Getting ACE certified vs. AFAA certified

A

andrea_d

New Member
Hi Cathe,

I have been looking into getting AFAA (Aerobics and Fitness Association of America) certified. My main goal is to teach step aerobics at a fitness center, but I have also been interested in teaching in other areas such as Pilates.

I have enjoyed doing your step videos; you have a wonderful talent for teaching step. I noticed that you are ACE certified and wondered if you could tell me why you chose to be ACE certified over AFAA or other certifications. Thanks, I appreciate it.

Sincerely,
Andrea D.
 
Hi Andrea,

I am not Cathe, but maybe I can help. I have a BS in Kinesiology am an NASM certified personal trainer and an ACE certified group fitness instructor. I teach 8 classes per week at 3 different clubs. I got my ACE certification because that is what you always read about in magazines etc. so I thought it would be best. I found out later that bosses don't consider it the be all end all. The ACE certification is based on a book test, you just read the book and take a test. The upside is that you need to learn a lot of information to pass the test. The downside is that teaching is not about what you read in a book, but about presenting in front of a group. From my perspective the most difficult thing about teaching the step class you are interested in is that step is a 32 count class. It is really deceiving when watching any instructor, especially Cathe, how difficult it is to teach that type of class. In the ACE book they devote about 4 pages to this concept. In reality cueing will make or break your class and if you get a certification like mine (ACE) you are going to learn the very, very hard way that you have no idea how to cue. An example is the first time I taught a class I gave the class an instruction that to me was incredibly clear. They all simultaneously did something different. Obviously the problem was me and my cueing. Unfortunately it was about 2 minutes into my class and I was very nervous the rest of the class. The biggest problem with this is that the students put time and money into getting to the class and after a couple of verbal miscues start getting very frustrated and giving you dirty looks or just stand there staring at you until you get it together.

ACE and AFAA or any of the many others are considered primary certifications. They are a blanket certification that lets you teach many types of classes. As a matter of course of getting your CEU's you often end up getting several secondary certifications. An example of this is that I am Turbo Kick certified. Now the Turbo Kick certification is done in person. When I took this they taught me how to teach Turbo Kick (which is a 32 count class). I must say my teaching got sooo much better after this.

The upshot of all of this is that I would have better off getting a certification where you spend a weekend learning how to teach a class. In my area (MN) NETA is very popular, probably partly because they are based locally. That certification is a weekend class. You get your study materials in advance in preparation for the weekend class. During the weekend you review the material and practice, practice teaching a class. You also have someone to ask the questions that inevitably crop up while you are studying. At the end of the weekend you are tested, usually a written test, and then are certified to go teach.

A good course of action is to go to the clubs in your area and talk to the instructors. See what certifications they have and which ones there bosses prefer. And be prepared to practice a lot before you get into a class situation. Also after you are certified and getting ready to teach see if you can teach segments of someone elses class. When I started teaching I was taking over someone else's existing class. Over the course of the month leading up to my taking over the class I was able to teach many of the segments...one week the warm up, on the strength phase, one the cardio phase and one the cooldown. That way each week I wrote and practiced one part of the class without having to do an entire hour. Also if I really messed up on a part of the class I had the other instructor to bail me out, and if the students didn't think I gave them a very good workout the original instructor could make up with it with what they taught.

I know this was long, but I wished someone had told me these things before I started teaching. BTW I love teaching and find it very rewarding.

Good luck.

Shayne
 
Shayne,

Thanks! I really appreciate hearing comments from someone who has taken the steps to get where I want to be. Even if Cathe doesn't respond to my question, at least I got good information and help from you. Thanks again!

Andrea
 
Hi Andrea,

You may not be aware of this, but this question has come up periodically, and Cathe has answered it before. I suggest you try doing a search on this topic.

Good Luck!
 
Hey, I'll jump in to support Shayne's comment re: the practical side of teaching!

Definitely scope out your area to find out the variety of certifications accepted and frequently used by other instructors you like.

On the practical side, practice at home alone to really master the music. Once that becomes second nature, you can focus much easier on everything else (talking, coaching, watching, thinking, etc.). Find an instructor you like to see if they'll critique you for five minutes after his/her class one day....Perhaps once you have the certification, you can teach the stretch or warmup portion of his/her class just to get your feet wet.

THEN, just do it. Sounds like you've already made up your mind (Yay!), but practice is key. And, we all tumble. I find that either laughing at myself or just moving right along as if it didn't happen really works, and I've learned that from the best instructors.

By the way, I'm AFAA certified for both the group fitness and personal training certifications...Partially because they were convenient exam locations, AND both provided all day workshop/weekends on the exam day, so I had that live coaching and support for questions, etc.

Good luck!

Caroline
 
I pray that within the year I can get my AFAA primary group certification! I would love to teach step and weight training. I may also want to do Yoga at some point! So many awesome workout options. I would love to help other's out here while I help myself!

I have all of the materials and will start to study at some point!

Thanks all!






"Life is short so be the best you can be every day of your life!" :)

"Running feels great for my soul!" :)

:) CHEETAH :)
 
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