Have you ever wanted to become a personal trainer? Getting certified as a personal trainer was always something I wanted to do. I didn’t necessarily want to work IN a gym, but I wanted to further my education and be able to help my online training clients more. Who knows though, I may end up training clients in a gym some day..ya never know!
I remember Googling “How To Become A Personal Trainer” when I first started looking into it and was instantly overwhelmed. I figured I’d put together a post to help you understand the process as easily as possible. There are also a lot of organizations to get certified through so I’ll try to summarize them all to make it as easy as possible for you – in case you’re interested in getting certified as well!
What is the best personal trainer organization?
This is when things get confusing. There are a lot of different organizations to sort through who offer personal trainer certifications. You must be careful here because only certain organizations are widely recognized in gyms (that’s IF you’re interested in working at a gym someday).
The below list of organizations are highly recognized by gyms. (These are the top dogs of the industry)
- NASM (National Academy of Sports Medicine)
- ACE (American Council on Exercise)
- ISSA (International Sports Sciences Association)
- ACSM (American College of Sports Medicine)
- NSCA (National Strength and Conditioning Association)
Let me go into a little more detail about these top 5 organizations…
Since 1987, the National Academy of Sports Medicine (nasm.org) has been a leader in the sports and fitness industry. To become an NASM certified personal trainer, you must be at least 18-years old, CPR certified and successfully pass a two hour examination with 120 questions.
Cost: $549, study materials or workshops are extra
Re-certification: Every 2 years
Exam: Taken on location.
Prerequisites: Must be 18 years old and have current CPR/AED certification
Notes: Accredited by NCCA
The American Council on Exercise (acefitness.org) offers various health and fitness certifications and their general personal trainer certification is considered one of the best. ACE offers a 2-day workshop to help you study and prepare for the certification examination. You must recertify every two years to remain ACE personal trainer certified.
Cost: $219 to $249, review course and study materials are extra
Re-certification: Every 2 years
Exam: Taken on location or online (cost is extra).
Prerequisites: Must be 18 years old and have current CPR/AED certification
Notes: Accredited by NCCA
The International Sports & Sciences Association has long been one of the top personal trainer certification bodies and their certifications continue to be some of the top 5 personal training certifications you can get. The benefit of this certificate is that it can all be done online which is great for those who don’t want to travel. Since 1988, the ISSA has certified and provided continuing fitness education to nearly 100,000 people just like you who want to help others feel better, look better and improve the quality of their lives.
Cost: $499 includes all materials needed
Re-certification: Every 2 years
Exam: Taken online
Prerequisites: Must be 18 years old and have current CPR/AED certification
Notes: Accredited by DETC
The American College of Sports Medicine (acsm.org) was created in 1954 and offers one of the top personal trainer certifications. The accredited certification program requires a high school diploma and CPR certification to take the 125 to 150 question examination. After earning the certification, you must recertify every three years.
Cost: $219 to $279 for exam, workshops and study materials are extra
Re-certification: Every 3 years
Exam: Taken on location.
Prerequisites: Must be 18 years old and have current CPR/AED certification
Notes: Accredited by NCCA
The National Strength and Conditioning Association (nsca-lift.org) started offering the Certified Personal Trainer — NSCA-CPT — certification in 1993 and is considered one of the most challenging examinations. The NSCA has certifications for personal trainers and strength coaches which really focus on keeping the basic principles of strength and conditioning intact.
Cost: $235to $420, review course and study materials are extra
Re-certification: Every 2 years
Exam: Taken on location.
Prerequisites: Must be 18 years old and have current CPR/AED certification
Notes: Accredited by NCCA
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If someone were to ask me what certification I think is the ultimate of all the ones I’ve listed above, I’d have to go with NASM. It seems like they are the biggest and most recognized nationwide.
These are a few other organizations that are still recognized in a lot of gyms but not quite as universal as the ones listed above.
Other Organizations Worth Mentioning
AFAA (Aerobics and Fitness Association of America)
AFPA (American Fitness Professionals and Associates)
IFPA (International Fitness Professionals Association)
NCSF (National Council on Strength and Fitness)
NFPT (National Federation of Professional Trainers)
NESTA (National Exercise & Sports Trainers Association)
NETA (National Exercise Trainers Association)
Comparison Chart:
|
Certifications |
Avg. Program cost |
Average Studying Time |
Exam Questions |
Year established |
Recertification |
| ACE | $599 | 3-6 months | 150 | 1985 | Every 2 years |
| AFAA | $370 | 2-4 Months | 120 | 1983 | Every 2 years |
| ISSA | $499 | 4-5 Months | 168 | 1988 | Every 2 years |
| ACSM | $362 | 4-9 Months | 125-150 | 1954 | Every 3 years |
| NESTA | $449 | 4-6 Weeks | 125 | N/A | Every 4 years |
| NFPT | $479 | 2-6 Months | 120 | 1988 | Every year |
| NCSF | $485 | 4-6 Months | 150 | N/A | Every 2 years |
| NASM | $699 | 2-6 Months | 120 | 1987 | Every 2 years |
| NSCA | $485 | 4-9 Months | 140 | 1978 | Every 3 years |
| NPTI | $5,900 | 4-12 Months | N/A | 2000 | N/A |
Now…onto the question you’re probably wondering the most…
How much money do personal trainers make?
Money.cnn.com reported that fitness training and instruction jobs make a median salary of $56,000 a year with a top pay of $128,000. This is much higher than I thought! I’m sure to be in the higher range, you’ll need to be a private personal trainer taking clients from your own studio. Working for bigger box gyms will probably leave you at the lower end of the price range but it’s still pretty high!
The Bereau of Labor Statistics had a different salary estimate. The BLS reported the average salary for a personal trainer was $31,720 per year or $15.25 per hour.
After speaking to several personal trainers who work in gyms, the BLS numbers seem to be much more accurate but I thought I’d share both.
The good news is that personal training jobs are predicted to increase by a whopping 24% in the next 10 years so these jobs aren’t going anywhere, anytime soon!
Also, don’t forget to consider getting personal trainer insurance before you take on any clients (review general liability insurance and professional liability insurance).
What To Do After Your A Certified Personal Trainer
After you dominate the exam (congrats!!), you’ll be wondering what to do next. There are several options you have and you get to decide how you want to use your new certification.
- Work at a gym
- Privately train clients at your home or private gym
- Group Fitness Instructor
- Competition Coach (bikini, figure, physique, bodybuilding, etc..)
- Corporate Office Gyms
- Retirement Home group exercise instructor
Hopefully this guide has helped you decide weather or not you have what it takes and/or want to become a personal trainer.
If you have any questions, leave them below!
