7 Best Personal Trainer Certifications & How To Choose

If the next step in your fitness journey is becoming a certified personal trainer (CPT), then you're in luck. The demand for fitness trainers in the United States is growing 16% faster than the average for other careers, per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

While making the choice to become certified is easy, finding the right program is more complicated. Not all personal training certificates warrant the same level of respect within the industry—and factors like time and budget can play.a huge role in the right program for you.

A personal trainer certification program prepares you for the CPT exam by giving you the knowledge and skills you need to earn your certification, per The Strength Club founder Kenny Santucci, CPT.

"A personal training certification gives you the required degree to coach someone in health and fitness along with the background of anatomy, physiology, exercise science, and exercise programming," he explains. "It provides the fundamentals of fitness, movement, exercise science, training, and coaching and can help people do it safely and effectively." 

There are plenty of personal trainer certification programs available, and they are not all created equal. Knowing how to navigate the minefield of choices is crucial to choosing a quality program. 

Santucci explains, "There are nationally recognized certifications such as NASM, ACE, ISSA, and NSCA. In recent years, there are different organizations that have developed their own courses and certifications that trainers can take, that are both general and on more specific topics in the field such as CFSC, John Rusin, and N1 Training."

International Sports Sciences Association (ISSA) certification course boasts an impressive 90% pass rate—and we love that the brand offers a few ways for you to complete the course. Our personal favorite is the 4-week Fast Track Program, which offers a pared down approach to the brand's CPT course that focuses on just the essential for an extra $99.

You still get the information that you need to be get accredited, but the course goes at a much faster pace. Plus, all ISSA participants get their very own personal coach to study with before the exam. 

ISSA is also said to be less challenging than NASM—another industry-respected course—but you still get an NCCA-accredited course.

If you’ve asked around the gym, you might’ve heard trainers say that the National Academy of Sports Medicine has one of the most competitive CPT programs around. Santucci confirms that NASM is in the top two most-respected programs in the industry. In its NCCA-accredited 10-week courses, students receive one-on-one coaching and an 8-week hands-on, on-site “Gymnternship”. 

Plus, NASM sets new trainers up for success with support in their job hunt even after the course has ended. Fans of NASM appreciate the course’s user-friendly graphics, videos, and comprehensive curriculum that are constantly updated with the latest research. While there are self-study programs available, the all-inclusive program and guided study program offer the most value (by a landslide). 

NASM guarantees connections with some of the best fitness experts, with the NCCA Accredited stamp of approval to showcase the quality of your certification as a personal trainer. One graduate writes, “The NASM certified personal trainer certification is totally worth your while if you plan on becoming a certified personal trainer. It is a highly respected certification, and you will have many great specialization opportunities as well.”

The National Council on Strength and Fitness (NCSF) has partnerships with Equinox, LA Fitness, Gold's Gym, Orange Theory, YouFit, and other fitness studios to help you land your first gig at a top institute. As for the curriculum, the NCSF Easy Learning System™ is one of the industry’s most advanced e-Learning platforms and features digital flashcards, videos, quizzes, and instructor support–which beginners love. 

The American Council on Exercise (ACE) is one of the most recognized, NCCA-accredited institutes and certification programs and the largest certifier of health professionals. Over the course of three to six months, students learn an evidence-based approach to the latest scientific research and functional movement training. The program is designed to bring success to all kinds of learners, through textbooks, videos, audio, graphics, and interactive activities along with live webinars, study groups, and Q&A sessions. 

Santucci says the NSCA Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist Certification® (CSCS®) is the most respected certification. “It has been around for a very long time (the first-ever nationally accredited strength training and conditioning certification program) and is recognized by colleges and universities as an accreditation. It also is the most in-depth course available for strength and conditioning coaches.” 

A note for beginners: this isn’t a formal program–it’s all self study. The organization offers three study packages, each designed to meet the needs of candidates based on their background and level of experience, along with helpful resources and Facebook study groups to help set enrollees up for success. 

For future trainers who love the work but loathe taking exams in dead-quiet, fluorescent-lit test halls, NESTA is a great choice. They are the only certification on our list that’s valid for four years. Typically, CPT’s need to renew their certifications after just two years, but NESTA exempts you from that at an affordable price, so you only have to put yourself through exam hell twice a decade. The extensive curriculum covers a number of topics including anatomy, biomechanics, nutrition, client assessments, exercise programming, and even how to market your own personal training business. 

For just under $10 a month, you can get equipped with the knowledge you need to pass your CPT exam through online video classes and real-world simulations as well as the skills to train and motivate your future clients in a safe way. The learning takes place through an app, but the course comes with a physical textbook and digital certification badge. Level up to the mid or top tier options to access helpful add-ons like Kindle textbook, a professional business plan, and a job reference letter. 

Something that folks tend to overlook when considering a personal training certification is the work that goes in after you've sat your exam. Almost every personal training certification has an expiration date and requires continuing education credits (or CEUs) to stay valid. The timelines vary by organization, but most give you between 2-4 years to accrue the required CEUs.

The definition of a CEU also varies by org, but most will accept hours of hands on experience or additional courses to keep your certification fresh. A word of caution: if you neglect your CEUs, you may end up paying more money to re-sit your exam.

Santucci says a personal trainer certification program is great for "anyone interested in training clients on their health and fitness and, honestly, anyone who wants to give advice, say on social media, regarding health and fitness." While you don't need to be certified to be a paid trainer, most health institutes and clients will ask to see your certificate—and we highly recommend confirming your own trainer's certification to make sure you are in good hands.

If you want to make personal training your career or even side hustle, it's a good idea to earn your certificate so you can ensure you're training your clients safely and effectively. 

A stamp from the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (the NCCA) is like the gold standard for any trainer certification. To obtain this, you must have a high school degree or GED and hold a current cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) certification or an automated external defibrillator (AED) certification. A few highly renowned programs have even more requirements, which we've called out in our list below.

"[Personal trainer] certifications provide the basic knowledge you need to practice, but the best way to learn is by doing and getting experience under your belt," Santucci says. "You cannot just get the certification and think you are an expert. You need to have hands-on experience with clients, and you need to understand how to apply the things you learn.

While there are some clear-cut standards, like being NCCA-accredited, that make some personal training programs a cut above the rest, it's also important to consider personal factors, preferences, and your long-term plan.

Santucci says the first step is to "realize your goals as a personal trainer, the population you want to work with, your financial commitment, and time commitment." For example, if you dream of being a trainer to highbrow clients at a luxury facility in a large city such as Los Angeles, New York, or Miami, you'll absolutely want to seek out programs that are NCCA-accredited and well respected at those particular facilities.

To fully narrow in on the right certification for you, Santucci advises looking beyond the program itself and asking the right questions. "Look at the people you admire and who are well respected in the field and ask: What courses did they take? What are their methodologies that led them to where they are?" 

As you'll see from our list, the cost of a personal training certification varies greatly by the company you choose to study with and the depth of the course. Our lowest-priced option starts at $99 and the highest costs over $1,600.

Helping others work toward their mobility and fitness goals can be an extremely fulfilling line of work. Plus, working as a personal trainer is also a great way to keep yourself moving and engaged with others, which is increasingly rare in today's WFH society. Depending on whether you choose to work independently or within a gym, it's also a profession that allows for a decent amount of flexibility and ownership of your schedule, which research suggests1 can help reduce feelings of work-related stress.