Personal trainer certification: What to look for when hiring an instructor

IF you’re considering hiring a personal trainer in the new year, the coronavirus doesn’t need to be an obstacle. Many trainers are offering virtual services; all you need to book a session are a WiFi connection and a way to pay digitally.

But there is one problem: “Anyone can say they’re a personal trainer,” says Francis Neric, the national director of certification for the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM). Even the title “certified personal trainer” isn’t necessarily a stamp of quality. According to Tyler Read, founder of PTPioneer, a website that helps aspiring personal trainers determine which certification to obtain, requirements vary widely among the approximately 30 organizations that offer personal trainer certification; one group says aspiring trainers pass its exam with as little as one week of preparation.

In an effort to create common professional standards, the International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association adopted a resolution in 2005 recommending that gyms only hire personal trainers who have completed programs that have been certified by a third-party accrediting organisation, such as the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA), the Distance Education Accrediting Commission and American National Standards Institute. But, as with training programs, each third-party accrediting body has its own standards.

Thus, the personal training profession remains a “wild West,” says Stephanie Cooper, assistant professor of kinesiology at the University of San Francisco and certified exercise physiologist.

Neric says the “alphabet soup” of credentials and certifying organisations can confuse consumers and leave them vulnerable to underqualified trainers. For example, one trainer’s bio might list a National Academy of Sports Medicine certification as a CPT, or certified personal trainer, while another’s might include a High Intensity Training certification as a master personal trainer, a National Personal Training Association certification as a senior fitness instructor, and SCW certification as a corrective exercise specialist. The latter might appear more qualified, given that trainer’s multiple certifications, but none of those certifications come from thirdparty accredited organizations. On the other hand, in researching this story, I spoke with more than half a dozen fitness industry experts; they all named the National Academy of Sports Medicine as one of the most well-respected certifications in the industry.

At best, working with an ill-educated trainer is a waste of time and money. At worst, it can lead to injury, says physical therapist Theresa Marko. According to Marko, owner of Marko Physical Therapy in New York, trainers are best for people who are already healthy and who want to be more fit. Although trainers have the skills to notice poor form, they’re “not trained on how to eliminate the biomechanical dysfunction” causing it, she says. Ideally, when clients have a limited range of motion or experience pain, their trainer should refer them to physical therapy, and the two providers should then collaborate.

So how do you know whether your trainer has the skills to safely help you meet your fitness goals? Here’s what to look for, as well as red flags to avoid.Our experts emphasised the importance of finding a trainer with an NCCA-accredited certification, relevant experience and education, and with whom you feel comfortable.

Certification from an NCCAaccredited organisation

Given the dizzying number of certifications, it’s hard to know which ones are high-quality. According to Neric, any certification from an NCCA-accredited organisation is a safe bet. Read, who has researched many programs and has obtained multiple certifications, says the NCCA is the “gold standard,” because of the rigor required to obtain its recognition; organisations much prove their programs do not “teach to the test” and must require continuing education. — The Washington Post