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ExpertRating Personal Trainer Certification

by Esmeralda Gil

I am interested in the ExpertRating online Personal Trainer Certification. Their web site says that ExpertRating is an independent ISO 9001-2000 certified skills testing provider (from TUV, America). ExpertRating is not affiliated or accredited to any organization, as it is already an ISO certified organization with well laid down norms for skills assessment and course design.

Please give me your opinion, Should I purchase the Expert Rating Personal Trainer Certification?

Comments for ExpertRating Personal Trainer Certification

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$49 certification - you get what you pay for?
by: Katie - Admin

You will get a lovely certificate and access to some web site study material for your $49 investment in the expertrating personal trainer certification. But you won't get sufficiently educated and you certainly won't be prepared to be a personal trainer.

Their quoting of ISO 9001 certification is a joke. ISO is not a measure of quality but a measure of how well an organization has documented operational procedures. Some of the worst companies in the world are ISO certified because they documented their procedures.

I would steer clear of this one. Did you really think you can have a whole new career for $49?

Katie

p.s. I wrote the above before ACT came out with their free certification. It is ten times better than Expert Rating and their online classes for $65 is a bargain.

I got the ExpertRating Certification in Personal Training
by: Anonymous

The first certification I did was the ExpertRating certification online for like 50 bucks to get started. I know that's kinda lame, but it gave me a starting point. I was able to get into a small gym and have a couple people that actually paid me for some advice and help. The next cert I went after was the SCS (Sports Conditioning Specialist) personal trainer certification from NSCA. It helped me target a specific type of client. This was important since I felt more comfortable working with clients that were interested in the same area I was studying.

Yes to ExpertRating
by: STEPHEN HOLMES

EXPERTRATING IS NOT AFFILIATED WITH AN ACCREDITED FITNESS ORGANIZATION, BUT WHAT THEY DO IS GIVE YOU THE BASICS SO THAT YOU CAN BECOME CERTIFIED. WHAT I DID WAS I STUDIED ALL ABOUT FITNESS, A&P, EVERYTHING THAT I THOUGHT I WOULD NEED TO BE A PERSONAL TRAINER, THEN I GOT CERTIFIED THROUGH EXPERTRATING. YOUR KNOWLEDGE OF WHAT YOU DO IS WHAT MAKES YOU A GOOD TRAINER, NOT YOUR CERTIFICATION. IF YOU DEPEND ON YOUR CERT ALONE, I DON'T THINK THAT YOU WOULD SUCCEED. DEPEND ON YOUR KNOWLEDGE. LEARN ALL YOU CAN.

AMFPT
by: Anonymous

If money is not a factor, you should for ISSA PFT.

However, if u decide to go the fast, cheap & easy way, i would prefer you to pay extra $20 and go for AMFPT cert. At least a cert fm "Muscle & Fitness" sounds more convincing to a layman then one from Expert Ratings. :)

Oh ya, and for a price of $99.99, u can have both PT & MASTER TRAINER Cert on AMFPT. :)

ExpertRating Personal Trainer Certification
by: John Hansen

Hi,

I just posted recommending ExpertRating for the price. If you are keen on getting going with all the essentials, this choice is not bad at all. I have been certified through them for a couple of years and all seems fine to me.

ExpertRating Personal Trainer Certification
by: Anonymous

I don't agree with people who think you have to buy a costly certification, I have been through the ExpertRating course. I agree it is quite basic, but it covers almost everything that is required to get going, and I know tons of guys out there who have started off with ExpertRating or AMFPT and have gone on to make great careers. It is a good way to get a foot in the door, and then move on to costlier and better certifications once you know you can pay for them.

I just saw their testimonial page before writing these comments, and you can clearly see that people have made the most of their $49 investment, even if others find it a joke.

It worked for me
by: Joh Hansen

I took the ExpertRating Personal Trainer Certification about two years back. The curriculum was quite standard, just sufficient to get going and understanding various exercises & concepts. I am ok with my choice because I did get hired by a local gym (it isn't a big name), but at least I have been working since two years. I guess I would recommend ExpertRating, given the price and fact that other certifications offer similar stuff at a much higher price.

Personal Trainer
by: Anonymous

I also used the Expert Rating test for only $50 and I got a job at big name gym.

personnel training
by: Anonymous

Expert rating company claims to be bbb acredited, but I called the bbb and they say they haven't heard of them. Are they legit?

I got it too
by: Anonymous

i got this to get my foot in the door at my local golds gym. they suggested this, if it had been any other gym, i would've thought, yeah right. maybe this is al my state requires, i've also heard they recently had someone training with no cert. odd as it sounds it is all true, i passed the first time without studying,. i was really surprised. i am going to get a more recognized cert. from my local college, and i figured this will get me working in the field while i acquire the beter certs. i need!

Personal Trainer Program
by: Dave

I Found the ExpertRating Certification to be excellent for the money. They offer a complete basic program for Personal Training.It was very educational.

I just got the ExpertRated Certification
by: Anonymous

I got this certification while I was working on getting certified through ACE but now I am going to get certified through Cooper too! I mainly got the certification to get the class materials - you can never learn to much!! : )

accredited by the bbb
by: Anonymous

Are they accredited by the better business bureau?

Money Does Not Equal Good Trainer
by: Lou

I've been in the field for over twenty years (before all the alphabet certifications were around). I remember when all the certifying companies were starting out and $50 - $100 was common to get a certification. If the course is solid and you continue your learning with cec's, you don't need to drop the big bucks for the latest alphabet certification. Paying more money for a certification doesn't necessarily translate to better material and Certainly does not translate to making you a better trainer.

IT IS WHAT YOU MAKE OF IT
by: BEST $50 DOLLAR INVESTMENT

It may sound basic, but it does provide enough info to start out. Where you get your certification from doesn't make you a great trainer or guarantee a great career. The results you can produce through your clients is what makes a successful career. These days many marketing companies such as NIKE-SPARQ training claim to be the best. It is kind of like a kinesiology degree. Not every coach who is certified is successful.

good as a start
by: Anonymous

I love to train and i had an experience for few months based on my own knowledge of using the machines and it was good experience so i thought to make it official with a certification so i chosen the cheapest one to kick off and i am goin to do more.. but definitely no harm of gettin a basic certification like expertrating one

good start?
by: Lesley

From what i have read so far it looks more likely that Expert Rating is not the way to go. My problem however is that i live in Germany, so i can't attend any workshops and need to do this online. Also i need all of the basic knowledge (about muscles and exercises and the like), which doesn't always seem to be in the expensive courses i have seen. Would it be a start to begin with Expert Rating and go from there?

Educational & A Quick Start
by: Angela

I recently purchased the program through ExpertRating mainly due to my financial status. I studied the material, took the exam, and I found it very educational, simple to follow, and I was extremely pleased with everything it provided. ExpertRating offers the following: Fitness Theory and Terminology, Exercise Programs & Prescriptions, Human Fundamentals & Muscular System, Warming up & Stretching, Body-part wise exercises(clips put into motion to show proper execution of each exercise), Administering First Aid, Common sports injuries and treatment, Nutrition & constituents of food, Weight loss, and even managing your personal training business. Need I say more? I completely agree with other comments on here, that purchasing a higher cost cert doesn't make you a better trainer or even more knowledgeable, it's what you implement into your clients routines and shows through their results that makes you a desired and reputable personal trainer. So, for those of you who are uncertain, go with your instinct, not someone elses. This is a GREAT program to get started. You can always further your education. Knowledge is endless!

DONT GO WITH EXPERT RATING
by: CRAIG

I JUST GOT A CALL FROM MY MANAGER AT LA FITNESS THAT TOLD ME EXPERT RATING IS NOT RECOGNIZED. IF YOU ARE TRYING TO GET IN WITH A NATIONAL GYM...FORGET THIS PRODUCT. TRUST ME! ITS MONEY DOWN THE DRAIN!

Exper Rating cert while attending Pinnacle???
by: Anonymous

I Am currently Attending Pinnacle career Institute for the Associates and NSCA certification. I thought about Getting the Expert rating certification while i go through my 1 1/2 year of school. Would it be foolish to get the expert rating Cert just to get my foot in the door while completing my degree????

expertrating good to start
by: Anonymous

I am certified through expertrating and it is definitely a great place to start out. I work at a local gym now. But the first gym I worked at was a bigtime fitness facility. At the local gym I get paid more than I did at the big gym just because I am state certified so I get all the same benefites and pay as national certified trainer.The big gym took more money out of the contracts I sold as well. If you want to go to a big gym,travel, or own a business then you should get pursue higher certifications but if you plan to stay local it will for sure do the trick. The key to training is the trainer not the certification. If you have a good track record people will hire you regardless of the certification. The big gyms just want fancy certifications so they can make more money off of there personal trainers.

Have a passion
by: Kim Oliverson

Expert rating is a step in the right direction. It has information that a personal trainer should find useful. As far as being a "recognized" certification, it is not. This means if you don't have a great understanding and pratical knowledge of personal training, you probably won't get hired by a large gym. I obtained my certification from Expert rating two years ago as a PT. I also have taken college classes in Anatomy/Physiology and Kenisiology. This,combined with 30 years of hands on training in various areas (bodybuilding,sports specific,weight loss/muscle gain, and injury rehabilitaion), have given me the ability to utilize my Expertrating cert positively. An alphabet cert don't mean squat, experience is the key.

ER PT
by: Anonymous

Good to say you are a "certified" trainer.

HOWEVER...
1. It's not recognized by anyone or anything associated with Personal Trainers...I don't care what anyone on here says.

2. Insurance will cost you more because it's not recognized...if they ask for your certification

3. ISO certification is about documentation and procedures and not about content.

4. The way this company works is that they take advantage of the fact that ther is no governing body or regulation for certification of Personal Trainers. Basically you or I could create a "test".. call it good and charge people to take it. IF they Pass then we send them out a Certificate of Certification. This is exactly what they do.

There isn't anything "illegal" in it or in saying you are certified. BUT REALLY are you?

It's a slippery slope if you have any clients that may sue for negligence or misrepresentation.

Is Expert Rating a "Real" Certification?
by: Anonymous

I've answered my own question but you can decide for yourself as well.

Yes in that it's called a "certification".
However, they take adavantage of the fact that there is not a governing body or standards for Personal Trainer certification. Basically I can make a test and call it good...charge you to take it and send you a nice little certificate of certifcation.

Are they recognized?
Expert Rating (primarily based in India) is a company that makes "learning" exams. They are ISO certified with respect to documentation and procedures. ISO certifed has NOTHING to so with content or quaility of information. ISO Certifed means nothing with respect to being recognized or an actually "certifying" entity.

Do they have study materials and a "certification" exam? YES.

SO if there are no regulations about certifications is it a BAD thing to use them since they are CHEAP and I know what I'm doing? Probably not if you want to say you are "certified" to start a private business but clubs may turn you down. You may also pay more for insurance as Expert Rating is not a recognized entity. Meaning that you will be insured as NON-Certified. This is only if they ask.

Lastly there may be issues with legal matters if someone decides to sue you for negligence or misrepresentation. To say I got my certification online for $60 by taking a test I only had to make a 70% in is pretty flimsy.

So you decide are they real or not?

Help
by: Anonymous

I'm from Brazil and I have a degree in PE and masters in PE for Elderly people, I got both over there. I was told that I have to get a PT certification as well so I can work here. I need to know if I can only get a online certification since I alredy have a degree, and if a certification like a ExperRating would be enough to help me get a job in big gym or anywhere. I've been missing lots of opportunities because I don't have a certification but seriously, I don't want to spend money and time doing everything again. Anybody know any fast and trustful way to get this certification ASAP?

Good luck with the resulting lawsuits
by: Anonymous

I can't believe anyone would even consider this certification. Sorry to sound condescending, but this cert is ridiculous. If you can get hired at a gym with this cert, good for you, and beware the clients/members that patronize this gym. And when/if someone gets injured while training, I wish the "Expert Rating" certified trainer and the owner of the gym all the best of luck in making a case against the lawsuit that will most certainly be brought against the both of you for negligence (failure to hire someone with reasonable knowledge). None of the corporate gyms will hire you unless you have something NCCA accredited, and even then it's better to play it safe and go with ACSM, NSCA, NASM, or ACE. You may get a job at "Average Joes" gym, but what happens when you want to expand your horizons elsewhere?

Expert Rating, half price, half a$$ program
by: Rusty Shackelfor

I am enrolled in this program and am no impressed at all! Misspellings, typing errors, false information, and outdated workout plans and routines. If you are a person excited about a new career in PT and really want to learn do not take this course!! If you do make it in the field and hope to get out of the small gym that if your really lucky you could get into with this cert, you will have to unlearn half of what it teaches you. The workout plans are not practical and go against everything you would see in current exercis related magazines. Plus the program looks like it was designed by high school students! They also literally offer no help!! You will be left to guess if how your taking the small amount of information they give on crucial topics is correct or not. If your goal is to get into a small gym with low pay and never move up in the field then you may be able to achieve that with this cert. I strongly say to avoid this and not waster your time, save up a little more money and do a real course.

It can get you a job
by: MJ

A big name gym allows you to start off with this cert and within 90 days of employment you have to get one of the more nationally recognized ones.

the most important things is to know basic principles of fitness and how to properly execute different moves to keep the routines different.

Lastly you have to have the type of motivating personality to gain admiration from clients which will turn into money in your pocket...that cannot be bought with a cert, thats a gift!

if you work independently just have clients sign a waiver including the type of certification you have so there are no lawsuits.

ExpertRating is More Than Fine
by: Allen

I think I've gotyou all beat. OK, I'll be humble. I was A Special Forces Fitness Trainer i.e. a Sergeant. Every Soldier learns everything that all of those Certs combined offer - and then some. When a soldier becomes a Sergeant - he has to learn to teach all of this stuff.

I got the ExpertRating Cert - but I spent $69; you all are lucky, and I am happy with it. Yes, it is very basic, but so are all the fitness training programs out there - YES ALL OF THEM ARE LAME UNTIL YOU ACTUALLY START USING THEM.

That's when you start to realize that all that boring 6th grade and 8th grade biology you didn't pay attention to in school was actually useful. We have all learned this information before - now we get paid for using it to help people.

Waste of money
by: Michael Schmid

Simply put, most health clubs won't recognize the certification.
There is no requirement to recertify, if you choose to do so, you pay a fee and answer a short questionaire about your work experience. There is NO continuing education requirement, something that ALL accredited certifying agencies require.
Would you put the health and safety of a loved one in the hands of someone who isnt required to keep "up to speed" on the changes in the industry?

BULLS&*^T
by: Anonymous

all THESE GIBBERISH ABOUT HOW NCCA,NASM AND all these certifications are so great, I've seen so many, I MEAN so MANY trainers with so many certifications done and they don't know as much as they should, USE and APPly all the same principles these ridiculous books talk about WITHOUT CONsidering INDIVIDUAL BODY structures, PASt Injuries, ROM limitations, AGE/ INdividual's GOAL and so much more about the clients. AND just go and DO THE SAME TESTINGS

( LIKE a ONE REP mAX), " very ABSURD"

THE SAME EXERCISES WITHOUT REALLY KNOWING WHAT THEY ARE ACTUALLY AFFECTING PHYSIOLOGICALLY , HARMONICALLY, structurally and so forth

IF u have enough knowledge to be able to handle all kinds of people responsibly, be accountable for what you do as a professional , and have a conscious about what you are doing with your clients, THE certification is just BULLS#$%t

IF you know all the physics, and know your variables and are able to customize your workouts according to individuals structure/injuries/ROM limitations/goals/ and all of the above
and are able to do it all in SAFELY MANNER

TAKE ANY CERTIFICATION to start off, im pretty sure if YOU go to any gym in america and have a chance to show what you are made of, ANYBODY WOULD definitely give you a JOB

you can take expert rating or any other, BUT make SURE YOU KNOW WHAT YOU ARE DOING/ DONT YOU EVER STOPPING YOUR LEARNING/ LEARN STRUCTURE (ANATOMY) , PHYSICS, INJURIES, KNOW WHAT YOU CHANGING WITH EVERYTHING YOU DO WITH YOUR CLIENT AND MAKE SURE IS ON PURPOSE.

ALL THESE CERTIFICATIONS ARE JUST LABELS FOR SOME PEOPLE TO BELIEVE THE KNOW AS MUCH AS GOD, AND STOP ALL OF YOUR LEARNING AS SOON AS YOU GET IT

C'MON NOW PEOPLE

Expert Rating Helps!!
by: Anonymous

I just took it about a week ago. I'm volunteer at the ymca, And now i am getting hired as a Personal trainer through the y. I can honestly say this certification has opened some doors for me.. But hey its just my opinion, its 70 dollars to do this; but in the end its only good as you make of it. Keep in mind i am going for my cert through NASM too. But this Expert Rating is a really good start though.

go for it
by: Darden

I def think you should go with it. Its not how much you pay that makes you good, its your passion and commitment. I am doing excelent as a personal trainer because i am passionate about what i do. It also helps to study a little extra though. My carreer as a boxer and now mixed martial artist (when i have time) makes me veary knowledgesble on nutrition and fitness which helps.

Expert Rating PT
by: Bill K

The course has useful information. Easy to follow online class ( book ) with video demonstrations. As for La Fitness not accepting the certification, so what LMFAO... Someone said this in this thread. La Fitness charges $29.99 a month for a membership but charges $400.00 a month for personal training!! Surprise They make their money on training... They pay their trainers $12.50 an hour!!! La Fitness, Ballys, Golds Gym all pay BS pay... They are all jumping on the 24 hr fitness bandwagon... 24 hr fitness is the fitness centers that are 40,000 + Square feet like a Ballys Sport. So their is no way a $29.99 a month membership pays for that. They sell PT... Pay the trainers next to nothing... Nice profit. La Fitness has a Trainer Sales team that sells training... Commission based... Golds is moving to this platfourm.... Ballys in this area Maryland was acquired by La Fitness, So they will be installing this in Ballys... A Personal Trainer is a * SALES PERSON. * Then a trainer. The only way to make money as a trainer is to work as an independent trainer at a small gym or several small gyms.... To build a clientele. (ie) Fitness Boot Camps etc... **** La Fitness has a plan to keep its members from following Trainers **** if they leave. They rotate trainers every 2 weeks... They tell members that changing trainers every 2 weeks is a good thing. That it is necessary to change your work out program every 2 weeks. BS!! That is the quickest way to injuries. As a trainer you should visit gyms as a prospective member... & watch the sales team... Some gyms have trainers ( Ballys ) for example walk around & try to get members to sign up for training. Calling members on the phone etc.... Make no mistake you will spend 75% of your time selling & 25% of your time training at a large gym... For BS pay. **** If you go through the Expert Rating Training **** Some of the other PT Schools will allow you to pay for a masters class & give you the PT Course Free! So The $69 price is well worth it!!!! *** I can always tell a new PT by all BS about what this gym will accept... WHO CARES Who wants to work part time 20 hours for $12.50 an hour ( $250.00 ) before Taxes SS Fica etc. Thats about $125.00 That leaves ($125.00 ) & Trust me you will work for that.... When you can train 10 people at $45.00 an hour at a private gym. Thats $450.00 in aprox 10 Hours.... & as for law suits that is what insurance is for. Releases help but are not perfect. You need to understand fourm the client his or hers goals physical & mental condition etc... <<>> Take Care Bill

Alphabet soup
by: Kimo

Anything said about Expert Training can be said about all other Certs. I have been involved in Training for over 50 years. Have been Certified by NFPT for 20. Am not at all happy with NFPT anymore. My experience with the more well known Certifications is this: It is more about the organization then it is you. They are a business and are going to find ways to keep making money off you. My opinion is that they all are about the same. Find one you like.

Do the darn thing
by: Steve

Honestly guys..if this cert was 300$ would you nay-sayers still have the same opinion? Dont let the price throw your mind in curve....this is a perfect oppurtunity to get your foot in the door.After reading some of these other threads im sorta suprised that smaller gyms willingly accept these certs.This will make a great foundation as you may continue your education as a personal trainer down the road thru other certs.

Legality of certification
by: Damain

Recently I have been looking into certifications as I plan to lean my martial arts business more towards fitness and commercial gyms. What I have found is that there seems to be NO OFFICIAL GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATION THAT HANDLES CERTIFICATIONS OF ANY KIND.

As a martial artist and hypnotist I had searched for "official" certifications and in the end I found that ALL certifications are created by PRIVATE organizations, no matter how official they sound. There is evidence that not even LAWYERS can be licensed/certified officially by the government either.

It seems that in the end, there is no legal difference between ACE, Expert rating, or any of the other alphabet certificates. If someone can find me a resource proving there is a higher legal legitimacy and value between any of these private organizations please let me know.

I was recommended to Expert Ratings by a friend who is an extremely successful trainer in NYC. However after the last few days of my research I am considering this free cert I found at http://actioncertification.org/ I may just do both just for the hell of it. Still hoping to get some advice here before I start.

He did tell me that insurance is the most important thing and that at no time in his 20 years of business has anyone asked him what certifications he holds.

What I also found out is that LEGALLY you do not need to be certified to be a trainer in a gym and their management can accept any certification at their discretion.

In the end, it seems to me that all of these certifications are completely bs. Can someone prove my research wrong and point me in the right direction? THX!

BBB recongnized
by: Anonymous

Expertrating is NOT KNOWN by the Better Business Bureau. Sorry guys do not waste time and money study and use a legit such as ACE,my choice. Do some research and find one accredited thru the NCAA.

BBB recognizition
by: MGEE

ExpertRating headquarters is not registered in the US so there is no need to register with the BBB (although it might be advisable for the local branch) I believe that the company is legit, and offers solutions for many types of certifications.
As a start I will go for their certifications. Some of them appear to be difficult if you do not knoe the subject area.
Please try and see if you do not have knowledge in the area...see if you pass!!

Expired
by: Relentless

I was previously certified through ISSA and NASM. While life took a different direction for a while my certifications expired. This will work for me temporarily to get going again while I am working on my ACE Certification.

Nationally ceritfied
by: Anonymous

Is this certification nationally certified?

Not accredited
by: Sharon

Expert Rating is not accredited. They are basically one step up from a diploma mill. Spend a little more money and get an NCCA Accredited certification. You can get one for as little as $100.

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