T Nation

ACE Certification

Off Topic
#1

Ok, so I’m looking to get a piece of paper saying I actually do know what I’m talking about when it comes to fitness, and I was told this is the easiest and widely recognized certification to get. I dont have any college related credits towards physical fitness but I do know quite a bit. I guess what I’m getting at is, “Is this the best starting certification I should strive for?”

I’m reading over the website and its 300$ just for the study materials (If anyone has this stuff and wants to sell it cheaper, gimme a PM) and 200$ to take the test.

I’m open to any suggestions or opinions, I’m still a newbie to the employable certification world. Thanks

#2

I’ve never taken any courses of the ACE variety, but I think no one has answered your questions about ACE or certification for a reason. I’ve widely known ACE certs to be full of it. That’s from personal interaction with ACE cert trainers at my job and at a popular chain fitness center. I believe if you check out interviews and info of the gracious coaches that write for the T-Nation, and help us out here for free, you’ll find out what certifications actually may hold more weight than ACE. Also just from asking questions and reading here just might make more educated than a basic ACE cert person. BUT humility is a good trait to have when you have no certification, but lots of knowledge. IMHO.

T-Nation might think differently and ACE, to them, might be the best certification around.

#3

[quote]chubs108 wrote:
I’ve never taken any courses of the ACE variety, but I think no one has answered your questions about ACE or certification for a reason. I’ve widely known ACE certs to be full of it. That’s from personal interaction with ACE cert trainers at my job and at a popular chain fitness center. I believe if you check out interviews and info of the gracious coaches that write for the T-Nation, and help us out here for free, you’ll find out what certifications actually may hold more weight than ACE. Also just from asking questions and reading here just might make more educated than a basic ACE cert person. BUT humility is a good trait to have when you have no certification, but lots of knowledge. IMHO.

T-Nation might think differently and ACE, to them, might be the best certification around.[/quote]

not a chance

most widely recognized and respected goes to, in my honest opinion the ACSM. Only problem is you need to have a degree in an exercise science related field (or is it just a degree?). And their exam is very tough from what I am told. I think some of the guys who write for T-Nation are ACSM certified, and they even did an article on the last convention ACSM did. (when was the last time you saw one for ACE?)

I myself am certified by the NSPA, i have both my CPT and CSCS. The NSPA is a very widely accepted cert, and has much more clout then that of an ACE cert. The reason the ACE cert is so popular is because it is incredibley easy to obtain.

Or if you’re a real trooper you could go after the certs given by Poliquin. Good luck with that last one. =)

#4

Here’s my two cents on certification . . .
They are all B.S. You are paying for a piece of paper. It won’t matter to the type of clients you’ll be training. Whatever you get, just tell them it’s the best in the industry, show them your “diploma”, and your little plastic card they send you, and you’ll be fine.

That being said, that is probably the case off all certifications, in all professions. I am a teacher, and every few years I have to renew my certification to teach in Ohio. I have to take some B.S. classes, to reinforce the B.S. classes I took in college. All certification associations are scams.

In order to grow your business you need to do your own homework, and based on the fact that you post on this website, you probably already have.

Most people in here will tell you that ACE is a joke, but that probably stems from the fact that they are the most “commercial”. Every Glamour/Cosmo “get rid of your fat ass in 30 days” article quotes an ACE trainer. ACE probably pays for this as advertising.

I was ACE certified and I let mine expire. I can tell you from personal experience that its an easy (yet expensive) process. My advice to you is to get the one that is the cheapest/easiest, because in the end it won’t matter any way.