If you want to become a personal trainer but don't have hundreds of dollars for study materials and certification, the Athletic Certification Training Commission (ACT) offers a free alternative. ACT offers free educational materials and testing for personal trainers, as well as an upgraded membership option with insurance discounts and additional learning support and job resources.
Background
A group of personal trainers founded ACT with the aim of providing a thorough education on personal training topics and preparing trainers to meet the fitness needs of their clients. ACT currently includes three instructors who are personal trainers and two who hold master's degrees in exercise science. ACT's mission is to train personal trainers to be knowledgeable and effective fitness professionals and maintain a focus on education.
ACT Education
ACT offers a free, 300-page textbook that covers a variety of topics related to personal training. It covers business strategies, exercise science, stretching, human anatomy, injury prevention, weight loss methods, healthy eating, legal issues and working with special populations such as seniors and pregnant women. ACT offers a free or premium education plan, both of which include the textbook and an online certification exam. The premium plan also offers online classes, flash cards, unlimited practice tests, a personal study coach, email support and access to a professional job board and business plans and forms.
ACT Exam
The ACT exam is an online test that includes about 100 multiple-choice questions on personal training topics with examples of real-world fitness scenarios. The exam includes topics from the ACT textbook ranging from fitness programming questions to safety and business issues. The exam is free to take one time, but basic members must pay $35 to retake the test. Premium members have unlimited opportunity to retake the exam. After passing, you can download your individualized ACT personal training certificate.
Certification and Career Opportunities
ACT did not have the accreditation of the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA) at the time of publication, but the ACT website states that the organization is internationally recognized and is working toward NCCA accreditation. ACT strives to educate major gym chains on the benefits of an ACT education and certification, and the ACT premium membership includes access to a job board with career listings for personal trainers. ACT requires taking a recertification test every two years, at a cost of $65. The group also offers free continuing education courses online.
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