What is the difference between issa and nasm

So the best way to not only ensure quality education, but also to maintain safety from online scams is to go with an accredited cert, and these two sure are. Check the links below to have a brief insight into the focus of both certifications — inclusive of the latest discounts.

Your financial circumstances or set budget will affect what you can ultimately choose, which has the potential to set the tone of your career.

Get updated with the latest discounts on both certifications here. Check this: The Best Nutrition Certifications. Countries across the world all have different educational practices and market economies, so keeping things simple and cheap might be more of a strategy than it seems on the face of it. So there you have it, ISSA is by far the cheapest, allowing it to win out when it comes to the competitiveness of the pricing.

Learn more about: Exercise Science Careers. The top tier package from NASM, the All-inclusive, sports 17 different study and trainer support materials. The density of resources can be both a blessing and a curse. It can get confusing to understand what to use and how to use it with such an overload.

But with correct use, NASM study materials are an excellent option, although we might urge you to get your hands on something a bit more streamlined, which you can find here at Trainer Academy. The premium study package will save you the stress of sweating through all its study materials because the whole materials have been compressed into an easy to comprehend format.

If otherwise, our undisputable money-back guarantee offer is available to give you peace of mind. In fact. This makes sense since the quantity and nature of the materials included are pretty much the same. Well, one thing we can say is that as little as is on offer from ISSA, the stuff you do get is amazing. With an ISSA is actually better for business.

Of course, if you want to go all the way to the top and guarantee success, just check out one of our structured study packages for ISSA. ISSA used to have quite an interesting exam layout that included long essay-style case-study questions. This is no longer the case, and the ISSA exam has since adopted a more traditional multiple-choice-only format. NASM is a proctored exam. ISSA on the other hand has always maintained a distance-based, online-only approach with no physical testing locations.

These sections are all weighted differently meaning the total value of the score they contribute towards the final grade differs. Read more on: The Best Fitness Certifications. As you can tell, the focus is set towards the more practical applications of personal training, whereas the actual online course material introduces candidates to a lot of the scientific and theoretical principles of health and fitness, such as anatomy and kinesiology.

These are essential of course, but the exam is geared towards solidifying the hands-on work you will be conducting as a certified trainer. One thing I would do to be fair and give any potential employee that is holding ISSA certification a fair chance, is to give an assessment when they come in to interview.

This will definitely give you the answer s you need. Both of these accreditations are recognized by the US Dept of Education. You should immediately notice that the ISSA is able to use the. Eligibility for a. Department of Education. What does all of this mean? The ISSA goes through a more rigorous accreditation process than any of the certs listed in this thread.

In addition, the NCCA only certifies exams, not courses, so they can't require candidates receive any training prior to the exam. So if I am reasonably smart I can skip the materials and just take a multiple choice exam. If I passed, would you want me training you?

Of course not. Rating Those that have issa certs that are scared of nasm by: Anonymous I think to many issa certified trainers are scared of testing out in person.

My advise is don't be afraid I am certified by both issa and nasm. Issa is hard bc of the essays and projects. Nasm is more about memorization. So my advice to any one who is issa certified go through your final exam and by nasm flash cards. It should take you 3 weeks to pass issa and 1 week to schedule and pass the nasm exam. If I can pass it you can to you just have to put the work in to it.

Rating Ordinary Guy Issa vs. NASM by: Ty I'm not the smartest guy in the world I was a high school star athlete became a young father and dropped out of high school. I was about 18 years old just recieved my GED and got a scarlarship to play football at stony brook university. I started training family and friends in my off season , result I was offered a job I passed one shot studied for about 2 weeks and I can honestly say it was because of all the essay writing and case studies in issa.

So yea I memorized NASM but issa study format breaks down kinesiology in the most comprehensive but challenging way. I now have my own sq studio in Yonkers , Ny. I'm currently back in school going for my Bs physical therapy. It just takes hard work and dedication no cert matters I've seen Nesta certs hurt clients! Rating IsSa is the real deal by: Andrew First up I'm issa certified within 3 months I finished that course it's easy as this when ur done studying one unit I immediately go take that quiz while I'm fresh And for those of you who talk low abt their testing methods they have the most toughest methods, first up the multiple choice is how it shud be!

It's open book which makes sense, whatever u forgot u go back and read it! And u get ur answer, in real life world when ur a trainer this is wat u do We do our research and as for the case studies whew! It was tough. And when I got my exam results I got a whopping Everyone else wants it fast.

For one, the materials between all the books are exactly the same, the only difference is that ISSA leaves out alot of the "filler" stuff that the other organizations include in their books that you will never use. Also, the online support and quizzes, as well as the study guide are actually a bit better than ACE's in my opinion, and I think ACE's online course and study guide is very good. People talk about the "open book" component of ISSA so here is my take: I have two master's degrees, and many of my graduate school exams were open book as well.

Does that mean my master's degree is not valid? Second, just because it's open book, doesn't mean you don't have to study. If you don't study, you're not only cheating yourself, but more importantly, you are cheating your clients that you will be working for in the future.

There is such a thing as business ethics. ISSA is very good and I should be ready to test in about a month. The fact that they include case studies also attracted me to ISSA. For the past almost three months I've been doing case study papers showing if I understand the material or not.

This program is very detailed and you have to put forth some effort. Just took my proctor exam and I passed but I was sweating bullets. I've been working in the gym and other fitness trainers with two different bachelor degrees have been picking my mind about this program.

Their totally amazed at how much I know and the programs I have came up with. I am currently active duty military so I dont charge any clients, I could but moneys not a big deal right now. Any who the gym now lets me hold as many sessions with clients as I want. So if your sleeping ISSA, go ahead and keep sleeping and get left behind. I would be much further along if the material wasn't so scientifically sound.

I've actually re-read a couple of chapters in the beginning because it was so much information to retain with just 1 read through! It is a no joke cert. But, as someone else said, it's as good as you make it. I want to know as much as I can so I'm giving it my all. I take my quizzes closed book because I want to know if I'm retaining the knowledge and I plan on taking the exam closed book as much as I can!

So far, I've spoken to a few gyms around town. Some of them had never heard of the certification. One is that they allow 2 years to finish, and having 2 children under 3 yrs old that require a lot of my time, I felt I needed more than the 3 months nasm allows.

Plus, I want to work with clients in home and they don't know the difference between Issa and nasm! They just want results! And I feel I will be equipped to deliver thru my issa cert thus far. I've enjoyed y'all's comments thoroughly. It is reassuring that I made the right choice and picked a good one.

When you evaluate the testing procedures amongst the major fitness certifications, none of them attest to the fact that the trainer may be qualified or not. Having been a clinical instructor in healthcare at one time, good test takers do not necessarily make the best at their respective profession. Cram for a test and pass?

That shows me alot. Yeah, sure. Put it into practice, and that is the proof. At minimum, with ISSA, they require extensive research and application for all of their final examinations, not just the regurgitating information onto paper. Oh, and the only certification who has a recognized accreditation. The others have their exam accredited, not their respective course. Regardless of the certification, isn't it the individual trainer and the way they are able to convey important information to their respective clients?

I like ISSA and hire primarily those who have gone through their various certifications. So, for those of you who think your certification is better than that of someone else, so be it. Get stuck in that rut. Just remember, its the trainer, not the certification that changes lives. Rating ISSA is not easy! You cannot be an idiot and get a great score. I happened to "help" someone out who didn't speak English very well. I regretted having to do so much work on someone else's behalf.

In fact, based on the material, I have been able to progress beyond any level formerly obtained, and I have been working out for over 30 years. The one thing that people have to remember about ISSA, is that they are the oldest fitness certification, and the only one that is accredited. So, their detractors may very well be who? On the internet, one could be reading a comment written by a typing dog, for all they know.

They are guys who show up wearing a tie, and are on their cell phones texting while their clients are trying to perform exercises. On the other hand, I know ISSA certified trainers, who work out, and are walking examples of fitness, in addition to being excellent trainers. The truth is that with all of the new options regarding fitness, such as Crossfit, and all of the other forms of exercise offering certification, i.

Zumba, etc. Many of them are being passed by, by those involved in kettlebell, and many other forms of fitness training. The old model of the box fitness clubs is changing as I type, and the future will bring many changes.

So, while many of you folks come here to argue which set of letters is the best behind your name, many others will be getting Crossfit level one certified, and never thinking about this obsolete debate. This is the cornestone of what being a good trainer is. As far as comparing Crossfit courses with these types of courses is simply riduculous. Crossfit profits from teaching the methodology while not paying attention to fundamental anatomy and phisiology things a trainer should know. In conclusion for what i have observed all ISSA trainers not only are very well versed in any subject regarding personal training, but they have a great ability to apply their knowledge to their programming.

I have started my own business for personal training while still currently on active duty. ISSA: General fitness training with much attention on program design, peak performance, powerlifting, and athletes. NASM: Emphasizes post-rehab clients, corrective exercise training, exercise technique, muscular imbalance, and training instruction. Read this: What is a Proctored Exam? Meaning, Types, Pros and Cons. Remember that what you do with your certification will be the deciding factor of your success and how much salary you would earn.

Further, they are both likely to help you with job eligibility. There is not one certification that is objectively better than the other, just the certification that is best for you. Not every certification is accepted or preferred everywhere, so checking around first may ultimately be a quick determining factor in which certification to pursue.

These differences may also define which your potential employer prefers. There are many other certifications to compare, as well. Take a look at our ACE vs. For more information on how to become a personal trainer, check out our post on the topic or feel free to give us a call, and we can always help point you in the right direction ISSA vs. What Cert is Best for You? What is the ISSA meaning? What does ISSA stand for?