Step 1:
Is Personal Training
Right for Me?

Step 2:
Get Certified

Step 3:
Get the Job

Step 4:
Launch Your Business

Step 5:
Train Smarter

- Popular Pages -

Exam Prep Course

Complete Training System

Site Search

WITS Certification

by Pamela Colvin
(Los Angeles CA)

Just taking a test for personal training is not enough – You have to apply personal training. WITS Certification taught me that certification is a lifestyle compromised of three interrelated variables- Core knowledge, application and experience.

The WITS training program guided me through the essentials of biomechanics/Anatomy, Assessment, client responsibility/obligations and most importantly, client care. After WITS certification I immediately secured a job at a Health Club.

I currently have 15 clients that are all making progress. (Can you believe I have a waiting list?) For anyone that has the heart for helping others in the field of health/fitness, I highly recommend WITS Personal Training Certification Program

Comments for WITS Certification

Average Rating

Click here to add your own comments

Rating

the winner by far
by: Anonymous

very informative. I really got a feel for your experience.

Rating

worth a try
by: Anonymous

I have never heard of WITS but I think it is worth looking into just by your comments

Rating

Good to know
by: carol

Hey Pamela,
that's good to know. I live in Las Vegas, Nevada
and was thinking about going to there progam UNLV
offers it as a extended program, but I had never heard of them. If you have any more info you can share please let me know,
Thanks again

Rating

WITS process
by: Rances Perez

I too am certified with WITS(world instructor training school), I find that many people seem to be impressed simply with the process that I went through to get certified. The way it was for me was like this; first I had a course for three months half in a class room the other half in a weight room. The class room part was all the science and written stuff and the weight room was all the hands on and equipment familiarization. Then you take a written test and a practical test, after you've past the tests you go on to do a twenty hour internship where you shadow a trainer in a gym, and when that is completed then you receive your certification.

Rating

More Productive Learning
by: Anonymous

I recently took the Wits Personal Training Course in VA. I found the whole process to be very organized and more importantly informative. The fact that I was instructed not only to learn material but also APPLY it was key for me. I had taken courses in other areas online or just through text and this is not the best way to master anything. I very much enjoyed the experience and the practical "hands-on" learning approach. I will be continuing to earn continuing education credits through WITS and am looking to additional postive challenges.

Rating

WITS exam
by: Dean

I am thinking of signing up for the WITS personal training certification course and was wondering if you knew the possible pass rate for the certification exam. It is offered at my college so I thought it would be convenient to take in school, but didn't know how it compared with other certifications like ACE and such. If you could let me know I would greatly appreciate it. Thank you.

Rating

Highly recommended
by: Anonymous

I took the WITS Cert. in NJ and was thoroughly impressed by their course. They have great instructors and they give you the practical knowledge in order for you to be successful out there in the field. I looked into ACE and other certs before taking the WITS course. I'm not a big fan of the take home study certs or 1 -2 day workshop certs like some of the other certs are. WITS is thorough and organized!

Rating

WITS Certification
by: Anonymous

I have been a WITS Certified Personal Trainer for 3 1/2yrs. I became certified after taking on a major fitness transformation myself, so I could help others reach thier personal best. I will say that the WITS course is very scientific and in depth regarding the composition of the human body, and the function of our muscles. I will be honest in saying that maybe it was a misconception on my part, as to what the course content would be, but I expected to receive in depth nutritional information on food and supplements as well. I was very disappointed that this information was not emphasized at all. Nutrition took up about 10 minutes of the 6wk course. The primary focus was completely on excercise.

Rating

Get a recognized certification
by: Anonymous

Are you kidding? I have been in the fitness business for quite awhile now and have never heard of this organization. I recently had a "grad" contact me regarding an internship. I suppose if you are working out of your home with clients who don't know any better, this certification would be okay. If you are looking to work in a reputable gym or YMCA you will need a widely recognized certification from AFAA or ACE or a bachelor's degree in exercise physiology from a real (not online) university. Check with potential employers prior to getting a certification to make sure you are not wasting your time and money.

Rating

Comparing ACE to AFAA or WITS...
by: Anonymous

Though AFAA is a very reputable course (albeit a three day workshop rather than a 6 week intensive course), ACE is one of the WORST courses you can take and is not looked at highly in most professional gyms and wellness centers. As a person who's family owns a wellness center, full fitness center and sports complex, we look for certifications from our fitness staff that are recognized by the ACSM and prepare you for the ACSM certification or National Board of Fitness Examiners testing. Both AFAA and WITS programs are approved by both of these organizations as a prerequisite for their exams along with a Bachelor's degree in fitness and nutrition. WITS is one of the most reputable and most comprehensive certification programs you can take. As a person who has taken it, I highly recommend it.

Rating

Watch this company
by: Anonymous

I would watch this company. My wife went thru their courses, and paid the nearly $700. Her classes were all cut short by an hour or more, and the 2nd class was skipped all together. She ended up failing her test, and now they want another $100 to retest.

She and other students were asking why the classes were being cut short every night. The teacher wanted to get home and watch the baseball playoffs.

This is a disgrace. I spoke to Jay the CEO, and his answers are my wife failed because of her own problems.

She has a certificate in Child Care, a CNA, and a bachelors degree and she couldn't pass this 6 week course?? Hmm, something sounds very fishy

Rating

Do your research
by: blake

Do your research before going to or contacting WITS. They are not accredited by what gyms and other professional organizations want to see, and they have been known to rip people off.

The company has no clue what their instructors are doing out in the field.

I highly recommend you do your homework before contacting this company. You will lose your money

Rating

Just took wits in illinois
by: Anonymous

The classroom portion of the class was semi-informative. I learned some new things but waaaay to much of the class was spent on things that most of us already knew about. There was basically no class interaction so any questions that I had where put off till the end then compleatly ignored. I have been majoring in physical education for the last 3 years and am still a competitive athlete and I believe I am pretty knowledgeable about weight loss (having lost over 100 pounds myself). However the test was all information that we had not coverd and more about bones/joints/disabilities than weight lifting, cardio or anything else that we coverd. The Lab portion was a complete joke. Instead of making it interesting and answering our questions we spent 1 full 3 hour class on stretching, 1 full 3 hour class on doing a par q, 2 full 3 hour classes on the "exam" which is a joke and anyone who works out and fails should consider a new profession. The bottom line is this is just something to put on a resume, unless you go into the class with a vast knowledge of health you will be compleatly lost and probably graduate with a certificate and still no real experience. I never opened the book and passed the lab with a 90 and the written with an 85.

Rating

I agree
by: Anonymous

I agree with the above person. WITS is a joke. You're wasting time, money, and your life if you go there. Too much time is wasted, and the stuff you are learning, doesnt matter.

The classes are a joke. The teachers are hired fraks. The CEO and President is a laughing matter. The school itself is accredited by the wrong people because the right ones wont give them proper accredidations.

The secertary that answers the phone is a miserable bioth, and the book they give you to study is founbd on the book shelf of any bookstore. for $19.95.

I tried to get hired, but had to hear the laughing trainers as I exited the building because I mentioned the word, WITS!

Never again

Rating

A good experience
by: Anonymous

I'm sorry to hear that others had a negative experience with their WITS training.

Fortunately, mine was a good experience. The teacher was very knowledgeable with plenty of experience in the field.

The textbook was first class and the lab work was very instructional.

My background includes over 30 year of martial arts training. I'm a practitioner of Chinese Medicine, a marathon runner and a competitive martial artist.

Several of my students have won gold medals in national tournament..

In other words, I'm not new to exercise or athletic training or to academia.

I'm sure mileage varies within the various programs that WITS offers. But my exposure was well worth the money but more important, my time..

Best,

Fernando Bernall

Rating

Response to WITS question
by: Anonymous

I've been a fitness instructor since college, and I took the WITS personal training certification several years ago. I thought the course was exceptional.

Afterwards I took the ACE personal Training Certification, and was not impressed at all with the testing. The test was unclear and had lots of spelling errors, etc.

Now I have both certifications, and even though ACE is more popular, I feel the WITS course is what truly prepared me for personal training.

I would highly recommend the WITS course.

Good Luck!!

Rating

Jay Delvecho
by: Anonymous

The CEO of this compy goes around posting on these sites trying to promote his product. Unfortunately the program is a rip. Instructors don’t show up, they will not compensate you for anything and are unwilling to work with you. The CEO is mostly concerned what goes in his pocket and not about the consumer. As an attorney I would advise you to stay away.

Rating

WITS Cert..
by: Ken

I took the WITS course 4 years ago and was impressed with not only the instructors knowledge, but the intensive q&a's throughout the class we were encouraged to participate in. I have now been working out of a Powerhouse gym her in Michigan for 3 years with my WITS certification.

Rating

Instructor speaks out
by: Wes, CSCS

I have been an instructor for WITS for about 10 years now. I have a B.S. in Exercise Science, I am an Exercise Physiologist and am a CSCS through the NSCA.
I would not teach for WITS or any organization if I didn't believe in it. There are over 300 personal training certifications out there, most of which are weekend long courses and most of which do not require any hands-on experience what-so-ever before you can take your "certification" and start working with clients. Pretty Scary- and this includes ACE and AFAA; two of the more "recognized" certs out there!
WITS instructors MUST hold a Bachelors Degree or higher to teach for them.
Those who have had bad experiences are a few of the unfortunate students who may have gotten a "bad seed" instructor. Don't knock the entire certification and company based on a few bad experiences.
This course offers 15 hours of lecture and 15 hours of hands-on practical instruction. It also requires a 20 hour internship to make sure that the student is ready. The internship cannot take place unless the student passes.
To the person who got laughed out of the gym by trainers who heard the name WITS, I have worked out in several gyms whee the trainers and managers have never heard of the CSCS cert.
Now THAT'S sad!
Anybody who has any questions, please feel free to email me directly at RehabStrong@gmail.com.
Thanks for listening!

Rating

Certification
by: Anonymous

I read all of the comments and I guess your experience is based on how good your instructor was. Well I had an excellent instructor, but the class before me had a very poor one. Also I could not find a gym and trainer in my area to do my internship, well after six months I ended up calling the instuctor that I had and he helped me with my internship. 45 minetes one way from my home.
After I turned in my paperwork to WITS, CPR card and internship hours they sent me my certification.....but with the date of when I finished the classes not when I finished my internship.
I lost six months of training, I could not train any clients until I could show them I was certified. Because of this I contacted Jay D and told him it was not stated anywhere on his website about when your certication starts but he told me that was the industry's practice. They are the only certification to do this and now they increased it to thity hours. Also after I told me about the information not being on his website he has now added it.
At first I thouhgt it was a great company to go with but now you never know if you are going to get a good instructor and I beleive they want you to drag out the internship training so they can get the money for the Continuing Educaton Credits and the renewal fee.
Also the college I took the course is no longer is offering CEC classes. I would have to buy them online directly from WITS
I know they will be contacting me when my certification gets closer to its exeration date. I think I will look into another company, even if it will cost me more mony.
Bottom line...if you want to take the chance of what kind of instructor you are going to get (Which I had an excellant one, the only good thing out of all of this) and getting your intership hours done as soon as you can and not being concerned if any one has ever heard of them then maybe you should consider this certification.

Rating

Taking The WITS
by: Coralyn

I am signing up to take the WITS at SUNY Ulster in NY. The state is also going to pay for me to get this certification since I am currently on unemployment. The State nor a State University would EVER allow instruction in their schools with out the proper qualifications or reputation. Nor would NY state pay for a course that is not reputable. I spoke to a personal trainer in the industry for many years and he told me that WITS is a reputable and great certification to have. The college who is hosting the class has already set up internships at a major gym in our local region. How can a course that is in school, on hands, and then internship to gain experience be worse then a course taught online?

Rating

Certification response
by: Anonymous

I wish you the best and I hope you get a good instructor. Just get your internship hours done as soon as you can. Our college did not help us with our internship hours. And I agree, I would never do an online course. There are other certifications that have them in a classrom setting.

Rating

Considering WITS course.....
by: Anonymous

I'm looking to get certified as a personal trainer. This is a completely new career path for me.... I've looked at a lot of the certification programs, and am still educating myself before I decide which way to go.

I recently discovered that my local community college offers a PT course through WITS. Since this IS a new career path for me, I like the idea of going through an actual course, because I feel like it might provide me with more detailed information than an at-home study program.

My main concern, though, is that WITS does not seem to be a very widely recognized cert...

I'm actually considering going through the WITS course (becuase, like I said, I like the idea of going through a course), but then taking a certification exam through a more widely recognized certification organization, such as ACE.

My ultimate goal is to train/coach aspiring endurance athletes (runners, cyclists, triathletes).

In addition to the personal trainer certification, I will be pursuing cycling and triathlon coaching cets.

Does this seem like a reasonable plan??

Rating

W.I.T.S. Equals ACE
by: Anonymous

They have the WITS course at my local college. It states in the material that this course prepares you to take the American Council on Exercise, personal trainer exam. That is the ACE exam correct? Is this just false advertising?

Rating

Worried about passing the practical part of test
by: Anonymous

How was the practical part of the test? I am worried I will not be able to pass it. Our instructor has not put everything together. Has not given us many assessment to figure out the proper protocol for the client. Any suggestions?

Rating

Professional College Level Course
by: Anonymous

Presently enrolled in WITS certified personal trainer program through my local college. This is not an easy fly by night course! There's both classroom and practical, applied hands-on training in addition to a 100 question certification exam and a practical exam when the course is over. I also have CPR for professional rescuers and have to do a 30 hour detailed internship at a gym once I (hopefully) pass the written and practical exams. The accompanying book is extremely detailed and a good reference book once I'm out in the field. I'd recommend this program for the sheer level of professionalism. I feel very qualified to go out there and really know what I'm doing!

Rating

Awesome
by: Coralyn

Went through the WITS class and I have a test coming up this weekend. The course was awesome, taught by an exercise physiologist and is taught at a highly reputable gym in my area. Learned alot, very hands on. Make sure you do the homework and read the req. text book which is by ASCM. It can be very scientific and difficult if you dont. def. not a fly by night course.

Rating

Imformative course but mileage may vary...
by: Jimmy Jimenez

This course has it's pro's and cons, as with most anything else in life. The textbook material used during this class definitely covers the required information necessary to start a career in this field. Some WITS class locations may vary as to the scheduling. Ours was a Sundays only class format, which actually worked better for me and my work schedule. In my opinion, shorter classes during more Sundays would have been better to soften the overwhelming amount of info that one covers through this course. The book's information is the book's information.... but the teachers hired to give you the instruction can vary quite a bit. I've spoken to other previous WITS students and was surprised as to how much our classes all varied, again, depending on the teacher. To be prepared for the WITS final exams, one needs to be ready to do a lot of studying between classes. Though it would be great to have every WITS teacher be equally capable at preparing you for your final exams and future employment, that may not be the case every time. My own experience was good in that our Wits teacher did cover just about everything needed for us to pass the multiple choice exam but our coverage of the practical hands on stuff was a bit short. Not that we did not spend three hours of every six hour class reviewing the practical requirements, only that we probably could have used a lot more time doing so. Again, just like the major textbook home studying is a must between classes, so is the need for a lot of home studying of the hands on stuff. The written exam portion is what it is, but the practical exam leaves a lot of room for subjectivity, so make sure you ask your teacher a lot of questions about how your practical exam will be conducted. Ask about all the specific details that they'll be looking for in order to pass you on the practical. This can all be complicated by having a practical examiner that may not have been your actual class teacher. The examiner may not know how well the teacher prepared you for the practical and may throw you some unexpected curve balls. My experience included having the class teacher be our examiner. Would the course benefit by having the company take some extra steps to more carefully standardize the experience for all taking this course.... yes, I believe so. Do I believe my own personal experience with WITS was worth it.... yes, I believe so.

Rating

testing
by: aarh

Is anybody out there familiar w/ the testing process of the practical exam. If so, I have a few questions.

Rating

WITS Cert
by: upwithwings

I went through this course at my local community college last Fall. We had 5 wks of class instruction, w/ half of each class for textbook teaching and the other half working on the practical applications. Overall, I was pleased with the course and am glad that I took this class with other students rather than trying to tackle a completely new area of learning for me strictly online. I don't think I would have had the confidence to work with clients without the practical hands-on that this course requires. I was required to intern for 30 hrs, and had the privilege of shadowing two awesome prior WITS graduates to complete my hours.
I was disappointed to hear that WITS wasn't a widely accepted credential after taking the class...and I don't really understand why because it's one of the ONLY programs I found that required hands-on and internship hrs to get credentialed. Doesn't matter anyway, since I am now working at a private studio with one of my instructors from the course!
As any trainer should who truly cares about his/her clients, I will continue to gain as much knowledge as possible, taking additional certifications and training in different specialties, to insure I have adequate knowledge to offer each of my clients.
Again, my experience with WITS has been a very positive one, and like one of the above commenter's, I can't imagine our local community colleges offering a certification that didn't carry weight.

Rating

Good Certification
by: Anonymous

I took the WITS certification last summer and just recently completed my 30 hour internship at a great health club. For my own experience I had a really good instructor and none of our classes were cut short. I found the class and the text (based on ACSM guidelines) to be very informative.

Reading through some of these comments, I also get the impression that it really depends on what kind of intstructor you end up getting. However, if you get a good one then I believe the class can be a positive experience. That being said I think the best part of this course are the practicals and the internship. Just like with most things, experience is the best teacher and this cert requires you to complete an internship before you receive your cert. And for those just starting out with no experience whatsoever at least you'll have an internship to point to. The internship I had was great. I wasn't allowed to train of course but was allowed to assist along with shadowing trainers and found that applying what I had learned in the course along with the real world experience of the internship taught me a lot.

I believe the process of the WITS cert is superior to the other online/home study/1-2 day workshop certs but do agree it doesn't have the name recognition of the others. But it does depend on what kind of instructor you get. However the internship required by WITS can be a great asset if you hook up with a good club.

Rating

WITS Program
by: Anonymous

The program is great. I learned so much from the classroom and intern experience. However, the program is not accrediated by the NCCA. As such, some gyms/fitness centers do not recognize it.

Rating

Exam results and retest charge
by: Anonymous

I was in a class where I know that only four people passed both the written and the practical exams. Two people passed the written but not the practical. One person failed the written but passed the practical. If this is typical there are a lot of WITS students who must retake a test paying another $50. I wonder if that is a way for WITS to pay for the proctors!

Rating

I used to teach for WITS. WITS IS HORRIBLE!!!!
by: Anonymous

I was a WITS Instructor and have certified many Trainers. I've also taught for several other certification companies; I'm certified by 8 of the best certification (ACSM< NSCA, NASM, etc.), and I had to stop working with them because the course material and quality were so embarassingly horrible. I simply could no longer lower myself and my reputation by affiliating myslf with WITS. Do yourself a favor and look elsewhere for a certification.

Rating

W.I.T.S Cert.
by: STC

I completed the WITS classroom and practical early summer 2011. I was one of 7 out of 13 that passed the written test. We had a few Ex. phys. majors in the class that I know,didnt pass. I am currently 1/2 way through my internship at two diff gyms,one a large fitness center and the other a local YMCA. Both trainers are very diff. and I am learning a tons in my internship. I cant really believe all certs dont require you to at least shadow and observe. 18 hours of class and 18 hours of gym instruction isnt really enough but its a great start if your instructors are good. I will be going on to get an additional CPT cert but would recommend WITS as a great way to get started

Rating

WITs Training
by: Anonymous

I'm about to embark upon this new career change. I've lost over 100pds in 20yrs. I'm currently lifting weights & a fit 118pds. I get stopped at the gym by woman who say they wanna be my size so I figure because I'm passionate about fitness, I may as well get certified and teach it! I start class in 2 weeks at my local College. Reading all the comments almost make me nervous:). I didn't want to do the online training course because I'm a visual learner & needed to be in a class room environment with hands on learning. I don't plan to work in a gym, I plan to start my own PT business. Somebody reassure me that this move will be positive ( as far as being recognized by others as accredited) you can email me at - Bokita18@yahoo.com. Thanks

Rating

Wits Sucks
by: Anonymous

California Saint Dominguez extension class. Teacher told me only 50$% of class passes, However I believe it's way less. I dont know of anybody that passed the written and very few the practical. alot of what was studied in class that was not on the test. The practical just depends on who you get. Internship and not accredited are bummers also.

Rating

WITS CPT Certification
by: WIRED

I just went through the five weeks of instruction to get certified as a personal trainer through WITS at my local college. My experience has, so far been a positive one. Our instructor was very knowledgeable and very helpful. I have been studying at work and in my spare time, and I have been going through the process of the practical in my head constantly. For the most part I feel good about taking both tests this coming Saturday, November 8, 2014. I also want to start my own personal training-at-your-home business. The only negative thing I have to state is that I feel disappointed that the same person who taught the class is not administering either test. I believe I would be more comfortable testing with the instructor that taught the class rather than a stranger. There were seven of us in this particular class and we've helped each other along the way.

Rating

Waste of time
by: Anonymous

I just took the course in Ft. Myers. I did every practice test in the book and on line and failed the final test. I did pass the practical. The majority of the questions on the test were not even covered or close to the practice tests. Other students said the same thing after the test, and we are all diasppointed we have to retake the test, but don't know what to study or what we even missed.
The gym part was a joke. Our trainer new none of the information, was teaching to earn extra money. It taught so little practical info about training techniques for different clients. Frustrated with the whole course, waste of time and money. Now do I retake or try ACE on line??? Help!

Click here to add your own comments

Join in and write your own page! It's easy to do. How? Simply click here to return to Best Certification - Reader recommendations.