A career as a fitness trainer usually begins when you get your certification as a personal fitness trainer. However, most trainers do not stop there. They seek more advanced certifications which will widen their scope and enhance their qualifications. Specialized certifications are preferred by many fitness trainers because it enables them to reach out to more clients and as a result, enhances their earning capacity.

One of these most sought-after certifications is the American Council on Exercise (ACE) Advanced Health and Fitness Specialist Certification. Unlike personal or group trainers who usually work with only healthy individuals, an Advanced Health and Fitness Specialist Certification gives you the license to work with those who are at risk for sustaining an injury or those who still in the process of injury recovery. These injuries could come from cardiovascular, musculoskeletal, metabolic or pulmonary problems.

This ACE Specialist certification is your passport towards helping individuals who have not only sustained the most common disorders but it also allows you to develop programs for older adults, the youth and pre- and post-natal women. An ACE Advanced Health and Fitness Specialist is trained on the psychological aspects of working with clients who hold these disabilities, the biomechanical and physiological effects of their diseases or injuries and the exercise programming and progressions for major cardiovascular and pulmonary, metabolic and musculoskeletal disorders.

Aside from the usual age and CPR requirements, other requirements that you need to hold before you can be eligible to become an ACE-certified Advanced Health and Fitness Specialist are a current ACE Personal Trainer certification or a Lifestyle and Weight Management Coach certification. You are also qualified if you have an NCCA-accredited trainer certification or a four-year Bachelor's degree in an Exercise Science or related field. You should be able to submit supporting documents for this. You should also have completed 300 hours of work experience designing and implementing exercise programs for healthy and/or high-risk individuals. This should be documented by a qualified professional at the time of your registration.

There are two ways to prepare for this advanced certification. You can opt to self-study for either a three or a six-month time period or enroll in ACE's Study Coach Program. The cost of the exam is $219 for the paper and pencil format and $249 for computer-based testing. You can also order the study materials which can range anywhere from $0 to $449.95. You can check the ACE website for details.

An ACE Advanced Health and Fitness Specialist certification opens new doors for you as a personal trainer. You grow in your experience and get more professional recognition for your specialization. But what makes this advanced certification even more meaningful is the chance for you to help those with heart issues, type 2 diabetes and exercise-related injuries get back on their feet and start the road to recovery.

If you believe that you have what it takes to be a Fitness Trainer, then the first step is the AFAA Certified Personal Fitness Trainer Exam Study Guide that walks you through the entire Fitness Trainer hiring process.

For more information, go to our page for the FAFAA Certified Personal Fitness Trainer Exam Study Guide.