The Show Up Fitness Podcast

Top Personal Training Certifications Ranked (2025 Tier List: NASM vs ISSA vs SUF-CPT)

• Chris Hitchko, CEO Show Up Fitness • Season 3 • Episode 261

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Most trainers don’t fail for lack of passion; they fail because no one showed them how to turn knowledge into coached reps and coached reps into confident sales. We walk straight through the credential maze—C-tier certs like NASM/ACE/ISSA, nonprofit mainstays NSCA/ACSM, the CSCS and kinesiology degrees, and why applied internships and mentorships sit at the top when it comes to getting hired and keeping clients safe.

We share the hard numbers managers see on the floor, the real reasons accreditation doesn’t equal readiness, and the practical skills that move the needle: assessments that drive programming, modifications for common injuries, communication that calms nerves, and simple, ethical closing frameworks that make pricing feel natural. You’ll hear how case-based learning (think: “Pickleball Pete” with lateral elbow pain) builds pattern recognition fast, why unsupervised “experience” can cement bad habits, and how structured supervision turns you into the coach clients trust with complex goals and limitations.

If you’re sitting on a C-tier cert right now, we outline an honest path: pass quickly, get floor time, stack hands-on seminars, and document real outcomes. If you’re targeting elite clubs like Equinox or Lifetime, we show exactly what hiring managers look for—competence, composure, and a clear system for assessment and progression. Along the way, we unpack who actually owns the big cert brands, how marketing shapes perception, and why the best question isn’t “Is it accredited?” but “Will this help me coach a real human on Monday?”

Ready to build a career, not just collect acronyms? Hit play, take notes, and then take action. Subscribe for more candid guidance, share this with a coach who needs momentum, and leave a review with the next skill you’re committed to mastering.

Want to ask us a question? Email email info@showupfitness.com with the subject line PODCAST QUESTION to get your question answered live on the show!

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Website: https://www.showupfitness.com/
Become a Personal Trainer Book (Amazon): https://www.amazon.com/How-Become-Personal-Trainer-Successful/dp/B08WS992F8
NASM / ACE / ISSA study guide: https://www.showupfitness.com/collections/nasm

SPEAKER_00:

Haday y'all, welcome back to the Show Up Finance podcast. Today we're going to talk about the hierarchy of personal training certifications, grading them from an S A B C. Which one should you get? Which one's the best for your success? If you enjoyed today's podcast, throw it into your story. Love to spread the word. Too many trainers are quitting annually because they're not set up for success. That's exactly what we do at Show Up Fitness. Let's change the industry one qualified trainer at a time. And it begins by showing up. Welcome to the Show Up Fitness Podcast, where great personal trainers are me. We are changing the fitness industry one qualified trainer at a time with our in-person and online personal training certification. If you want to become an elite personal trainer, head on over to showupfitness.com. Also make sure to check out my book, How to Become a Successful Personal Trainer. Don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review. Have a great day and keep showing up. Are you thinking about becoming a personal trainer? The big six certifications, degrees, CSCS. I'm going to review the top certifications in 2025 and 2026 for your success. You may be thinking, who's this annoying guy with the belt buckle telling me about success in the personal training industry? Been a trainer for 20 years, teacher of trainers for 15. I helped develop one of the fastest growing certifications in the world. My background's in kinesiology. I did a year at the University of Connecticut, the best kinesiology program in the world at the time. Now it's the Ohio State because of Dr. Kramer, who was my professor. I have an internship with cardiac rehab, physical therapy. We have some of the best doctors, physical therapists, and RDs on our team. Yes, I'm a little biased, but this whole video is not going to be about our certification. It's about the fitness industry and giving you the best tools and foundation for success because you want to turn your passion for fitness into a career, and we can absolutely help you. All as I ask, if you found today's video helpful, subscribe, throw into your story, go into the depths of hell on the Reddit, Facebook groups, let people know that there are options. You do not have to follow everyone else. As I talk about in my book, Robert Frost, you need to take the path that's least traveled. 90% of trainers quit within the first year. Which leads me into the first tier, the low-end tier of certifications. These are recognized everywhere. NASAM ACE ISSA. I guarantee you've heard of them. Which one's better? Statistics say in 2025, over 70,000 trainers will get certified. NASAM ACE and ISSA will get more than 90% of those trainers certified. So these are the fast food industry certifications. Super easy to get. I taught at a school called MPTI. I've helped over 5,000 people pass these certifications. They're super, super easy if you focus on the material, but it's not preparing you for success. So it's an entry, and that's why it's a C minus. NASA was established in 1987. ACE was established in 1985. ISSA was established in 1988. They've been around for a while, but if you were to do a little homework right now and type into the Google machine how to become a personal trainer, I guarantee you you're going to see ads from these three companies. Just because you see ads doesn't mean they're the best. They're just most recognized because of the marketing money they put behind them. Did you know that Blackstone owns NASAM? Well, technically Ascend Learning does, but then the Ascend Learning is owned by Blackstone. Did you know that Tailwind Investment Corp. owns ISSA, a billion-dollar investment company? So they're able to put a lot of marketing dollars to get in front of you. And so then the market space says, oh, these are the best because they're the most recognized. That's my favorite word, ubiquity. They're everywhere. But if you want to become successful, you need to move up the tier list, which brings me to the next one C, NSCA, and ACSM. These are nonprofit organizations that are typically used in universities. When I was at the University of Connecticut and I got my degree, I asked my professor, Dr. Kramer, I've never heard of NASA. I have a degree in kinesiology and I have to still get certified. So, Chris, that's the game. These organizations have a ton of money. We don't teach that at public universities. You just have to play the game. I ended up getting my ACSM in 2005. And I was prideful in getting that because it was one of the hardest ones at the time. You had to master the corneary artery disease, wrist stratifications, a lot of medical lingo. NSCA, National Strength and Conditioning Association, is used for strength and conditioning. If you want to become a strength coach, you have to get your CSCS. We'll talk about that here shortly. So with these five certifications, they're grouped in the C category because you do not gain hands-on experience, which then brings us into the B tier. Getting a degree in kinesiology or getting your CSCS. The CSCS hands down is the best certification when it comes to becoming a strength coach. That's the only reason I got it, is because I could put it on my book. It's respected. I don't have NASA PES, CES, WLS, all these other random certifications because professionals will laugh at it. The hierarchy is going to go bachelor's of kinesiology, master's of kinesiology, doctorate, PhD. If you were to get a cert that's really recognized, the CSCS would be your best option. Most people who get a degree will then opt for the CSCS because it's taught in the school programs: biomechanics, anatomy, physiology, kinesiology, they're gearing you for the CSCS. So that's why they're on the same tier. But again, a big bugaboo is the lack of hands-on experience. I teach seminars at Lifetime in Equinox. We go to their gyms and we train their trainers. There was an amazing trainer there in Dallas, and he had a degree in kinesiology, it was super sharp. And we talked about what was included in his degree. He got his athletic training certification, a thousand hours in an internship, and he was taught soft tissue mobilization techniques. That's amazing. At Chico State, we didn't have that. There were some good professors, biomechanics was tough, physics was holy hell. But the people who want to continue their education into physical therapy or an RD, you need to get a degree in kinesiology. The big elephant in the room, there's not a lot of hands-on learning unless the university has special partnerships like that trainer at Lifetime had. So his experience with the BS in kinesiology was amazing. I've talked to others, wasn't so much. They graduated, they had a diploma, and they still had to get a certification. That's the issue with only getting a diploma. Which moves us into the A tier. NPTI, National Personal Training Institute, and any internship that is well versed. I taught at NPTI for 10 years. The foundation when I first started was NSCA and ACSM based. I loved the curriculum. Six months hands-on learning. You gained experience and confidence. You were set for success. But the issue, along with a college degree, is it's a diploma. So what happened? They partnered with NASA and I was forced to start teaching this material. And I looked at it and said, this is not up to date with current scientific literature. This is just a big marketing machine. I passed it in two days. Again, I have a background in this stuff, so it was super easy. I did not teach this to the students in class, though. Luckily, my boss was cool and she didn't know anything about movement, so she never sat in the classes. So I still taught ACSM and NSCA. But a lot of people in the early 2010s were becoming more familiar with NASAM. So then they started asking, how do I get my NASA? So I created one of the best study guides out there, and I've helped over 5,000 people pass those C minus tier certifications. They're super, super easy, but they don't set you up for success. Now, the issue with NPTI, six months, it's almost$7,000. A lot of people are going to go for the quick route. That's where the marketing companies come in. Pass it in 30 days, pass it in 60 days. Do this as a hobby. So they're really good at luring you in with their hooks. So you buy one of those certs, you're reading a textbook, and you go, What do I do? And you type in how to pass this cert and who do you come across? The belt buckle trainer. Annoying personality on YouTube. I try to simmer it down. I brought in some other people on our team, the angels out there, Megan's and other people who talk to you more politely because I can be a dick. I understand. It's because of the frustration with how many trainers quit within the first year. If you can get into an internship that allows for hands-on learning and supervision, that's really important to understand because you could go to a gym that says they're going to give you an internship, but you're just cleaning the gym. Or what they do is they just throw you out on the floor and start training people. Unsupervised experience is not the way to go. How do you know your programming is optimal? How do you know your cueing is right? Just because you can do a squat doesn't mean you can teach a client how to squat or hinge or how to push or pull. How do you train someone who's 50 pounds overweight, has had a heart attack, and they have shoulder issues or have knee pain? How do you screen them? You're not taught that by yourself. So if you really want to become successful, you need the hands-on learning. I stopped teaching at MPTI in 2017 because the material was focused strictly on NASA. I said, I can do better. So I teamed up with the best physical therapists in the world, the prehab guys, Dr. Waterberry, registered dietitians, professors, and we created one of the best certifications out there. And that brings us to the top-tier SUF CPT. It can get you hired at the most elite gyms equinox in lifetime. You will get certified and be prepared for success. And that's why our trainers go to these top gyms, they are hired on the spot because they understand programming, they're not afraid of sales, and they're prepared for success. They're able to help their clients quickly retain them and get them results safely. That's why we've had the top trainer at Crunch, the number one trainer at Lifetime, top 15 at Equinox. We've partnered with these gyms, and that's why we go to the best gyms in the world and we teach seminars, soft tissue mobilization techniques to level up the trainer's skills and confidence so they can charge more. If you cannot do a two-month in-person internship like we have in Atlanta and in Santa Monica, the online is just as good because you get to ask questions. We have case examples. For this month, we're going over pickleball Pete. How do you design a month program for a client who has lateral epicondylasia, which is lateral pain? What are the soft tissues that you can implement that are within your scope? How do you design a program that's appropriate with his injuries, but also to help him get his goals? There's not certifications out there that prepare you for that success. So when you have that person in front of you, you have to sell. We are salesmen. Get over it. When your confidence is high, knowing that you're the best trainer out there, I don't care if a client has a meniscus tear, Achilles tendinosis, they had a pec tear, they have a strain, a sprain, they're morbidly obese, diabetes, whatever metabolic disease they have. We can train them because we assess appropriately and then refer out to your team, which is really important to have, and we teach you on getting an RD and a physical therapist on your team to build your confidence. Confidence is the most important thing that you need, and most trainers lack it. I cannot tell you how many emails I get. I got their certification, I can't find a job, I don't know what to do. I spent two, three, five thousand dollars on this bundle, and it's like, shit, I'm stuck, I'm lost, I still don't know what to do. So even though I'm biased towards our certification, you have to look at where you want to train. If you get a C level tier certification, you're not going to the high-end gyms like Equinox and Lifetime, where you can very easily clear six figures. We've helped so many trainers clear six figures, getting our certification and becoming one of the top trainers in that gym within a few months. It's because of confidence. If Equinox or Lifetime or gyms similar are not in your area, you're gonna need to start on the lowest tier. Get that cert, go to Anytime, LA Fitness, Crunch, Orange Theory. You're not gonna get paid a lot, but at least you're gonna be given opportunities to build your experience and your book of business. Then you can level up and get into one of these gyms where you can significantly charge more and your confidence grows. The fitness industry is not saturated. It's saturated with scared trainers who get a basic certification and are not given the tools for success that you would get in that B, A, and superior level certifications and internships. Which brings me to the question that so many people ask: Are you accredited? So I put it back on them. Do you know what accreditation means? Who is NCCA? What is ICE? This organization is a party that you have to pay a boatload of money to and you go through this bureautic process where they check the T's and dot the I's, they do all that stuff to say you meet the bare minimum requirements to test any individual. They don't look at the material. Do you know when NASA first got accredited? As I told you earlier, they were founded in 1987, they got accredited in 2005. Does that mean that for 18 years they didn't have trainers? No. ACE was founded in 1985. They were accredited in 2003. Does that mean in their 18 years that no one got certified? No. Managers want confident, competent trainers, as I talk about in my book, help Nick. I didn't put seminars on this tier list because seminars are not certifications. Barbell Rehab, PPSC, Dr. Farnsworth, SUF and our soft tissue mobilization certification. In two days, you will learn more than any C tier certification, I guarantee it. Because you're networking with other professionals who are typically in the 1% of the industry. A big issue is you get that C-level cert, you go into a gym with other C-level trainers, and you're not leveling yourself up. Most of the time, you're going to see a revolving door. Trainers are leaving within three months, six months. I did one of the largest surveys from 2010 when I was at MPTI to 2025 when I released my book. 15 years interviewing managers in the United States at Lifetime, Equinox 24, Crunch, Overseas, Third Space, Virgin Athletic, David Lloyd. And guess what the percentage comes down to? 90% of trainers quit within the first year because they're not able to turn their passion for fitness into a career because they don't have the foundation. They can't even program on the spot. You've probably heard of that 10,000-hour mark. That's five years training 40 hours per week. That's very rare people are going to stick around that long just to call yourself an expert. I recently interviewed a manager at Lifetime. They had 50 applicants. All 50 were that C level tier. One was good and they ended up hiring that person. So a hundred trainers come in, two are decent. If you get a C level certification, your chance for success is extremely low. You need to get into a mentorship. Have a trainer that's been doing it for numerous years with the right credentials. Experience without supervision or internships is not the way to go. I've been a trainer for 15 years. I know what I'm doing. My clients have results. That's anecdotal evidence. Is there a system? Who do you report to? Who's on your team? Who's fact-checking your programming? If you put someone on a stability ball and do a squat curl press and you tell me I have knee valgus, you're not going to be able to do this. Your clients are going to chuckle at you. They're not going to get results. Because at the end of the day, you got into this to help people. God bless your perfect soul. Humanity needs more great people like you. But if you can't get them results, they're not going to stick around. March 5th, 2022, Carlos Castro was our very first SUF CPT. He's now one of the top trainers at Equinox in LA. Our certification began in 2022. I guarantee you we're going to get accredited significantly faster than all of these other certs, and that's why we're the fastest growing certification in the world. You just haven't heard of us. Would you ever tell someone the McDonald's is the best food? No, but people recognize the golden arches. Just because you recognize it doesn't mean the quality is there. If you really want to turn your passion for fitness into a career and you're stuck with one of those C level tier certs, you can't get a refund. Your grandma bought it for you and you're stuck with it. Pass it as quickly as you can. Get our guide, it will help you pass any of those C level tier certs. You can get through it in less than 30 days. I've helped people do it in two days. The study guide is all you need if that's the certification you're stuck with. But then you need to level up. Managers are not going to hire green trainers. That's the number one complaint that managers at these big box gyms complain about. The quality and experience within these trainers is not there. So you need to gain that hands-on supervision, get into an internship, go to hands-on learning seminars, and then you'll be able to get hired at the elite gyms, making a respectable amount of money. The gym's still gonna take more than 50%, but being able to ask someone for$150 per session, that's gonna build your confidence. You cannot balk. You cannot, oh, your voice goes through the roof when you ask for$5,000. You need to look at them right in the eyes and say, Mr. or Mrs. Jones, how was that workout? What did you like the most? Let's sit down and talk about training. How many days a week would you like to train with me? And they're gonna say three times, or they're gonna say, What do you think, Chris? Then you provide your professional opinion. 12 sessions cost X, 36 sessions cost X minus 10%. Which would you like? They take out their credit card and they give it to you because you're a competent trainer. And as you continue to learn and you build your help nick equation, you can absolutely turn your pastor fitness into a career. For those naysayers that say, I've never heard of SUF CPT, just get your basic ones, ask better questions to them. What certification did you get? What internship did you go to? When was the last hands-on seminar that you attended? What books are you currently reading? Who's training you? Who's on your team? Do you have a physical therapist and an RD? What are your streams of revenue? And you're gonna hear the same thing. I got seven of the same certifications because I got stuck with a bundle. I provide nutrition information for free, and I'm burning out. No shit, Sherlock. If you do what everyone else is doing, that's the definition of insanity. This industry is not saturated. Anyone that tells you that, it's like looking at the fast food market saying, there's so many fast food restaurants. Don't go to fast food restaurants. Cook at home, meal prep. Food is a lot better when you prepare it. That's your best option. We need to come together as an industry and recognize the ways of getting certified in the past do not work. They have millions and billions of dollars backing these marketing companies. So when you type in quickly with our TikTok world today, how to become a trainer, you click the first link and then you say, I did my research. Then tell me who owns these companies. Talk to the best trainers and interview the best trainers at the best gyms to find out their path. Use your smart brain to analyze and say, hmm, if I interviewed 25 trainers and all got C level tier certifications and they're struggling, maybe it's because of the certification that they got. So let's go up to the B, the A, the S's. What are the common denominators with those trainers? My goal is to change the fitness industry so you can confidently and be prideful to tell your parents, your significant other, I'm a personal trainer. I'm helping people, I make a good amount of money, I have streams of revenue. So if the market crashes, I'm prepared. I'm not doing this in front of my Lamborghini because I don't have one. I make a respectable living. I own gyms. We have the fastest growing certification, but we have streams of revenue. That's going to set you up for success. As I said earlier, if you enjoyed today's video and this was helpful, check out our podcast, Show Up Fitness Podcast. I've interviewed hundreds of top-tier trainers who've gone through our program, physical therapists, doctors, analyzing certifications, but giving you pointers for success. Check out my book, How to Become a Successful Personal Trainer, Volume 2, will give you so much clarity on what the industry is like. Please share this in your story. Like, subscribe, comment, and tell us your story. I want to hear more of the successes with trainers who get certified from the B's and the A's and the S's and are out there doing what you want to do. There is anxiety entering a new field, but when you're competent and confident, you will absolutely crush it. I guarantee it. Belt buckle trainer. Remember big biceps are better than small ones, and keep showing up.