Top ACSM Alternatives to Consider

ACSM has been around for a very long time, and they are a leader in the science of exercise, with three different academies across Asia, making it possible for international students to get the same types of basic certifications. However, they do fall short in several ways depending on your goals, so I’m going to look at the top ACSM alternatives to consider and which scenarios make the most sense for them. 

Issue #1: ACSM Has Limited Certs

So, ACSM is a leader in things like group and individual personal trainer certifications, exercise physiologists, and clinical exercise physiologists, but that is literally all they have. So if you want something more robust to add to your resume, go with ISSA. 

ISSA

ISSA has around 24 certification options, and you can bundle many of them together to get a discount while jump-starting your career. 

The ISSA groups the different certifications together under a few key categories like personal fitness, nutrition and health, and yoga and pilates. 

Why ISSA Stands Out as a Top ACSM Alternative to Consider

The biggest reason they stand out is the specialty certifications you can get, like corrective exercise specialist.

NASM

Another alternative is NASM. NASM is another membership-based alternative to ACSM. They offer physical trainer, nutrition, and specialty certifications. You can find bundles that allow you to maximize the certifications you get with minimal cost, but they don’t have the same wide array of nutrition courses or yoga certifications that ISSA has. 

Why NASM Stands Out as a Second ACSM Alternative to Consider

NASM has more alternatives than ACSM, particularly for wellness coaching and specializations like golf fitness instructors. They don’t have as many certifications as ISSA, though. 

Issue #2: ACSM Has Hidden Fees

ACSM is a membership organization. When you join as a member, you get a discount on all the things they offer, including the tests, study materials, published studies, and more. However, you are also paying for a regular membership, and that might not be in everybody’s budget.

The worst part of this is trying to budget for a certification; ACSM has slightly different prices for members versus non-members, not just for the test but for the textbook, so it’s hard to figure out what it will actually cost you.

If you want a full, upfront alternative to ACSM in terms of cost, ISSA, again, is the most clear-cut option. 

ISSA

ISSA doesn’t have any hidden fees. When you first visit their website, you see the exact price displayed on the banner. I haven’t found any other organization that presents its costs as clearly. What’s more, the ISSA offers financing, which many companies do, but that financing is also right up front when you first visit the website. This includes almost everything you would need, including an extra retest if you failed the first time and study materials.

Why ISSA Stands Out as a Top ACSM Alternative to Consider

When you first visit their website, you will see exactly what the cost is for each certification. The cost page is not a lead gen form like it is with NASM. 

NCSF

Another option is NCSF. 

The National Council on Strength and Fitness has things like personal trainer, strength coach, Sports nutrition, and specializations, which let you take your exam at home after paying for the exam and the study materials in one, clear fee. 

Why NCSF Stands Out as a Second ACSM Alternative to Consider

They also have pretty clear guidelines on what your cost is going to be, and there isn’t any membership requirement. 

Issue #3: ACSM Doesn’t Do Military Discounts (Anymore)

ACSM might be international, but they don’t have any type of military discount. Their website even says that they have temporarily suspended all military assistance programs because of evolving requirements from the military. It would seem that they used to offer a 25% discount for First Responders and military personnel, but since that is currently suspended, it does no one any good unless you were grandfathered in.

So if you are active duty and looking for a way to use your benefits or simply reduce your cost, there are better options. 

NCSF

The NCSF is a much more military-friendly alternative to ACSM. Not only do they have the regular payment plan for anyone looking to reduce costs, but they have a military support plan, a military spouse support plan, and a first responder plan:

1. The My Career Advancement Account Scholarship can provide up to $4,000 of tuition assistance to eligible military spouses to cover the cost of certifications like personal trainer and strength coach.
2. The Military Support plan provides significantly discounted certifications, usually around 50% of the original cost, and gives you GI Bill reimbursement as active duty or a veteran. 

Somewhat relatedly, they also provide customized first responder solutions, although this is intended for organizations rather than individuals and is customized to the needs of a department.

Why NCSF Stands Out as a Top ACSM Alternative to Consider

They offer discounted plans for military, scholarship options for military spouses, and let you use your GI benefits.

NASM

NASM also has a robust military support system. It isn’t as much as the NCSF, but in some ways it is better because all of the discounts apply to military members and their dependents, which can include spouses and children.

So with NASM, you get 25% off certifications and specializations with reimbursement from your GI bill up to $600, and free payment plans with no interest if you opt to go with a payment plan, and again, this applies to all of your dependents, which is more than NCSF offers. 

Why NASM Stands Out as a Second ACSM Alternative to Consider

They provide 25% off all certifications, free payment plans with no interest, and reimbursement with the GI bill. 

Issue #4: ACSM Doesn’t Support Careers Enough

One of the benefits of ACSM certs is access to their careers portal. This is a career center where you can post your resume and apply for jobs with key health partners. However, there is no guarantee that you will find a job. So if you want something a little more robust in terms of guarantees, there are many alternatives out there.

ISSA

Again, ISSA is the top alternative here. They have a comparable place where partners post jobs and you post your certs/profile, but ISSA also has a one-year guarantee; if you complete a personal trainer cert, you are guaranteed to find a job within one year or your money back. 

Why ISSA Stands Out as a Top ACSM Alternative to Consider

The money-back guarantee. Plain and simple. They really stand behind their promises.

NCSF 

Another alternative to ACSM is NCSF. NCSF partners with top health clubs and organizations to help support career advancement for those who complete their certifications. 

They have a job board with their network of partners, where you can look at job listings and find valuable resources at the career center on figuring out things like what your salary should be when you apply for a job, what the market outlook is, and which areas of the market have better projected growth opportunities, so you can plan accordingly.

While they don’t have a guarantee, they do have training tools, lifetime discounts on certain business software, and free business coaching, as well as a toll-free number you can call if you have career questions.

Why NCSF Stands Out as a Second ACSM Alternative to Consider

They have a much more robust career center compared to ACSM, but they still don’t have the guarantee of ISSA. 

Issue #5: ACSM Study Materials Fall Short

Part of the issue with the cost and the membership of ACSM is the complicated nature of the study materials they give you. While some people prefer ACSM’s policy on charging for study material separately from the exam, anyone who doesn’t have a background in personal training and wants actual study materials is going to face additional charges, and even then, those materials include a textbook, flashcards, and access to a Facebook study group.

The study group really isn’t what you think it is, as there are no set times or group members meeting on a regular basis. So if you want more study materials, consider these alternatives. 

NASM

NASM is considered a leader when it comes to study materials. They have a lot of information with a focus on the OPT model and corrective exercise. You get access to an impressive textbook as well as other study materials and office hours.

The curriculum is very robust, and it includes a lot of in-depth learning about different muscle groups and how to build a program for your clients while preventing injuries at the same time. The final exam is pretty challenging, and part of that challenge is because you have to apply critical thinking and your ability to take the knowledge from the study materials and apply it to real-world situations.

Why NASM Stands Out as a Top ACSM Alternative to Consider

They have really robust study materials with comprehensive assessments.

ISSA

ISSA has a comprehensive online portal. The portal is where you get all of your study materials, and these include the textbook, the video content to go along with each chapter, intermittent quizzes, access to exercise videos on your dashboard, as well as office hours and recorded study groups or office hours if you missed the live versions. 

Why ISSA Stands Out as a Second ACSM Alternative to Consider

They have a content-rich curriculum that covers a wide array of topics.

Summing Up

If ACSM just isn’t working for you, because they have limited certification options, go with ISSA. They offer the greatest availability of certifications for different specialties. NASM comes close with some specialty certifications as well. 

If ACSM has let you down because of the hidden fees and membership requirements, ISSA and NCSF are both very upfront about what your cost is, and all your materials and exams are included.

If you have been bothered by the lack of military discounts from ACSM, NCSF offers the highest discount percentage for military members, but NASM extends the military discounts to your dependents.

If you want more career support than ACSM offers, ISSA gives a guarantee that you will have a job within one year of completing your personal trainer certification, and I can’t imagine what is better than that. NCSF has a better Career Center than ACSM, but no guarantee like ISSA. 

Finally, if the study materials leave something to be desired, NASM has very robust study materials, and ISSA has a lot of supporting education access within the member portal.