Best Online Personal Trainer Certification

There has never been a better time to invest in a certification as an online personal trainer.

Not only is the industry as a whole earmarked for expansion — the BLS forecasts a 13% growth rate through 2028 — but the success of brands like Peloton, Mirror, and other online fitness options showcase America’s desire for convenient and at-home training.

Couple this with the closure and uncertain future of many gyms due to coronavirus and you have a cocktail of opportunity for those trainers who are able to adapt to the times.

That said, it may seem like a no-brainer to get an Online Personal Trainer Certification but therein lies the question: what is the best online personal trainer certification and which is right for me?

Luckily for you, Fitness Mentors has done the heavy lifting for you and compiled this list of the best personal training certifications based on the following objective criteria:

Accreditation: third-party certifying bodies who ensure the health, safety, and standards for the industry.
Price: the costs associated with the online CPT cert.

Mentorship Structure: the interaction you can expect with mentors.

Primary Focus of Education: the primary educational focus you can expect from a particular certification.

Program Duration: how long the program takes to complete.
Location of Certification: the country the certification derives from.
Sign-up Process: what can you expect from the sales and onboarding process.

Today we’ll be looking at these popular online personal trainer certification options:

But before we begin, let’s distinguish some very important characteristics of online personal training certifications and personal trainer certifications you can get online.

Online Personal Trainer Certification VS Personal Trainer Certification Online

Our focus today is on online personal trainer certifications, or certifications that help you learn how to train clients online. Personal trainer certifications online refer to the standard in-person personal training certifications with online study options. An example of the latter would be the Fitness Mentors Certified Personal Trainer course, a class dedicated to certify trainers with the needed credential to train in-person clients.

Now that we are all clear on the differences between the two, let’s learn more about the best online personal training certifications.

Accreditation

Accreditation is one of the most important aspects for personal trainer certifications as it sets the stage for trust and authority. Without an accreditation, trainers (and clients) won’t really know if any professional organization has reviewed the certification curriculum to determine its efficacy.

For consumers, this also ensures their online trainer has gone through the required education to ensure their success and safety. There are certain limitations that exist with an online training environment and a certification helps trainers safely deal with those challenges through additional perspective and understanding of variables — such as form, injury prevention, and communication — that don’t exist as clearly via online mediums.

As it stands today, Fitness Mentors is the only company nationally recognized by the National Board of Fitness Examiners (NBFE), or any other esteemed certification body, to offer an online personal training certification.

Unfortunately, all other online training programs are not third-party reviewed or certified. This is partly due to the fact that online personal training is so new and likely due to the fact that a third-party accreditation is not free for a certification body. Thirdly, most online personal trainer courses are not steeped in science backed information but rather marketability, which makes them unlikely candidates for a third-party accreditation.

Personal Trainer Takeaway: A online personal trainer certification is not a requirement to coach online, however, it does showcase the quality and credibility of a certification as it relates to the trainers and the emphasis on science, business/marketing skills and a college-level curriculum. If this is important to you, the Fitness Mentors Certified Online Personal Trainer is an ideal choice.

Price

The Price includes the cheapest study option and final exam, where relevant. Keep in mind, however, that each of these products is not a formal certification, some are geared to be marketing tools above all else. They are noted accordingly.

Fitness Mentors: $699. Option to add a weekly mentorship program for $199/month.

TribeFit: $3,500 (3 month coaching program). Not a certification.

Online Trainer Academy: $799 for shortened course and $1,999 for complete course. Also offer level 2 Mentorship for a Monthly fee (Estimated at $400-$1000 per month)

Online Trainers Federation: Their bare bones intro course (not a certification), OC 101, is $199. It only runs twice per year, with the goal to upgrade you to the Elite which is estimated to run $300 – $600 per month.

PT Distinction University: Various courses with a la carte pricing. $1,100 for complete course package. Not a Certification.

Personal Trainer Takeaway: There are a lot of options for courses and the depth of the educational options are reflected in the costs. If you are just looking for one-off courses on very specific knowledge, the PT Distinction University has the lowest barrier to entry in terms of cost. You’ll sacrifice depth of knowledge here, however. If you are looking for in-depth knowledge from the ground up on how to become an online trainer, create a business, and market it, the most comprehensive courses are the Fitness Mentors COPT and Online Trainer Academy.

Mentorship Structure

Today’s trainers may feel a bit overwhelmed when trying to take in all the components of online training. In addition to knowledge in program design, physiology, injury prevention, and client achievement, certain aspects of online training can be particularly challenging.

For example, learning how to set up your business for online training, taking your business online if you have existing in-person clients, learning how to generate online leads, and caring for clients via online mediums can be a struggle for many trainers unaccustomed to these challenges.

Each program may have different approaches in terms of access to mentors versus having students solely rely on the digital assets they are provided.

The Fitness Mentors Certified Online Personal Trainer has roots in college-level curriculum creation and has established real trainers as mentors into its program. In addition to access to instructors via phone or email, students can also leverage Facebook support groups to ask questions and help them gain real-world understanding of course contents.

TribeFit is thought to provide email access to a competitor. It was difficult to find any info on the site.

The Online Trainer Academy also provides direct access to fitness business mentors via online chat and phone, as well as engagement with Facebook. Their Level 2 appears to have a weekly mentorship call, but exact information is not posted on their site.

Online Trainers Federation: Students have access to a Facebook group with non-paying students and paid students as well as the option for a weekly call that is only included in the Elite Program. Difficult to find any info on the site.

PT Distinction University has little to no mentor interaction as it seems the entire suite of coursework is built into their bundles or modules.

Personal Trainer Takeaway: The concept of online personal training can be daunting for some and access to real mentors invaluable in determining success. For trainers who are interested in a legit point of contact that is dedicated to your understanding of important concepts, opt for a certification with access to mentorship.

Primary Focus of Education

As you can imagine, there is a lot of overlap in terms of some of the education you’ll take away from each course. Rather than focusing on the similarities, below is an overview of what makes each program unique:

Fitness Mentors Certified Online Personal Trainer: Fitness Mentors’ COPT goes in-depth on business structure and learning how to build and sell an online business based on one of the six business models online trainers use (or the combination of the six). Additionally, they provide info and all templates on nutrition programs, online assessments, structuring memberships, affiliate programs, and other monetization models. Also included are brandable program design templates so you can start training immediately online. View their entire curriculum here.

TribeFit: TribeFit’s focus is on marketing your business and building out your online training sales funnel. Difficult to find any further info on the site.

Online Trainer Academy: OTA provides access to a physical textbook (digital as well) that some students really like. Their course also includes sales scripts, social media scripts and other documents that you can use to operate your business.

Online Trainers Federation: OTF is geared towards health and fitness professionals that have experience with in-person clients but want to help scale their business to service online clients. They admittedly mention that if you are not a coach already, the program probably is not for you.

PT Distinction University: PTDU provides students access to modules they can leverage as they see fit. A particularly unique option is the course with access to previously recorded webinars from fitness gurus.

Personal Trainer Takeaway: Each trainer is unique in their approach and goal with online personal training. Those that want a ground-up baseline for building and scaling their business should go for one of the programs that focus on all aspects of online training such as FM COPT or the OTA. If you are a trainer that is more concerned with marketing an existing online business then TribeFit, OTF, or PTDU may be a better fit.

Program Duration

Program duration refers to how much time it takes to complete the course or the investment of learning you can expect from each course.

Fitness Mentors: 60-80 hours or one to two months, self-paced.
TribeFit: 3 months
Online Trainer Academy: 32 hours of content, self-paced.
Online Trainers Federation: 2 weeks for OC 101 introductory course. Elite course is continuous weekly meetings.
PT Distinction University: A la carte courses with varying lengths, self-paced.

Personal Trainer Takeaway: Consider the length of the course into your final decision as it relates to how quickly you may be able to monetize online training. However, consider that the more knowledge-rich courses will obviously demand a greater time investment for good reason.

Location of Certification

The Location of Certification refers to the country where the certifying company is located.

Fitness Mentors: USA

TribeFit: AUS

Online Trainer Academy: Canada

Online Trainers Federation: Canada

PT Distinction University: UK

Sign-up Process

We found that many courses have a considerable amount of salemenship involved in the sign-up process. Some students interviewed did not like that they were pressured to purchase a course via a sales call and preferred the straightforward approach of an easy checkout process. In the Online Training Education industry sales calls are used for very high ticket products to try and build the most value.

Fitness Mentors: Open enrollment, start when ready, proceed at your own pace. No pushy sales calls.
TribeFit: Introductory call and then a sales call.
Online Trainer Academy: Open enrollment, start when ready, proceed at your own pace. No pushy sales calls.
Online Trainers Federation: Enrollment once every six months for intro course. Sales call required for the Elite program.
PT Distinction University: Open enrollment, start when ready, proceed at your own pace. No pushy sales calls.

Personal Trainer Takeaway: When it comes to the online world, many of us like it because it is convenient. Numerous students we spoke to strongly disliked having any sort of sales calls involved to get started with a course and preferred options where they could checkout online and interact with mentors on an as-needed basis.

Online Personal Trainer Certification FAQ

How do I become an online personal trainer?

To become an online personal trainer it is advisable to first have a certification in personal training. Then, it is up to you to choose the type of online training you want to offer clients and how to market your services.

How much should I charge for online personal training?

The amount you charge for online personal training greatly depends on the service you offer, your experience as a trainer, competitor rates, the economy, the target population of your services, and your cost to train a client.

How big is the online personal training and coaching space?

There are 330,000 personal training jobs forecast in the US by 2026. The exact number practicing online training is unknown.

What is the most effective approach to starting an online personal training business?

The best approach to starting an online personal training business is to transition your existing in-person clients over to online clients. This allows you to get better at online training and expand your existing services to further monetize existing clients rather than starting from scratch.

Is online training as good as in-person training?

Online training has many advantages over in-person training including: time-savings, flexibility, recording options, cheaper training sessions for clients, sharing of digital assets (meal plans, DIY workout programs, etc). They are different but can be equally effective in terms of client results.

So What is the Best Online Personal Trainer Certification?

The best online personal trainer certification is the one that is best for you. Each course has its own unique product position as well as educational focus. Some focus on the full stack of knowledge you’d want to know about understanding the industry, focusing on a niche, and building a business from scratch. Others assume you already have training experience and are just adding another element to your offerings in the digital space. Other certs focus extensively on marketing and bypass business development fundamentals altogether.

At the end of the day the choice is a subjective one. You have to ask yourself what you want to get out of an online personal training certification and then find the course that works best for your specific goals.

If you have any questions about any of the courses we covered or want to provide some suggestions based on your experiences with the course, please leave them in the comments below.

5 Best Health Coach Certifications of 2020

On your quest to get certified as a health coach you’re likely starting with some of the same questions many prospective students have.

Which health coach certification should I get? How much does a health coach certification cost? What kind of jobs can I get with a health coach certification and how much can I make?

The questions go beyond the above, so we wanted to provide this in-depth guide on the best health coach certifications available dissected by four important factors:

Price
Primary focus of education
Program prerequisites
Program duration

We’ll be taking a closer look at these popular health coach certifications:

Before we dive into the above four criteria let’s discuss what a health coach is and how to get a health coach certification:

What is a Health Coach?

Health coaches are credentialed healthcare professionals who provide support and mentorship to clients through personalized food and lifestyle recommendations to help them accomplish health goals.

How to Become a Certified Health Coach

Step 1: Determine Your Prerequisites

Unlike many other health and wellness certifications, certified health coach bodies have varying requirements for their prerequisites. For example, ACE requires their students to be 18 or older, have a high school diploma or equivalent, and a CPR/AED certification. The Duke Integrative Medicine Program requires a bachelor’s degree or 3-5 years of experience in a medical or allied health field. The AFPA only requires that participants are 18 or older.

In short, there are no uniform guidelines to become a certified health coach; each body will have its own prerequisites that should factor into your decision.

Step 2: Find the Best Health Coach Certification for YOU

The “best health coach certification” does not exist. The decision is an individual one as there is no best option for everyone. Each certification has its pros and cons, education focus, and elements that make the best option different for everyone.

Step 3: Prepare for Your Exam & Pass!

We recommend setting a realistic deadline for your exam date and scheduling it in advance. Students who don’t set a date may suffer from long term procrastination and never end up taking the time needed to prepare. Further, some certification bodies require that you schedule your exam in a certain time period after your initial registration.

Once your exam is complete and you earn your certification, you are ready to start working with clients!

Step 4: Start Working with Health Coach Clients

Once certified, you have the credentials and knowledge needed to take on clients. You can now focus your efforts on marketing your brand or landing a job as a certified health coach and helping others achieve their health and wellness goals.

Now that you know what’s needed to enter the health coach industry, let’s look at some important considerations of each health coach certification to learn the best one for you!

Best Health Coach Certification: An Objective Look into 4 Key Criteria

Price

The costs of each respective health coach certification are not really apples-to-apples. Some courses are much more in-depth than others and this is reflected in their costs. The cost-to-value benefit will greatly depend on the educational nature of the material and what it may mean to your career.

From a pure cost perspective, the ACE Health Coach Certification is the cheapest health coach certification we found at $599. It frequently goes on sale and was actually under $450 at the time of our research. At $699, the AFPA Health & Wellness Coach Certification is the second cheapest. These two bodies are well-known for their personal trainer certifications while the other more expensive options seem to be much more focused on health coaching exclusively.

The most expensive health coaching certification was $9,997, provided by ADAPT Certified Functional Health Coach. The Duke Integrative Medicine Health Coach Professional Training Program and the Primal Health Coach Program are around the same price, at $4,400 and $4,495, respectively.

Certification	Price
ACE Health Coach Certification	Basic- $599 \| Plus- $749
ADAPT Certified Functional Health Coach	Advance- $9,997 \| Monthly- $899
AFPA Health & Wellness Coach Certification	$699
Duke Integrative Medicine Health Coach Professional Training Program	$4,400
Primal Health Coach Program	$4,495

Primary Focus of Education

The below information was taken from the websites of the respective certification bodies. Note that the site’s don’t necessarily have a clean, succinct focus blurb.

ACE Health Coach Certification: Rooted in behavior-change science and the principles of lifestyle medicine, the study and training program addresses all the core competencies of health coaching within a single learning experience. You will learn practical and effective strategies that can be implemented to facilitate lifestyle change and positively impact health and well-being.

ADAPT Certified Functional Health Coach: The ADAPT Health Coach Training Program is a year-long, virtual course that offers instruction in everything you need to establish and grow your coaching career. [The] course gives you the skills you need to help others and change your own life in the process.

AFPA Health & Wellness Coach Certification: AFPA Certified Health & Wellness Coaches help their clients make powerful lifestyle behavioral shifts that lead to: Greater life satisfaction;

Better emotional and physical performance; Less disease. As a Certified Coach, you’ll develop tailored wellness plans for your clients to integrate into their lives and teach clients how to be accountable, follow through, and reach their goals.

Duke Integrative Medicine Health Coach Professional Training Program: Gain an understanding of the science of behavior change, personal health planning, the Wheel of Health, and mindful awareness; Learn the essential elements of Integrative Health Coaching and how to apply them with individuals and groups; Acquire the coaching expertise needed to successfully motivate others to adopt positive behaviors for sustainable health and wellness.

Primal Health Coach Program: Primal health incorporates diet and nutrition within a holistic framework that includes exercise, stress management, sun exposure, and lifestyle behaviors.

Certification	Primary Focus of Education
ACE Health Coach Certification	Behavior-change science and the principles of lifestyle medicine
ADAPT Certified Functional Health Coach	Behavior-change, conflict resolution, “ancestral nutrition,” business and professional development
AFPA Health & Wellness Coach Certification	Behavior-change, emotional and physical performance, disease prevention
Duke Integrative Medicine Health Coach Professional Training Program	Behavior-change, experiential practice, personal health planning, sustainable wellness
Primal Health Coach Program	Nutrition/health education, coaching training, business building, infrastructure for the operation of your practice.

Program prerequisites

As mentioned, the program prerequisites for health coaching certifications vary more than perhaps any other health or wellness certification. Here is what you can expect from each body:

ACE Health Coach Certification: To sit for the ACE Health Coach Certification Exam, you must:

Be at least 18 years of age
Hold a current adult CPR and AED certificate including live skills check
Present a current government-issued photo ID with signature (driver’s license, passport or military ID).

ACE allows requires at least one of the following:

Current NCCA-accredited certification in fitness, nutrition, healthcare, wellness, human resources or a related field
An associate degree or higher from an accredited college or university in fitness, exercise science, nutrition, healthcare, wellness or a related field
A completed health coach training and education program approved by the National Board for Health and Wellness Coaches (NBHWC)
A minimum of two years of documented work experience in coaching, leading, designing, implementing, or facilitating one or more of the following: behavior or lifestyle change, exercise, wellness, nutrition, or physical activity

ADAPT Certified Functional Health Coach: You automatically qualify for ADAPT if you; have a professional license, certification, or associate’s degree or higher in any healthcare or wellness-related field, or; have at least two years of full-time work experience in a healthcare or wellness-related field.

Prospective students can also fill out an eligibility form if they do not meet the above requirements.

AFPA Health & Wellness Coach Certification: Qualification for the AFPA entails:

Be at least 18 years of age.
Have a solid understanding of the English language.

Duke Integrative Medicine Health Coach Professional Training Program: Applicants to the Duke program must hold a minimum of a bachelor’s degree, which may be in any field of study. Exceptions may be made for those with 3-5 years of experience in a medical or allied health field such as medicine, nursing, physical therapy, health education, exercise physiology, psychotherapy, or nutrition.

Primal Health Coach Program: Primal health has no prerequisites whatsoever.

Certification	Program prerequisites
ACE Health Coach Certification	18 years old; hold a current CPR/AED*
ADAPT Certified Functional Health Coach	2-years full time work experience in healthcare, or; a professional license, certification, or associate’s degree or higher in healthcare
AFPA Health & Wellness Coach Certification	18 years old
Duke Integrative Medicine Health Coach Professional Training Program	Bachelor’s degree, or; 3-5 years of experience in a medical field
Primal Health Coach Program	None

Program Duration

ACE Health Coach Certification: The ACE program is self-paced although preparation usually takes 80 to 100 hours. The exam is good for 6 months from the purchase date of your study program. 150 Questions (125 scored and 25 experimental questions) are on the exam.

ADAPT Certified Functional Health Coach: The ADAPT program is a year-long program with an estimated time commitment of 10 to 12 hours per week

AFPA Health & Wellness Coach Certification: The AFPA program is self-paced however students will need to complete the exam within six months of enrollment.

Duke Integrative Medicine Health Coach Professional Training Program: Duke offers both an in-person course and an online course:

In-person: this course totals eight days of two, 4-day modules, six to eight weeks apart.
Online: the online course is 18-weeks and is comprised of 16 live, 3-hour webinars, once a week.

Primal Health Coach Program: The Primal program is self-paced and consists of 20 comprehensive chapters that are estimated to take 60 to 100 hours to complete.

FAQS About Health Coach Certifications

Do health coaches need certification?

While anyone can say they are a health coach, only certified health coaches will be able to showcase the credentials, education, and support from third-party organizations dedicated to ensuring proper client care and results. Further, getting a job with a health coach certification will be much easier to obtain.

Do health coaches need college degrees?

Health coaches don’t need college degrees for some certifications, while others do require them.

How much is a health coach certification?

Health coach certification costs range from $600 to nearly $10,000. These costs vary depending on the length, curriculum, and prestige of the course.

How long does it take to become a certified health coach?

Many health coach certifications can be obtained in as little as three months. Other courses may take up to a year.

Where can you work with a health coach certificate?

There are a number of career opportunities available to certified health coaches including those within college and university settings; within wellness centers and gyms; within corporate wellness programs; within weight loss programs; at training centers; and as entrepreneurial ventures such as within a consulting capacity.

What do Certified Health Coach Salaries look like?

According to Glassdoor, the average base pay for a Certified Health Coach is $46,764. More experienced health coaches can expect to make upwards of $70,000 a year.

Health Coach Certification Takeaway

According to data from the BLS, the health coach job market is likely to grow 11% over the next decade, making it a great option for in-demand work. As health and wellness continues to dominate conversations around the US and the world, certified health coaches will always be needed to help implement positive change amongst individuals and groups.

To get into this high demand market, you first need to get certified. With the information above determine the best health coach certification for your career goals and start your career path with confidence and a sound background in which to help clients.

If you need help determining which health coach certification is right for you, leave a comment or reach out to us directly.

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6 Best Nutrition Certifications

Are you considering getting a nutrition certification but don’t know which program to go with?

Not sure what the differences are, the advantages of each, the pros and cons, study parameters, and other insider information?

Today you are in luck. Below, we have compiled some insider information to help aspiring Certified Nutritionists make the best choice for them. And that last comment there — “best choice for them” — is an important one. The best nutritionist certification is the one that is best for you. As you’ll see below, there are a number of factors that need to be considered before landing on a certification.

How to Become a Certified Nutritionist

Step 1: Knock Out Your Prerequisites

Before you begin your nutritionist certification course, you’ll want to ensure you have the prerequisites needed to be eligible. Unlike the process to become a personal trainer, the prerequisites to become a certified nutritionist vary greatly from company to company.

Most companies that offer personal training certifications along with nutrition certifications require the below before you can sit for the final exam:

1. 18 years or older
2. High school diploma or GED
3. CPR/AED certification

However, the certifications that are not associated with major fitness bodies such Precision Nutrition or Primal Health Coach do not have prerequisites in place.

The ACE Health Coach seems to have the most stringent prerequisites in place, including the above three requirements as well as proof of a current NCCA-certification, an associate degree in a wellness related field, a completed health coach training and education program approved by the National Board for Health and Wellness Coaches (NBHWC), or two years years of documented work experience in wellness-type programs.

Bottom line: if you are serious about a specific course, check out their prerequisites to ensure they work for you.

Step 2: Find the Best Nutritionist Certification for YOU

As mentioned earlier, there is no “best nutritionist certification,” only certifications that are the most highly recognized. Nutrition education isn’t one-size-fits all, it’s up to you to determine what the best course is for your career and weigh all your options.

Further, consider how you learn best and how the options presented fit into your learning process. Another important consideration is time; how quickly do you want to get certified? Some options may be quicker than others and that may impact your final decision.

Step 3: Prepare for Your Exam & Pass!

Don’t overlook the importance of scheduling your final exam for your nutrition certification. Putting this off may result in long term procrastination. Still, you have to be realistic with your final exam date and your study timelines.

Once you knock out the exam and get certified, you are on your way to training with clients

Step 4: Start Landing Nutrition Clients

Now that you have a fancy certification next to your name and have learned about how to work with clients and various nutrition goals, you can master the art of helping your clients achieve their goals.

Without further ado, let’s learn about some important considerations you should be aware of as you choose the best nutritionist certification for you!

Best Nutrition Certification: An Objective Look into 5 Key Criteria

Price

The majority of the nutrition courses on this list are priced in the same ballpark. The cheapest option at the time of this writing was the ACE Health Coach “Basic” package for $599. They also have a “Plus” package for $749 that includes a hard copy and audiobooks.

The Precision Nutrition Level 1 Certification, NASM Nutrition Certification, and ISSA Fitness Nutrition Certification are all $799. The AFPA has a discounted 100% online course for $649 in addition to the ebook and textbook course that costs $849.

Primal Health Coach does not display pricing information on their website, however, we found a page that shows the course is $2,995, making it the most expensive option on this page. The rationale for the price of this course, and the others, may be suggested in the following section on focus of education.

Primary Focus of Education

The below information was taken straight off the websites of the certification bodies.

ACE Health Coach Certification: ACE places it’s education focus on business practices and how existing personal trainers can make more money selling this complimentary service.

AFPA Nutrition & Wellness Consultant Certification: As the AFPA course name entails, this cert is a blend of nutrition and wellness principles rolled into one. It delves into the basics of diet planning, understanding nutrients, vitamins and minerals in one’s diet, and how to use food as energy. In addition to the understanding and planning aspect, this course also helps you build essential skills for consulting clients and developing protocols. Further, there is an educational element geared towards prevention and how food can treat or reverse disease.

ISSA Certified Nutritionist: ISSA’s Certified Nutritionist certification trains you on the ins and outs of nutrition but also places emphasis on the psychology of eating well and making good dietary choices. These principles can help coaches understand and plan based on their clients’ needs, according to the program.

NASM Certified Nutrition Coach: In addition to learning what NASM calls “cutting edge nutrition information,” this course incorporates general nutrition knowledge with program design around building muscle and losing fat. These skills focus on mental plateaus as they relate to diet and nutrition as well as psychological principles that trainers can use to help their clients get results.

Precision Nutrition Level 1 Certification: Often compared to a college level course, the Precision Nutrition certification simplifies complex diet and nutrition information so that you get a full understanding of the fundamentals and diet-planning that you can pass on to your clients. The program also focuses on designing programs that help clients integrate dieting alongside fitness programs to help them set attainable goals.

Primal Health Coach: The Primal Health Coach platform is rooted in evolutionary health science and what they call “learning how to reprogram genes to direct optimal cellular function.” You’ll be able to teach clients insightful combinations of functional fitness as well as efficient fat burning methods and the lifestyle behaviors that are best for them. The health coaching component is rooted in psychology so you’ll also understand the how’s and the why’s of shifting client behavior.

Expected Study Time

ACE Health Coach Certification: Exam is good for 6 months from the purchase date of your study program.

AFPA Nutrition & Wellness Consultant Certification: As long as you need but you need to complete the exam within six months from enrollment.

ISSA Certified Nutritionist: Study at your own pace. 3-5 hours per week, expected to take 4 months. Must sit for exam 12 within 12 months of registering.

NASM Certified Nutrition Coach: Around 60 hours of total study time.

Precision Nutrition Level 1 Certification: As long as you need. 3-5 hours per week, expected to take 4.5 months.

Primal Health Coach: 60 to 100 hours.

Number of Test Questions

ACE Health Coach Certification: 150 Questions (125 scored and 25 experimental questions)

AFPA Nutrition & Wellness Consultant Certification: 250 Questions

ISSA Certified Nutritionist: 363 Questions

NASM Certified Nutrition Coach: 100 Questions

Precision Nutrition Level 1 Certification: 180 Questions

Primal Health Coach: 500 Questions

Popularity of Certification

ACE Health Coach Certification: 7,227 students [*]

AFPA Nutrition & Wellness Consultant Certification: No posted results

ISSA Certified Nutritionist: No posted results

NASM Certified Nutrition Coach: New certification without statistics

Precision Nutrition Level 1 Certification: 70,000 students [*]

Primal Health Coach: New certification without statistics

FAQs About Nutrition Certifications

Do I need to be a personal trainer to get a nutrition certification?

You don’t need to be a personal trainer to get a nutrition certification. However, some nutrition certifications, like the ACE Health Coach Certification, have a prerequisite that you have a NCCA-accredited certification in fitness, nutrition, healthcare, wellness, human resources or a related field. Check with the specific certification beforehand to understand the prerequisites. If you are considering becoming a personal trainer first, check out the highly regarded FM-CPT.

How much do certified nutritionists make?

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics nutritionists have a median pay of around $60,370 per year, or $29.02 an hour.

How long does it take to become a certified nutritionist?

The typical online nutrition certification can be completed in six months or less. Many of the programs are self-paced, so it is entirely up to the student in terms of how quickly they prepare and pass their final exam.

Can I get a nutrition certification without a degree?

Yes, nutrition certifications don’t require a four year degree. While some programs can be obtained within a college setting, many certifications are available online without a degree. Just be sure to check the specific certifications’ prerequisites before enrolling for their respective requirements.

What is the best nutrition certification?

There really is no “best” nutrition certification as the decision is highly subjective. The best nutrition certification is the one that has the best course curriculum, price, and potential skill sets for your professional goals.

Is a certified nutritionist a good career?

A certified nutritionist is a great career for those who love to help others meet their nutrition, health and wellness goals. If you are passionate about people and food, this low stress, high work-life balance job could be a great career for you.

Nutrition Certification Takeaway

A nutrition certification is an ideal option for those who want to help clients understand their health and wellness through food. Whether as a standalone career or as an add-on to your personal training or health career, the knowledge you gain can help others achieve their personal goals.

The future for certified nutritionists looks bright as the industry is projected for continued growth as more people place an emphasis on the healing and preventative powers of food. As long as there is a trend for people wanting to improve their overall health, there should always be a strong demand for professionals who can help them.

Resources:

https://www.precisionnutrition.com/

https://www.precisionnutrition.com/precision-nutrition-level-1-certification-faq

https://www.primalhealthcoach.com/

https://www.primalhealthcoach.com/pricing/

https://www.acefitness.org/fitness-certifications/health-coach-certification/default.aspx

https://www.nasm.org/continuing-education/certified-nutrition-coach

https://www.afpafitness.com/health-coach-certification-programs

https://store.afpafitness.com/health-wellness-coach-certification/

https://www.issaonline.com/certification/nutrition-certification/

https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/dietitians-and-nutritionists.htm

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How to Become an Online Personal Trainer in 2020

For fitness professionals, becoming an online personal trainer is one of the most sought after approaches to get more clients and make more money.

Chances are, if you are considering this niche you are attracted to it because there is no income ceiling. Online personal training works while you sleep, doesn’t care how many hours there are in a day, and doesn’t put you in a box that forces you to focus on time as an income limiting factor.

Simply put, online personal training as a business model is scalable.

Creating online training service offerings that help people achieve their fitness and health goals, but do not require a ton of time, allow you to gain back that ever so important personal and financial freedom.

So, this sounds fantastic doesn’t it? Of course it does, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy.

Today we will learn how to become an online personal trainer, the six different types of online personal training business models, touch on some online personal training revenue streams that you may want to consider, and learn a little about online personal trainer software.

But first, let’s define exactly what an online personal trainer is.

What is an Online Personal Trainer?

An Online Personal Trainer is someone who enhances the health and fitness of others through internet-based technological mediums.

The definition of an online trainer is very broad, and to be frank, it is supposed to be. Online personal trainers can do the things that are normally associated with personal trainers — improve fitness levels, body image, health, and performance — all online.

With today’s technology, trainers can literally train anyone, from anywhere, at anytime. This gives every personal trainer an additional medium to earn money and increase their personal and financial freedom by creating an online personal training business.

But before you train clients using online mediums you first have to become an online personal trainer.

4 Steps to Become an Online Personal Trainer (the right way)

There is a logical path that exists for you to become an online personal trainer. In fact, we’ve created an entire course around it. Let’s discuss how to become an online personal trainer while also assuming you are already a personal trainer.

1 Transition Your First Client Over to
Online Training

Before you go head first into online training, my recommendation is to transition one of your in-person clients over to what is called the “hybrid personal training model.” The hybrid model is a blend of traditional personal training (in-person) along with online personal training (more on the online personal training business models below).

This gives you some experience working with clients online and allows you to begin to develop additional revenue-generating programs in the process. For example, you can take an in-person client and create a PDF workout plan for them to follow and interact with them via online mediums. In between in-person workouts you allow your client to follow your guide and regularly check-in with them via email, text message, phone, or some other method that allows for tracking and accountability.

If you like the freedoms this hybrid method of training affords you, you will likely want to learn how to scale it.

2 Get an Online Personal Training Certification to Help Structure and Scale Your Online Business

Let’s get something out of the way as it concerns becoming an online personal trainer. You don’t actually NEED any special certification to sell or provide personal training services online.

But, and this is a strong but, would you trust a doctor that didn’t have a proper educational background? Would you let a dentist with no dental education work on your pearly whites?

A professional with credentials is important to the consumer, as it builds credibility and trust, and therefore it should be important to you as well. Earning an online personal trainer certification provides you insight into assisting your clients online, understanding business and program creation, scaling your business, and provides you with credentials that were created to enhance the lives of your clients while protecting their safety. In short, in helps to maintain the integrity of the personal training industry as a whole with a set of principles, guidelines, and recommendations that help both you and your clients succeed using this great medium.

So, while you can skip getting an online personal training certification, I highly recommend you start here before establishing yourself as an online personal trainer.

This portion of your education will also help to transition you into a larger role as an online personal trainer while also allowing you more personal and financial freedom, the hallmarks of the online personal training industry.

3 Start Building Additional Online Training Revenue Streams

If step one taught you how to gain experience using online training and the hybrid model, step three will be the part where you really scale your online business. In the Fitness Mentors Certified Online Personal Trainer certification (FM-COPT), you’ll learn the various assets you can build to help you sell personal training online.

Online personal training really weighs heavily on business structure, and understanding how to structure your business from start to finish is very helpful for new online trainers. For example, learning how to leverage online PDFs, video libraries, client management platforms, and integrate them into your website are all educational paths you can learn the hard way or the easy way. The FM-COPT will show you how to start building these assets as well as your new online business model based on the six kinds of online business models I’ll explain more below.

After you begin to build out these additional revenue streams, it’s all about getting more clients online.

4 Get More Clients Online

At this final stage of becoming an online personal trainer you’ve now learned some of the ins and outs of online training with your experience with a hybrid model, you’ve gotten a certification that helps set some structure and shows you how to build assets out to sell more services, and now all you need to do to be more successful is to get more clients online.

Notice I did not specifically mention marketing here as that is not the only way to get online personal training clients. There is an opportunity for you to bring your existing in-person clients over to your online suite of services and that is probably an easier transition than marketing itself. While marketing will eventually become an important part of scaling your business, I recommend using existing relationships to truly kickstart some of your online training while you laser focus your online business.

If you want some insight into marketing your business, check out our blog on personal trainer marketing and specifically some of the ideas that relate to websites or online services.

Read on to learn about the types of online personal training services can you offer.

Online Personal Trainer Business Models: The 6 Different Types of Online Personal Trainers

Coaching and training clients online can happen in countless unique ways but the starting point always remains the same: your goal is the focus on improving the health of your clients.

The way you set yourself up as an online personal trainer will dictate the ways you can make money online. It also will determine the amount of clients you can have.

These methods include:

Private Personalized Online Training
Non-Personalized PDF Fitness Programs
Non-Personalized Video Fitness Programs
Hybrid Online and In-Person Personal Training
Live Video Chat Workouts Online
Online Group Personal Training

Let’s take a closer look at each variation to see how they create an online personal trainer business. As you read through these think about how they fit into your style of training and your personal interests for business development.

1. Private Personalized Online Training

The personalized element of personal training is retained in this type of online training, but the difference is this method is that the trainer does not work with the client in-person. Using various communication methods — phone, email, text, and especially software — the trainer provides their clients the tools and program needed to achieve a specific fitness goal. Using some of these same technological resources, the trainer is able to track client progress and ensure client success and retention.

2. Non-Personalized PDF Fitness Programs

Non-personalized PDF fitness programs are created by trainers for general or specific population types. These premade programs usually live on a website and are made available for download. This type of online training requires zero client interaction, but strong online marketing to help drive attention to the program and convince clients to make purchases.

3. Non-Personalized Video Fitness Programs

Like the above PDF programs, these video programs also do not involve direct client interaction. Instead, trainers provide clients access to a video or a series of videos in which they can follow on their own.

4. Hybrid Online and In-Person Personal Training

The hybrid model is a mix of in-person personal training combined with online resources that allows trainers to provide hands-on services and reinforce them with online tools. These programs usually are more cost-effective for clients as they usually only see a trainer in-person a handful of times each month, and then are free to use the online resources to maintain their workouts on their own. This approach is a good starting point for trainers who are looking to transition clients from 100% in-person to a combination of in-person and online.

5. Live Video Chat Workouts Online

Live video chat or in-person online streaming is a form of training that allows a trainer and a client to see and interact with each other from their computers or mobile devices. A trainer who uses this tool can provide immediate feedback to clients on form, demonstrate exercises, and answer questions in real time.

6. Online Group Personal Training

An extension of the above, innovative personal training software company gymGO also allows trainers the option to do one-on-one live streaming sessions or train and interact with larger groups of clients, all online. For example, trainers can hold a yoga, pilates, or other group fitness class and have the option to live stream it, record themselves and make their workouts on-demand via memberships. This potentially opens up the door for much larger revenue opportunities for trainers and this online training opportunity has been proven by Peloton with much success.

If you are looking at the above and are wondering if you can combine them together, you absolutely can. Just like in traditional in-person personal training there is nothing stopping you from adding additional services to your offerings. You just have to learn how to find the appropriate channels in which to deliver your services, market your business, and leverage software to your advantage.

In case you want some other ideas for how to monetize your online personal training business, consider some of the following to set yourself apart from other personal training businesses:

Nutritional Programs
Phone Consultations
Weekly Phone Calls
Email Support and Check Ins
Online Assessments
Memberships
Affiliate Programs
Accountability Services

Considerations for Online Personal Trainer Software

If you are considering expanding your personal training business online one of the investments you’ll want to make will surely be software. Software will help manage your clients, help to deliver programs or services, automate specific tasks, house your documents or videos, and can even help with billing and payments.

Before you decide on a software you should first determine what features you need to run and operate your business. If there is one mistake I see too many trainers make it’s purchasing a software solely based on brands that they’ve heard of rather than features that they need.

Fitness Mentors’ view on online personal training software is that you should focus on finding something that saves you time. Having time allows you to scale your business and potentially make money while you sleep.

Another aspect of online personal training software to consider is how it will play into the evolution of personal training. For example, a recent article in the Wall Street Journal highlighted the trend in fitness for online training and on-demand and virtual, live streaming classes. Many of the existing online personal training softwares don’t allow trainers to leverage this, while newer technologies like gymGO are keeping up with the trainer of the future.

The point is, consider the services that you want to deliver, the demands from clients, the state of the personal training industry as a whole, and how software can help integrate all these aspects to help you scale your business.

FAQs for How to Become an Online Personal Trainer

Can you be an online personal trainer?

Any willing person can call themselves an online personal trainer, but just because they call themselves one doesn’t mean they are qualified. A true certified online personal trainer will understand health and safety protocols, program design, and more.

How do online personal trainers make money?

There are six primary ways in which online personal trainers can make money:

Private Personalized Online Training
Non-Personalized PDF Fitness Programs
Non-Personalized Video Fitness Programs
Hybrid Online and In-Person Personal Training
Live Video Chat Workouts Online
Online Group Personal Training

Is online personal training profitable?

While there is no magic recipe for a profitable online personal training business, yes, online personal training can be very profitable. High profits for online personal trainers are particularly associated with those who can build a successful online presence, sell products or services through automated processes, and develop a scalable business model that is not contingent on the amount of hours in a day typically reserved for in-person training.

How do I start an online personal training business?

The most logical way to start an online personal training business is to transition existing in-person clients over to online clients. Creating online workout programs and giving in-person clients access is one of many examples that can be used to start an online personal training business.

What should I charge for online personal training?

Online personal trainers should charge according to their experience, the target population they are working with, and how much value they are bringing to their clients.

Where can I get an online personal trainer certification?

The Fitness Mentors Certified Online Personal Trainer (FM-COPT) is the only company nationally recognized by the NBFE (National Board of Fitness Examiners) to offer an Online Personal Training Certification.

How to Get Hands-on Training to Build Your Online Personal Training Business

Starting an online personal trainer business has its challenges. Deciding where to put your efforts for the best chance of success and developing strategies can be a bit overwhelming.

This is why the Fitness Mentors Certified Online Personal Training certification was created. This program, which is also offered as a 6 Week Mentorship, will provide you the insight into creating the business that works best for you while revealing the best strategies for transitioning to a full or part time online personal trainer.

We encourage this through 5 Major learning sections:

Prepare Your Business – Learn the necessary tasks needed to prepare your business and create services for online success.
Take Your Business Online – Discover the strategies that transition your business to the online space.
Generate Leads to Grow Your Business – Learn the marketing, advertising, and outreach techniques used for attracting an abundance of clients.
Convert Sales – Dive deep into defining your sales personality and use it to set efficient pricing and close sales.
Care for Your Clients – Understand the best practices for supporting your clients and retaining their business to provide yourself with financial freedom and consistent income.

Choosing to take this path toward creating the career that you envision is an envious task. Your passion for success will shine through as you learn every step toward becoming a successful online personal trainer.

This passion will allow you to establish yourself as a leader in this new and fast-evolving industry.

You will be backed by and supported by the quality education provided in this certification course, with the credential to assist thousands of people in improving their health, performance and overall happiness.

Give yourself credit for taking this step and mentally prepare yourself for the commitment of completing this course and creating the life you want.

Learn more about the Fitness Mentors COPT today.

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online personal trainer

Best Personal Trainer Certification

To help aspiring personal trainers choose the best personal training certification, we’ve decided to put together a list of (mostly) objective criteria we believe trainers are most concerned with. While there really is no “best personal trainer certification,” there are different factors that may better resonate with certain people.

Thus, we put together the following factors based on feedback from existing personal trainers and found as much data as possible so we could quantify our research:

Accreditation: most gyms only accept personal training certifications that are NCCA, NBFE or DEAC – recognized so this is an important factor for aspiring trainers. These certifying bodies are considered the gold standard for fitness certifications.
Price: includes the cost of the test and the cheapest study materials.
Pass Rate: the total test takers divided by the passers.
Expected Study Time: this is the time you have to take the exam from the time you purchase the study materials.
Number of Test Questions: all tests are multiple choice, and we report on the amount of test questions for each exam. We also cover the total time allotted as well as the minimum passing score.
CEU Requirements: amount of Continuing Education Units required to maintain certification.
Popularity of Certification: indication of the amount of people who have a cert and take the test every year.
Primary Focus of Education: while this topic may surprise some, each program varies slightly in what their education process concentrates on teaching you. This information is pulled straight off their catalogs.
Average Income: average annual income by certification based on actual user feedback from reputable website Payscale.com.
Retake Fee: if you fail the exam the first time, the price to retake the exam again.

Personal Trainer Certifications we Analyzed (with links to websites)

NASM – National Academy of Sports Medicine (Click for 30% off)
ACE – The American Council on Exercise
FM – Fitness Mentors
NSCA – National Strength and Conditioning Association
ACSM – American College of Sports Medicine
NESTA – National Exercise & Sports Trainers Association
NCCPT – National Council for Certified Personal Trainers
NCSF – National Council on Strength & Fitness
ISSA – International Sports Sciences Association
AFAA – Athletics and Fitness Association of America
NFPT – National Federation of Professional Trainers

Check out our infographic that covers the objective items mentioned above. Below the image is a list of all the items with a breakdown.

Best Personal Training Certification: An Objective Look into 10 Key Criteria

Below we summarize the data contained in the infographic, diving into highlights from each section, explaining why some companies vary so much, and giving an honest assessment of why each of the companies ranks where it does.

We also include a “Personal Trainer Takeaway,” from me, a longtime personal trainer who has worked in almost every facet of the business (big box gym, one-on-one, group fitness, business owner, etc.). This section is a bit more subjective, but will help you consider some things that a purely objective analysis might not.

In some instances, we were not able to find data for each of the certifying bodies and we made estimates. This estimated data is not presented in the infographic but we make mention of it here.

Let’s clear up some Personal Trainer Certification FAQs before diving in.

1: How do you get certified to be a personal trainer?

To be eligible for most certified personal trainer exams, you typically need to meet the following criteria:

Be 18 years old
Have a high school diploma or equivalent certification
Have a Emergency Cardiac Care (CPR) or Automated External Defibrillator (AED) certification

These requirements may vary from certification to certification, but these are the basic guidelines for a CPT. From there, you simply register for an exam, study, pass, and begin your career.

2: How much does it cost to get certified as a personal trainer?

We cover the specifics of how much each certification body charges for the exam and study materials below, but the range is between $399 and $799.

So, you can figure it will cost you around $500 to get certified as a personal trainer for most certification bodies.

3: How long are personal training certifications good for?

The personal trainer certification length is good for life provided you keep up with continuing education requirements of your certification. Another way of explaining this is that you’ll have to understand that each personal trainer certification company has different requirements for their trainers to maintain their certifications. The general rule of thumb is a certification must be renewed every two years and is done so by taking continuing education courses. See our chart and description below to learn more about each certification.

4: What is the cheapest personal training certification?

The Fitness Mentors Personal Trainer Certification is the cheapest personal training certification at $399 including the digital textbook, 8 types of study materials, and the exam. This option is completely online and therefore does not have some of the unnecessary costs associated with the others.

5: What is the easiest personal trainer certification?

This is very subjective question, however, ISSA is generally considered the easiest CPT as the test is taken online in your own home and has no time limit.

6: How long does it take to become a personal trainer?

There are five basic ways you can become a personal trainer and each will vary in the time it takes to start the process to get your certification. You can theoretically get a personal trainer certification in as little as a few hours, but this method, available through unaccredited online companies, would be unlikely to help you get a job or equip you with any real knowledge. Furthermore, this method is not recommended by Fitness Mentors.

The other options and general timelines to get certified are:

Self-study: Certification via Accredited US Company — 6 months +/-
Certification via Vocational College — 30 to 42 weeks
Certification and Degree via University Programs — 4+ years
Certification via Gym Program (usually unaccredited training programs, not certifications) — 90 hours +/-

7: What personal trainer certificate is most respected?

The personal trainer certifications with an option for NCCA accreditation are the most respected in the industry. The NCCA is the gold standard for third-party personal training certifications. Some of these certs include, NASM, ACE, Fitness Mentors, and ISSA.

8: Is it worth it to get a personal trainer certification?

The investment in a personal trainer certification is worth it no matter which way you look at it. Most CPTs are $400 to $800 and full time trainers can expect to make this money back their first month. The education you get will also ensure a healthy knowledge for personal gains as well.

9: Do you have to be fit to be a personal trainer?

Personal trainers will be expected to be fit enough to demonstrate the exercises they are recommending to clients. While there is no fitness test to become a personal trainer, being in-shape would certainly help you attract clients.

10: What certifications do most gyms accept?

Gyms tend to accept personal trainer certifications that are NCCA Accredited (like NASM or ACE), those that are accredited by the National Board of Fitness Examiners (like Fitness Mentors or NESTA), or those with a DEAC Accreditation (like ISSA).

Accreditation

Accreditation standards are developed by several third-party credentialing organizations to maintain a level of professionalism within the fitness industry. These designations showcase that a certification body has created a high-quality program that ensures the safety and wellbeing of the public. Fitness certifications that wish to be accredited have to submit their programs and final exam to be evaluated on an individual basis. This ensures that they meet the highest standard and validates that the aspiring trainer has the competency for entry level employment.

With the exception of AFAA and ISSA, every personal training certification body on this list has the option for a National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA) accredited exam, which is the gold standard for fitness certifications. This is important to trainers because most gyms will only accept personal trainer certifications that are accepted by an NCCA-accredited body. So, if you are like many trainers who want to jumpstart their career by working in a gym, you may want to avoid a cert that is not NCCA-accredited.

If you are looking for a more entrepreneurial route other than working in a gym, the FM-CPT is known for having the most business emphasis in their education. AFAA is currently rebuilding their program so that they will be accredited, but their main emphasis is their group fitness certification. ISSA does have accreditation with Distance Education Accrediting Commission (DEAC) and National Board of Fitness Examiners (NBFE), and is accepted at most gym chains.

Personal Trainer Certifications with the option for NCCA Accreditation:

NASM
ACE
Fitness Mentors
NSCA
ACSM
NESTA
NCCPT
NCSF
NFPT

Personal Trainer Certifications with National Board of Fitness Examiners (NBFE) Affiliation

Fitness Mentors
NESTA
NCCPT
ISSA

Personal Trainer Certification with DEAC Accreditation:

ISSA

Personal Trainer Takeaway:

Be sure to check with your top employment options to find out which certifications they accept, as that may limit your certification choices. For example, if you have a friend that works at 24-Hour Fitness and says he can get you a job if you get certified, get a list of the certifications they honor so you know you’ll be a shoe-in.

Similarly, if you plan on working at a smaller shop with other personal trainers, inquire with them first if they will accept the personal training certification you are leaning towards. Bottom line, determine where you want to work, then see if those places have requirements on the types of PT certs they accept for employees.

Price

The Price includes the cheapest study package and test.

Most of the personal trainer certification bodies sit around the $500 price range for the exam and the study materials. Fitness Mentors is the least Expensive at $399, and ACE ($599), NSCA ($712.80), and NASM ($699) are a full $100 to $300 more expensive.

For ACE and NASM, this is likely due to the popularity of the brands, while the NSCA seems to be expensive in general for these upfront costs as well as the Retake Fee (more on that below).

Personal Trainer Takeaway:

You should determine what matters most to you: prestige or cost? If you want to go with a more recognized name in the industry (NASM, ACE) it will cost more. If you only need an inexpensive, accredited certification for quick employment, look toward the less expensive certifications (Fitness Mentors, NFPT, NESTA).

However, also consider CEU requirements, income, as well as the above accreditation factors before you pull the trigger. While price may be the most important factor to you, all the factors on this page may influence your final decision beyond your initial investment.

Pass Rate

The cert with the best pass rate is ISSA at 89.9%, while ACSM, at 54%, sits on the bottom end. The ISSA has the best pass rate because it is the only open book exam out of the bunch, and there is no time limit on the exam.

There is no data on the Pass Rate for the AFAA because they are rebuilding everything to get NCCA accredited.

Personal Trainer Takeaway:

Some tests are much harder than others. If we use pass rate as our main reference point, it would appear that ACSM, NSCA, and NCSF have the most difficult tests. This can mean these tests are the hardest to pass or the educational experience provided is not sufficient in preparing students for the subject matter on the test.

Or, it could mean these tests tend to focus on more difficult subjects like anatomy, physiology and biomechanics. The study experience — books, study guides, practice exams, access to instructors, etc. — from fitness organizations can vary widely. The feedback from students is that some study curriculum does not fully prepare a student for a final exam as well as it could, while others find that the preparation materials provided fully prepare them for the final exam. This is why students often use third-party educators like Fitness Mentors to provide education for multiple certification exams like NASM and ACE.

Expected Study Time

The expected study time is inferred from the time the certification bodies give you when you buy the study materials until the time you have to take the exam.

NCCPT: As long as you need. 80-100 hours recommended study time.

Fitness Mentors: 6 Months with 80 hours of recommended study time.

NESTA: Study as long as you need but must complete the test within 90 days of requesting the exam voucher.

ACSM: 3, 6, 12, or 24 month options.

ACE: Schedule test before 6 months of purchase ends but can take it before 9 months.

ISSA: 6 months to complete.

NASM: Must complete in under 6 months.

NCSF: Must complete in under 6 months.

NCSA: 120 days after purchasing exam.

NFPT: 12 Months after purchasing exam.

AFAA: N/A

Personal Trainer Takeaway:

The timeline you have to complete the test matters depending on your situation. Are you currently unemployed and need a training job as soon as possible? You would then want the shortest study time and easiest test. Are you looking to become certified without the need for immediate employment? Maybe a longer study time would be needed since you are less motivated for immediate results. Also, keep in mind how much time you have to put toward your studies? If you only have two hours a week, you may not be able to complete your studies in the allotted time.

The main takeaway here is to not just look at the exam with the least amount of study time and say, ‘that’s for me!’ Instead, take an honest assessment of your current financial situation and the certification you really want and make the best decision for your future.

Number of Test Questions

Below: Number of test questions / total test time / minimum passing score

NASM: 120 questions / 120 minutes/ 70% or higher is passing

ACSM: 120 questions / 120 minutes / 68.75% or higher is passing. 800 points available based on scaled questions, 550 points needed to pass

Fitness Mentors: 100 questions / 120 minutes / 70% or higher is passing

AFAA: 120 questions online exam / 120 minutes / 70% or higher is passing

NFPT: 120 questions online exam / 120 minutes / 70% or higher is passing

NESTA: 125 Questions / 120 minutes / 69% or higher is passing

NCCPT: 140 Questions / 120 minutes / 72.7% or higher is passing

NCSF: 150 questions / 180 minutes / 62% or higher is passing

ACE: 150 questions / 180 minutes / 62.5% or higher is passing. 800 points available based on scaled questions 500 points needed to pass

NSCA: 155 questions / 180 minutes / 70% or higher is passing

ISSA: 160 questions / unlimited time / 75% or better is passing

Personal Trainer Takeaway:

What type of test taker are you? A confident test taker will not need to worry about the length of test or number of questions. Someone whose mind goes blank because of testing anxiety may want to consider the shorter test like Fitness Mentors, NASM or ACSM. Or, if you have an extreme fear of tests consider Fitness Mentors or ISSA as the tests are open book. Just make sure your potential employer approves this certification.

CEU Requirement

The NCSF has by far the least amount of CEUs required at 10 credit hours. At the other end, NSCA trainers are required to obtain 60 CEUs. However, these numbers alone don’t tell the whole story, you should also consider the time periods in which these hours are required, as well as the costs to recertify.

NCSF: 10 hours of CEUs and $50 to recertify every 2 years

AFAA: 15 Hours of CEUs and $99 to recertify every 2 years

NASM: 20 hours of CEUs and $99 to recertify every 2 years

Fitness Mentors: 20 hours of CEUs and $99 to recertify every 2 years

ACE: 20 hours of CEUs and $129 to recertify every 2 years

ISSA: 20 hours of CEUs and $99 to recertify every 2 years

NCCPT: 20 Hours of CEUs and $75 to recertify every 2 years

NESTA: 40 hours of CEUs and $149 to recertify every 4 years

ACSM: 45 hours of CEUs and $30 to recertify every 3 years

NFPT: 10 hours of CEUs and $50 to recertify every year

NSCA: 60 hours of CEUs and $50 to recertify every 3 years

Personal Trainer Takeaway:

Recertification is required by all certifying bodies. The process of recertification varies slightly, but one common ground is that they require you to continue your education and show proof of this newly obtained knowledge via CEUs or Continuing Education Units.

Also, there are typically 1,000s of courses to choose from to continue your education and we have compiled a list of our favorites here. Another consideration is that the more CEUs that are required by a provider the more money you will spend on recertifying (roughly $20 per contact hour) which makes NSCA (60 hours) and ACSM (45 hours) less appealing financially. Hopefully, this will not matter if you are successful in your personal training career. To ensure that you are successful check out this highly recommended business and sales course for personal trainers.

Popularity of Certification

The popularity of a certification is based on the number of trainers with a specific cert in the field as well as the number of test takers per year. Not reported in the graph is the number of tests taken per year.

NASM is by far the most popular of all personal training certifications at over 22,000 attempts per year. NSCA, who is also the second-most expensive certification, has the least amount trainers with their cert. This is a bit odd considering NASM, a brand with lots of interest, can justify this interest by charging more.

AFAA said they have 350,000 certified but for a different group fitness certification. Thus, we didn’t include it on the reporting of the infographic.

The number of tests taken per year is provided below:

NASM: 22,304 attempts per year

ACE: 13,103 attempts per year

ISSA: 10,696 attempts per year

ACSM: 5,226 attempts per year

NFPT: 2,684 attempts per year

NCSF: 2,455 attempts per year

NSCA: 1,529 attempts per year

NESTA: 1,515 attempts per year

Fitness Mentors: 565 attempts per year

NCCPT: 355 attempts per year

Personal Trainer Takeaway:

The way that we look at this statistic is mainly by determining the recognition for each certification body. It is assumed that the more people that take a certification the more well-known that certification is. Popularity can be seen as a reputation builder meaning that more people trust that company, but it also can be determined by the volume of marketing and advertising a company puts in.

To give a brief example of this, NASM advertises on TV and radio in our local area. This leads to more people in general recognizing the NASM brand and name. When trainers say they are NASM-certified, their clients typically recognize the brand name because of the abundant advertising and that makes the trainer more reputable, even though the client knows nothing about the quality of education NASM provides.

On the other hand, some progressive companies, like Fitness Mentors, have introduced a relatively new certification. For this reason, they don’t yet have the same number of tests taken as organizations that have been around for dozens of years. The benefit of some of the newer certifications, however, is that they are able to fill voids where some of the older organizations lag. Fitness Mentors is 100% online, boasts more study materials than many of the other certifications, offers personal mentorships, and provides access to instructors. ISSA is also a 100% online option, rounding out the more progressive companies that are keeping up with modern demands of trainers who capitalize on online learning and test-taking.

The question you must ask is ‘do I care if my clients recognize the name of my certification?’ If so, choose a certification with more popularity. Just keep in mind that most clients don’t know and don’t care what certification you have, but employers do so make sure your chosen employer accepts the cert.

Primary Focus of Education

This information was taken straight off the catalogs of the certification bodies.

NASM: Exercise Technique and Training Instruction

ACE: Behavioral Modification for Fitness Goals

Fitness Mentors: Fitness Program Design and Business Success

NSCA: Techniques of Exercise

ACSM: Exercise Leadership and Client Education

NESTA: Business Applications

NCCPT: Exercise Application

ISSA: Program Design

NCSF: Exercise Prescription and Programming Considerations

NFPT: Goal-oriented Program Design in User-friendly Format

Personal Trainer Takeaway:

Most of the certifying bodies will be very similar in their balance of educational topics, due to the NCCA regulation that forces companies to do a Job Task Analysis. This Job Task Analysis determines the most important knowledge to have to be successful in the field and is typically the same across the board. Therefore, each company is required to have the same topics of education. ISSA is the outlier here as they are not required to stick with NCCA’s guidelines, but the balance of educational topics does not stray too far from the others.

Average Income

While the personal trainer certification bodies don’t publish this information, we are able to average data from self-reported data on reputable websites.

At the top tier of income is NASM and ACE, at $41,598 and $41,546, respectively. NCSF comes in at $35,061, the lowest of incomes we were able to find data on.

For NESTA, NCCPT, and ISSA, we were unable to find data but are able to estimate based on the popularity of each certification and the income reported for that cert. We estimate that these individuals, on average, make:

NESTA: $37,531
NCCPT: $35,101
ISSA: $36,235

Personal Trainer Takeaway:

These incomes are averages of about 30+ different people holding the same certification working as fitness professionals. We know trainers that make $200,000 per year as well as $20,000 per year all of which have the same and/or different certifications. Your success as a business person is determined by your drive, knowledge of key business and sales techniques, location and various other things. To find out how to optimize your success we recommend this online course.

Also recently Online Personal Training has lead to a larger population of trainers making $100,000 or more. To become certified to train online and learn how to make six-figures we recommend this certification.

Retake Fee

Should you fail the exam the first time around, all the certifications bodies charge to retake it. NSCA, the provider with the most expensive retake fee ($435), charges almost eight times more than the cheapest provider Fitness Mentors ($50), while the bulk of the other providers are in the $100 to $200 range.

Personal Trainer Takeaway:

The takeaway here is to prepare for whatever test you take, and make sure you pass the first time around!

Who to Pick for the
Best Personal Training Certification

Again, choosing a personal training certification is a very subjective decision and certain factors may weigh more heavily with specific individuals. For example, if price is a factor, then NASM may not be the best option for you. However, when you look at income, NASM personal trainers tend to make the most, showing that this is likely the best investment in your future.

If you are a terrible test taker, the Fitness Mentors CPT exam may be appealing to you as it is open book and has a nearly 80% pass rate.

The amount of CEUs required, as well as the recertification fee, are also an important consideration as this is required by all the certification bodies.

The point is you should be objective in your selection and determine what factors are most important to you. Talk to some other trainers and ask them what cert they have, if they like it, and if they’d recommend it to you. But remember, any trainer you ask advice for will likely be partial to whatever certification they have.

If you are interested in two personal training certifications for the cost of one, the NFPT and Fitness Mentors have partnered to provide the best education experience in the industry with the power of earning two CPT Certifications at once.

I hope that this post has helped you make the decision to choosing the best personal training certification for you that much easier. If you have any questions, or would like to see anything else added to this list, please leave a comment below.

Personal Trainer Career Roadmap

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How to Start a Personal Training Business: The Ultimate Guide

How to Start a Personal Training Business:
The Ultimate Guide

The Ultimate Guide

With over 330,000 personal training jobs forecasted in the US by 2026 and a growing body of fitness-conscious individuals, it seems now, more than ever, is the best time to start a personal training business.

However, without a strategy or a sound personal trainer business plan, you’ll make the process of becoming a self-employed personal trainer harder than it needs to be.

To help you start a personal training business that has the greatest chance of success, we’ve put together this ultimate guide so you can avoid common pitfalls, save money, and understand how to put a business plan together that works.

In this ultimate guide on how to start a personal training business, you’ll learn:

First Steps for Personal Training Business Preparation
How to Create a Personal Trainer Business Plan
Types of Personal Training Businesses You Can Start
How to Become a Successful Personal Trainer

And if you want an even deeper dive into business structure, building your book of business, sales techniques, and more, check out the online masterclass, Business and Sales: The Guide to Success as a Personal Trainer.

Types of Personal Training Businesses
You Can Start

Today’s personal trainers come from a mixed bag of backgrounds. Some work at gyms, others with colleges or sports teams, many work at community centers, and some create their own personal training businesses.

The businesses that personal trainers can start usually fall into the below categories:

Train at a Private a Gym that Allows You to Pay Per Session
You Train at Clients’ Homes/Facilities
You Train Clients at Your Own Home
Start a Personal Training Business Online

Train at a Private a Gym that Allows You to Pay Per Session

In a recent post on personal trainer salaries, we discussed a payment structure where the trainer could bring in their own clients to gyms that they had relationships with. In these relationships, the personal trainer and their clients are independent from the gym’s payroll or clientbase, respectively.

The gym allows trainers and their clients to utilize their facilities and the trainer is able to charge whatever they can negotiate with their clients. The catch is that the trainer will pay the gym a fee each time the facilities are used.

In-home Personal Training: You Train at Clients’ Homes/Facilities

An increasingly popular personal training business is taking your in-person personal training services to the homes or facilities of your clients. If you are interested in this route, there are a few things that you’ll have to keep in mind as you start an in-home personal personal trainer business.

The main question and concern you’ll have as an in-home personal trainer is the type of equipment the client has or that you need to bring. If a client lives within a gated community, condo, or other association with a community gym, then you may have access to some decent machines and/or equipment.

If the training setting is, for example, your client’s living room, you’ll have to get more creative. This may limit the exercises you are able to perform and may impact the results without proper planning.

Regardless, a good trainer can adjust to the equipment on hand and will figure out a way to make the training as effective as possible.

In-home Personal Training: You Train at Your Own Home

In-home personal training in your own homes is similar to training at your clients’ homes with the exception that the training is performed at your home and your clients come to you.

Most trainers I know who train at their own homes have fairly elaborate garages that are built out to accomodate a number of different machines and equipment. This too is a popular form of personal training and can be an ideal business model for trainers who have the space within their homes or who don’t mind clients coming to their personal residences.

Start a Personal Training Business Online

Online personal training is by far the most exciting new personal training business model out there. Compared to the other personal training business models, this model varies in that the personal trainer does not have to meet in-person with a client to create a massive impact on their health. In fact, because of new technology, a trainer can work online from anywhere in the world and change the lives of tens, hundreds, thousands and even millions of people.

So, what is an online personal trainer?

An Online Personal Trainer is someone who enhances the health of others through internet-based technological mediums.

The variety of online personal trainer businesses is broad, but here is a overview of they types of online personal training businesses you can start:

Private Personalized Online Training
Non-Personalized PDF Fitness Programs
Non-Personalized Video Fitness Programs
Hybrid Online and In-Person Personal Trainer
Live Video Chat Workouts Online
Online Group Personal Trainer

Private Personalized Online Training

The private personal online model is most like traditional in-person training. The trainer performs all the tasks of a normal personal trainer but does not work with the client in-person. Through specific software, phone, email and text messaging, this trainer provides all the tools and programming needed to achieve a fitness goal, and the client follows along without the trainer being present.

Non-Personalized PDF Fitness Programs

Premade, downloadable programs are made by the trainer and published online. These non-personalized models involve zero client interaction and are generally pushed over to the client through automated software.

Non-Personalized Video Fitness Programs

Video fitness programs have been around for a long time. However, the advantages for today’s trainers are the ability to store their premade workout programs online and provide immediate access to a workout video library. Like the PDF programs, there is no client interaction.

Hybrid Online and In-Person Personal Trainer

The hybrid model utilizes the internet to deliver programs to local clients, but also involves in-person training 1-4 times per month. Using a “hybrid” model allows the client to

receive the hands-on training of a personal trainer at a lower cost, since most of

the program is performed on their own. This is a great starting point for trainers

looking to take their business online.

Live Video Chat Workouts Online

Video chats or calls allow the trainer to see, hear, and interact with a client live, but not actually in-person. This allows the trainer, and client, to benefit from immediate feedback on form, exercise demonstrations, and cueing.

Online Group Personal Trainer

The online group personal trainer performs live group fitness classes, records them, and delivers them to as many people as possible. Think of on-demand workout classes — Online Boot Camp, Yoga, Pilates, Etc.– that require membership to access the content. Companies like Peloton have cornered this niche exceptionally well and proven people will subscribe to workout in the comfort of their homes.

How to Become a Successful
Personal Trainer

Now that you have gone through the foundational steps of getting certified, specializing, launching a brand, and choosing the type of personal training business you want to start, now you’ll need to move on to business development.

We do a deep dive on the below in our Business and Sales course, but here are some talking points you’ll want to include in your personal trainer business plan.

Setting Prices

Every successful personal trainer has to figure out how to price their services for maximum profit and value to the client. As your own boss, you are able to charge whatever you like. Here are some things you should consider:

Location- Where are you training? A trainer in Malibu will justify charging more than a trainer in Compton.
Economy- Personal training is a luxury item for most. When the economy turns, so does interest in luxury items. Be understanding of this when setting prices.
Target Population- Set a price that is attainable for your target population by understanding what they might pay for your products/services.
Cost to Train Client- Consider things like the travel expenses, the payments you have to make to use a private gym, tools and equipment such as machines and dumbbells, and other expenses like software. You should understand the difference between gross and net income.

Addressing Buyer Hesitation

If every trainer pitched a potential client and got “Yes, I’m in” as an answer we’d all be rich. Thing is, people are not always convinced of your value and have what we call buyer hesitation.

Here are some areas that are common for buyer hesitation and how you can address them.

Fear of failure- The thought of accomplishment can outweigh the fear of failure; attach a positive emotion toward your service and give them a little more inclination to buy.
Perceived value is less than the cost- Your presentation for services must convince the buyer that the the money is worth the expense.

Money- Quite simply, if you have approached a potential client and they truly do not have the means to purchase, then the sale will be impossible. It is important to find that out as soon as possible rather than spend a lot of time/effort only to find you are out of their league.

Lack of proof- If a client does not believe what you are selling will work, they will be hesitant to buy. Combat this with examples of clients like them that have experienced the results you are selling.

Read More:

Marketing

Personal training marketing… There can be entire books written on the topic and while related to starting a personal training business, it goes so far beyond those beginning stages.

One of our most popular articles is all about personal trainer marketing and has 19 personal training ideas catered at getting you more clients. Some of these ideas include:

Getting featured on industry blogs
How to use email marketing
How to create effective referral documents
How to do personal trainer search engine marketing
And more…

If you are planning on getting some help with your marketing and hiring a firm or doing some advertising, note that the Money Task Force recommends spending 12 to 20 percent of your gross revenue for marketing if you are a new company, and 6-12 percent if you are an established company.

Start Your Personal Training
Business Today

This ultimate guide has nearly everything you need to begin the process of starting your very own personal training business. If you need extra guidance, or like the idea of a reputable personal training certification, check out the Fitness Mentors CPT. If you already are a trainer but want to further specialize and hone your knowledge, check out our CEU courses and blog. If you want a full course on the above with more details and step-by-step instruction, check out our Business and Sales course.

If you have any comments or questions, please post them below.

Personal Trainer Career Roadmap

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Top 5 Exercise Science Careers and The Best Education Paths

Are you considering an Exercise Science degree or asking yourself “what can you do with an exercise science degree?” to help plan for your future?

Whatever your stage in life — consideration, current Exercise Science student, or recent grad — this post is for you.

As a previous Exercise Science graduate (I studied Kinesiology at California State University, Long Beach) I can give you a little taste of the college route (as well as other education paths) and provide insight into the options for Exercise Science careers.

But first, let’s define what Exercise Science is.

What is Exercise Science?

Exercise Science describes the study of the body under the stress of exercise including acute and chronic adaptations like the effects on overall health parameters, pathologies, and its potential to reduce, or reverse, disease progression.

Some other areas of study within Exercise Science vertical that you might see at various educational institutes are:

Kinesiology
Fitness & Health
Exercise Physiology
Biomechanics
Exercise Nutrition

You can also expect a strong educational emphasis in the areas of anatomy, physiology, chemistry, biology, and oftentimes, physics.

What can You Do with an Exercise Science Degree?

If there is one thing I want to emphasize about studying Exercise Science is that the majority of careers in the field require additional graduate school coursework. Yes, that is worth repeating.

Exercise Science is a common prerequisite for graduate level programs in careers such as:

Doctor (MD)
Exercise Physiologist
Registered Dietician
Occupational Therapist
Physical Therapist
Physician Assistant

The important takeaway here is that for most, the bachelor’s degree in and of itself does not get them to the career that they want. Additionally, and as I will get into more below, the career you want might not require a four year college degree in Exercise Science.

However, if you are interested in some of the above careers that require education beyond a B.S. degree, by all means continue on the path that makes the most sense for you.

I emphasize this point because I have met many people who studied Exercise Science in college only to find that they either did not realize they needed additional education to get the career they wanted, or realized there were quicker, more affordable ways to get into the career they wanted.

That said, listed below are some careers that you can get without additional education after your Bachelor’s in Exercise Science degree, including:

Athletic Director
Community Program Director
Massage Therapist
Recreation and Sports Director
Sports Coach
Sports Facility Manager
Strength and Conditioning Coach

Provided below are the most popular career paths in Exercise Science, which may or may not include a college education, are below.

Top 5 Exercise Science Careers

Personal Trainer

By far, the most common career path chosen by people looking to have an Exercise Science career, as well as who are currently studying Exercise Science, is personal training.

The benefits of a career in personal training are numerous and can even be aligned with that of any of the other careers on this list.

For starters, you don’t need to get a bachelor’s degree to become a personal trainer. In fact, there are five separate ways you can become a personal trainer, ranging from certification from accredited companies, to vocational college, to university programs, to online options, and internal gym programs.

If your heart is set on becoming a personal trainer it certainly would be helpful for you to understand your options for certification beforehand.

Now, I am certainly not knocking university or college-based personal training certification options — I got my B.S. at a university and was a college instructor afterward — but I do understand that it may not be an option for everyone.

But what if you want a career that requires a college degree? Would it still be beneficial consider a personal training certification?

Let’s say you choose any of the aforementioned education routes for your career in Exercise Science: college degree or not.

Either way, you can benefit from a personal training certification no matter what route you take. If you are wanting to have a career as a personal trainer, you can get certified in as little as two to five months and start making money right away.

If you are in college and are studying Exercise Science, it is still a good idea to get a personal training certification because you can begin gaining experience within your career immediately and can even pay for your education, through your personal training income.

For example, while I was in college I used my personal training certification to my advantage. I was able to train clients around my school schedule given the flexibility of the career. This provided me industry experience, but also allowed me to pay my way through college.

I also became certified as an Online Personal Trainer and trained clients through the internet, which gave me even more freedom to complete my studies and enjoy the college experience.

Top 5 Reasons Personal Training is a Popular Exercise Science Career

So, no matter what your long-term goals are, getting a personal training certification can help in the following ways:

Puts money in your pocket
Allows you to gain experience in the Exercise Science field
Helps pay for college (if you are shooting for a B.S., or advanced degree)
Provides a strong foundation to further your exercise science studies

Top 3 Personal Training Certifications

Below are the best certification options to choose from:

Physical Therapist

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), a career in Physical Therapy has some very promising advantages.

For starters, the median pay approaches $90,000 per year, is expected to grow 28% by 2016 (which is much faster than average), and consistently ranks as one of the best jobs in healthcare for work-life balance.

Physical therapy jobs tend to require a doctoral degree (DPT), although some may accept a master’s degree. CostHelper.com says that doctoral physical therapy degrees can cost $35,000 (such as the doctorate in physical therapy at the University of Illinois at Chicago), or much more for out-of-state students, such as The University of Delaware’s doctoral program which costs over $75,000. That is on top of the money you spend for your bachelors degree.

Athletic Trainer

Athletic trainers also rank high on this list as the profession is similar in scope to that of personal trainers, yet requires a formal bachelor’s degree in a specialized program and the passing of a state licensure exam. Athletic trainers have a median income of $46,630 per year according to the BLS, and have a rapid rate of employment at 23% when looking out to 2016.

One of the coolest things I find about athletic trainer careers is that they often work alongside athletes within educational settings such as colleges of universities.This often means these professionals are the ones who work hand-in-hand with some of the best up-and-coming athletic talent in the country.

They can also work with younger students, within hospitals, or even for professional sports teams.

Exercise Physiologist

With a median pay of just under $50,000 per year, and a faster than average job outlook, a career in exercise physiology is a popular choice for many looking to put their Exercise Science degree to work.

This type of career typically requires a Masters in Exercise Physiology, which on average takes 6 years of total college time as well as requires board certification through the American Society of Exercise Physiologists.

Another interesting aspect of this career is that about half of all exercise physiologists are self-employed. So if you have an entrepreneurial spirit and enjoy the freedom of owning your own business, you may be able to do well in this career.

PE Teacher

According to ZipRecruiter, PE teachers make about $42,500 per year. While this is the lowest salary on this list, you have to remember that these teachers tend to have summers off and benefit from all school holidays as well as teacher pensions.

Typical education requirements for this career include a bachelor’s degree in exercise science as well as a teaching credential or a masters in education. Often times a personal training certification will enhance the likelihood of employment as well.

We also can’t forget that PE teachers get to hang out in gym clothes all day, coach fun sports like kickball and dodgeball, and even be physical fitness role models for many of their students.

Granted there is some give and take for each of the professions on this list in terms of knocking off all the boxes of the most ideal career, but the daily life of the PE coach can be very rewarding.

Exercise Science Degrees and Educational Considerations

As we have learned above, not all careers within Exercise Science require a full-fledged bachelor’s degree. Similarly, we’ve learned that many sought after degrees within Exercise Science require advanced degrees such as master’s or doctoral degrees.

With that in mind below is a comprehensive list of the many careers and their educational obligations. Note that some of these careers may overlap in multiple categories.

Exercise Science Careers that don’t require Degrees

Personal Training
Aerobics Instructor
Fitness Coach
Gym Manager
Massage Therapist
Physical Therapy Assistant

Exercise Science Careers that require Bachelor’s Degrees

Athletic Director
Community Program Director
Kinesiologist
Massage Therapist
Athletic Trainer (ATC)
Physical Education Teacher
Recreation and Sports Director
Registered Nurse
Sports Coach
Sports Facility Manager
Strength and Conditioning Coach

Exercise Science Careers that require Master’s or Doctoral Degrees

Doctor (MD)
Exercise Physiologist
Chiropractor (DC)
Registered Dietician
Occupational Therapist
Physical Therapist (DPT)
Physician Assistant
Exercise Physiologist
Physical Rehabilitation

Best Online Personal Trainer Certification

Accreditation

Price

Mentorship Structure

Primary Focus of Education

Program Duration

Location of Certification

Sign-up Process

Online Personal Trainer Certification FAQ

So What is the Best Online Personal Trainer Certification?

5 Best Health Coach Certifications of 2020

What is a Health Coach?

How to Become a Certified Health Coach

Step 1: Determine Your Prerequisites

Step 2: Find the Best Health Coach Certification for YOU

Step 3: Prepare for Your Exam & Pass!

Step 4: Start Working with Health Coach Clients

Best Health Coach Certification: An Objective Look into 4 Key Criteria

Price

Primary Focus of Education

Program prerequisites

Program Duration

FAQS About Health Coach Certifications

Do health coaches need certification?

Do health coaches need college degrees?

How much is a health coach certification?

How long does it take to become a certified health coach?

Where can you work with a health coach certificate?

What do Certified Health Coach Salaries look like?

Health Coach Certification Takeaway

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6 Best Nutrition Certifications

How to Become a Certified Nutritionist

Best Nutrition Certification: An Objective Look into 5 Key Criteria

Price

Primary Focus of Education​

Expected Study Time

Number of Test Questions

Popularity of Certification

FAQs About Nutrition Certifications

Nutrition Certification Takeaway

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How to Become an Online Personal Trainer in 2020

What is an Online Personal Trainer?

4 Steps to Become an Online Personal Trainer (the right way)

1

Transition Your First Client Over to Online Training

2

Get an Online Personal Training Certification to Help Structure and Scale Your Online Business

3

Start Building Additional Online Training Revenue Streams

4

Get More Clients Online

Online Personal Trainer Business Models: The 6 Different Types of Online Personal Trainers

1. Private Personalized Online Training

2. Non-Personalized PDF Fitness Programs

3. Non-Personalized Video Fitness Programs

4. Hybrid Online and In-Person Personal Training

5. Live Video Chat Workouts Online

6. Online Group Personal Training

Considerations for Online Personal Trainer Software

FAQs for How to Become an Online Personal Trainer

How to Get Hands-on Training to Build Your Online Personal Training Business

Sign Up for Our Online Trainer Webinar Series

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Best Personal Trainer Certification

Best Personal Training Certification: An Objective Look into 10 Key Criteria

1: How do you get certified to be a personal trainer?

2: How much does it cost to get certified as a personal trainer?

3: How long are personal training certifications good for?

4: What is the cheapest personal training certification?

5: What is the easiest personal trainer certification?

6: How long does it take to become a personal trainer?

7: What personal trainer certificate is most respected?

8: Is it worth it to get a personal trainer certification?

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Primary Focus of Education

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Transition Your First Client Over to
Online Training

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Who to Pick for the
Best Personal Training Certification

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How to Start a Personal Training Business:
The Ultimate Guide

Types of Personal Training Businesses
You Can Start

How to Become a Successful
Personal Trainer

Start Your Personal Training
Business Today

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