Certification In Sports Conditioning?

[technician79]

get crossfit certified

 

[MikeMartial]

get crossfit certified

CF Level I is a 2 day course, in basic, BASIC CF fundamentals; as an overall certification, it is completely useless. Do NOT get certified unless you plan on running a CF affiliate.

 

[Newt]

CF Level I is a 2 day course, in basic, BASIC CF fundamentals; as an overall certification, it is completely useless. Do NOT get certified unless you plan on running a CF affiliate.

Ditto - I think their certification is upwards of $1000, plus, like Mike said, it won't do you much good (as in getting a job) unless you're opening up your own gym. That said, Crossfit is very popular and the certification fee could almost be like a franchise fee. Could make you some money if you got the time and money to open your own gym and there's not another Crossfit guy in the area.

 

[Joe Funaro]

I looked at both ISSA and the NSCA programs. You need the bachelors for the CSCS but not to become a CPT (personal trainer). I know this may sound like a real dumb question, but what are the advantages of getting a CSCS over a CPT? I know one is sports related, but what could you not do with the CPT that you will be doing with the CSCS (or ISSA equivalent)?

It just seems like you could train a guy with either one.

Also, for a personal training cert, woudl you go with ISSA or NSCA?

 

[Joe Funaro]

For those interested, I found this site to be pretty helpful when comparing certifications :

www.fitnessthinktank.com/forum

They only recommend the ACSM , NSCA (CSCS or CPT), NASM or ACE, with ACE being a beginner certification. The other 3 are said to be reputable and anatomy intense.

 

[physicaltherapy]

You could have a college grad with a degree in Exercise Science/Kinesiology plus an NSCA-CSCS certification, but they may be a terrible trainer and someone you shouldn't listen to at all.

Ditto on this. I know a trainer just like this guy.......me!

I have a masters in physical therapy and a bachelors in clinical science. I even graduated with a minor in nutrition science.

I personally don't train people because physical therapy keeps me busy.

I don't have the time to invest in learning to train other people. I decided to take the CSCS cert because I wanted to learn how to train MYSELF (and my wife)! Screw training other people! I did it to supplement my BJJ. It also doesn't hurt my resume.

The test was easy given my background. I already had been exposed to most of the topics that they covered. It took me about 4 weekends to study for the exam at about 4 hours each weekend listening to lecture CDs , reading the text, and the notes. Now I believe there's an interactive CD.

That's my beef with these certs. I feel like there needs to be more stringent testing or some type of mentorship program, or a practical component with real life problem solving, not a multiple guess format. In my manual certification test, I got grilled by guys who wrote dozens of articles for peer reviewed journals in lab practicals. Imagine JC Santana grilling you about functional strength training, McGill about lumbar stabilization exercises, or Berardi grilling you about nutrition.


I felt like I learned stuff that I could apply to some of the athletes that I was rehabbing. But to say that I can create a top notch strength and conditioning program for an elite athlete, that's something else. You really need to apply it to truly learn it. Don't get me wrong, I'm not a complete idiot, but I'm more of a weekend warrior compared to some of the true pros out there. Then again, I'm not actively seeking clients as a personal trainer, I just give advice to people that ask from time to time.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that the cert is not the be all end all. Get your CSCS cert, that should open up doors for you. Actively seek out great mentors that can show you the ropes. That will take your game to the next level.

P.S. I'm sure you know there's continuing ed requirements for these certs. You have to go to coneferences and do home study courses to maintain them.

 

[Newt]

I looked at both ISSA and the NSCA programs. You need the bachelors for the CSCS but not to become a CPT (personal trainer). I know this may sound like a real dumb question, but what are the advantages of getting a CSCS over a CPT? I know one is sports related, but what could you not do with the CPT that you will be doing with the CSCS (or ISSA equivalent)?

It just seems like you could train a guy with either one.

Also, for a personal training cert, woudl you go with ISSA or NSCA?

The CSCS is more oriented towards full-time, professional strength and conditioning coaches in a team sports atmosphere, but you can do anything with it. The CPT is obviously more oriented towards one-on-one personal coaching and is not as stringent/demanding as a CSCS. However, it is still a good option - especially if you don't have a degree.