Anyone ACE (or otherwise) certified? Need suggestions!

S

shnikes18

Cathlete
I'm wondering who all out there is ACE certified (or certified by another organization). I am thinking of doing the Lifestyle and Weight Management Consultant certification from ACE, and I was wondering if anyone has any comments or suggestions. The Clinical Exercise Specialist also sounds interesting to me, but I'm not sure if there are any pre-requisites to that one. Anyone know?

As a semi-recent SAHM, I'm feeling a little under-stimulated, and since I'm a very goal oriented person, I thought this might be something that I would like to try to accomplish. My baby is getting to the point where she doesn't need to be fed or held all the time, so I've got some time I could devote. I know I wouldn't be able to get ready in time for the February test, and I can't find another one this year that's close to me. But, I've been thinking about all the possibilities out there for me, and this seems like something I could do without a huge monetary investment. Plus, it's something that I am very interested in and I think I would enjoy.

So, I'm looking for any words of wisdom, etc. Would it be more beneficial to do the Personal Trainer certifcation? I'd love to be a group fitness instructor, but I think I'd be too shy to get up and get people motivated. But, I think I could do something at a one-on-one level. I don't necessarily think I'd be going out looking for a job right away, anyway, but I'm just looking at this more for myself. Sorry to be so long-winded.
 
Hi, Shnikes18!

I've been ACE-certied in group fitness instruction since Feb. 1997; I have the current textbook for the ACE initial personal training certification but I've never really studied it in depth with the intention of getting my Personal Training Certification. I've been an aqua group fitness instructor consistently since that time, and on my own I do step aerobics and weight-lifting.

In all honesty, I think the Lifestyle and Weight Management ACE certification would NOT be of much value to you. You also mentioned the Clinical Exercise Specialist (CES) certification thru ACE; that does indeed have prerequisites: the initial ACE Personal Trainer certification PLUS several hundred hours of documented direct client contact and training. You can go onto the ACE website to get the particulars of the CES requirements, but I believe it's the initial certification, valid and current CPR certification, and 500 hours of documented client contact.

If you're interested in fitness practice on a one-on-one basis, then certainly the ACE Personal Training certification would be an option to get you started. However, keep in mind that the ACE certification does not require any practicum; it's just a written test. If you're interested in actually training clients, my suggestion would also be to set up informational interviews with local trainers and training facilities to determine how you could craft a part-time situation and get practical as well as theoretical training to get there.

Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions!

Annette
 
I was certified by AFAA. They have several types of certification and study options including seminars and home study. The biggest benefit for me was the hands-on portion where they checked my form and the pratical part of the test.

They are at http://afaa.com

Katie
 
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