5 Jul 2008
Personal Trainer Certifications Vs. College Degrees
The most recent section of AskTheTrainer.com is for those who want to become a personal trainer or have already made up their minds and are becoming a personal trainer.
I tried to keep everything factual and simple. I made sure to cover everything about being a personal trainer from education, to job description and all the plusses and minuses of being a personal trainer.
The first subject which is not exercise related is whether a personal trainer should, or should not get a college degree or two?
I tried to stay unbiased even though I have a college degree in exercise science for my bachelors and another college degree for my masters, which happened to be an online college degree.
The thing about college degrees is there is no easy way out. If someone wants a college degree they must put in the time. Putting in 4 or 5 years in school shows a person has the love, dedication as well as superior knowledge of their profession.
A personal trainer with more qualifications is most likely able to use their experience more efficiently than someone without lesser qualifications. Someone with less qualifications is most likely using their experience to learn things which college educated personal trainers learned in college.
I don’t really know what opinion people have about online college degrees but my opinion is online degrees are good for certain subjects but would poor for subjects which required hands on experience such as performing complex tasks. An online college degree is the only possibility for people trying to make a living, pay rent, bills, and/or raise kids.
Personal trainer certifications are necessary but comparing a college degree to one is like comparing apples to oranges. A personal training certification is the icing on the cake for someone with a college degree.
Not to say being a personal trainer is anything like a rocket scientist but a certification will give a personal trainer knowledge which is not compatible to a college degree. I’m currently researching colleges with exercise science programs so I can help prospective students find a program with a good curriculum.
Most people would agree that the experience of personal training clients is the absolute best way to become a better personal trainer. With this being said it is best for a personal trainer to get a college degree and certifications. This is the best case scenario because it allows the experience a personal trainer gets to begin at a higher level.
Good points! I can say that in my MS program, very little attention was given to “personal training”; most emphasis was on the science aspect of exercise. All good yes, but certifications help people apply that knowledge in ways the person may not have considered while in college. Also, there are personal trainers who have college degrees in accounting etc. so its good to check what subject the degree is in
Joe Cannon, MS, CSCS, NSCA-CPT
My website : http://www.Joe-Cannon.com
Joe Cannon, MS, CSCS, NSCA-CPT
July 6th, 2008 at 7:38 ampermalink
I agree with your comment about personal training certifications being the icing on the cake for someone with a college degree. My curriculum in my bachelor and master’s degree programs for exercise physiology was cardiac rehab based and was very thorough in detailing the science behind exercise. Experience in my own athletic career and my internship, along with my CSCS certification taught me to apply what I learned in the classroom. There is a distinct need to separate ourselves from the weekend warrior trainers who take a two week course and pass an exam. In layman’s eyes they may see us both as personal trainers and not look at the fact that we spent thousands of hours studying exercise vs. a couple hours a night for two weeks.
If you’d like to learn more about people in our situation check out http://www.asep.org.
Jeremy Grev MA, EPC, CSCS
Jeremy Grev MA, EPC, CSCS
October 28th, 2008 at 5:52 pmpermalink
I am currently enrolled at my local community college and I have been looking into personal training as my career for sometime now. I want to get started in the field so that I can progress and make a living as well as start my business. I have looked at the college at Brockport because of their Exercise physiology program, while also seeing AceFitness and AFPA which are online certifications. I know the money saved will be worth it but from your view as someone who has done both which would you say has benefited you more? please get back to me asap with any information. thank you for your time and help.
Greg Rollo
December 5th, 2008 at 8:58 pmpermalink
The personal training industry is changing and moving towards regulatory status in the very near future. Because of the diverse backgrounds most personal trainers possess, there are significant differences in their knowledge base, experience and most of all
As both a physical therapist and personal trainer.
I believe a personal trainer should possess a college degree and a national certification.
Obtaining advanced credentials such as C.S.C.S.(National strength & conditioning association) or CHFI(American college sports medicine) are a bonus.
Checking the trainer’s background, experience, obtaining references and philosophy are a must.
Once the field is regulated, everyone will be on the same playing field.
Chris Gellert, PT, MPT, CSCS, CPT
Preident
Pinnacle Training & Consulting Systems
http://www.pinnacle-tcs.com
Chris Gellert, PT, MPT, CSCS, CPT-President
January 2nd, 2009 at 6:07 ampermalink
I wholeheartedly agree with Chris Gellert when he says that you must check the trainer’s qualifications. Choosing the right personal trainer can be the difference between success and failure.
I also agree with Joe. Just as you don’t want a cardiologist putting on your braces, you don’t want a personal trainer who specialized in accounting or a different field.
Don’t settle for the first personal trainer you can find; take the time and find one with a degree in the field. They would likely have a broader range of knowledge.
Also, personal trainers can specialize in different areas of that field such as strength training or flexibility. If your goal is to become more powerful you don’t want a trainer whose strength is yoga.
Price is another thing to think about when considering a personal trainer. Just as you would shop around for shops for your car, you should shop around and price different personal trainers. You would be surprised how much of a difference their can be and you don’t want to be stuck paying several hundred dollars more for a less qualified trainer.
Until Next Time,
Priest
Steven Priest
February 2nd, 2009 at 3:37 pmpermalink