National Exercise & Sports Trainers Association

I took the two days personal training course with NESTA. the handson part is very short. I got my certificate but expected more.

Courses Offered:
Certified Personal Trainer
Nutrition and Weight Management (4 Courses)
Mind and Body (7 Courses)
Sport Specific /​Advanced Training (12 Courses)
Coaching /​Business Programme (8 Courses)
⁵⁄₅ with a disclaimer.
NESTA is a nationally recognized academy for PT, but in all honesty, their exam is one of the easiest to pass. I’m sorry but a person wouldn’t really have to «study» more than an hour or so to pass this test.
That isn’t to say that the information provided in the study material isn’t valid. NESTA provides a fantastic basis for green PT’s as well as those with specific fields such as Sports Specific training and even Life Coaching. They offer the WIDEST SELECTION of certifications that covers all grounds from Personal Training to Holistic Health to Sports Injury to Business Management.
I would say that NESTA would be the best certification for anyone to get right off the bat because it’s more affordable and it’s fast. Just to get your foot in the door and a label on the resume, NESTA would be your best bet.
For their unique interest and offering of a Life Coaching certification, NESTA is bumped up from a 4 to a 5. I believe that the «Inside Out» approach to life, health, and over all well being is immensely important and NESTA is the only association I’ve seen that offers Life Coaching as part of their curriculum. In addition to that, their extensive list of various certifications earns them an extra thumbs up.
Though not the most difficult, NESTA is definitely, in my experience, the most well-​rounded certification programme out there.