How to Become A Certified Personal Trainer (ACSM)

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By writedesign
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Help others get fit.

Becoming a certified personal trainer takes some ambition, but anyone who wants to become one can do it. The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) offers the most reputable certifications - they not only teach the science behind personal training, but also the proper workout techniques for special populations. To become an ACSM certified personal trainer, follow these steps:

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Step 1

Get CPR/AED Certified.

The first step to becoming a certified personal trainer is to get CPR and AED certified. Although these certifications may not be required to take prep classes for the Certified Personal Trainer exam, you will need to have these certifications before you start training clients. You might as well get them out of the way now. I recommend the American Heart Association's CPR and AED classes. A link to their class locator is listed in the Resources below.
Step 2

Take a prep class.

Take a prep class before the exam. Contact ACSM and find out what colleges or schools in your area offer ACSM Personal Trainer Exam prep classes (ACSM's contact information is listed in the Resource links below). These prep classes are sometimes offered for a week (M-F 8am-5pm), while others are spread out over a month or two on the weekends. I highly recommend taking the classes that are spread out - there's no way you can study for this exam and pass it after one week, unless you have a photographic memory and can memorize everything you read.
Step 3

Attend an ACSM workshop.

Attend a workshop to enhance what you learned in the ACSM Personal Trainer prep class. This is optional because it will mainly be a review of what is in the class, but I found it fun and useful since I took it the week before the exam. It helped me remember the stuff I studied two months prior to the exam.
Step 4

Take the exam.

Take the ACSM Personal Trainer exam. Be sure to get plenty of rest the night before. There is a written and practical exam and it will take most of the day to finish it (depending on how many other folks are taking the exam on that day). You will be tired at the end of that day.
Step 5

Start working.

After you pass the exam, apply for a personal trainer job at a gym or start your own personal training business. If you are the independent type, ask local gyms if they will let you train clients there for a fee. Usually national gyms will say no, but the smaller 'mom and pop' type gyms will be glad to have your business.
Step 6

Get insurance.

Get liability insurance. If a client ends up suing you (and I hope they don't), it's always best to be insured so you don't 'lose your pants' (and your shirt) in the process. Check with your insurance agent or do a google search for "Personal Trainer Insurance" to find out what kind of policies are out there. You'll need to make the decision on which one is right for your business.
Step 7

Market yourself.

Finally, advertise your services and tell all your friends and family you are now a personal trainer. Within a few months you'll have a steady stream of clients coming your way.