NPTI course

Underground S&C Underground
1

 Im thinking of doing a personal trainer course, im based in texas,

and am originally from overseas so dont know much about the

organisations..



has anyone done the national personal training institutes course?

any recommendations would be appreciated

thanks

2

 ttt

3

I don't know about that course specifically. Two of my friends are trainers and they have both mentioned studying for their CSCS. Just a word of advice. You are entering the world of sales. If you want to make any decent money in this profession then you will have to constantly hustle for new leads and more appointments. The 24 hour fitness type of trainers make scratch. Of the two friends I mentioned. One works at a globo gym and makes 20 dollars per hour when they have him scheduled for the floor. Could be 40 hours per week or 20. The other friend works at least 14 hour days 4 times per week and works 7 days per week. I know she is grossing over 10 k per month now, but it took her 7 years to get here. Best of luck. Phone Post

4

 thanks for the info eel, i heard the cscs cert is a good one... it seems most of the certs you study for, and dont really require a hands on course...seems kind of weird

5

sly, honestly, Eel hits it pretty good. Also, to add a point: if you're going to join a chain gym as a trainer, the cert to get it whatever the gym likes best. If you just want a cert to get some insurance and a cert to stick after your name for the public consumption, get the cheapest you can find. You'll spend plenty of money getting a real education in courses and manuals and books that won't provide any certifications.

6

sly, honestly, Eel hits it pretty good. Also, to add a point: if you're going to join a chain gym as a trainer, the cert to get it whatever the gym likes best. If you just want a cert to get some insurance and a cert to stick after your name for the public consumption, get the cheapest you can find. You'll spend plenty of money getting a real education in courses and manuals and books that won't provide any certifications.

7

 Thanks shat, it seems like in some respects the certification is the hoop you have to jump but doesnt mean you're any good... I guess what Im really looking for is some decent training course(s) that would help me increase my knowledge to actually be a decent trainer...

8

Try finding a mentor or two in the industry. Pick one or two people that train the people you want to train and who have been doing it for 10 plus years. Offer to take them out to lunch and prepare some questions to ask them. Perhaps they would allow you to shadow them or have an unpaid internship.

9

sly fox -  Thanks shat, it seems like in some respects the certification is the hoop you have to jump but doesnt mean you're any good... I guess what Im really looking for is some decent training course(s) that would help me increase my knowledge to actually be a decent trainer...



sly, honestly, the best you can get is to find a good mentor, and put yourself "under the bar", as Dave Tate puts it. Do an internship with a college strength coach, or go to a good gym and intern/watch. In Texas, I'd say UT, A&M obviously, as well as going to Metroflex and just watching and absorbing.

If you want to put a cert with that, I'd say a Charles Poliquin cert is pretty damned hard.

But, as you said, any cert is nothing more than doing it one time.

It truly is a hard game. I've been lifting and putting in time under the bar for going on 20 years, and yes, at one point I was in fact NASM certified. The things I've learned in the 8 years since then have blown that cert right out of the water, and I expect that in 10 years I'll know even more.

10

 Thanks guys, I really appreciate you taking the time to give me some great info that has helped a ton

11

 I also feel that : Eel, has offered some good input. Having worked as a trainer for over 20 years, I can tell you that I have never made great money at it. I have at times worked 4 days a week ffrom around 5:00 A.M. - 6:00 P.M. Other times I end up working 6 days per week. At times you will be at the gym 10-12 hours per day but in reality you will be lucky if you are actually training 3-5 of those hours consistently.



Finally, you do need to be a good sales-person as well. Some trainers make the mistake of thinking, being a trainer is good and noble, whiile being a salesman is bad and slimey. The reality is, it is all part of the same profession. You need to be good at both skill sets to succeed.



TAKU

12

 Thanks Taku, funnily enough its not for money, i have two post grad degrees and a grad degree in another field and just am a bit burnt out... I could make a lot of money moving into the buisness sector but am not really interested



sales is ok, im pretty charismatic in person, I think the thing is there are some sales people who are slime buckets so I think thats why that side gets a bad rap..


13

I own 2 pretty busy training studios in the Boston area and have had great luck hiring NPTI trainers. They come in enthusiastic and with good hands-on experience. It may depend on the NPTI location though.

-Justin

14

 Thanks, i visited the npti course to check it out, what i liked is it was a ton of hands on work, lots of practical with a real focus on making sure you teach good form and stuff, plus covered everything from kettlebells to olympic lifts to medicine balls... lots of program design, physiology... and the instructors were former pro athletes and actally knew their stuff pretty well it seemed