On the addition of a new certification.

By Jet Rupar, LMT, EP-C

Recently, I sat down and took the ACSM EP-C exam.

What is that, you may ask??? Why would I want to go and take this exam, anyhow????

EP-C is the Certified Exercise Physiologist exam from the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM).

There were a few reasons for wanting to take this exam, and specifically the Certified Exercise Physiologist exam. Having a specific certification suggests that a person has a certain, minimum knowledge of the subject at hand. Most of the public like knowing that the person they are going to for a thing has the knowledge that will help them succeed with whatever it is they are going to that person for. And honestly, yeah, you want to know that you’re in good hands.

The ACSM has several different categories of certification. These include Certified Group Exercise Instructor, Certified Personal Trainer, Certified Exercise Physiologist, Certified Clinical Exercise Physiologist, and Registered Clinical Exercise Physiologist. Each of these are able to work with a different set of people who have different sets of personal health goals and health issues.

What are the differences, you may be wondering at this point? I mean, that’s a lot of different levels there!!! Since Group Exercise Instructor is pretty self explanatory, I won’t really dive into it.

Certified Personal Trainers help to motivate and help people adhere to fitness programs as well as develop programs designed enhance strength, endurance, flexibility and cardio respiratory fitness for individuals who are healthy are have medical clearance to exercise. Minimum schooling: high school diploma.

Certified Exercise Physiologists have at least a bachelors degree in some kind of exercise science. These folks preform preparticipation health screenings, conducts physical fitness assessments, interprets those results to develop exercise prescriptions. They are able to apply strategies to healthy individuals and people who have medically controlled diseases/health conditions.

Certified Clinical Exercise Physiologists generally work in clinical settings. They can do the things Certified Exercise Physiologists do, plus conduct maximal and submaximal graded exercise tests for healthy individuals as well as individuals who have cardiovascular, pulmonary and metabolic diseases/disorders.

Registered Clinical Exercise Physiologists have at least a Masters degree, typically work in clinical settings, and can work with those people Clinical Exercise Physiologists can as well as individuals who have orthopedic, musculoskeletal, neuromuscular, neoplastic, immunologic or hematologic diseases.

There are, of course, different accreditation agencies out there, including National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA), the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM), the International Sports Sciences Association (ISSA), among others. Each association has their own set of certifications. Though some places of employment may want a certification from a specific agency, each have great benefits.

I passed, which has made me extremely happy. I had been wanting to take this exam for several years now, because it would give me the credentials I would need to be able to not only work with the types of people I want to work with, but allows me properly get to know each person and how to work with their specific needs.

Bibliography:

ACSM’s Resources for the Exercise Physiologist, Second Edition. Copyright ACSM 2018. Page 438