Hi Jamie, you'll get many varying opinions on this matter. As an Sport
Professional with more than 25 years in the field- I think I've got
apretty good lay of the land. For someone such as myself, who was a
gymnast from the age of 5, who started lifting weights at the age of
12 for supplemental strenght training, and the daughter of a
bodybuilder, I was alreay extremely well- versed prior to aduting any
Certifiying bodies programs/ fee charges, and what was offered for
what reasons. For myself, I prefer The IFPA and AFAA. The IFPA is an
excellent choice for anyone with a strong and already thorough working
knowledge of weight training/ bodybuilding/ strong fitness background.
They are resonably priced, have excellent member services- and deal
with REAL LIFE TRAINING in the gym. Like any reputable assc., you must
sit for a proctored exam. Their manual is concise and excellent.
However, they may not be the optimal choice for yourself if you lack a
knwoledgeable fitness background/ are beginning totally from scratch.
That being said- they are very under- rated, and derserve a great deal
of respect. AFAA may be a good choice for you if you are an absolute
beginner. They are VERY fairly priced also, and have a good hands- on
segment for your edification. Their member/ customer service is also
excellent. NSCA is a good progaram- but very lenghty, to the point of
being tedious and superulolus/ VERY SCINETIFIC as opposed to
functional/ user friendly- IF you are already versed, and a Sport
Professional, but very thourough and concise. ACE is an Advestising
DYNAMO, and this is how they have gained much of their status as being
recognised, they were all- but- dead, at one point, until some
advertising genius reserected them from the dead, and promoted them to
the hilt, they are, therefore, very money orientated. This doesn't
invalidate them- it simply brands them as being more greedy- perhaps
more about $'s, than real world training, and being interested in
their trainers. NASM is another org that became about $'s and coperate
greed, although they did not begin in that fashion, this is most
unfourtanate. Other than ACSM, which is good, and valid- I would
recommend against most of the others. NESTA's program is, in fact,
very COMPREHENSIVE, and vigorous, in spite of the fact that there is
not a physical hands on segment. They are, however, not recognized by
many potential employers, which is unfortunate- they are highly under-
appreciated. This again, may be attributed to who is putting more $'s
into promoting/ making $'s, greed- than which programs are most
practical, and can be of real use in the real world. Check out AFAA
and IFPA, ( if you have a strong enough foundation), first. Other than
ACSM and NESTA- ( which is sadly unrecognized by many potential
employers), most of the rest are after $'s more than training good
trainers. Hope this helps you! Good luck! Be Well!
Bryn Roebuck ( Ms.)

--- In Certified-Personal-Trainer@yahoogroups.com, "Jamie"
<jamie81803@...> wrote:
>
> Hello!! I am new to the group. My name is Jamie, mother of 3 boys;
> ages 9,6, and 1. I have always been interested in health and
> fitness. I actually am thinking of becoming certified. I am
alittle
> confused though with ACE, ISSA etc. Does anyone recommend one over
> the other to get my certification?
>