strength training Archives - Tucson Strength

Programming for Strength Part 2

Admin — Sat, 10 Oct 2020 14:07:29 +0000

I posted a short blog and video the other day on programming for strength (read it here). I have been developing a ton of free content on this topic because I see so many lifters come into the gym that are putting in hard, but ineffective training sessions in. I wanted to go into a little more detail on understanding how many sets/reps to use when programming for strength. There are so many variables to consider when programming for strength such as how many days per week you are working each exercise and how well you recover from training.

One guide that can be easily utilized in programming is Prilepin’s chart. Prilepin was a Soviet Olympic Weightlifting Coach that created this chart.

Yes, I know Olympic weightlifting is not powerlifting, but many of the same principles apply and if you look at many successful programs, they align closely with this chart.

Prilepin’s chart does a good job of breaking down total training volumes at given percentages of 1 Rep Max. Many successful programs align closely with this chart. Is this chart absolute fact? No, but it does a very solid job of giving some guidelines. The art of programming happens when you can get the right mix of sets, reps, and training volume for an individual.

Most successful strength training programs spend a considerable amount of time in the 70%-85% range of 1 RM. Knowing this is great, but applying it appropriately is crucial for success.If you are pushing 75% for 8-10 reps across multiple sets you are building a high amount of fatigue in your muscle. If your goal is bigger muscles great! If you’re looking for maximal strength you will want to choose lower reps across multiple sets. A more appropriate way of building strength with 75% would be hitting 4 sets of 6 reps or 5×5. Your last set should be challenging, but not crushing your soul. There is a time and place for grinding out hard reps in strength training, but it isn’t the cornerstone of building strength.

What about working with bigger weights? Isn’t that important? Yes, feeling heavier loads and over loading your system is important. You just don’t need to hit heavy as much as you think. When lifting above 90%, effectively hitting 1 or 2 singles is way more effective than trying to grind out a set of 3-4 reps to failure. Usually the philosophy with working with higher percentages is, get in, get out. Use the bigger loads to learn how to lift heavy with good form, see where you weaknesses when lifting heavy, and work on those weaknesses at the lighter loads. You are not going to get stronger my continually loading more plates week after week. I shake my head seeing gym goers miss a lift on Monday and show up on Wednesday to redeem themselves, then act like they don’t know why they are getting “weaker”. It’s because you are lifting from ego not from a base of reality.

NEED HELP WITH PROGRAMMING? SEND US A MESSAGE!

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So You want to Focus on Strength?

Admin — Thu, 08 Oct 2020 22:21:39 +0000

Focusing on improving maximal strength is trending. Putting up impressive numbers has become popularized on social media. Seeing 140lb women deadlifting 300+lbs is a common occurrence nowadays if you are following along on Instagram. Though we are seeing a lot of newcomers wanting to improve strength, many are making the cross-over from general fitness, bodybuilding, and Crossfit to focus on strength and the strength sports. Olympic weightlifting and Powerlifting have seen a boom over the past decade, primarily due to the influence Crossfit has had on the industry. It got people off the machines and put the bar back in their hands.

Here are a few important things to know, before deciding to make the switch to focus on strength goals.

STRENGTH TRAINING FEELS SLOWER PACED… BECAUSE IT IS

When coming from the energized environment of training for time, AMRAPS and pushing your intensity to the limits, it can be a bit of a buzz kill when starting your journey in strength. Rest is your friend, and its important to understand that 2-3 minutes of rest between sets is part of your training. Strength training utilizes the creatine phosphate energy system. Even though you’re not breathing heavy and your muscles aren’t burning, you may not be recovered for your next set. Creatine is used for short bursts of work and can take anywhere from 2-5 minutes to fully recover, depending on the loads you are using. Set a timer and practice resting. You can push faster paces when doing your accessory work.

VIEW TRAINING AS PRACTICE, NOT EXERCISE

Gains in strength are achieved by focused your attention on practicing the skills of each lift, and increasing volume of training over an extended period of time. If you want to improve your squat or bench press it will take practice. Workouts are no longer about solely getting “exercise” in. You are showing up to practice your technique and build training volume. We are focusing on training specificity, not variety and intensity. The skills involved in the barbell movements take time master, and building up good habits will pay off in the long run. It’s easier to build good habits than breaking old ones, so making this distinction early on is key. In the beginning, workouts may not feel as challenging, but over time the intensity will increase and you will be looking forward to your recovery days.

SETTING PERSONAL RECORDS ISN’T THE GOAL OF EACH SESSION

Hitting a new personal record is awesome, but it can’t be done all the time. Strength building is achieved primarily in the range of 70-85% of your 1 rep max. We rarely go maximal in training. Strength is built by increasing training volume up over time. The most successful trainees show up consistently, keep a journal, and put in work over long periods of time. There are numerous ways to get strong, and though we love seeing more weight on the bar each session, it isn’t the case all the time.

It is common to keep the same weight on the bar for multiple weeks and simply add sets or reps weekly to build base strength. There is a time where weight gets heavier each week, but there is a time and place for everything. There is a process to building strength and you have to trust it. Lying in a pool of sweat exhausted isn’t the outcome we are looking for. You should walk out of your session knowing you put in work, but not wiped out. Having said that, there are times where pushing to near exhaustion is involved, it just isn’t the goal of every session.

CONDITIONING IS IMPORTANT, IT’S JUST SEPARATE FROM YOUR STRENGTH WORK

Keeping a base of conditioning is important, even when focusing on maximal strength. Too many powerlifters and strength athletes are lazy when it comes to keeping an aerobic base. Let’s be honest, unless you are making tons of money being a strength athlete, our health is more important than anything else. An aerobic base is also crucial for optimal recovery in strength training. If you think cardio is getting your heart rate up by doing sets of 5 on squats you are lying to yourself. Cardio should be kept separate from strength work. What does this mean? Doing a squat session, then deciding to do a finisher of bodyweight Squat/Burpee AMRAP is counter productive for optimal strength. Getting on that boring elliptical for 30-40 minutes keeping your HR at 130bpm after you session is more effective. On an off day doing a HIIT session that focuses on cardio is also fine. Just realize that it should be cardio, not lifting weights faster. Using Rowers, Ski Ergs, or bikes are a great way to include effective intervals without trashing your body. If you are squatting and deadlifting a few times per week you don’t need to do ineffective conditioning involving those movements.

GET ON THE RIGHT PROGRAM

Doing a Google search of powerlifting or strength programs can leave your head spinning. There are hundreds of programs out there. Many are awesome and some are just trash. Finding a solid coach to help you get on the right program is important in building a successful strength plan. I love seeing someone that has no base strength tell me they are running Sheiko. Sheiko is a great program for experienced lifters, but if you can’t squat your body weight you are better off starting off on a basic linear progression.

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Training For Strength Vs Training for Size

Admin — Wed, 07 Oct 2020 03:22:59 +0000

Many people come into the gym and crush weights. They push so hard they can’t get another rep. Though training hard is important, training smart and with discretion is important if you want to see continual growth in your strength. Training to failure and pushing muscular fatigue is important in building size, it shouldn’t be the focus in building strength. Manageable reps is crucial in building strength.

There are many factors that go into a strength training program such as the individuals specific training experience and base strength. Choosing the appropriate rep ranges to improve strength is very different than just working hard. Strength is a product of working with appropriate volumes and intensities. Most strength training programs work with training percentages of 70%-85%. The important aspect isn’t just pushing to failure in these rep ranges.

Working with 75% of your your 1RM is very common. 75% of your 1RM is usually around a 10 Rep max. When having athletes work with 75% we usually have them do set of 4-6 repetitions with that weight. So they have 4-6 reps in the tank with that weight when working with it. The key with this is being able to build training volume without trashing the system with tons of fatigue. ThiThe number of sets can vary and will be the topic of another post. 5×5 is a very popular training program for a reason. Most athletes start at around 70% and add weight weekly with 5x5s. This will equate to training percentages of 70-80%. Once you hit 8-% 5x5s become too taxing and lifters swish to rep schemes scubas 5 or 6 sets of 3 reps. A big mistake we see are people that are working with 75% and doing multiple sets of 8-10reps. That may work for building size but not optimal for building maximal strength.

Stay tuned and we will discuss optimal training sets x reps for strength.

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Pavel Tsatsouline on Joe Rogan Podcast

Admin — Fri, 03 Jan 2020 22:44:43 +0000

Back in 2008 I considered myself an experienced trainer. I had close to a decade of experience with a college degree in the field and was teaching future personal trainers at a local college. Then one day I stumbled upon the a cannon ball with a handle known as the kettlebell. I looked at it, laughed and said “oh here we go again, another fitness fad and gimmick.” I literally rolled my eyes and walked off. My friend said, let me show you how to swing it. After a few swings I found something that that woke my body up in a way I hadn’t experienced. Shortly after I started researching kettlebells online. Back then there wasn’t a ton of info around on them. I came across Pavel Tstatsouline, a Russian Trainer that developed a system to use the kettlebells for fitness, strength, and power development. He is literally responsible for nearly everyone in the US using kettlebells. (Unfortunately lots of people have totally bastardized the kettlebell use, but that is a blog for another time). Pavel had a very expensive certification to learn how to use them and it was extremely challenging to pass the certification. It took months of training to get fit enough to pass and it also took mastering form and technique. You didn’t just spend money to get a certification you had to earn it. It was like earning a high belt in a martial arts system.

After training for 5 months I traveled to San Jose, Ca for the Kettlebell Certification (Now StrongFirst) with Pavel Tsatsouline. I have to say my life changed after that weekend. It was physically grueling and it not only tested the limits of my body, it also tested my mind because I was learning things about movement, strength, and power that I had never heard before. I had almost 10 years of experience as a trainer at the time, but I felt like I was starting all over again on my journey as a trainer and a coach. I realized I had to become a student all over again.

The kettlebell is a great tool, but more than just learning about kettlebells over the past 12 years, Pavel has influenced my philosophy on strength training, influenced me to compete in Powerlifting, and has been a driving force in my development of what Tucson Strength is all about. I was honored in 2013 when I was asked to be on his staff at StrongFirst, as Team Leader and to teach kettlebells and barbells to other trainers around the country. Tucson Strength is also StrongFirst Accredited Gym. Here is a great podcast with Pavel on Joe Rogan. If you are bored easily, it may not be the a great podcast, but if you are interested in understanding strength training philosophy and want to geek-out, this is a great listen.

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The Most Underutilized Deadlift Accessory Lift

Admin — Tue, 05 Jun 2018 21:30:22 +0000

When it comes to getting stronger there seems to be a ton of focus on accessory lifts. Sometimes I feel that lifters almost put too much effort and focus in the accessories. I usually tell lots of lifters that the accessories can be great, but don’t kill yourself on them, and that the focus should be on mastering the main lifts while training the appropriate intensity and volume with great technique. The accessories are there for some extra volume to work your lifts without putting the same amount of stress on everything, and helping out the areas of your body that could use more work.

When it comes to deadlifting there is a lot to be said for utilizing the lats correctly in conjunction with leg drive. Even though many people still believe the deadlift is a pull, it is more of a push with the legs than a pull. Many lifters make the mistake of initiating the movement by pulling the bar with the lower back then following through with the hips.

The Snatch grip deadlift is a great accessory to teach how to engage the lats so that the upper and lower torsos become one, then the legs can do the work they need to do. IF the legs are moving the bar should move as well. Most people get caught up by lifting the hips first then the bar moves. The Snatch Grip will put more stress on the upper back and quads. If done correctly you will feel your quads fire up on the deadlift and you will learn what leg drive is all about.

The other benefit of this lift is that you will use loads that are much less than your working sets of standard deadlift. I usually start people with 50%ish of their 1RM for sets of 6-8 repetitions. Whether you pull sumo or conventional the snatch grip can provide benefit.

A couple things to note;

Your stance may be slightly wider than your conventional stance.
Your hip position will be slightly lower, just make sure your knees are behind the bar.
Keep your lower back strait, don’t arch or round your back
Engage your lats and keep the bar next your body
Your grip may be taxed a bit. If you need straps go for it.
Put your arms out wider. Depending on your arm length etc Start with your pinky on last line on the bar and you can progress to having you pointer finger on the line. This may not be comfortable, but it is effective. As I heard Pavel Tstatsouline say in a workshop once, “your comfort is not my concern.”
Keep your lower back strait and drive with your legs completely. Start light enough that this is a no brainer.

Also for those not competing in the sport of powerlifting, I like programming the sumo as a main lift for weeks at a time without any “regular” deadlifts. Your upper backs and lats will never feel this awesome after doing some awesome snatch grip training.

I will be covering the deadlift, the snatch grip and other great accessories in great detail at my upcoming workshop on July 14, 2018 at Tucson Strength.

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COMMON PUSHUP MISTAKES

Admin — Tue, 06 Mar 2018 18:09:13 +0000

Written by: Mike Moran OS, CPT

The two mistakes I see a lot.

Lack of body tension and awareness
Elbows pointed out 90 degrees to the sides

This leads to sloppy reps, poor form, and injuries.

The push up is a much overlooked exercise in favor of more complex solutions.

Done correctly though the push up can make you stronger,build muscle and make your joints stronger.

One thing to remember is what you put into the exercise is what you will gain from it.

Like most strength training your setup will be paramount for your training.

The push up is a moving PLANK.

SO let’s go over the PLANK form.

Get on the floor face down with your hands just wider than your chest and pushed into the ground to hold your body up with the weight of your body on your hands and toes. Pull your kneecaps up and squeeze your butt while bringing your lower ribs to your hips to get your stomach muscles to engage. You should feel tension in your abs,quads and glutes.

Now for the PUSH UP

u00a0From this position take a breath in of air and maintain that tension as you use your arms,back and chest to lower your body to the floor.Think of screwing in your shoulders and it might help to slightly externally rotate your hands out. This should help keep the elbows pointing behind you. Keep the tension in your chest and exhale as your push up your entire body with your chest and arms.

That is one clean push up. With proper technique this can become a phenomenal exercise for upper body strength.

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Step Up Variation for Your Glutes

Admin — Fri, 06 Oct 2017 03:10:59 +0000

Unilateral leg work should be a staple in anyones programming. I love squats and deadlifts but putting the attention on each leg is a great way to build a solid foundation in strength.

This variation of the step up is one of my favorite unilateral exercises. It is a hybrid between a step-up and a single leg deadlift. Though step ups are great, many people end up jumping off the bottom foot and using it too much, when the stress should be on the leg on the step.

Keeping the abdominals engaged , and really sitting back into the glutes is key for this exercise. If you feel the body not being able to control the descent all the way to the bottom make sure to sit back into the buttocks and keep the abdominals braced.. If that still doesn’t work and you have a good Single leg deadlift, try these off a lower step and only move up in height once each level is mastered.

Don’t feel the need to add weights to this exercise until you can do 10 in a row with good form.

If you don’t have a great single leg deadlift do not try this variation yet. You don’t want to turn this into a circus act. If you cannot find balance and are struggling through out you are better doing other unilateral exercises that allow you to perform them with good form. It drives me crazy when I see personal trainers making their clients do things that are so difficult that they struggle to complete it. Remember, challenging is different than difficult. Own the movement, challenge the movement with repetitions, load, or timing.If you’re looking for help getting stronger, improving your technique, or you’d like to meet with one of our instructors for a free consultation, please give us a call at (520)445-6800 today and we’ll be happy to help. OR, fill out the information below and we can reach out to you.

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The Fitness Challenge Trap

Admin — Tue, 25 Apr 2017 22:53:40 +0000

In the early days of our gym we did a lot to spark up interest, inspire our clientele, and attract new members. A standard recipe for this is to throw down a challenge. Many of us love a good challenge, and a little bit of healthy competition is good, right? I am all for some healthy fun, but something has gone terribly wrong in the fitness industry. Weight loss challenges have become THE form of marketing for many gyms. They play into the human psyche and are easily able to lure people in. The Challenge model of fitness has taken over and it is big business. We have been approached numerous times by companies that come in to gyms and take over the marketing and sales by promoting weight loss challenges. They promise to pack your gym with 100s of members……. and they will. Wait Danny, don’t be a Debbie downer, why does everything have to be so negative. If it gets people motivated and moving why hate on it? ……. I can see that thought process, but I also see the side effects of the “challenge driven” fitness market and the shit show it creates. With nearly 20 years in the industry I have earned my opinion. If you don’t like it, you don’t have to, go challenge yourself up a tree. I know gyms that run occasional challenges and I respect them, but when a business model is completely run around weight loss challenges it should be red flag. We have fallen into the mass marketing of our media and Biggest Loser mindset. Many people have become sheep and don’t even realize it, sheep don’t realize their surroundings and just follow what the other sheep are doing even if it leads them off a cliff. These companies don’t specialize in fitness or health. They specialize in marketing to the human psyche and they are awesome at it. I had a lady come to me awhile ago, so upset about a challenge she joined at a gym. She put $500 on the line to lose 20lbs and she was so pissed. I asked her why? She said “I don’t even have 20lbs to lose! I am underweight to begin with? Why the hell did I do it?” I didn’t want to tell her she was a sheep, but the fact is she got sucked in. It happens. People just don’t know what they really want anymore. They look around to see what others are doing, but don’t really know what the hell is going on. It comes down to first understanding what you are truly wanting and why do you want it? Then breaking down the goals and actions.OUTCOME GOALS

When discussing goals it can be broken down to Process and Outcome goals. Outcome goals are specific, time anchored (set a date), and very measurable. Outcome goals are things like:

I want to lose 30lbs January 1, 2018
Fit into size 6 jeans waist again for my high school reunion
Squat 500lbs at my powerlifting meet on _________.

It is great to have a specific goal to train for and a date to achieve it by. There is nothing wrong with this unless the goal is not realistic or un-healthy. Many times the goal itself is realistic, but the time table may not be. Losing 20lbs for someone that is overweight is great! Losing 20lbs in 6 weeks for most people is too aggressive and usually a recipe for disappointment or only short term success. For many people 1-2 pounds per week is a recipe for long term success. Unfortunately, when the outcome goal is set into a generalized time frame, it sucks. If our lady above would have just sat down and understood what her goal was and had it defined she wouldn’t have had the frustration.

Sheep just following along because…… That is what they do. (Purchased from Getty Images)

PROCESS GOALS

These goals are the “how” you are going to achieve the end product.

Process goals for weight loss could look something like this:

Get 8 hours per night of sleep
Begin each day with a healthy breakfast
Eat 20g of protein with each meal
Prepare meals for the week on Sunday night
Space meals out every 3 to 5 hours with no grazing
Make a minimum of 4 training sessions per week
Walk for 30 minutes every night after dinner

Focusing on these habits is the recipe for success. If you can look at your day and check the process goals off your list you know that you are on track. If you fall short there is an objective maker to know where improvement can be made. Mastering these behaviors in the long term are the things that change lives. Creating healthy habits, slowly over time IS the answer. Having the time anchored and specific goals is great, but the focus must be on mastering the process rather than paying all the attention to the end goal. The most important part of this is everyone may have a different process. Even more so than mastering the process, learning to enjoy and incorporate them into your life.THE HOW/ WHAT /WHY

So what does this have to do with Weight Loss Challenges? What we have seen is the above scenario becomes reversed. We know the key to success is focusing on the process and NOT becoming obsessed with the outcome. I am sure many of us know what this feels like. You know, the daily weigh-ins or multiple weigh-ins per day because the scale jumped up .3lbs that morning. What happened? Why did the scale go up? I have been doing everything right? This doesn’t make sense? Should I eat less today? Maybe I need to add another cardio session? This is soooo frustrating!! This may seem extreme, but it isn’t.

When we teach people the HOW to train for long term success it is better than teaching people to race after the outcome.

In many weight loss challenges, the “HOW” to achieve the goal is lost because of the frantic race to achieve the “WHAT/OUTCOME”. Hitting the outcome goal becomes all encompassing which leads to the “WHY” you wanted to achieve the goal in the first place being lost. When that happens, there are big problems..

This is bullshit by the way.

We have seen everything from someone dropping 30lbs in 6 weeks, only to face of the gain much of it back within 6 months, to individuals getting so upset they aren’t losing weight fast enough to win the challenge and begin to take drastic measures to lose the weight. We have witnessed people water cutting, trying extreme bouts of fasting, wearing sweat suits, or adding a tremendous amount of cardio to burn more calories. It turns into a bit of insanity.

This is where the WHY comes in.. Why were you doing this in the first place? If its to win at all costs, great, do what you want. If you are looking to be healthy, lets start focusing on the process and lets see which process is best for you. Most of the challenges set a general process for everyone to follow regardless of the goal. It’s not that every challenge is bad, but it is crucial to always focus on mastering your process and not losing focus of the reason you started in the first place. This goes for any worthwhile goal. Whether its training for a race, lifting at a competition, or losing weight. If you are constantly chasing a number while losing focus on the importance of each training session, or practicing healthy behaviors, then it is recipe for disaster. The unfortunate part of this is that the Challenge driven fitness market doesn’t offer a nurturing environment for these processes to happen. It is usually about more intensity, calorie, restriction, and more exercise volume to achieve the goal. If you are not losing weight fast enough, then take back to back classes, that should fix it. Many times when the goal is reached, the ability to sustain isn’t.

Oh! and don’t forget you have to buy the special “challenge supplements” to lose weight $$$. If your coach insists you buy a supplement to lose help lose weight that is the sure sign of a scam. I have been doing this 20 years with a degree in nutrition, and never once have I sold a supplement to help with weight loss.

WHAT TO DO

Before you get started on your journey, set your recipe for success.

If you know where you want to go, set the directions to get there and get help with it from someone that knows what a successful process looks like. Here are some questions to answer:

What does a successful day look like in achieving my goal?

What does a successful week of training look like?

What does your eating behaviors look like on a daily basis?

How will you plan ahead on your nutrition?

How will I ensure I get adequate amounts of sleep?

Who am I going to be accountable to?

Challenges are fine, but constantly entering weight loss challenges and thinking they are a permanent fix is not the answer.

If you need help setting up a successful game plan for you, feel free to reach out to us. If you aren’t close to us contact us anyway and we can see how we can help.

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Personal Trainer Certifications Which One to Choose?

Admin — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 16:51:48 +0000

People always ask me which certifications are the best if they want to become a personal trainer. First, I want to say that having a certification doesn’t make anyone a good personal trainer, but at least they did the minimum. Many trainers at the big box gyms like LA Fitness don’t even hold credible certificaitons, and if they do hold a minimal certification they are called Master Trainer. As a gym owner with over 12 years in the field I thought I would shed my opinion on this subject, based on experience. I ran a personal training department at a vocational college for a couple years and had to study the different certifications. Anyway, Here is a quick breakdown of the major personal training certifications. Now you may not see some here, but that is because there are way too many to count nowadays. I also haven’t reviewed any of the specialty certifications in this blog like Crossfit, RKC, FMS,StrongFirst and others. I may do so in the future.

Also, I state whether or not the certification is NCCA accredited.The National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA) was created in 1987 by ICE to help ensure the health, welfare, and safety of the public through the accreditation of a variety of certification programs/organizations that assess professional competence. Certification programs that receive NCCA Accreditation demonstrate compliance with the NCCA’s Standards for the Accreditation of Certification Programs, which were the first standards for professional certification programs developed by the industry. (Taken from credentialingexcellence.com)

NSCA(National Strength and Conditioning Association):CPT

Pros: NSCA offers a CPT/Certified Personal Training Cert that has some of the best science content you will find. Everything from the smallest breakdown of muscle fibers to the cellular science behind muscle contraction. The NSCA does a great job putting forth a strong scientific background that ALL personal trainers should understand. It also has extensive information on strength programming and training athletes. They also offer great studying materials and resources. It is also NCCA Accredited.

Cons: The assessment section is completely out dated. They also fail to recognize or address modern day advances in training such as myofascial release, and movement screening of any kind beyond the sit an reach. Though the baseline science they preach is great, they refuse to get with the times because adequate research hasn’t been done yet, unfortunately their failure to move forward is dating them significantly. Though they really have positioned themselves in training athletes, most newbie personal trainers are rarely going to jump into training athletes. They are going to be training the 45-60 year old that complains of an achy back and trainers need to know how to look at the human body more effectively.

NASM (National Academy of Sports Medicine) Certified Personal Trainer Certification:

Pros: The NASM has made a huge push in the past decade. They have jumped on the corrective exercise and human movement train much more than the NSCA and others have. They also offer numerous continuing education opportunities in many different scopes so that their trainers have ample learning opportunities. Their information is great for those that want to train general populations with different postural and movement issues, especially with our aging population. The are NCCA Accredited.

Cons: Though they really focus on corrective exercise I really believe that what they offer is really the bare minimum entry level understanding. My biggest annoyance the NASM is every single CEU course they offer is called a “specialist course”. So if you take their corrective exercise course you are now a CES, or Corrective Exercise Specialist. Put in hundreds or thousands of hours training clients with corrective exercise issues then call yourself a specialist. I really can’t take their Specialization Courses seriously since everything they offer makes you specialized.

ACE Fitness Personal Trainer Certification: American Counsel on Exercise

Pros: Ace was considered a real force in personal training in the 1990s or I should say in the 1900’s. Ace has made personal training accessible to 10’s of thousands of aerobics instructors world wide. It does a good job of breaking down risk stratification for general populations and elderly populations. You actually have to study for the test and put forth some effort in studying to get certified which is good. It is also NCCA accredited.

Cons: Ace is like ACSM with a little more flare, but really they are stuck in the world of exercising. Their propaganda is really geared towards an aerobic instructor or a novice. The lack of focus on strength training programming and developing programs for clients that actually matter is not there. Their assessment section with the toe touch and other drills has been out dated for years.

AFAA: Aerobics and Fitness Association of America Certified Personal Trainer

Pros: Easy to obtain, and if you want your foot in the door quickly this is the route to go.

Cons: It is hands down a piece of paper to say you are certified. You are not going to learn lots of awesome information unless you want to be an Aerobics instructor. Sorry not much to say positively about this cert. It is not NCCA accredited either which isn’t the end of the world but it also shows that it may not be challenging and doesn’t really test according to any standardized guidelines..

ACSM: American College of Sports Medicine Personal Trainer Certification

Pros: It really set the standard of risk stratification in the Personal training world. All major certifications use the ACSM risk stratificaiton model. It is still looked upon as a very solid certification and the test does take some serious studying. It is also very clinically based. If you want to work in a hospital fitness center this would be a solid certification. Talks a lot about the roles of fitness in those that are health compromised. NCCA accedited.

Cons: It really couldn’t make fitness more boring . It really could be the driest certification on the planet. The lack of real strength programming and old research is out of this world. It also doesn’t have much leading edge information in strength training programming. And yes I believe as a trainer, getting your clients stronger is of paramount importance.

ISSA: International Sports Science Association

Pros: Founded by Dr. Fred Hatfield aka Dr. Squat. The book they use is incredible informational and solid. Though it isn’t NCCA accredited it does hold another accreditation DETC that it supposed to have some benefits to it. It is also available online.

Cons: ISSA is very sales oriented. Visiting their website can be frustrating to read through tons of obnoxious ad copy especially on their ISSA online site. When you talk to their people to ask questions about taking the exam, you are immediately put into a sales pitch and trying to be closed on registering for the certification, and they won’t stop calling you either. It feels like walked into LA Fitness or Bally’s and they will do what it takes to close a deal. Also, the fact that it is offered online does make it a bit questionable in terms of legitimacy.

CSCS: Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (Part of the NSCA)

Pros: All those that sit for this exam must have a Bachelors Degree. This is the only certification in the field that has this prerequisite. Most college and professional strength coaches must hold this certifications. The exam is deep in program design, muscle physiology, strength training, and training athletes.

Cons: The assessment section is poor. There are no solid tools on how to screen athletes for risk of injury or check imbalances. Though it is a solid exam based on solid material it still doesn’t guarantee that the individual can fully design a solid training program or know how to be a good coach. Also, understand that this isn’t a personal training certification, it is a strength coach certification so it really doesn’t test on risk stratification for general populations. If someone did show up with this certification alone I would not require them to also have a CPT cert as well. It really is a great certification that is challenging to achieve.

OTHERS:

There are numerous other Personal Trainer certifications out there. Some are NCCA accredited others are not. On the list of accredited personal trainer certifications are:

NCSF: National Council of Strenght and Fitness
NFPT: National Federation of Personal Trainer
NESTA
IFPA: Interational Fitness Professionals Association

I don’t have time to get into all of them. The fact that they are NCCA accredited means that the tests do meet a minimum level of competency in the field. On another note, just because something is not NCCA accredited doesn’t mean it is awful either. I am sure the ISSA exam is challenging and tests on some great information, but the fact that it is offered online doesn’t allow it to be NCCA accredited.

So which certifications to choose?

The certifications I usually guide people to are either NSCA or NASM certifications. NASM is great for those that really want to learn the fundamentals of being a trainer and the screening protocols they offer are hands down better than any of the other certifications right now. Though I am not in 100% agreement with all the protocols, for a beginning trainer they do offer a great beginners tool box. For someone that really wants to get involved in Strength Training as well the NSCA book and certification is a wealth of knowledge. Though not NCCA accredited I have extensively reviewed the ISSA certification material and it too is a great wealth of knowledge.

Having said all of this, you can learn all you want from a certification test and the real world applications wont really start till you get years of experience in the field. Honestly some of the worst trainers I have met have college degrees and big certifications, and some of the best trainers I have met never took a college class and hold a certification that I would never recommend someone to get. The difference is the ongoing pursuit of knowledge and continually learning. One must understand that the above personal training certifications are just the beginning to get the foot in the door. There are numerous other learning programs and specializations that one can achieve after being certified. On average I spend $3-$4000 per year on continuing education and my trainers also spend significant amounts of money per year as well to travel around the country learning from the best in the field. Sometimes it is in the form of a continuing education workshop, a specialization certification, or instruction from another professional in the field to learn a new skill set. Don’t think your certification will do anything for you, it just says I can start working, the rest comes together with experience, good mentorship, and seeking out new learning opportunities.

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