If you already look the part of a CPT, and want to go into business for yourself bro, then just get a sinchy certification. ACE is quite easy, and is both widely recognized, as well as accepted by most gyms as a credible certification, if you chose to start out working for say Bally's, or a similar national chain, which is a good way of learning the business first, while also collecting a paycheck.
I have the NSCA-CPT, but had to take it twice before I passed. It, along with the American College of Sports Medicine(ACSM) are the 2 hardest CPT courses you can take. There is no reason to break your back with a tough CPT test like this, when a certification is pretty much meaningless if you look the part. In fact, I think the only reason places like Bally's want you to have any certification(so they say) at all, is due more to liability issues, than knowledge.
I have done the working on my own thing, and for Bally's as well. I can tell you that I enjoyed working for Bally's ALOT more, even though there is alot more money if you do it on your own IF you are good at hustling people. The only reason I didn't like doing it on my own was because you do have to REALLY hustle people. If you ever went into a car dealership, and were hassled by an annoying, pushy, won't take "leave me alone" for an answer salesman, then you may want to do the Bally's thing as well, because that is how you will have to approach your business if you chose to do it on your own. You have to be pushy like that, because, basicly, you aren't getting payed by the hour by any Company, so if you have no clients, you have no cash. That being the case, you have to be pushy, and I didn't like that aspect of the business, quite frankly.
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