Your Questions Answered By Tom Venuto
Question: I am writing to you because I have been thinking about changing careers. I have always been interested in health and fitness. Both of my sisters are nurses, but while I really like helping people and seeing them healthy, I think it would be easier for a person like myself to help people from getting sick rather than dealing with the sickness itself. It seems to me that what you are doing is a great service and greatly improves the quality of life of those whom you help. Do you have any suggestions as to institutions I might contact should I decide to pursue this particular path? I have a strong interest in nutrition, and was wondering if many health clubs hire people for nutrition consultation, and if so, what type of certification/degree would they be looking for. Sincerely, Mike Harvey
Answer: Personal training and nutrition consulting are outstanding and rewarding careers to be involved in today. The demand is enormous and is only going to increase. Memberships at health clubs are at an all time high and more people are starting exercise programs than ever before (maybe because more people are overweight than ever before!) Online coaching, personal training and nutrition consulting is also on the rise. These trends have increased the need for qualified professionals who can help teach people the correct way to eat and train. It also gives people with a passion for health and fitness the opportunity to do what they love while helping others at the same time.
Getting a widely recognized and/or nationally accredited certification would be a good first step towards breaking into the field. If you are really serious, you could consider getting a degree in exercise science or nutrition (B.S. or M.S.), although that is not always necessary.
There are so many certification programs these days, it’s difficult to know which one to choose. The fitness certification business is largely unregulated and uncontrolled. For example, if I wanted to, I could start “The Tom Venuto Personal Trainer Certification Institute.” I’d write a personal trainer’s manual and a test, charge people three hundred bucks to enroll and print up some official-looking certificates (suitable for framing!) I’d mail you the manual and take-home test, you’d mail the test back, and if you pass – presto! – you’re an “official” Tom Venuto certified personal trainer! If I certify 25 people a month, that’s $90,000 a year that I earn – pretty good racket, eh? It’s no wonder why there are so many certifications out there.
I write this only partially with tongue in cheek – It’s really true: There are literally hundreds of certification programs out there today and many of the them aren’t worth the paper they’re printed on. My advice is to put in the effort and enroll in an internationally recognized and or accredited certification program. There are several worth mentioning, but only two get an A+ in my book:
1. National Strength & Conditioning Association (NSCA)
The NSCA offers two certification programs: certified personal trainer (NSCA-CPT), and certified strength & conditioning specialist (CSCS). The CPT designation is the certification of choice if you are interested in training a wide variety of people in a commercial health club or home gym setting. The CSCS certification was developed for strength coaches (for athletic teams) with an emphasis on weight training and sports conditioning.
The NSCA has two websites; the NSCA home site and the NSCA certification commission:
http://www.nsca-lift.org
http://www.nsca-cc.org
2. American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM)
The ACSM is the largest and most respected sports medicine and exercise science organization in the world. The ACSM offers many different certification programs in both clinical and health/fitness applications. The ACSM certifications for personal trainers are the Health-Fitness Instructor and Health-Fitness Director. The ACSM also offers other certifications in their clinical track, but they are geared more towards cardiac rehab and medical settings. Certification information and test dates are available at the ACSM website:
http://www.acsm.org
The ACSM and NSCA are NOT the most common certifications. The reason is because the tests are damn hard! Many people fail the first time. These are highly respectable and desirable credentials. The ACSM certification has been around a long time and has always been considered one of the best, if not THE best certification a personal trainer can have. The NCSA certifications are also highly respected because they too have been around since the mid 80’s and are the only fitness related credentials to earn accreditation from the National Commission for Certifying Agencies based in Washington DC. To gain this honor, an organization must show an ability to develop and administer an exam in a manner that effectively discriminates between qualified and unqualified professionals.
I’m not suggesting that ACSM and NSCA are the only two trainer certifications worth having – I’m simply saying that in my opinion, these are the two best. They are hard to get and potential employers and savvy consumers will be very impressed if you hold these credentials. Here are some other certifications that have earned widespread recognition in the industry that are worth looking into:
American Council on Exercise (ACE)
The ACE personal trainer is widely recognized in the industry and is probably the most popular trainer program in the United States. If you don’t think you’re ready for the rigors of the ACSM or NSCA, ACE is a good place to start. ACE offers several certifications: Personal trainer, Group Fitness Instructor, Lifestyle & Weight Management Consultant or Clinical Exercise Specialist:
http://www.acefitness.org
International Sports Sciences Association (ISSA)
ISSA is a relative newcomer, but is growing steadily in size and reputation. While the ISSA hasn’t achieved the level of distinction of the ACSM or NSCA, and the testing standards aren’t as rigorous, the ISSA has assembled a very impressive staff and that’s the reason I have included them in my list. Fred Hatfield, Tom Platz, Bill Pearl, Charles Staley, Jim Wright, Sal Arria, and “Doc” Kries are just a few of the ISSA’s distinguished experts. Definitely some very smart and very experienced people that are worth learning from.
http://www.fitnesseducation.com
American Fitness and Aerobics Association
Since 1983, AFAA has certified over 150,000 instructors worldwide. This is the most popular certification for group fitness (aerobics) instructors, although AFAA also offers a personal trainer certification.
http://www.aerobics.com
Other certifications worth an honorable mention include the National Federation of Personal Trainers (NFPT) and the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM).
Most certifications offer the option of studying the course materials at home (books, cassettes, and/or videos), then taking an on-site test. However, I strongly recommend that you take advantage of any workshops offered. The ACSM workshop I took the week prior to the test was one of the most educational experiences of my career. Taking a workshop will also dramatically increase your chances of passing the exam.
Nutrition consulting as a career is a little different and more complicated than the personal training field. There are two major career options in the nutrition field: Registered dietician (RD) and Certified Clinical Nutritionist (CCN). Becoming an RD or CCN is a long, arduous process that requires years of education and a lot of forethought before making the decision.
RD’s have extensive education including a minimum of a four-year undergraduate degree. Many have masters degrees in nutrition. They must also pass the American Dietetic Association’s fully accredited certification exams. The Commission on dietetic registration is located at:
http://www.cdrnet.org
You can find additional info at the American Dietetic Association (ADA) website:
http://www.eatright.org
Although RD’s sometimes work out of health clubs, the majority of them work in hospitals, research centers, private practices, or in the food service industry. Some RD’s also work in sports nutrition (but very few of them work with bodybuilders or fitness competitors.)
Another option is certified clinical nutritionist (CCN). The minimum requirement to become a CCN is an undergraduate degree, with 30 specific core hours in nutrition and science required. An approved internship of 900 hours is also mandatory. Information on CCN’s can be found at:
http://www.cncb.org
As you can see, becoming an RD or CCN is a major career decision. A third, less imposing and less time-consuming option is to obtain one of the relatively new nutrition certifications that are now available. ACE offers a weight management certification and the ISSA offers a sports nutrition certification.
All personal training certifications include nutrition as part of their curriculum. However, personal trainers are usually advised (warned, even) by their certifying organizations to give only general nutrition guidelines to their clients. They recommend that trainers focus on exercise prescription while leaving the detailed nutrition programs to highly trained nutrition specialists such as RD’s and CCN’s.
In my opinion, the qualifications and education required to give nutrition advice should depend on who you are giving the advice to. Are your clients going to be athletes, bodybuilders, the obese, the elderly, first-graders, or kidney patients? A certified personal trainer, especially one with a degree in exercise science and years of practical experience, would be more than qualified to discuss basic nutritional needs for healthy people in non-clinical settings. RD’s and CCN’s have the specialized training necessary to prescribe a wide variety of nutritional programs including clinical and medical cases. On the other hand, most RD’s, due to their conservative and traditional educational background, would not be the best people to turn to if a client’s goal was bodybuilding, fitness or figure competition. The best advice for personal trainers who do nutrition consulting is to always keep in mind the limitations of your knowledge and expertise and be careful not to overstep your bounds.
Health clubs are almost always looking for good personal trainers – the demand is very high. Many clubs are also starting to include nutrition consulting in their repertoire of services offered. If you are interested in working in a health club as a personal trainer or nutrition consultant, my recommendation would be to invest the time and effort to pursue the best trainer certification you can get (such as the NSCA-CPT). Then look into one of the sports nutrition or weight management certifications. After that, only you can decide how far you want to take your education. Remember that no degree or certification is a substitute for knowledge gained through experience, so be willing to start at the bottom to get the experience you need. Lastly, be a “sponge” for information. Be voracious! Read, study and learn from others constantly and never stop learning. Good luck.