Q & A
Q & A
1. Why should I take RTS® instead of one of the other "Personal Training" certifications?
RTS is NOT a personal training certification, but as one course attendee stated, "This should be REQUIRED information for all trainers! I have three nationally accredited certifications and I have never heard any of this before. This changes everything!"
By definition, personal training certifications attempt to certify you in a specific career. Trainer, therapist, coach, doctor... we are not concerned about your actual choice of career or how you label yourself. We are concerned with raising the level of knowledge and practical skills of everyone implementing exercise to that of a true Exercise Professional.
RTS® is not a substitute or replacement for other programs.
And they are not substitutes, replacements, nor equivalents of RTS®.
A certification is a piece of paper that allows you to call yourself a trainer. RTS TEACHES YOU HOW to BE the trainer EACH CLIENT needs and DESERVES!
2. Which "Personal Training Certifications" do you recommend?
As a minimum prerequisite to RTS we recommend the ACE Personal Training Certification because it has historically been among the most well-rounded, which is to say that ACE is one of the least biased toward any particular exercise trend, tradition, or methodology.
3. Is RTS® a nationally recognized certification?
Not only does RTS® offer courses nationwide, but RTS® courses and seminars are held around the world from Brazil to Taiwan, Spain to Saudi Arabia. If you're asking if RTS® is widely recognized, that depends upon who you talk to. RTS® will be most familiar to those who are advanced in their studies, are familiar with the field of Exercise Mechanics, and/or have been in the industry for decades.
"Ultimately it's not about certification... it's about education!"™
There are two reasons why we offer the optional certifications:
- To create a minimum competency requirement of those who choose to represent themselves with the letters RTS or RTSM behind their name.
- And because, unfortunately, education is only attractive to many trainers if there's a piece of paper dangled like a proverbial carrot. But the goal should not be to place more letters behind your name, rather to get a comprehensive and advanced education!
4. Is RTS® an "accredited" certification?
A: As indicated above, RTS is in the education business, not the certification business. Certification is available only because some individuals desire to formally call themselves a Resistance Training Specialist and utilize the distinction "RTS" or "RTSM" behind their names, and to do so they must prove the respective level of competency.
Furthermore, it should be noted that "accreditation" is very misleading. Accreditation is the process by which an organization's business, administration, and examination practices are assessed to determine that they are free of physical, racial, or socioeconomic discrimination. It DOES NOT indicate that the information provided by the organization is correct or even remotely accurate (as proven by the leading accredited certifications.)
And as a final important note: we cannot lower our standards to that required of accreditation. Accreditation does NOT allow for practical / hands-on testing because it is deemed too subjective. It is impossible to know the skills of the trainer without a practical exam.
