Here is a list of organizations that are NOCA (National Organization for Competency Assurance) and/or NCCA (National Commission for Certifying Agencies) approved (NOCA and NCCA Personal Training Certifications) and accredited personal training outfits.
NOCA and NCCA Personal Training Certifications
What this also means is if you decide to hire a personal trainer, ask for one of these credentials.
Does this mean that if you hire a personal trainer that has one of these credentials he or she is competent?
NO, it’s just like going to college; almost any reasonably smart person can get a certification. However just because they have a certification does not mean they can walk on water. It just means that, that person went through the trouble of getting certified…and that does count for something…I guess.
Anyway here is the list:
- ACE – American Council on Exercise – http://www.acefitness.org
- ACSM – American College of Sports Medicine – http://www.acsm.org
- The Cooper Institute – http://www.cooperinst.org
- IFPA – International Fitness Professionals Association – http://www.ifpa-fitness.com
- NASM – National Academy of Sports Medicine – http://www.nasm.org
- NCSF – National Council on Strength and Fitness – http://www.ncsf.org
- NESTA – National Exercise & Sports Trainers Association – http://www.nestacertified.com
- NETA – National Exercise Trainers Association – http://www.ndeita.com
- NFPT – National Federation of Professional Trainers – http://www.nfpt.com
- NSCA – National Strength and Conditioning Association – http://www.nsca-cc.org
NOCA and NCCA Personal Training Certifications
Here are a few that are non-NOCA and / or NCCA accredited:
- AFAA – Aerobic and Fitness Association of America – http://www.afaa.com
- ISSA – International Sports Sciences Association – http://www.issaonline.com
The weird thing about this is, some of the best trainers are only AFAA or ISSA certified. Why? These people are usually the lifelong gym rat. They learned by doing, instead out of a book.
These are the people who just straight up love to workout. AFAA and ISSA are usually the less stringent to get certified for. Most gyms require you have at least one form of instructor certification.
Think of it this way, do you want a person with a Phd in plumbing or someone who has been a plumber for 30 years? Sure its better to have both, but you get the point.
This concludes my list of NOCA and NCCA Personal Training Certifications.
