The Dream of Becoming a Personal Trainer
In 2019, I finally became a certified personal trainer. It was something that I had always dreamed of doing. However, my development as a trainer was something that took years. My online certification was just a piece of paper that legalized my ability to personally train individuals. It didn’t give me the real education I needed to coach the hundreds of people I would later work with as my career evolved.
A Passion That Started Early
My passion for fitness sparked when I was 14 years old. In a journey to better myself, I decided to join my high school girls’ weightlifting team. My progress became addictive. By graduation, it was clear that I had fully transformed into a notorious gym rat. Most of my continued fitness education came through self-study, where I developed a strong understanding of nutrition and body recomposition.
Taking the Leap with NASM
Before long, my passion for fitness opened the door to a new opportunity. While attending college in New York City, a staff member at my local gym approached me and offered me a job as a personal trainer. They were impressed by both my training and physique. The only issue? I wasn’t certified. They recommended that I get my certification through the National Academy of Sports Medicine, NASM.
It was one of the most popular certifiers in the industry and, to this day, still is. Stated in the NASM press kit, it has “earned its reputation as the gold standard in fitness education” with over a million customers. At the time, the course cost about $600, was entirely online, and could be completed in just a few months. I decided to take the leap.
Facing the NASM Exam
When it came time to take my NASM CPT exam, I did not know what to expect. Even though I had completed all of the modules and tests online, I was required to take the proctored exam in person (it’s now available online). The test included 120 questions and had a two-hour time limit.
Memorizing Instead of Learning
Before the final assessment, I was able to take mock exams with questions similar to those on the actual test. The questions were multiple choice and it became a matter of memorizing the correct answers versus actually learning. I knew that if I failed my exam on the first attempt, I would have to pay to retake it.
Thankfully, I passed on the first try. With an official certification under my belt, I felt as if I was ready to take on the world in the fitness industry. How hard could it be? I knew my way around the gym like the back of my hand. After all, I had been training myself since my teenage years.
The Harsh Reality of the Fitness Industry
However, working as a certified personal trainer in a gym that relied heavily on self-marketing and sales was something NASM hadn’t fully prepared me for. I learned the hard way that I would have to show my value to prospective clients in order to gain and retain them. Yes, I was a minority female who knew how to bodybuild and weightlift, but was that enough to set me apart from my competition? The hard truth was that it wasn’t.
Many of my coworkers had specialty certifications in areas such as corrective exercise, post-rehabilitation and functional training. All of which I knew little to nothing about. The general CPT certification I earned helped me get my foot in the door, but it wasn’t enough to build lasting success in my new career.
Hitting a Plateau
My client retention rate suffered. Most clients only stayed for the duration of their training package because my approach was very basic. I gave almost the same workout programs to everyone. Most of it mirrored the exercises that I did. I was barely making the company’s monthly sales quota for training packages sold. My training knowledge was capped.
Lessons Learned Through Experience
Because the course was entirely online and lacked live instruction, there was no opportunity to ask questions to clarify material if needed. Another downside was not being coached on how to coach in person. I had not realized how much of a contrast there was between training myself and training someone else.
Sometimes it requires you to break down dynamic concepts into easily digestible information for your client to grasp. It also involves the responsibility of constantly holding someone accountable and remaining a positive influence for that person no matter what. All of these skills were things I had to learn on my own as I continued working with clients.
My proficiency to help a wider client base was due to many hours of research and investing in other avenues of continued education to become a high-value coach. Today, I train clients aged 14 to 90, many of whom have special conditions, chronic diseases, injuries, or physical limitations.
The Truth About Online Certifications
Overall, NASM and similar online certifications often function more like marketing tools than true educational programs. They target people who want to become personal trainers as quickly as possible while making it as convenient as possible. However, it is not enough to guarantee your success in health and fitness.
Advice for Aspiring Trainers
My suggestion to any aspiring coach is to invest in a program that adds value to you as a trainer. Look for something that really challenges your scope of knowledge and broadens your education. That’s how you’ll stand out and build lifelong client relationships instead of chasing a quick fix.
Discovering the National Personal Training Institute (NPTI)
I highly recommend the Personal Training program at the National Personal Training Institute (NPTI). It’s a 600-hour diploma taught by a live instructor over four months. You will be taught both in a classroom and private gym setting. Their curriculum is all-inclusive, teaching subjects such as client programming, movement screenings, nutrition, bioenergetics, nervous system function, orthopedic post-rehabilitation and much more.
NPTI also offers two Advanced Personal Training tracks, one focused on youth fitness and the other on special populations and corrective exercise.
Hands-On Learning That Builds Real Coaches
You’ll have many opportunities to experience real-world coaching through hands-on client training. The learning environment and campus culture instill the core values needed to succeed as a fitness professional. Many of their students have excellent client retention rates and have even branched out to start their own private training businesses. If I had known about NPTI years ago, it would have shaved years off my learning curve as a trainer.
Don’t settle for a shortcut certification. Start your journey with hands-on, in-depth education at the National Personal Training Institute (NPTI), where trainers are built, not just certified.
