Getting personal trainer cert over break?

[Pasmal]

I enjoy lifting and have researched/practiced proper techniques and training regimens enough over the years that I've started planning workout schedules for a friend and a few family members who pretty much started from scratch.

I feel as though at this point I might as well get a personal trainer certification over one of my breaks or a long weekend. One of my friends just got his, and when I saw what he was studying (basic sarcomere structure, metabolic pathways, etc) I figured I could probably pass the test right now with minimal review.

I'm interested in sports med, so I'm sure if I went into that this would look decent on my resume. However, the primary reason would be both to increase my confidence in what I'm doing to work with my friend/family and to augment my own training.

Anyone have any insight on how feasible this would be for a 1st semester M2? Would it be a waste of time? I know the training costs a bit of cash which isn't an issue. Obviously haven't started boards studying yet and I'm pretty on-top of class material, so I feel like now's the time if there is one.

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[Ophthoseidon]

The certification (please get ACSM if you do this, or at least NSCA) is pretty laid back if you know the guidelines. It doesn't take much to breeze through the book either. It's definitely feasible to get the certification. Having the time to do a ton of training hours however may be more difficult. I say go for it

 

[Pasmal]

Okay, I checked out ACSM and there don't seem to be any required "training hours" before the test anyways. What'd you mean by that? You're right, definitely don't want to sink a whole lot of time into this, but I'm not planning to find a job as a personal trainer while I'm in school, it'd just be the same sort of informal thing I'm doing now.

 

[ChEMD]

If you're not really planning on working as a personal trainer, I don't really see the point of getting certification. The whole point of certification is so that other people know that you know what you're doing. There's probably nothing a certification class could teach you that you couldn't learn on the Internet for free.

 

[deleted500612]

Unless you plan on actually working as a personal trainer and earning money from it or possibly doing some serious volunteering in strength and conditioning coaching, the certification is a waste of time and money. You won't really learn anything new technique-wise if you are already an advanced lifter and won't learn anything new theory-wise if you are already a med student. Considering most PT certs are a weekend long course that any trained monkey could pass, I don't think the piece of paper alone will impress anyone if you are planning on pursuing sports medicine. Although if you use your cert to actually gain experience training people in a formal setting, or to get involved with volunteering in strength and conditioning coaching for high school or city sports leagues for example, then that will be a lot more likely to hold clout on your CV.

 

[Pasmal]

Great advice, looks like it'd be a pretty fruitless venture then. Thanks guys


MD Class of 2017

 

[Ophthoseidon]

Okay, I checked out ACSM and there don't seem to be any required "training hours" before the test anyways. What'd you mean by that? You're right, definitely don't want to sink a whole lot of time into this, but I'm not planning to find a job as a personal trainer while I'm in school, it'd just be the same sort of informal thing I'm doing now.

By training hours I meant working. I was assuming you wanted to work a little bit on the side. The only real point of the certification is to show people that youre certified so they believe youre qualified. Thats all I was saying. But I agree with the others, if you just want the knowledge for your own good, just read the book/the internet.

 

[Bancrofti]

Was looking into the same. ACSM would be the cert to get, but as others mentioned it would probably be more of a waste of time/money than a + for your CV. I thought maybe I could make the money back if I trained someone every once in a while, but I realize now I wouldn't have had time for that.

That being said I still understand wanting to do it and might still in the future. I was thinking of taking one of the more advanced certifications, but like you mentioned, pretty sure if you have basic knowledge of fitness and then add med school knowledge you'd be at a good starting point so that if you study for around a week you'd pass no problem.

 

[DrEnderW]

This was always my plan for medical school but I didn't end up going through with it.

I work 5-10hrs a week (unrelated to personal training) and it's easily doable. You could even do 5hrs a week, it would be some nice extra cash and provide a decent and productive break from studying.

 

[Pasmal]

I'll keep it in mind then, our school essentially doesn't allow us to work so even if I did want to it'd probably be a struggle to get approval.

The big draw was the knowledge to be gained, which many of you have said would probably not be significant. Makes the choice pretty clear I think


MD Class of 2017

 

[jdj16]

I got my cert after high school through acsm and worked as a trainer through college. If you wanted to work a few hours a week you'd probably get a good number of clients by just advertising that you're a med student...I got people requesting me saying they thought I'd be the best just since my bio said I was a premed lol. As far as the continuing ed credits for recertification, all you do is fill out a form and send 20 bucks lol. Med school classes count towards it also

 

[Bancrofti]

I got my cert after high school through acsm and worked as a trainer through college. If you wanted to work a few hours a week you'd probably get a good number of clients by just advertising that you're a med student...I got people requesting me saying they thought I'd be the best just since my bio said I was a premed lol. As far as the continuing ed credits for recertification, all you do is fill out a form and send 20 bucks lol. Med school classes count towards it also

How long did you study for it and did you have a college background in it anything related? I would love to get input from someone who's taken then either the personal trainer cert. or the HFS as to how much effort they actually had to put in relative to med school classes. I've seen people commenting about how they took weeks to months to study for it so I was freaked out. Then I realized, if I can study for the step in 6 weeks, I should be able to do this in 1 to 2, but I may be getting ahead of myself.

 

[jdj16]

How long did you study for it and did you have a college background in it anything related? I would Love's to get input from someone who's taken then either the personal trainer cert. or the HFS as to how much effort they actually had to put in relative to med school classes. I've seen people commenting about how they took weeks to months to study for it so I was freaked out. Then I realized, if I can study for the step in 6 weeks, I should be able to do this in 1 to 2, but I may be getting ahead of myself.

Actually I didn't study at all. I took the test about a month after graduating high school. If I could pass it then I'm sure you'll be more than fine now. If you're still worried maybe just peruse the acsm book and see how you feel