<img height="1" width="1" style="display:none;" alt="" src="https://ct.pinterest.com/v3/?tid=f4de1632775725aa6fdc3fb6c132e778&amp;event=init&amp;noscript=1">
Personal training

What Certifications do all Personal Trainers Need?

By Joe Talarico on Jul 23, 2021 8:00:00 AM
4 Minutes Reading Time
 

Some certifications require more prerequisites than others, and some require a college degree. Here are some rough guidelines to help you navigate towards the best choice for whatever road you are trying to follow.

Entry Level

ACE - It doesn’t require a college degree, and it’s not too expensive. Check to see what your gym requires, but most accept this, and it isn’t hard to get relative to the other certifications. Keep in mind getting certified in personal training is just showing competence you won’t hurt someone during a session. It is by no means proof you are a good trainer, or can build a good program. Some gyms may not accept this certification as well. I’d recommend this mostly if you just want to break into the industry fast, and maybe have clients who already want to train with you and you need the credential.

Sports Based

NSCA-CSCS (Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist) - If you know for SURE you want to lean towards training athletes of all ranges, then you need this one. You won’t get a job without it. In fact, pretty much all college and professional sports teams are going to require this, a master’s, and a hell of a lot of internship experience from reputable coaches who can put in a good word. Strength and Conditioning is a very small field of coaches and they all know each other. Once you get this, I highly recommend hitting the internships quick and working under coaches who can give a good recommendation after. Keep in mind, in order to obtain this, you need a bachelor's degree (doesn’t have to be in Kinesiology).  

Education Based

NASM - NASM seems to be the most popular certification in most chain gyms. It’s a very reputable brand and the one I’ve found most gyms ask for when applying. They also have additional certifications geared towards elderly populations, chronic injuries, etc. This is great if you want to learn more than just general training knowledge. Remember, most of your clientele at a box gym is going to be middle aged and older. Having a solid background on how to specifically train the elderly population and those with nagging injuries will take you much farther than just a standard trainer certification.

Nutrition Based

NCI or Precision Nutrition Certification - If you’re looking to get more into nutrition coaching, or want to further round out your skills as a trainer after getting your personal training cert, these are two highly recommended nutrition focused certifications.

What I love about these two certifications is they don’t just focus on the science. They talk just as much about psychology and practical applications. Anyone who's been a trainer for a while knows it’s more about your clients mentality than it is creating workouts. You have to be able to understand what’s holding them back mentally.

Extra Certifications

ELDOA and PRI - If you really want to continue your learning on a super specific level, these types of certifications will teach you all about an individual's joints, imbalances, and how to correct posture.  

I think EVERY trainer should have both a personal training certification AND a nutrition coaching certification. If you TRULY want to work, and help people get better on ANY level (general population or athletes), while I don’t expect you to have a full nutritionist's scope of knowledge, you should know how eating plays into their life. The perfect training program is useless for someone's goals if they aren’t fueling it with the right foods in their body.

How to Become a Successful Personal Trainer

FREE Flat Tummy Guide

Download

Free Resources

Everything You Need to Know to Reach Your Fitness Goals

Learn More

Joe Talarico

Joe is a certified Precision Nutrition and strength & conditioning coach. He assisted the UCLA Women’s Tennis team in winning their 2014 NCAA Championship Title, as well as study under the great strength coaches at Pepperdine University. He was a collegiate rower at the University of Rhode Island (where he got his Kinesiology degree) as well as an amateur physique competitor. He is currently the master trainer at Upgrade Labs in Santa Monica where he is combining his years of training clients in the gym with newer technology to optimize their performance and recovery. He also cohosts The RelationSH*T Show Podcast with his fiancée where they discuss all relationship topics unfiltered from who pays on dates, to open relationships.

Read more from the Mind Pump Blog

Have a question for us?

Feel free to send us an inquiry and allow up to 24 hours for a response.

Contact Us