Quote (dendo12689 @ Mar 2 2010 10:35pm)
o, well in that case, in regards to becoming a personal trainer:
what exactly does the ISSA exam consist of? what types of information do you learn from taking the course and what types of questions are on the exam? was it that beneficial that it was worth it, or was it just that being ISSA approved allowed for that much better business, although clearly that isnt what you are in it for. you just love the atmosphere like i do, and its been something i wanted to do for ~ 6 months now. however im a double major in mechanical engineering and economics at a very good college, and with going to the gym, i dont know if i will have time for the course. was just looking for an overall insight on the experience with the ISSA accreditation process i guess
In general, personal training at a gym (working for the gym) isn't a very profitable career. Only about 1-2% of the personal trainer population makes more than $40,000 / yr which is pretty low considering the amount of work involved. However, if you are really passionate about the career, you can go ahead and try it out.
The test is mostly in regards to exercise science and kinesthesiology. There are a lot of "Fluff" questions on the test which would never be practically used in real life in training sessions. There are also a lot of questions about trainer/client relations. In general I would HIGHLY advice the prep package and study the hell out of it before taking the test. A good working knowledge of nutrition, fitness, exercise science and biology will NOT be sufficient to pass the test (especially if its your first time taking it).
Anyway, NASM is pretty much the MOST recognized (or at least ONE of the most recognized) trainer certifications - if you had to choose one I'd say go with that one.
I do not regret getting my training certification but I would say that it's really not a profitable career unless you establish your own PRIVATE client base and make a true lifestyle out of it. I do know a few guys who are training 10-12 clients a week for 1 hour each at $100 / hr. So they end up making $1,000-$1,200 a week for 12 hours of direct work (training them in a gym setting) + another 12 hours of indirect work (writing up plans, phone calls, etc). So $50,000 / yr (all cash of course) is really not bad for a 20-25 hr work week lol. However, do NOT except this off the bat...it will take years of establishing loyal clients to get there...and legitimately unless you work for a boutique gym - don't except to make huge cash to start with...expect a $25,000 / yr kinda job for the first few years.