The Business of Certifications.
The type of certification matters. Admittedly, certifications are not everything, but they are a great starting point; especially when trainers use them as a way to qualify themselves. What you need to know is that not all trainer certifications are the same. Most trainer certifications require very little education to earn. One certification coerces individuals to get their certification with them by flouting “Most PT Certs Are Lame. They Take Forever To Get Through. This is Fast and Good.” “Fast and Good” does not make a certification legitimate. I certainly would not feel comfortable with that trainer; especially when you’re paying good money to see results and avoid injury.
To further demonstrate, a quick google of “quick and easy personal trainer certifications” will produce these results:
The National Council on Strength and Fitness (NCSF) - most complete in 1-2 months with a 75% pass rate.
National Association of Sport Medicine (NASM) - most complete in 4 weeks with a 70% pass rate.
International Personal Trainer Academy (IPTA) - most complete in 2 months with a 75% pass rate.
International Sports Sciences Association (ISSA) - most complete a 5 week course with a 90% pass rate.
American Council on Exercise (ACE) - most complete in 3 months with a 65% pass rate.
American College of Sport Medicine (ACSM) - most complete in 3 months with a 66 % pass rate.
The requirement to sit for any of these exams? Being at least 18 years old.
This is unfortunate, and clearly shows how unregulated the fitness industry is. Anyone who is 18 years old, has no hands-on experience, and lacks an in-depth knowledge of human physiology could easily become certified.
My solution: the fitness industry should be treated as any other profession. To become a certified personal trainer there should be some type of legitimate barriers to protect consumers; especially because of the potential for severe injury. Doctors, lawyers, engineers, architects, accountants, HVAC technicians, truckers, electricians, plumbers, welders, firefighters, paramedics, nurses, etc. all have legitimate barriers to protect the public from injury. Why should there be a difference with personal trainers?
You could say, there is much less risk involved in training; doctors perform surgery, lawyers keep you out of jail, and engineers prevent the collapse of buildings. However, there is a dark truth to training: ignorant trainers may lead to serious injury or even death (in addition to just ripping you off).
Again, a quick google will show that many gyms and trainers have already been involved in lawsuits because of ignorance. There is also the possibility that there are more cases out there that have been settled in confidence; some law firms even specialize in this field of work.
My own firsthand experience with commercial gyms was the eye opener. Not only do these gyms not care about their members because of their hiring of unqualified trainers, they also exploit those very trainers by setting impossible sales goals with no salary. Again, a quick google will show major gym chains being sued for not paying their trainers and bragging about their lack of work life balance. In all my interviews with commercial gyms they never valued experience or education; only the ability to sell gym memberships and retain clients. I get it, it’s business. That’s not to say there aren’t great trainers at those gyms, it’s just up to you to find them.
Back to certifications. Let’s compare the previously mentioned certifications to another certification, the Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS). The CSCS has an overall pass rate of 56% with the scientific foundation having a 66% pass rate and the practical applied section having an even lower pass rate of 44%. Further, to even sit for this exam, you must have at least a Bachelors degree.
Yes, I am biased towards the CSCS, however the numbers speak for themselves. There is a reason why many Doctors of Physical Therapy have CSCS next to DPT in their bios. Lastly, most (if not all) elite athletic institutions require that their trainers possess at least a CSCS; their athletes need to win and avoid injuries. You should want the same.
To reiterate, certifications are nice but experience and knowledge trumps all.
Disclaimer: These opinions are only my own and not endorsed by anyone but myself.
References
ClassAction.org. (2020). Personal trainer sues Crunch LLC over alleged off-the-clock work, unpaid wages. ClassAction.org. https://www.classaction.org/news/personal-trainer-sues-crunch-llc-over-alleged-off-the-clock-work-unpaid-wages
Crunch Gym Personal Trainers Sue for Unpaid Wages. (2016). New York Post. https://nypost.com/2016/04/20/personal-trainers-sue-crunch-gym-for-up-to-200k-in-unpaid-wages/
Flabarhls.org. (2020). HLS Monthly Updates – April 2020. https://flabarhls.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/HLS-Monthly-Updates-2020-April-Updated.pdf
Lawsuit exposes health club secrets. (2002). CBS News. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/lawsuit-exposes-health-club-secrets/
Westlaw. (1999). Capati v. Crunch Fitness. Westlaw. https://content.next.westlaw.com/Document/I267837a153f411dbbd2dfa5ce1d08a25/View/FullText.html?transitionType=Default&contextData=(sc.Default)
Buckfire Law. (2025). Personal trainer negligence lawsuits. Buckfire Law. https://buckfirelaw.com/case-types/personal-injury/personal-trainers/
Block O’Toole & Murphy. (2025). $2,250,000 settlement for gym member injured after a personal training session. Block O’Toole & Murphy. https://www.blockotoole.com/verdicts-settlements/2-250-000-awarded-to-women-injured-at-new-york-sports-club/
The New York Times. (1999). Health club and trainer are sued in a death. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/1999/06/29/nyregion/health-club-and-trainer-are-sued-in-a-death.html
Thier, J. (2024). The CEO of Crunch Fitness doesn’t think there’s such a thing as work-life balance: ‘That’s for somebody who’s not fully committed’. Yahoo Finance. https://finance.yahoo.com/news/ceo-crunch-fitness-doesn-t-093000144.htmlYahoo Finance
Philadelphia Eagles. (2025). Fernando Noriega. Philadelphia Eagles. https://www.philadelphiaeagles.com/team/front-office/fernando-noriega