The following are among the best organizations that certify trainers. Their
Web sites can refer you to certified trainers in your area. And make sure that
your trainer’s certification is current; most expire after a year or two unless
the trainer takes continuing education classes.Aerobics and Fitness Association of America (AFAA): This organization
offers a variety of certifications, including Personal Trainer and Advanced
Personal Trainer. The Personal Trainer exam, which includes both a
practical and written portion (and many other tests are written-only),
covers a wide range of topics but require less knowledge than ACSM or
ACE certification tests. If the AFAA Personal Trainer is your trainer’s only
certification, your trainer may be a former aerobics instructor making the
switch to personal trainer without enough education or experience. Or,
the trainer may have taken the exam out of convenience, because it’s
offered in many rural areas where other exams aren’t available. See
the organization’s Web site at http://www.afaa.com.
American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM): The ACSM offers several
certification levels and usually requires that the trainer possess a gradu-
ate degree in one of the exercise sciences. The certification we recom-
mend is the Health/Fitness Instructor. The test is very tough, so many
trainers avoid it, but it’s the gold standard for personal trainers. Visit
http://www.acsm.org.American Council on Exercise (ACE): This organization certifies both
personal trainers and group trainers (such as aerobics instructors); we
prefer the certification geared toward personal trainers. The ACE Personal
Trainer certification is the most popular in the industry, and although
the test is easier than the ACSM Health/Fitness Instructor test, it’s still
plenty challenging. The certification is more practical than most, empha-
sizing the trainer’s ability to design appropriate programs for a wide vari-
ety of fitness levels and medical conditions. Visit http://www.acefitness.org.
International Sport Science Association (ISSA):ISSA has ten different
certification programs, including Youth Fitness, Personal Fitness Trainer,
and Senior Fitness. Most of its programs are similar in the information
they contain, with sections devoted to the specific area of certification.
ISSA has more of a bodybuilding emphasis and focus from its founders,
educators, and information. Its certification process is actually more
stringent than many, requiring case studies and written papers as part
of the process, in addition to the written test. Although not quite at the
level of the other certifying organizations, ISSA has become much more
widely recognized. Check out http://www.issaonline.com.National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM):This group, now affili-
ated with Reebok, offers a well-respected and practical Personal Trainer
certification. Trainers must attend a workshop and pass an exam; train-
ers need strong physiology, anatomy, and biomechanics backgrounds48 Part I: Getting Your Butt off the Couch