ACE Certification Questions

[kellib]

hello educated crowd!

I'm considering getting ACE certified for group fitness. I think I can do the at home study kit and get in the necessary practice/learning. I'm pretty knowledgable in the fields of health and fitness, but expect that I'd still have plenty to learn. This is not really where my heart is but I think I can do it and I'm planning ahead - we hope to get pregnant in the next year or so and I have this idealistic idea (!!) that I could teach aerobics and have my baby in child care at the gym, part time. This would enable me to get my workouts in every day, plus be able to stay at home w/baby when I wasn't teaching.

My questions are: what is the average salary/per hour for a fitness instructor? What is the exam for the group fitness cert like? anyone out there taken it? Is it possible to find 'used' study kits - or is this the kind of thing I'd need to buy new? Anyone wish to share personal experiences with this? I'd love to hear from you!!!

Thanks!
Kelli

 

[Aquajock]

Hi, Kelli! I've been certified thru ACE in group fitness instruction since 02/97, and several others here have also been certified thru ACE in GFI and Personal Training, so get ready for a variety of responses!

Re average "salaries" for GFI's: they can range from less than $10.00 per class hour to $25-$30 and up, depending on a number of things: the mode you teach (the more specialized the better the pay, GENERALLY speaking), the area of the country you're in (urban areas tend to pay better than less urban), the type of facility you instruct in, etc. Note that usually you only get paid for the actual class hour; the time involved setting up equipment and putting it away is very often not paid for. ;(

The ACE exam, for me, was a forced march through mud, because I'm not a natural science student. However, I was able to pass the GFI exam on the first bounce with the textbook, study guide and sample test, doing each 3 complete times. If you want to find used study kits, you may want to post this question on following forum:

www.turnstep.com, "Instructor" or "Kitchen Sink" discussion forum. I personally would opt for fresh new materials if I were in your situation, but again that's 'cause I'm a scientific bonehead and needed to do my own underlining and highlighting (over and over and over and over again . . .)

A couple of things to consider:

Often you will not be able to get "your" workout in because you must pay attention to the needs of your participants over your own, and your participants may be operating at a far more modest skill and conditioning level than you have.

Also, if for some reason you're unable to teach your class, you usually are responsible for finding a sub instructor for that class - and that is a common headache for GFI's, especially instructors who are mothers of growing children.

HOWEVER . . .

Group fitness instruction is awesome when you get the right gig and the right gang of participants! I'm sure others here, including Honeybunch1, will agree with that and have other comments.

Good luck!

A-jock