Fitness Certifying Organizations and Certifications

Personal training certifications industry is one of the controversial areas in the area of personal training. There are over 200 certifications available to a personal trainer; most are fly-by-night, weekend certifications not worth the paper they are printed on. Listed below are the certifications IHP recommends and prefers. These certifications are the most rigorous and recognized educational programs in the US.

The National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA)

The NSCA is the largest non-profit organization in fitness -period! The NSCA has the most comprehensive education and certifications for fitness professionals. They have the hardest requirements and certifications in the industry. This is the reason the NSCA is the preferred organization for IHP.

Certified Strength and conditioning specialist - NSCA-CSCS

The NSCA-CSCS is the top certification in the area of strength and conditioning. A four year degree is required to sit for the exam. The exam is approximately 4 hours long and consists of two sections; a theoretical and a practical.

Certified Personal Trainer - NSCA-CPT

The NSCA-CPT certification is one the top certifications for personal trainers that do not have a four year degree. The exam is approximately 3 hours long and consists of two sections; a theoretical and a practical.

The American College of Sport Medicine (ACSM)

The ACSM is also a top notch non-profit organization that educates and certifies fitness professions. The ACSM specializes in basic fitness and the training of special populations. They have made some changes to their certifications and certifying requirements.

Health Fitness Instructor -ACSM-HFI

The ACSM HFI is an excellent certification. Until 2005, any individual could take this very difficult certification; consisting of a two-hour theoretical exam and a very comprehensive practical exam. The ACSM has made the requirements for this certification much more demanding. Currently, the HFI certification is only available through a fitness-related, four-year program; upon the completion of that program.

The National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM)

The NASM is a for-profit organization educating and certifying personal trainers. They have grown under their new president, Mike Clark, DPT. The NASM has a strong focus on the neurological aspect of training and is heavily influenced by the Physical Therapy discipline. In an effort to evolve and grow with the industry, the NASM has changed their certification requirements and curriculum over the years.

Certified Personal Trainer - NASM-CPT

The NASM-CPT is a good entry level certification for the personal trainer. Once available through the internet, the exam is now proctored by a professional testing service. The proctoring process has added more credibility to this certification.

Performance Enhancement Specialist - NASM-PES

The NASM-PES is the highest level of certification the NASM has. This curriculum expands beyond the basic curriculum of the CPT.

The Fitness Institute

The Fitness Institute is a Florida based education program that has certified and educated personal trainers for over 20 years. Its president, Dr. Anthony Abbott, is one of the industry's leaders in the areas of education and certification. Dr. Abbott played an instrumental role in developing the NSCA-CPT certification, and has served on several NCSA committees and commissions over the last 25 years. JC Santana graduated from the complete Fitness Institute program and credits his education under Dr. Abbott for his accelerated completion the BS and Med programs at Florida Atlantic University. Santana is now part of the faculty at Fitness Institute, teaching the Functional Training certification.

Personal Training Specialist - PTS

The Fitness Institute PTS a very demanding and comprehensive educational program. The entire program is comprised of five specialty certifications; Essentials of personal Training, Exercise testing, Strength and Conditioning, Nutrition, and Functional Training. Each certification is a 10-week long, 60-hour course. All certifications have a written and practical exam. Upon completion of all 5 courses, the individual is awarded the distinguished PTS certification. Graduates of the PTS program have a 98% pass rate on the NSCA and ACSM exams. Many leaders in the industry who are familiar with the PTS program call it "the most legally defendable certification in the fitness industry." This one of the reasons why the Fitness Institute PTS certification is the ONLY local certification IHP will accept.

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