How Important is a Personal Trainer Certificate?

If you want to become a personal trainer, then you probably wondered if it’s important or compulsory to get a personal trainer certificate.

After all, clients would trust a personal trainer with some sort of certificate, right? Well, the truth is it depends. There are both advantages and disadvantages in both.

We will explain it in this post for you to understand better.

TLDR; Get yourself certified.

Certified vs non-certified personal trainers.

To be completely honest to you, there are currently no organisations that regulate the personal training industry in Malaysia. Technically, this means that anyone can call themselves a personal trainer without breaking any law.

Sad, I know.

But as an experienced personal trainer and employer, here’s what I’ve learnt: A certified trainer is someone who actually shows the right interest and seriousness when it comes to professionalism. He or she should be willing to invest time, money and effort in an unregulated environment.

There are 2 ways for you to become a personal trainer.

The first way is to get certified with the appropriate body while the second way is to spend years helping others and learn it the hard way.

For a non-certified personal trainer, they do not have to pass exams.

However, when we look at the practical side of things, the chances of success in terms of professionalism and client goals depend on the level of their knowledge.

What are the disadvantages if you’re not certified?

The biggest disadvantage comes down to the first impression of a potential employer. Most employers see certifications as a means to determine if you have the knowledge, skills, and understanding for the job they want to offer.

Of course, training experience also plays a big role.

But do you think it is enough? The answer is no.

Imagine that you need to choose between two types of applicants with the same years of experience. However, one has a certification and the other one without. Of course, the first one has a distinct advantage.

So my advice to you is whenever possible, get a personal training certification to increase your odds of success.

But do you need a PT certificate to start training people?

It's all about your career development and professionalism. Unfortunately, it is still legal for you to be a non-certified personal trainer as long as there is an agreement between the trainer and the client.

However, if you expect a detailed and ethical answer, then we strongly recommend that you become certified to expand your knowledge. This is especially true for the most important skills and deep understanding of:

Exercise science
Biomechanics
Musculoskeletal system
Basic psychology
Basic nutrition

Imagine you have a toothache and want to get it fixed. Would you have more confidence with a doctor who has completed an appropriate medical degree program, or a doctor who claims he has already successfully extracted his own tooth and others around him?

There is no right answer. However, you should consider the one who regularly trains actual clients and also has the educational background to back up his claims.

What are the benefits that you will get for being a certified personal trainer and why are they different?

When you get certified, you and your customers immediately gain confidence. Not every client will place value on what certification you have, but if a client has to choose between a certified trainer and a non-certified trainer? I think the answer is pretty clear.

Either that, or you still need to be a pretty good salesperson, which again is not wrong because you might have the knowledge, or it could just be the Dunning-Kruger Effect.

But being a certified trainer means that you are a true learner, looking for the latest science to provide the best solutions to your customers. We believe this is a much better way to sell yourself, and can give you the confidence that your knowledge is actually coming from reliable sources from many other intelligent people around the world, and not just from your personal experience.

How can you choose the right certification program in Malaysia?

Certifications are probably your first investment in your career as a personal trainer. Here is a breakdown of the various options you can take in Malaysia:

Local Professional Certification

This is probably the most common and easiest method for you to get certified. There are many course providers in Malaysia, and you can learn a lot from well-established instructors who understand the local market.

The advantages for the local professional certification are:

You can get a strong understanding of the local market
Easier to communicate as a Malaysian
More affordable due to exchange rates
Can attend physical classes for better experience
And building a network with the other participants.

But for the disadvantages that you may face are:

You may obtain certifications that are not so recognized
Lack of quality research facilities and laboratories provided by the institution/academy
Institution/academy are not regulated by accreditation councils

International Professional Certification

This is the certification we recommend the most before you start your career as a personal trainer. And in our opinion, you should have an internationally recognized certification BEFORE you take on a client to demonstrate professionalism and commitment to their safety and the standards of your service.

The advantages of the international professional certification are:

It has high recognition all over the world
Strong regulation of quality and content
Well-structured by a group of highly qualified individuals
Strong sense of achievement after passing the exam
High reputation in the market

In contrast, the disadvantages are that it:

Doesn't translate well into practical skills
Focus on theoretical exams
Higher examination fees due to currency conversions
Recurring continuing education fees must be paid

Here are some of the most popular international professional certifications.

One of the most advanced country when it comes to the Personal Training industry is the United States of America. Certifications in this country are heavily regulated by an agency called the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA).

The NCCA uses a peer review process to, establish accreditation standards, evaluate compliance with the standards, recognize programs that demonstrate compliance, and serve as a resource on quality certification. They ensure the following when evaluating a certification:

The certification is an appropriate measure of knowledge and skills
The exam process followed confidentiality protocols to be fair and unbiased
The organization supports its professionals

Here are some certifying bodies who are accredited by the NCCA that offers Certified Personal Trainer (CPT) courses:

ACE (American Council On Exercise)

The ACE CPT program is a client-focused certification that helps them achieve their fitness goals through their research-based IFT model.

NASM (National Academy Of Sports Medicine)

The NASM CPT focuses heavily on the fundamentals of exercise with their OPT model, ensuring that each client has a solid foundation for proper training.

NSCA (National Strength and Conditioning Association)

Before there were personal trainers, there were only sport coaches. NSCA CPT is an athletic-based program that uses an individualised approach to assess, motivate, educate and train clients on their personal health and fitness needs.

I got my CSCS at 2019

ACSM (American College of Sports Medicine)

With a personal trainer certification from ACSM, you'll have the practical and scientific knowledge to work in a variety of fitness settings, including health clubs, gyms, universities, corporations, and community or public fitness centres, in positions ranging from freelance personal training to full-time positions and beyond.

For all of these certifications, you will need a valid high school diploma (SPM), a valid CPR/AED certification (renewable every 3 years), and you must be at least 18 years old. If you meet all of these requirements, you can take the MCQ format exam with over 100 questions to be answered in 4.5 hours at an exam centre (usually located at KL) or from your home with a proctor.

Usually you need about 3-6 months of study and preparation to pass the exams.

Local/International Diploma or Degree

This requires the most commitment as you will have to invest your time and money for years. The most common diplomas or degrees associated with being a personal trainer are sports science.

The advantages of Local/International Diploma or Degree are you can study in a proper tertiary educational environment, get to conduct experiments and practical hours, use the scientific methods to obtain results and lastly longer time to digest the science behind exercising.

The disadvantages are the course provides a lack of real-world experiences, takes a longer time to complete, lack of funding and resources for bigger experiments and is not hyper-focused on personal training.

Here are some institutions that offer sports science diploma/degree in Malaysia

UM (University of Malaya) - Petaling Jaya, Kuala Lumpur

USM (University of Science Malaysia) - Kubang Kerian, Kelantan

UiTM (University Technology MARA) - Shah Alam, Selangor

There are also some personal trainers with different backgrounds that use their knowledge and apply it to personal training, for example those with a degree in dietetics, psychology or even physiotherapy.

Conclusion

I hope this article has given you a better understanding of certified and non-certified personal trainers

If you believe fitness is your passion, download the personal trainer education guide we have posted on our website. The guide contains everything you need to become a reputable and profitable personal trainer.