications?
17
Fri, 10-28-2005 - 6:06pm
For the personal trainers: is there a best certification? I've found many different places willing to give you a paper that says you're a personal trainer... but is there one (or several) you guys would consider the most thorough?

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iVillage Member
Registered: 09-02-2004
In reply to: coelura
Fri, 10-28-2005 - 7:10pm
The one I've heard is the best in the US is ACE. My certification is from Can Fit Pro, which is the best known in this country.




Lilypie First Birthday tickers
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-20-2003
In reply to: coelura
Fri, 10-28-2005 - 9:14pm
I'd go with ACE, probably.





iVillage Member
Registered: 08-29-2003
In reply to: coelura
Fri, 10-28-2005 - 9:23pm

ACE I think only requires the 4 year degree if you don't take their course, as far as I can tell. The next exam here is Nov 5; obviously wouldn't be ready for that, but then there's one in spring.

There's also a WITS instructor in La Jolla, the bachelor's degree at San Diego State, an extension certificate in personal fitness training, also from SDSU, and multitudes of others. There was one that looked really convenient, but the practicum part you had to videotape yourself and submit it, rather than doing it in person (Nat'l Ass'n for Fitness Certification - I found the link through the Nat'l Board of dang, something or other!). Also here in SD is IDEA.

I'm overwhelmed!

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-29-2003
In reply to: coelura
Fri, 10-28-2005 - 9:50pm

Here's the extension thing...

http://www.ces.sdsu.edu/trainer_online.html

I wonder if it would be good to do something like that? It's 6 weeks, and has an internship thing at the end. Then while interning I could look at the "bigger" certifications? Or maybe it would be enough to sit for the exam?

The Bachelor's in Exercise & Nutritional Science at SDSU (http://coursecat.sdsu.edu/0506/ENS.pdf) looks really cool and interesting too, but a lot more expensive, and longer to achieve (although since I have a BS, I think I have a good number of the courses if they allow them).

PS I think the first thing, since it seems so straightforward, will be to take a CPR class. I took one 5 or 6 years ago, but even though it was an official class, the instructor was a guy I was dating at the time... we broke up and I never got the card... but it would be expired by now anyway!




Edited 10/28/2005 9:55 pm ET by coelura
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-20-2003
In reply to: coelura
Fri, 10-28-2005 - 9:55pm

Have you checked with the local community college?






iVillage Member
Registered: 03-20-2003
In reply to: coelura
Fri, 10-28-2005 - 10:05pm
That sounds exactly like what I was talking about!





iVillage Member
Registered: 03-15-2004
In reply to: coelura
Sat, 10-29-2005 - 10:41am

I am ACE certified and have generally found it be one of the more highly respected certifications. I will tell you though (and Jen can back me up here as she took the group fitness exam) that it was probably the hardest test I've ever taken in my life. Note that I spent almost a year studying for the GRE when I was planning on going to grad school. The ACE exam made the GRE look like a picnic.

I went through a certification program through a community college since my background had nothing to do with exercise science whatsoever. The program I did was very thorough and helped me prepare for the ACE (although I did a LOT of studying on my own too). There were about 10 of us from my program that took the ACE and only 2 people passed. Although it was hard work, I felt so incredibly proud when I passed because I worked so hard to do well.

A lot of certifications (ACE included) have boot-camp weekends and while that's an option, I don't recommend it. There's too much material to absorb in one weekend. If you can find a certification program in your area, I would do that. Beware though - there are lots of scammy things around. I know a girl who paid $5K for a six month personal trainer program. I talked to her about it and it sounded like a pretty decent program with lots of good information, but I also did a semester long program at a community college and I think my costs topped out at $800. (That does not include the cost of taking the ACE or any prep materials you may want to purchase.) If you don't have a decent PT certification near you, I'd recommend taking some exercise science and nutrition classes to prepare you for the ACE.

Hope that helps. You are welcome to email me or post here with more Q's... :)

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-29-2003
In reply to: coelura
Sat, 10-29-2005 - 4:25pm

> Have you checked with the local community college? There are some great community
> college classes. Kel took a PT training cert at hers (not in California, though). You
> could at least take anatomy, kinesiology there.

I actually just found a community college (I think) here - Mesa College - but it's hard to tell what the quality is. It looks like they have some of the classes, and a program called "Fitness Specialist certification" It starts in the fall (meaning I've probably missed the first half of a term). I'll have to see what info I can find...

In looking at the exercise science one at SDSU... I have anatomy & physiology I, an intro nutrition course (may not be enough though - it counted as a 1 credit gym class when I took it)!, several biology courses (including Human Bio), several chem classes (including organic chem), psych 101... I might even have a sociology class if I remember correctly. I tooka lot of things "because they were interesting", and changed majors a lot before I declared.

> BTW, totally off topic but, calligraphy related, it just occurred to me that you live
> near Teri Martin. You should look her up!

I'll have to do that! She's got awesome stuff on her site.

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-29-2003
In reply to: coelura
Sat, 10-29-2005 - 4:32pm
AH, so maybe I should wait to take the CPR...
iVillage Member
Registered: 08-29-2003
In reply to: coelura
Sat, 10-29-2005 - 4:43pm

Wow, that does sound hard!! Congrats on passing! :-) I will definitely study study study when I sign up for whichever course I end up choosing!

Did you see the SDSU extension link in the previous post? Does it sound like a good program? It looks like you end up with a membership in IDEA if you pass all teh courses...

The other thing I found - the SDSU 4-year degree is in the ACSM approved list. Like Jean, I am geeky about all that info, but I don't know how practical it would be to start a degree program right now. I'll have to talk to my DH when he gets back...




Edited 10/29/2005 4:44 pm ET by coelura

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