What is the difference between nasm and nsca

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Certified EKG Technician. This incorporates multiple functional training movements and corrective exercises to make you one of the best health and fitness professionals out there. They also have an advanced certification called the performance enhancement specialist certification. The winner for certification focus is NASM. NSCA certification has been around for a pretty long time. They are so well recognized, in fact, their training textbooks are used as curriculum in some colleges and universities.

This is one of the most sought-after sports performance certifications in the industry but unfortunately, I was unable to find how many people are certified with NSCA in total. By the way, I do have a free CSCS study guide and other certifications study guide on my website, feel free to browse through.

I have other certifications that can allow work with clients in a group and the top fitness nutrition specialist certifications on my website, make sure to check it out. NASM is currently thought of as the gold standard certification by a large number of gymnasiums, universities, and employers. If you go to bodybuilding. NASM has certified more than , people, and it is probably the fastest-growing certification.

This gives you a pretty good idea of how many people are searching for each certification and which one is currently hot. The winner for recognition and popularity is NASM. NSCA recommends certain textbooks in booklets format for students to study from to prepare for their training certification. You do not have to purchase all the study materials but can pick and choose whatever you need to be ready for when your test date comes. The most common study materials are their Essentials of Personal Training textbook pages long , exam content description booklet helps you along with the textbook , complete practice questions bundle, and exercise technique manual for resistance training and live clinics.

They also recommend purchasing strength training anatomy and sport nutrition books if you are a kinesthetic learner. I highly recommend taking the live clinic because the rest of the learning is purely out of the book. Make sure to check out my free practice test and study guide for NSCA. Also, if you want to cut your study time for exam prep in half and get in an exam pass guarantee mood, check out Trainer Academy NSCA study materials.

The most noticeable thing is that with their self-study and premium self-study options, you only get an electronic book instead of a hardcover. One thing that I found very useful was the flashcard bundle that comes with the premium self-study package.

This is also super helpful because you can reach out to them with any questions that you may have. The biggest difference with the all-inclusive package is that you get the business accelerator program.

This is a huge value especially for people that are trying to turn personal training into a personal business. I learned tons of cool techniques for sales, marketing and making more money in general as a trainer.

It also comes with the CPT development program that includes 80 hours of on-site practice where you get to work with real clients. I highly recommend the all-inclusive package if you have the money for it. It will pay itself back in the knowledge that you gain. The overall winner for study materials is NASM.

This section is an exposition on the cost of each certification. Two general study bundles are offered even though as I mentioned above, you can pick and choose which textbooks you want to get. The pricing structure for NASM is much more simple, and it is based on the four packages that they offer.

As a fitness trainer, you should protect yourself from a lawsuit with amazing professional liability insurance. The winner for the lowest price is NSCA. The exam contains multiple-choice questions, and you will be given three hours to complete it. Once you purchase the certification you have 12 months to sign up for the test, take it and pass it.

Take my practice test for the NSCA certification to see how much you know. Once you purchase the exam or package from NASM, you will need to register date to take the test at a local Lasergrade facility. From the time that you purchase your study package, you will have one full year until you need to take the test.

The test is multiple-choice questions, and you will receive two hours to pass it. You will receive a passing or failing grade immediately after completing the test at the Lasergrade facility. That is unless you purchased either the guided study or all-inclusive packages which includes a free retake voucher. Test your knowledge with my free NASM practice test here. The winner for test information is NASM. A lot of people end up getting recertified with the credits that they earned from getting their more advanced CSCS certification.

This factor makes the NSCA continuing education program very important in the career of a fitness trainer. This is a good deal especially if you know you are going to be doing personal training for over six years.

Continuing Education Units CEUs are crucial in this business because it helps introduce the trainer to new ideas and developments as the years go by. Without this NASM continuing education, you may find it difficult to stay abreast of new things happening in the industry.

The winner for recertification is NSCA. I believe that being trained by NASM will give you a more diverse range of skills and will allow you to train a broader range of individuals. The overall winner is NASM! I recommend that you take the quiz to find out which certification is best for your training style if you are still having trouble choosing.

I believe that NASM does a much better job of assessing the muscular imbalances of individuals and designing a progressive exercise routine that is safe and effective. It all comes down to what type of clients you would like to train once you are certified as a trainer. If you are mostly going to be working with high school or college athletes, you should consider getting certified through NSCA and then their more advanced certification, the CSCS.

Another excellent option for training athletes is getting certified through NASM and then going on to their PES performance enhancement specialist certification.

I have a son who will complete his B. He will have done 2 internships with this degree, one at an athletic performance facility, and one at Athletico at a PT tech.

He is also a cross country and track runner on a nationally-ranked team. Everything considered, which route for certification would you suggest? Also I like to recommend NASM for people that are going to work with people with muscular imbalances or elderly people in general. What types of clients would you like to work with?

Hi Tyler, great article. I am not a strong believer in isolation movements although I believe they have there place. I was also looking at OPEX fitness. I will probably get my CFL1 crossfit level 1 down the road. Most of what you will get out of the general training certification will be the general anatomy, biomechanics and general principles of exercise science.

You will not learn any of these cross fit movements or progressive cross fit patterns from any one of these certifications. That being said, I would think that injury prevention and corrective exercise would be an important thing for people doing cross fit. I wonder which certification and possible follow up certifications you would recommend if I would like to work with parkour athletes and American ninja athletes? For this you would need a specialty certification. The average amount of time the typical certification candidate would need for a reasonable amount of prep is between 10 — 12 weeks.

Both certs allow for that to happen, but the more flexible six-month period NASM offers wins out. Click here to access these study materials and save cost and time.

We will look at the average annual income and try and provide some nuance behind the figures presented. So far, NASM has presented as the more attractive option in a majority of categories.

NASM is popular with the newbies, fledgling trainers just starting and dipping their toes in the game. These trainers are typically in the lower-income bracket, working as gym employees or start-up fitness entrepreneurs. NSCA, on the other hand, is an institution popular in the fitness fraternity with seasoned veterans.

Expert trainers and sports scientists all hold NSCA in high esteem. It may not be popular by numbers, but the few who do recognize and prefer NSCA tend to be professionals with some skin in the game.

This translates to trainers and coaches in higher employment positions or more established businesses. Looking at it that way, it makes sense that NSCA nets a higher average income. Similar read: Personal Trainer Salary. Understanding the direction a certifying agency takes with its curriculum and course content will help you choose the best one for your individual career aspirations. NASM, and its proprietary OPT model, focus on strength and conditioning for performance enhancement that improves general function and corrects dysfunction.

If you are interested in a specialized field of personal training programs, NASM has niches carved out to suit your career choices. To be eligible for this process, you will need to submit CEUs or continuing education units, also known as continuing education credits. These units are time-based credits earned by engaging in supplementary academic activities, enrolling and passing different certifications, or attending relevant workshops, all of which are offered by providers approved by the certifying agency in question.

Objectively speaking, we would be more inclined to encourage trainers towards the NASM option, simply because it is a more welcoming approach when starting your personal training business. NSCA is one we would recommend if you are already an experienced trainer, looking to add another top-tier credential to your title.

Once more, a click on our detailed reviews below will keep you well informed on the personal training industry. It is NCCA accredited, contains high-quality content to prepare for your exam, is cost-effective, offers unique specialization options, and contains the least amount of questions on the exam.

However, see which accredited program is best for you. This really all depends on your career path and goals. If you want to work with general populations, NSCA will suffice.

Whereas, if you want to focus more on corrective exercise techniques, then NASM would be a better option. While both personal training certifications are recognized and accepted by employers, fitness professionals with the NASM-CPT earn higher recognition. Quite honestly, both online personal training certifications look great on the resume, but the NASM-CPT will always get more attention and have more employers drooling.

But again, both of these certified trainer programs are at the top and include solid information in the realm of performance training, resistance training, senior fitness, biomechanics, kinesiology, injury prevention, and more. NASM certification is definitely worth it.

Take advantage of the NASM online certification and become certified at your own pace! NSCA comparison article. Expectations of study time. Requirements for certification and recertification. Accreditatio n.

Cost of Study Materials.