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As consumers become more aware of the importance of qualified trainers, it's critical for
fitness professionals and clubs to understand what expertise each certifying organization
provides. Here, CBI offers a sampling of available training and credentials.
Aerobics and Fitness Association of America (AFAA)
The AFAA is billed as a "one-stop source
for state-of-the-art education services for
fitness professionals." AFAA offers upto-
date training, testing, certification, and
continuing education, including workshops
and classes, written and practical examinations, online courses,
and a wide range of reference works and other publications.
The organization's programs and materials are affordable,
offered at frequent intervals, and designed to meet the latest
criteria and highest standards of the fitness industry.
Contact: www.afaa.com, 800-225-2322.
American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM)
ACSM offers the ACSM Certified
Personal Trainer designation,
for fitness professionals who
are involved in developing and
implementing individualized exercise programs; the ACSM
Health/Fitness Instructor certification, for those who deliver
preventive health programs in corporate, commercial, and community
settings; the ACSM Exercise Specialist certification, for
professionals performing exercise testing and training clients
with cardiovascular, pulmonary or metabolic diseases; and the
ACSM Registered Clinical Exercise Physiologist certification, for
those providing exercise management for patients with a broad
spectrum of chronic diseases or disabilities.
Contact: www.acsm.org, 800-486-5643.
American Council on Exercise (ACE)
ACE, the world's largest nonprofit
fitness certifying organization, is
dedicated to promoting the benefits
of physical activity and protecting
consumers against unsafe and ineffective fitness products and
instruction. ACE sponsors university-based exercise science
research that targets fitness products and trends and works
to set standards for fitness professionals. All of its training
programs'including personal trainer, group fitness instructor,
clinical exercise specialist, and lifestyle and weight-management
consultant'have been accredited by the National
Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA).
Contact: www.acefitness.org, 800-825-3636.
ATN Associates, LLC
ATN encompasses four separate certifying
organizations'the American
Strength Training Institute (ASTI), the
Boxing Fitness Institute, the Family
Safety and Self-Defense Institute,
and the Kickboxing Fitness Institute.
Each offers educational training for
specially designed turnkey exercise
programs that develop skills while
benefiting members' health and
fitness. All of the programs are based
on real-life techniques and come with
a marketing manual.
Contact: www.americanstrengthtraining.com, www.boxingfitness
institute.com, www.familysafetyinstitute.com,
www.kickboxingfitnessinstitute.com, 941-539-9623.
National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM)
Since 1987, NASM has offered certification, continuing education,
solutions and tools for health, fitness, sports performance, and sports medicine professionals.
Today, the organization serves more than 100,000 members in
80 countries. In addition to its evidence-based, NCCA-accredited
fitness certification program'Certified Personal Trainer (CPT)'
NASM also offers a progressive career track with advanced specializations,
continuing education courses, and accredited bachelor's
and master's degree programs.
Contact: www.nasm.org, 800-460-NASM (6276).
National Exercise & Sports Trainers Association (NESTA)
NESTA's primary goal is to teach personal trainers how
to market their talents, gain new clients, and retain them
by providing professional, individualized service, instruction,
and guidance for long-term client progress. The NESTA Personal
Fitness Trainer (PFT) program provides updated research and
information in a user-friendly format designed to make learning easy.
Customized 3D animations, concept clarification textboxes, an "Xtras
4 Xperts" section, and exam alerts are included in the manual.
Contact: www.nestacertified.com, 877-348-6692.
National Federation of Professional Trainers (NFPT)
The NFPT has been certifying fitness professionals since 1988
and offers an NCCA-accredited Certified Personal Trainer (CPT)
credential. NFPT's education materials provide a comprehensive
approach to the fundamentals of exercise science with the
objective of providing an affordable, convenient, comprehensive, and
applicable CPT credential and research-based, free education. Test
dates are set by appointment at more than 300 sites with optional
workshops and eight-week college courses available as well.
Contact: www.nfpt.com, 800-729-6378.
National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) Certification Commission
The NSCA Certification Commission, which is the certifying agency for the National Strength and Conditioning Association, offers two NCCA-accredited certifications. The Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) credential
is for professionals who design and implement strength training and conditioning programs for athletes. The NSCA-Certified
Personal Trainer (NSCA-CPT) credential is geared toward those who train active and sedentary clients in one-on-one situations. Contact: www.nsca-cc.org, 888-746-2378.
Pilates Method Alliance (PMA)
The test for the PMA Certified Pilates Teacher
is the only national certification exam for
teachers of the Pilates method. The PMA,
which currently represents more than 3,000
Pilates teachers and studios, developed the
exam with the assistance and input of more than 20 of the world's top Pilates professionals. They
concisely defined the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary
for competent job performance and further established the
necessary industry performance parameters for a Certified
Pilates teacher. Contact:
www.pilatesmethodalliance.org, 866-573-4945.
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