If you’re looking for a career in personal training, the ISSA CPT program may be for you.
Personal trainers provide effective and safe workout routines that clients can utilize to enhance their lifestyles. Research indicates that individuals who work with a personal trainer experience safer and more beneficial training than those who train without one (1). If you’re passionate about helping others achieve their fitness goals, becoming a personal trainer could be a fulfilling career choice that offers appealing job opportunities. While anyone can gather friends for a workout class, pursuing personal training as a profession and obtaining a certification gives you a significant advantage. For instance, the ISSA Personal Trainer Certification we’ll explore here offers comprehensive education and a job guarantee.
This certification is an excellent option for those looking to advance their careers in personal training. Join us for an in-depth review of the ISSA personal trainer certificate in 2024 to discover its benefits and more.
Overview — Who Is ISSA (International Sports Sciences Association)?
Learn how you can help others reach their dream physique by becoming ISSA certified.
The International Sports Sciences Association, also known as the ISSA, is an organization that offers a variety of fitness certifications. However, it’s popular for its personal training certificates (CPTs) for professionals looking to practice their passion for fitness and health.
According to its website, the ISSA was founded in 1988 and has remained relevant today, with over 400,000 graduates across 174 countries. Apart from personal fitness training, the ISSA also offers other programs in bodybuilding, kickboxing, nutrition, and medical professionals. ISSA’s partnership with local gyms and training facilities makes their certificate valuable.
ISSA offers a certificate with accreditation from the Distance Education and Teaching Council (DETC) and the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA). These two are accrediting bodies recognized nationally and affiliated with top bodies like the Sports Club Association and International Health.
ISSA Personal Trainer Certification Highlights
ISSA offers a six-month complete course training with all the necessary tools to succeed. So whether you select the Certified Personal Trainer, Fitness Coach, Elite Trainer, or Master Certified Trainer program, you get all the complete resources for your certification journey. This certification is particularly advantageous because the fitness industry globally acknowledges ISSA as a popular and widely recognized certificate.
The certification training includes audio-video lectures, reading assignments, workbooks, and a reading plan to accommodate many learning styles. You also have the option of a $99 accelerated study program for you to move at your own pace and move directly to the final exam. There’s a 90% pass rate for those who take the test and a 95% chance for those who pass the test to get a job within the first six months after taking the test.
Major Takeaways
- ISSA is a globally recognized brand that gives you an edge in the fitness industry, especially for those without formal education in exercise science.
- The ISSA program design contains audio and video lecture guides, a well-detailed reading plan, one-on-one sessions, and workbooks for different learning styles.
- You can always refer to the ISSA website if you’re looking for additional resources in specializations like nutrition coaching, powerlifting, and bodybuilding.
- As a follow-up method, ISSA also provides the opportunity to support your career with a business guide, website builder, and assessment forms. It also provides job placement to help with applying and finding potential jobs and offers efficiently and effectively.
Who Should Get the ISSA Personal Trainer Certification?
- People with passion and drive to help people achieve their fitness goals.
- Those looking to explore or carve a career path and become health, fitness, bodybuilding, and nutrition specialists.
- People looking for an affordable certification that doesn’t subject you to pay retake tests.
- Those looking to network with other specialists in related or other fields and those seeking job opportunities.
- Those that don’t do well with exams. ISSA provides a team ready to support you, review practice essays, answer questions, and point you in the right direction.
Who Shouldn’t Get the ISSA Personal Trainer Certification?
- Those who already have a degree in kinesiology or exercise science and a nationally recognized personal certification, such as from ACSM (American College of Sports Medicine). This certification covers the basics you would have already covered in your degree and other nationally recognized certifications.
- Those interested in working as a strength and conditioning coach, especially with college athletes and professionals, will want a degree and a strength and conditioning certification.
- Those below 18 years of age.
- Folks who prefer hard-copy materials to the soft-copy materials provided. You have to pay an extra $40 for those hard-copy materials.
ISSA CPT Certification Cost
Learn how you can help others reach their dream physique by becoming ISSA certified.
The ISSA CPT certification isn’t too expensive and offers a lot of value for its price. There are four primary ways to determine the cost of the ISSA personal trainer certificate. For the simple Personal Trainer Certification, you’ll pay $93.28 per month or could make a one-time purchase of $994.30 annually.
If you opt for the Fitness Coach, you’ll pay $99.97 per month or can make a one-time purchase of $799.60 annually. You’ll get the Certified Personal Trainer Course, 1 Specialization Course, CPR/AED Certification, and Exercise Effect Course.
The Elite Trainer certification costs $125 per month, or you can make a one-time purchase of $1,300 annually. It offers the Certified Personal Trainer Course, 1 Specialization Course, Nutritionist Course, Strength & Conditioning Course, CPR/AED Certification, and Exercise Effect Course.
Finally, the Master Trainer bundle offers a $174.98 monthly payment. However, you save an extra $200 when you make a one-time payment of just $1,499.70 annually. For this bundle, you get the Certified Personal Trainer Course, 4 Specialization Courses, a Nutritionist Course, CPR/AED Certification, and the Exercise Effect Course.
Below is 29-time Natural Pro champ Michael Wittig, who’s an ISSA Master Trainer:
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What Are the ISSA Certified Personal Trainer Study Materials?
ISSA offers many personal study materials that make learning easy until your final CPT exam. Here’s a list of the study materials ISSA offers.
Study Guides
You can access online study material when you purchase any ISSA Personal Trainer Certification bundles. You can also have a physical copy, which will cost you an extra $40. This study lays out 10 weeks of learning using audio-video lectures, quizzes, and reading materials.
Quizzes
The quizzes cover 18 subjects; you must complete and pass all 18 to write your final exams. They’re multiple-choice questions that address each topic.
Online Forum
The ISSA CPT offers an Educational Boot Camp that you can participate in and meet other trainees. This forum runs weekly for five weeks and opens you up to instructors where you can ask questions. It also includes one-on-one sessions with an ISSA tutor.
Guarantees
There’s a guarantee that after completing and passing your exams, you’ll find a job opportunity within six months. However, you get a refund if you can prove you applied to at least three gyms within the first six months and can’t find a job.
Career Paths with an ISSA Personal Trainer Certification
- Personal Trainer
- Group Exercise Instructor
- Gym Management or Fitness Center Management
- Health Fitness Specialist
- Fitness Writer
- Fitness Model
Wrapping Up
If you’re passionate about health and fitness and want to turn that passion into a career, consider getting ISSA certified. The ISSA Personal Trainer Certification is comprehensive and offers significant practical benefits, including a job guarantee. This article covers everything you need to know about becoming ISSA Personal Trainer Certified.
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Reference
- Lu, Y., Leng, X., Yuan, H., Jin, C., Wang, Q., & Song, Z. (2024). Comparing the impact of personal trainer guidance to exercising with others: Determining the optimal approach. Heliyon, 10(2), e24625. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e24625
