Which Personal Trainer Certification Is Best?

A personal training certification can help reinforce your expertise as a fitness professional. It also helps you qualify for jobs posted by employers only interested in hiring a certified personal trainer.

If you don’t yet have this designation, you may be wondering which is the best personal training certification to get. Before we answer this question, let’s first talk about your certification options.

Personal Fitness Trainer Certification Options

The most basic certification is that of a certified personal trainer (CPT). This foundational certification qualifies you to provide services as a personal trainer. It may also be a requirement for working in certain fitness settings.

You can also earn your certification in more specific areas of fitness. Options include, but are not limited to, becoming a:

• Certified Group Fitness Instructor – specializes in group fitness classes, such as kickboxing and boot camps

• Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist – specializes in providing clients with strength training and athletic conditioning improvements

• Certified Corrective Exercise Specialist – specializes in working with clients who have various movement dysfunctions and pain issues

• Certified Yoga Instructor - specializes in teaching the yoga practice

• Certified Bodybuilding Coach – specializes in working with clients interested in entering bodybuilding competitions

Which Personal Trainer Certification Is Best?

Unfortunately, the answer to this question isn’t the same for everyone. While a basic personal trainer certification may be best for one person, it might not be the best certification for someone else. 

This is because no two fitness trainers are the same. Each person has different reasons for wanting to become a personal trainer. Each also has different career goals. 

The differences between professional trainers can change which personal trainer certification is best. Therefore, it’s more of a decision that should be based on several different factors.

Finding the Best Personal Training Certification for You: Factors to Consider

Since there is no singular “best personal trainer certification,” here are several factors to consider when choosing the best one for you:

• Where your passions lie. What areas of fitness are you interested in? Do you enjoy kickboxing? Then you may want to take a kickboxing instructor certification course. Are you more interested in powerlifting? Earning your certification in this area may be more rewarding.

• The type of clients you want to work with. Do you want to train new moms or pro athletes? Or maybe you want to be the trainer for senior or youth clients. Different certification courses are better suited to prepare you for these specific roles. 

• The problem you want to solve. People hire a personal trainer because they want help. So, what do you want to help them with? Some trainers help clients improve their performance, for example. Others specialize in providing weight loss. What problem do you want to help clients overcome once and for all?

• How you want to train your clients. A lot of personal trainers work one-on-one with their clients. Others provide group fitness classes. The latter requires the use of different techniques and training methods than the former. So, it’s important to take a certification course that teaches those techniques and methods. 

Another Consideration: The Certification Program Itself

If you want to become a certified personal trainer, this involves taking several steps. Not only do you need to decide what type of trainer certification you want, but you also need to choose a certification program.

A certification course provides the knowledge and skills needed to work as a personal trainer. It also prepares you to take and pass the certification exam. This exam is designed to assess your aptitude in fitness training. It ensures that you’ve learned the necessary information to create and deliver a safe, effective exercise program.

There are many different types of personal trainer certification courses from which to choose. These programs are offered by a variety of certifying agencies. They can also vary in terms of program cost, program length, topics covered, and more. How do you know which one to select?

Questions to Ask When Researching Personal Trainer Certification Programs

When deciding where to get your personal trainer certificate, it can help to answer these questions:

• Which one fits your life and schedule best? Some people prefer in-person training programs. Others want the convenience of online training. Select a program that offers training in a way that fits your schedule best. Also, consider how many hours you’ll have to study per week. Schedule the necessary time to complete the certification course.

• How long will it take to become certified? If you want to become a personal trainer as quickly as possible, a program that offers a fast track option can help you achieve this goal. Or maybe you don’t have a lot of time to spare each week and need more time to get through the course. A program with an extended completion deadline offers this ability.

• What topics does the program cover? The last thing you want is a personal training certificate that you can’t use. That’s why it’s important to choose a program that teaches you what you need to know. Exercise physiology and exercise science are two topics that should be in the curriculum. So are program design, training considerations for special demographics, exercise testing, and more.

• What type of study material is provided? People have different learning styles. Some learn best by reading, others by watching videos. Look for a training program that offers study materials in your preferred style. Also, consider whether the costs of these materials are included in the price or if you have to pay extra for them.

• Does it offer guided study? Guided study involves giving you an outline as to when to learn certain materials. It’s a way to help you stay on track with your personal trainer certification. 

• Does it include the certification exam? Choose a program that, once you complete it, you have your personal trainer certification. This type of all-in-one course offers maximum convenience. Plus, the course quizzes can help you prepare for the exam. It’s like completing a mini practice exam weekly. By the time the course is over, you’re ready for the final exam.

• Does it offer access to different personal trainer certification levels? The importance of this question depends on your fitness career goals. Maybe you have no interest in any designation above certified personal trainer. That’s okay. But if you want to work with elite athletes, an advanced certification may be required. If this is your goal, you want a program that offers different certification levels. Two to look for are certified elite trainer and certified master trainer. Each of these designations represents an elevated certification status.

• Does it provide additional professional development options? You must complete continuing education classes to retain your certification. If the program provider offers these classes, you don’t have to go elsewhere to get them. And because they come from the same certifying agency, you’re already used to the class design.

• How do actual customers rate the certification program? One of the best indicators of whether a certification program is good is what others have to say about it. So, take the time to check out its online reviews. Look at Trustpilot reviews, Facebook reviews, and more. See what others have to say about the program, both good and bad.

Which Personal Training Certification Programs are Best?

You could do an online search for “best personal training certification programs” to answer this question. Different sites rate various personal trainer certification programs, creating a list of their favorites according to specific factors.

For example, Trainer Academy and Fitness Mentors indicate that the personal training certification offered by International Sports Sciences Association is the best overall. The International Sports Sciences Association received five stars in curriculum, support, and level of difficulty. Another listed pro was its high exam pass rate.

If you still need your certification, ISSA offers an online Personal Trainer Certification course. Enroll today and take your fitness career—and pay—to the next level! Additionally, experts such as Tyler Read from Ptpioneer.com recommend ISSA as the best personal trainer certification in order for you to earn the highest salary as a personal trainer.