The NCCPT certification presents the academic information of health and fitness or personal training in a very special, practical manner. Similar to a trade school, students learn the curriculum in a way that allows them to apply the subject matter in their daily sessions; delivering safe and effective exercise programs to their clients.

The NCCPT certification prepares students to work in a commercial facility which is a much different “animal” than a medical or community setting. Personal trainers in a commercial setting must strive to act professionally in an “unprofessional environment” which is much different than a medical setting. Personal trainers in a commercial facility are also usually required to sell personal training or “gross,” as opposed to both the medical or community setting where they are not required to do so. The NCCPT establishes a “code of conduct” which emphasizes the mindset of professionalism and service required to turn results into sales.

The NCCPT curriculum actually reviews the personal trainers’ “tools of the trade” via video footage, addressing 11, specific check-points on fitness equipment commonly found in commercial facilities. Very few certifications demonstrate the fitness equipment personal trainers use on a daily basis.

How is the NCCPT different from other certification organizations?
The NCCPT offers a different approach to the business aspect of personal training. By becoming a Premier on-line member, you can receive discounts and earn money for referring people to the site. Similar to a multi-level marketing company but without having to purchase products on a monthly basis, you will earn commissions up to four levels deep from your down-line. The NCCPT does not pretend to be the end-all of certifications, nor does it present itself as the only place to seek Personal Training information. We like to think of ourselves as a conduit of information for the Personal Trainer.

Who should enroll in the NCCPT?
Any person wishing to start a career as a personal trainer or anyone wanting to learn more about training. The NCCPT is a fantastic Personal Training certification with a multitude of training information. At the 2-day workshop, students receive 16 hours of personal instruction. With the in-home study course, students receive all the hands-on information on video or DVD.

Is the NCCPT-CB Personal Training Certification nationally recognized?
There are several hundred certifications available in the United States. At this time there is no government agency that accredits or regulates Personal Training. For this reason, clubs and/or organizations have no legal responsibility to acknowledge or recognize any certification, unless they want to. However, this is how it works: The National Commission for Health Certifying Agencies (NCHCA) was initiated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The NCHCA then formed the National Organization for Competency Assurances (NOCA) to offer a membership organization in addition to the standard setting and approval functions performed by the commission. NOCA has recently changed their name to the Institute for Credentialing Excellence (ICE).

ICE has member organizations that are not certifying bodies, but they do have an interest in competency assurances. Membership in ICE does not require or involve any review of certification activity, nor does the ICE involve any recognition of a discipline or profession or their certification arrangements. However, the National Commission of Certifying Agencies (NCCA) is the accreditation body of ICE. Organizations have to apply for accreditation and only those organizations that achieve this recognition are allowed to display the NCCA logo on their promotional material.

No organization may claim membership to the NCCA because the Commission is not a membership body. Remember, the NCCA is a private not-for-profit organization that does not derive any support from the federal government. The NCCA Standards do not prohibit an organization from requiring education or trainings as a prerequisite to sit for the exam. A certification organization is able to determine its own eligibility requirements for a candidate to sit for the exam, including prior educational courses, training or workshops. Additionally, the organization can offer educational materials or training programs for prospective candidates as long as the organization/agency sponsored education is not a required prerequisite to obtain the credential. Candidates should be able to use alternative education or training experience to demonstrate their eligibility to sit for the exam.

The NCCPT-CB is also an affiliate of the NBFE and is in the process of accreditation with this organization. The NBFE is modeled after the National Board of Medical Examiners.

Additionally, there is another organization called IDEA. IDEA is the largest continuing education provider for Personal Trainers in the world. They started the IDEA PFT-Recognition system to evaluate and verify the quality of Personal Training Certifications. The NCCPT-CB has been approved and accepted into the IDEA recognition system.

How long is the NCCPT-CB certification valid?
When you are certified through most organizations, there is an expiration date. The NCCPT-CB certification adheres to industry standard of two years. In order to maintain most certifications you must acquire continuing education units (CEUs).

By stringently reviewing all Continuing Education providers and their content, the NCCPT-CB ensures the quality of continuing education will meet the high standards required to meet the NCCPT recertification requirements.

All individuals or companies that submit courses or workshops applying to become Continuing Education Providers for the NCCPT Certified Personal Trainer to acquire CEU’s for recertification must provide extensive background information on themselves and/or their company. There submissions shall demonstrate that their content must:

    * Keep the personal trainer’s expertise current by updating their knowledge base and teaching them new skills.
    * Be associated with the development or comprehension of a specialty, technique, tool orexpertise in personal training.
    * Assure the individual participating learns all of the foundational knowledge required of the minimally competent professional for this subject matter.

We feel that Continuing Education:

    * Keeps the professional current by updating their knowledge base and teaching them new skills.
    * Frequently is associated with the development of a specialty.
    * May also be based on a specific modality or tool.
    * Assumes that the individual participating, possesses all of the foundational knowledge required of the minimally competent professional.

NCCPT Programming Philosophy
Many organizations have a philosophy for programming exercise. In many instances they develop a marketing term for their philosophy such as “Cross Fit,” “OPT,” “Bikram” Yoga, or “muscle confusion.” At the NCCPT we do not have this type of marketing term per say. Although, most of these terms originate from science-based information, it is a way for these companies to market themselves.

Since personal trainers have such a wide variety of clientele; from teenagers to senior citizens or from a deconditioned population to performance athletes, it is important that a NCCPT trainer personalize the exercise application to appropriately service the client, both safely and effectively based on science not a marketing term.

We believe health and fitness is based on three legs of a tripod: exercise, rest and nutrition. Genetics is also a major factor, but there isn’t much a personal trainer can do about that. When programming exercise for a client, we believe it’s important to consider these three factors. It doesn’t matter how much exercise we intend to do, or in which stage of training the client is; if they’re exhausted or malnourished, performance and even health will suffer. Therefore, the type of exercise, the amount of exercise and the acute variables of sets, reps, weights and rest periods, are all dynamic, depending on the each individual client.

The NCCPT teaches programming specifics, not specific programming. It’s based on scientific concepts not exact science.

We teach a trainer to do a thorough assessment to each client prior to exercise. But not just once, but every single minute they are exercising, they are assessing!

Our programming is based on two main concepts: the concept of Periodization from Tudor Bompa and the concept of Specificity or the S.A.I.D principle (Specific Adaptation to Imposed Demands). Both of these concepts are well-established in the industry and every major sport and every rehabilitation program is based on these two main concepts.

Within the concept of Periodization there are macro cycles and micro cycles. The micro cycle is made up of the actual daily exercise routine. The NCCPT personal trainer is taught to consider four components when writing an exercise program for any client at any juncture in their training.

    * Cardiovascular
    * Strength
    * Stabilization or Proprioception
    * Flexibility

These four components are like four legs of a table and must support the client’s quest in their goals.

In summary, we provide the scientific concepts, assessment techniques and a thought process for trainers to adequately make the best decisions regarding their client’s health and fitness goals. We don’t have a marketing term for it.

An analogy would be: the NCCPT doesn’t teach a particular way for a trainer to drive; we offer them a map, and guard rails for them to safely drive as slow or as fast as they need to help their clients reach their goals.