If you’re considering a career in fitness, you’ve probably heard of ACE Fitness. This is one of the top providers for fitness certifications. Before you choose this path, make sure to read our full ACE Fitness review.
About ACE Fitness
A nonprofit exercise professional and health coach certification organization, ACE Fitness has set the standard for the industry. They are committed to helping people become fitness industry leaders. With NCAA-accredited certification options, continuing education courses, and plenty of science-based health and fitness information, ACE Fitness might just be the right choice for you.
They adhere to very specific values including:
- Honesty and integrity
- Access and Inclusiveness
- Collaboration and Connection
- Ingenuity and Passion
- Continuous Learning and Development
The main goal of ACE Fitness is to get people moving. By training new fitness professionals, they can get more people moving and help people gain access to a rewarding career in the process.
A Review of What ACE Fitness Offers
ACE Fitness offers many different certifications in the fitness industry. You can become a certified personal training, health coach, medical exercise specialist, group fitness instructor, or peer fitness trainer through ACE Fitness.
They use an integrated fitness training model. This gives you the tools you need to customize your fitness programs for each individual client. It’s pretty obvious that a 25-year-old athlete needs a different fitness program compared to a 65-year-old with arthritis.
ACE Fitness teaches you an adaptable fitness training model to customize for each person you train. The integrated fitness training model used includes four main components:
- Function – This state will help to create a stable base for future training. It will help you increase mobility and aerobic fitness in your clients.
- Movement – After a solid foundation has been created, movement training can be used to increase functional skills.
- Fitness – A more advanced stage, at this point anaerobic-endurance training is added. It may take a short time or a long time for a client to get to this level.
- Performance – The final component of the training program focuses on cardiovascular training and performance.
You will also learn how to build a good rapport with your clients throughout all the stages of the IFT model. ACE Fitness helps you teach your clients how to get the results they are looking for. Most of the other lower-quality fitness certifications don’t include this type of training.
ACE Fitness Review of the Cost & Packages
When you choose to get certified with ACE Fitness, you can choose from several different packages. The cost is determined by the type of package you choose and the necessary materials.
All packages include the following:
- ACE University – The core of the program, ACE University offers step-by-step guides to help you move through the certification program. It’s an intuitive learning platform you can use on any device to help you plan, manage, and track your progress.
- ACE Certification Exam – You can take the certification exam at home. It will be proctored by Exility and conducted in English only.
- ACE Practice Tests – Each plan will offer at least one practice test you can use to prepare for the final exam.
- ACE Personal Trainer Textbook – Get the personal trainer textbook in different formats based on the plan you choose.
- ACE Personal Trainer Study Companion – A tool to help you study better for the exam, the study companion offers practical activities and questions.
- ACE Answers – Get the answers to common study questions, along with video demonstrations, exam prep articles, and more.
These features are found in each of the packages, but they might be different, based on the package you choose.
ACE Fitness certification packages include:
- Basic – For $849, you can get everything you need to become ACE certified. This package includes a digital textbook, one practice test, and the basic version of ACE answers.
- Plus – For $999, you can upgrade to receive a hard copy of the textbook and a hard copy of the study companion. You will also get the live Q&A webinars included with Ace Answers, two practice tests, and Exercise Science 101.
- Advantage – For $1,499, you will get all the same features as the Plus program, along with a Dedicated Advantage Team for one-on-one direct support. This package also includes four practice tests, an audiobook version of the textbook, and facilitated study groups.
Often, all three packages are on sale for a much lower cost. At the time of writing this ACE Fitness Review, the sale price was $594, $699, and $1,049, for these certification packages.
Payment plan options are available with no credit check and no interest. You can pay for any of the packages spread across four payments instead of all upfront.
Specialty Certifications from ACE Fitness
After you’ve completed one of the main certifications, you can specialize in a specific area of fitness. ACE offers several options including:
- ACE Fitness Nutrition
- ACE Functional Training
- ACE Weight Management
- ACE Behavior Change
- ACE Youth Fitness
- ACE Orthopedic Exercise
- ACE Sports Performance
- ACE Senior Fitness
- And More!
There are plenty of areas for specialization within fitness. Each program will count towards up to 25 hours of continuing education credits, as well. Many of the programs are also approved for continuing education hours by the American Association of Medical Assistants, the NASM, the NCSF, and the NFPT.
Continuing Education Courses from ACE Fitness
The ACE certification is good for two years. At this point, you will need to get recertified to keep your certificate current. During the two years, you have your certification, you will also need to complete 20 hours of continuing education credits.
ACE Fitness offers many different continuing education courses you can choose from. These courses include:
- Training Youth Athletes
- Long-Term Athletic Development in Youth
- Increate Rendition Through Health Coaching
- Best Practices for Virtual Group Fitness Instructors
- Adaptive Fitness Exercise Programming
- Corrective Exercise Programming for Chronic Pain
- And More!
They offer hundreds of approved courses you can take online towards continuing education credits. Courses vary in price depending on the length and how many credits they offer.
Pros & Cons of ACE Fitness Reviewed
Becoming ACE certified is a great option for personal trainers and many others. However, just like anything else, there are pros and cons to ACE Fitness. Let’s review the ACE Fitness pros and cons to help you make the right decision.
Pros
- Some of the best course materials you will find
- Excellent support, especially at the highest program level
- Plenty of future specialization options
- Tons of continuing education courses
- NCAA-accredited
Cons
- No courses offered on business development
- Must pay a fee to retake the exam if you fail
While there are a couple of cons, most students find the pros outweigh the cons with ACE Fitness.
Frequently Asked Questions About ACE Fitness
How much can I earn as a personal trainer?
According to Salary.com, you can earn a salary between $31K and $91K as a personal trainer. As an ACE certified personal trainer, you may earn a higher salary, but you may not. However, this certification can help make you more employable.
Do I need a degree to become ACE certified?
No, a degree isn’t necessary to become an ACE certified personal training. However, if you have a degree in kinesiology or exercise science, it will likely help you through the program.
More than 70% of fitness professionals that hold an ACE certification also have a bachelor’s degree. You do gain plenty of benefits with a degree, but it’s not required to become certified through ACE Fitness.
Are ACE certifications accredited?
Yes, the ACE personal trainer certification is NCAA-accredited. This is the most recognized accreditation found in the fitness industry today. More employers will be interested in an ACE personal trainer compared to other non-accredited certifications.
Is the final exam from ACE difficult?
The level of difficulty for an ACE certification exam depends on how much you study. Most first-time test-takers will pass, but about 30% fail the first time. You should certainly study and use the practice tests to prepare for the exam.
The exam will include 150 multiple-choice questions. Only 125 of the questions are scored with 25 used for experimental purposes. You get three hours to complete the exam.
If you fail the final exam, you will have to retake it. This can be costly. Make sure you prepare for the exam to avoid paying to retake it a second or even third time.
Can I complete my ACE certification online?
Yes, the entire certification program can be completed online including the personal training exam. Even the continuing education courses and specialization courses can be completed online.
If you’re considering a career in fitness, ACE Fitness is a great option for certification. They are one of the leading options when it comes to providing certifications for personal trainers. No matter the type of fitness you want to go into, starting with ACE is a great way to kick off your career.
Jordan Fabel
Covering different 'paths' that people's lives can take. Creative, foster parent, ticket dismissal, you get the idea. Exploring the requirements, certifications, exams, and obviously, approved courses along each path. I, personally, am the high school dropout son of two teacher parents. So how did I get here? That story is coming soon!