Recommended certifications besides SS?

I have a full time engineering job I like and pays well, but I think I'd really enjoy doing some personal training on the side, especially as my kids get older, maybe as a 2nd career after "retirement".

I would like to get some kind of certification besides SS for my general education and to be well rounded and hirable as a trainer.

I see there are several out there: ACE, NASM, etc. They seem very interested in taking my money with fancy exam prep packages, but I don't know what the differences really are and which ones are better.

I know SS is the focus here and I plan on taking a seminar. SS is very rigorous and I have zero experience outside of training myself and giving my neighbor some pointers.

Outside of the SS certification, do you folks recommend a general certification program that would compliment SS or at least be a good entry into training people (average people, older people, younger athletes).

My interest in training, and in the starting strength model, is in helping folks out and building strength for longevity and quality of life.... I see too many people letting themselves go and for some reason I want to help them.

I'm not an athlete. I have unimpressive strength numbers and zero sports accomplishments. Because of that I'm not leaning towards training athletes because honestly who would hire me.

You're thinking of this as "getting hired" by a gym, as opposed to getting hired by a client. If you want to make $10/hour setting pins in a commercial gym, any of those certifications will allow you to get PT insurance, which is the real object of the requirement. But trust me when I tell you that nobody hires a trainer because they possess the coveted CSCS certification, cheerfully provided to all graduating PE majors by the NSCA. We asked them, and they told us that nobody has ever called any of them for their services as trainers because they have the CSCS. On the other hand, our SSCs get called every week by clients wanting to hire them to teach the SS method.

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Originally Posted by bikesandcars

I'm not an athlete. I have unimpressive strength numbers and zero sports accomplishments. Because of that I'm not leaning towards training athletes because honestly who would hire me.

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Your thinking about this wrong too. Anybody care to explain it to him?

I don't care to explain that to him. He is a full-time engineer and I would hope he can figure it out himself.

The issue I have run into is that nobody cares about the CSCS, but it is still required to get your foot in the door. I think they are just trying to screen out the 60% of the general population that is functionally illiterate. My experience is that they generally want the insurance + a certification before they allow you to coach, even if it is a private gym. As painful as it was to wade through the CSCS text, I did it in order to get the certification, so I could begin training my clients at a private gym.

Too bad there is not some type of a SS trainee or apprentice type cert that can satisfy the gyms before attaining the full SS cert.

It will be interesting to see if the CrossFit case actually diminishes the CSCS requirement in college and professional sports training. I could very well imagine the ruling being mitigated (successfully) by the academic bureaucracy. The implications of an admission of wrongdoing by a "peer reviewed" "scientific academic journal" would extend far beyond only exercise science. Their financial interests would be better protected by an extensive, mendacious media campaign than they would be by admitting the problem and reforming their practices.

You do not have to be an athlete ever to be a barbell coach. You have to be able to pass the SS certification and by virtue of passing you are qualified to coach strength training for any population you want including athletes, stay at home moms or elderly people.

I am too dumb to pass the certification or I would try it. Thats just an honest assessment. Pretty good athlete though.

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Originally Posted by Yngvi

Too bad there is not some type of a SS trainee or apprentice type cert that can satisfy the gyms before attaining the full SS cert.

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Attendance at the SS Seminar -- merely attending, not passing the opt-in -- qualifies you for insurance with S&F in Madison MS.

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Originally Posted by Mark Rippetoe

Attendance at the SS Seminar -- merely attending, not passing the opt-in -- qualifies you for insurance with S&F in Madison MS.

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I plan on attending a seminar sometime this year. Hopefully, earlier in the year rather than later.

I also realize my previous comment could be misinterpreted; I understand that branding, market size and copyright difficulties make development of a lower-level SS cert difficult and think you have made the correct choice in foregoing it.

We had a similar conversation about this topic here that might be useful to the OP: Insurance issues as an unqualified coach

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Originally Posted by Nick D'Agostino

We had a similar conversation about this topic here that might be useful to the OP: Insurance issues as an unqualified coach

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Thanks for the feedback and comments.

Please disregard my comment on coaching athletes, I was being negative in my thoughts, of course I would coach athletes. I understand that the ability to coach is what's important.

My observation is that there is a bit of a chicken/egg scenario for a novice coach to get the experience required to pass the certification. I assume that it's up to me to get motivated and figure that part out if I want it bad enough.

Exactimundo.