Get Fit: An ASFA Certification Review

After years of working out and developing your routine, you may want to help others accomplish their fitness goals.

Being a personal trainer can open doors for you to spread your knowledge to more people. 

Getting personal training certifications is the best way to get into the fitness industry. They can demonstrate your skills and knowledge that you can help others in.

Not all certifications are the same. Some certificates require more preparation while others are relatively easy to get.

When looking at certificates, you want to know what each certificate means to get the best training experience. 

You will also want to know what the Better Business Bureau and American Sports Fitness think of the certification. A certification should be recognized by different groups to be legitimate.

The ASFA certification for personal trainers is one of the easier personal training certifications to receive.

It can show specific training and certification, but it does have limitations.

As one of the ASFA certification reviews, we will cover the pros and the cons of this personal fitness certification.      

ASFA Personal Training Certification

The ASFA personal training certification allows for specialization in different fitness courses.

Fitness professionals can demonstrate their knowledge in general and advanced personal training, tai chi, barre, and foam rolling. 

ASFA certification involves taking a test. You only pay for the test when you pass. After taking the test, you can see the questions you go wrong so you can study for the 70% pass rate. You can take the test as many times as you want.  

There are no classes or training you have to take before taking the test.

Unlike other personal training certifications, you can take the test with no prior workshops. There are recommended study materials but you do not have to read these materials before the test. 

Even with the study materials available, there is very little information about what information the tests have. The only way to know what is on the test is to take the test. Since every time you don’t pass, it’s free this isn’t so bad. It is still frustrating though.  

The cost of this certification is $99 to $299 for a year depending on the specialization.

For a lifetime of certification, the cost ranges from $299 to $799 depending on the course. The PDF is sent automatically when you pass and you can get an additional card for a fee.   

The fitness industry can be hard to find work in. With the different certification options, it can be hard to find the right one for you.

ASFA can be great to round out your certifications and demonstrate specialized skills though many fitness professionals will have different certificates.

Courses Offered in ASFA

The main selling point of ASFA certification is the number of courses you can take. You can show that you can help clients in several different fitness niches.

The courses offered through ASFA include:

• Personal Trainer
• Advanced personal trainer
• Master personal trainer
• Health and wellness coach
• Advanced health and wellness coach
• Master health and wellness coach
• Group fitness and boot camp instructor
• Advanced Group fitness and boot camp instructor
• Water Aerobics instructor
• Advanced Water Aerobics instructor
• Senior fitness instructor
• Advanced senior fitness instructor
• Pilates
• Advanced pilates
• Yoga
• Advanced yoga
• Sports nutrition
• Advanced sport nutrition
• Cycling instructor
• Advanced cycling instructor
• Functional fitness training
• HIIT
• Dance fitness and hip hop aerobics
• Barre
• Self-defense instructor
• Kettlebell instructor
• Sport-specific training
• Youth fitness training
• Running coach
• Speed and agility instructor
• Stretching instructor
• Women’s fitness instructor
• Bodyweight training
• Step aerobics and cardio kickboxing
• Martial arts fitness instructor
• Tai Chi
• Tactical fitness instructor
• Core fitness training
• Health club and gym manager
• Olympic and powerlifting coach
• Competition bodybuilding training
• Balance and stability instructor
• Golf fitness instructor
• Triathlon coach
• Foam rolling

As you can see, there is no limit to choices by ASFA. It can help round out your certifications and show how you can help in different fitness fields.

Depending on what kind of personal training you want to do, ASFA can be essential! 

ASFA Credibility and Reputation

As such an easy certification to receive, its credibility is not as respected in the fitness industry.

With no workshops or classes to prepare you for the test, it’s open to everyone. Even people who are not as serious about fitness. 

Other personal training certifications, like ACE, require training and are more stringent about who can take the test. While gatekeeping is not great, you still want to know that your certification will mean something to others.

When looking for a job as a personal trainer, you may find your options limited with only an ASFA certification.

Many fitness professionals have different certifications that showcase their abilities. When looking to get a personal training certification, you may want to consider other options. 

With that being said, there are benefits to getting this certification. It shows that you’re certified in specialized personal training and can round out your qualifications. If you work in a certain fitness niche, this can show that you can help others. 

As a supplemental certification, the ASFA certification can be helpful. As the only part of your personal training profile, it can be limiting.

ASFA Accreditation

When considering fitness certifications, you want to know what third-party accreditation is, especially in the fitness industry.

You want to get or use a personal training certification that means something important. 

ASFA certification is not recognized by American Sports Fitness or the Better Business Bureau. It’s also not nationally recognized by any third party. This can make it difficult to get a job in the fitness industry.  

This lack of accreditation is the main reason that the ASFA certification is not as respected as other certifications among fitness professionals. It is useful to round out your qualifications but should not be the only piece you have. 

Many different personal training certifications have national accreditation.

When you get the NASM certification, you will get training with accreditation that is recognized in many places. As one of the most recognized certifications by fitness associations, this certificate will show that you can be a qualified personal trainer.    

Though the accreditation problem is a major consideration for fitness professionals, there are still reasons to get the ASFA certification.

It can help with marketing and show that you can help with training with niche fitness markets. 

What Are Some Alternatives to the ASFA Certification?

Though there are several kinds of personal training certifications to get, two of them stand out from the rest.

The ACE and NASM personal training certifications are considered the best certifications:

They both offer classes in different fitness courses and are highly recognized around the nation. With these certifications, you’ll show that you have the knowledge and training needed to be a personal trainer. 

Though these two certifications are considered the best, they are not the only ways to show your fitness knowledge.

The ISSA and NFPT certifications are also highly recognized and will demonstrate your abilities. 

All of the above are recognized by third parties, including the Better Business Bureau, and are trusted by fitness professionals around the country.

The variety of options when choosing a personal training certification means that you can choose the best certification.

Takeaway

When looking at a career as a personal trainer, you want to get the right certifications.

With all of the different options available, it can be difficult to choose which one to get. 

The ASFA certification has many different specializations that can make it a tempting option for many. You can choose from a variety of fitness niches that can help you market yourself to different clients. 

Though you can choose from different fitness niches, it is not accredited by third parties and should not be your sole personal training certification.

It can be a useful way to showcase certain knowledge but other certifications will demonstrate your general knowledge better. 

As someone trying to join the ranks of other fitness professionals, you want a certification that will best show your knowledge and abilities to help others reach their fitness goals.

The ASFA certification can be a great tool for some personal training knowledge but should not be used alone.