Is Equinox Academy a good idea?
January 25, 2012 7:29 AM Subscribe
Is the Equinox Academy training program a good idea?
I spend about half my paycheck of my desk job on working out and exercise classes, so I've been considering changing my career path to something in the fitness world. I've learned about this Equinox Academy, which is a 7 week program offering to introduce you to the personal trainer field. My question is, is it worth it? Has anyone done it or know about people that have done it? They use a NCSF textbook and offer the chance to take the NCSF test at the end, but is there a better way to go about certification? I'm somewhat worried they will take my $1300 and I'll get nothing out of it.
Additionally, I'd like to know more about what the job is like after certification. I've read about floor shifts v. personal clients but would like to know more.
Thanks so much!
I spend about half my paycheck of my desk job on working out and exercise classes, so I've been considering changing my career path to something in the fitness world. I've learned about this Equinox Academy, which is a 7 week program offering to introduce you to the personal trainer field. My question is, is it worth it? Has anyone done it or know about people that have done it? They use a NCSF textbook and offer the chance to take the NCSF test at the end, but is there a better way to go about certification? I'm somewhat worried they will take my $1300 and I'll get nothing out of it.
Additionally, I'd like to know more about what the job is like after certification. I've read about floor shifts v. personal clients but would like to know more.
Thanks so much!
If you want an NCSF certification, you can take it from NCSF directly. It will be a lot less than $1300.
If you are interested in training at all, then get used to doing a lot of personal research. Most certifications are not particularly in-depth or contain information you can't learn out of reasonable self-study. The most important aspect of being a good PT is experience--experience training yourself, experience helping other people with their programming, experience checking form and correcting form faults, and a lot of trial and error. And getting used to picking the brain of everyone stronger or faster than you.
As far as I can tell, their training program is just another arm of the fitness-for-the-rich-set thing Equinox has going, and the price tag is not necessarily reflective of the quality and quantity of information you learn. Which is the case for most personal training certifications--you get it for some letters on your resume rather than the knowledge you learn in the course. I don't know anyone personally who went through it however.
posted by Anonymous at 9:07 AM on January 25, 2012
If you are interested in training at all, then get used to doing a lot of personal research. Most certifications are not particularly in-depth or contain information you can't learn out of reasonable self-study. The most important aspect of being a good PT is experience--experience training yourself, experience helping other people with their programming, experience checking form and correcting form faults, and a lot of trial and error. And getting used to picking the brain of everyone stronger or faster than you.
As far as I can tell, their training program is just another arm of the fitness-for-the-rich-set thing Equinox has going, and the price tag is not necessarily reflective of the quality and quantity of information you learn. Which is the case for most personal training certifications--you get it for some letters on your resume rather than the knowledge you learn in the course. I don't know anyone personally who went through it however.
posted by Anonymous at 9:07 AM on January 25, 2012
I agree with schroedinger. There are two kinds of really great personal trainers. Self taught, which means you not only spend a lot of time reading and learning but you also spend a lot of time working with people. The other is school taught. You can pick up an Exercise Science degree or some such but you must also keep current by doing a lot of reading and working with people. The great thing about going to school is the ease of making contacts and the ability to intern/work under someone who has light years of knowledge ahead of what you'll find BSing with guys at the gym.
Becoming a personal trainer is the really easy part, and a lot easier than paying out a lot of money. Being knowledgeable and able to offer good advice for anyone who walks up to you wanting to do XYZ is totally something else.
posted by P.o.B. at 10:16 AM on January 25, 2012
Becoming a personal trainer is the really easy part, and a lot easier than paying out a lot of money. Being knowledgeable and able to offer good advice for anyone who walks up to you wanting to do XYZ is totally something else.
posted by P.o.B. at 10:16 AM on January 25, 2012
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by Nomyte at 7:44 AM on January 25, 2012