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Having already earned my CPR/AED and CPT certifications through the International Sports Sciences Association (ISSA), I used to be desirous to explore other options that would enhance my abilities and income-earning opportunities as a fitness skilled. As I expanded my client base at YouFit, where I began working as a private trainer shortly after getting my certification, I quickly realized that few understood the fundamentals of nutrition. The truth is, it was evident that many individuals need more help with determining the best way to fuel their bodies reasonably than the best way to move them.
I took advantage of the partnership between ISSA and YouFit and scored a reduced rate on a specialization course: the nutritionist certification course. This certification course allowed me to achieve an in-depth understanding of the best way to put together an efficient nutrition program. Ripe with helpful resources like video lectures, downloadable client forms, and direct access to ISSA’s resident nutrition expert, the course comprises all of the tools you should not only pass the ultimate exam, but in addition develop into a more confident and capable health and fitness coach.
This ISSA nutrition certification review provides a comprehensive breakdown of the course materials — including the Fitness Nutrition textbook and chapter quizzes — and covers other key components so you possibly can determine whether to make the leap and buy the course. (Hint: It’s well price it.)
Key Takeaways
- For about $650, the ISSA nutrition certification course is a clever investment for private trainers and health coaches who need to expand their business by offering a worthwhile service to each current and prospective clients.
- Besides going in-depth on scientific topics like macronutrients, micronutrients, metabolism, digestion, and hydration, this nutrition program also addresses essential areas like behavior change, goal setting, and motivation — all of which contribute to a client’s success.
- While the ultimate exam comprises 100 multiple-choice questions and a six-part essay portion, it’s an open-book test. You shouldn’t have any trouble meeting the 70 percent threshold to pass, especially when you utilize the study materials and perform well on the chapter quizzes.
ISSA Nutritionist Certification
4.5
- Cost: Starts at around $53.27 per thirty days
- Course length: 10 weeks or fewer
- Study materials: Digital textbook, video lectures, quizzes, Nutrition Bootcamp
- Minimum passing rating on final exam: 70 percent
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What’s the ISSA Nutrition Certification?
Certainly one of many specializations available through ISSA, their nutrition certification course is an incredible method to get a leg up on the competition and help your clients crush their goals faster. For certified personal trainers like me who want to supply the perfect possible science-backed guidance on the best way to stay properly fueled, it’s hard to go incorrect with a program like this. It permits you to work at your individual pace as you find out about every thing from determining a client’s ideal macronutrient intake to assembling a well-rounded complement stack to constructing a nutrition coaching business.
Holding my ISSA Nutritionist certificate
Along the best way, your knowledge can be tested with chapter quizzes to see your progress. Pairing the Fitness Nutrition textbook with video lectures provides a solid foundation for learning you can construct upon further with the assistance of a dedicated Success Coach who you possibly can access via email or by calling the ISSA support line during business hours. Although I didn’t reap the benefits of this resource, having it available definitely qualifies as a plus for this nutrition program, especially when you struggle with among the more science-heavy subjects.
By the point you complete the course and pass the ultimate exam, you can be empowered to supply your dietary expertise to clients who need to lose fat, gain muscle, or just improve their overall health and wellness. In spite of everything, obtaining your cert from a company that earned accreditation from each the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA) and the Distance Education and Training Council (DETC) gives validity and added value to you and your growing business.
RELATED: How you can Grow to be a Personal Trainer
ISSA Nutrition Certification Course Highlights
Registering for the ISSA Nutritionist course is step one in becoming a simpler certified personal trainer and lifestyle coach. You’ll immediately gain access to a guided study program that features the web version of the Fitness Nutrition textbook, nearly 20 video lectures, and dedicated chapter quizzes designed to organize you for the ultimate exam. This system is supposed to be accomplished in 10 weeks, but because you possibly can complete the course at your individual pace, chances are you’ll find a way to acquire your nutrition certification even faster.
As you make your way through the course, you’ll gain an in-depth understanding of every thing from energy systems to fad diets to common vitamin deficiencies. Regardless that the breadth of knowledge may appear overwhelming at times, rest assured that you simply can be a superior coach by spending the time, money, and energy on seeing this nutrition program through.
When you complete all of the quizzes, you’ll then find a way to take the ultimate exam, which consists of 100 multiple-choice questions and 6 essay questions. You have to earn no less than a 70 percent overall to earn a passing grade from ISSA. The test is untimed (it took me about two hours) and open-book, so that you shouldn’t have an excessive amount of trouble hitting that mark in your first attempt.
Overall, I believed the ISSA nutrition certification course was price it for multiple reasons. First, I received all of the tools I needed to deliver high-quality programming and guidance for my clients, including downloadable forms. Second, I had the choice to utilize resources like the web student forum and Nutrition Educational Bootcamp for further support. Finally, it set me up for more financial success in the long run by giving me one other avenue to earn income as a fitness skilled.
Who Should Get the ISSA Nutrition Certification
- Coaches who seek more in-depth knowledge on nutrition than what’s provided in standard personal trainer certification programs.
- Coaches who need to improve results from current clients or be better-prepared to assist recent clients reach their goals.
- Entrepreneurial-minded individuals who need to attract more business by providing a worthwhile service that other trainers may not offer.
- ISSA-certified personal trainers who need to satisfy their continuing education unit (CEU) requirement and save on recertification fees.
Who Shouldn’t Get the ISSA Nutrition Certification
- Anyone who desires to prescribe medical dietary therapy (treating medical conditions with food plan), as this doesn’t fall under the scope of practice for a nutrition coach.
- Anyone who desires to work as a registered dietician, which requires a bachelor’s degree from an approved supervised clinical program, passing the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) final exam, and completion of CEU requirements to keep up registration.
- Certified personal trainers who’ve a proper education in sports nutrition or food science, as they’ll likely already be conversant in a majority of the course material content.
RELATED: Nutritionist vs. Dietitian: What’s the Difference Between These Nutrition Experts?
How Much Does the ISSA Nutrition Certification Cost?
With none discounts, the ISSA nutrition certification typically costs just north of $600. Take into account, though, that the organization recurrently offers specials all year long that will lower that total. You may also get monetary savings by pairing the ISSA CPT course with a specialization just like the Nutritionist course to develop into a licensed Fitness Coach for lower than $1,000.
Furthermore, ISSA makes it easier for college students to afford their nutrition program by offering three payment plan options. In the event you reasonably not pay in full, you possibly can choose from a six- or 12-payment setup. Not only does that provide you with the pliability to unfolded the full cost, however it also comes with the good thing about being interest-free.
ISSA Nutrition Certification Course Materials
Registering for this self-paced course gives you access to a wealth of study guide materials and other useful resources you possibly can even use after you earn your nutritionist certificate.
From video lectures that further explain among the topics covered in the web textbook to quizzes that reinforce key concepts and help prepare you for the ultimate exam, let’s take a take a look at what ISSA provides students:
Fitness Nutrition Textbook
Featuring contributions from nine individuals — including Daniel Gastelu, ISSA Professor & Director of Dietary Sciences, and Adam Seal, a postdoctoral researcher at California Polytechnic State University’s Department of Kinesiology and Public Health — the Fitness Nutrition textbook spans 19 chapters and is sort of 500 pages long. Revised in September 2022, it’s well-organized and fairly user-friendly, with loads of images, tables, and graphs that provide additional context.
Reading a digital textbook from the ISSA Nutritionist course on my computer
While the chapters vary in length, most fall between 10 and 20 pages. Every one is separated into multiple sub-topics, with some featuring as few as two (Chapter 2: Cells, Organ Systems, and Digestion) and others being broken down into much more sections. For example, the chapter on protein covers 10 topics starting from protein’s role within the body to the way it’s digested to why athletes need it for optimal performance.
Here is an entire list of the chapters in the newest version of the ISSA’s Fitness Nutrition textbook:
- Nutrition
- Cells, Organ Systems, and Digestion
- Metabolism and Energy Balance
- Carbohydrates
- Protein
- Fats
- Vitamins
- Minerals
- Water and Hydration
- The Role of the Nutrition Coach
- Stages of Change and Motivational Interviewing
- Client Assessment and Goal Setting
- Business in Nutrition Coaching
- Dietary Guidelines
- Product and Supplement Labels and Claims
- Supplements
- Navigating Successful and Trending Diets
- Special Nutrition Scenarios
- References
As someone who signed up for the certification course with a solid foundation of the basics of nutrition, I still found the textbook to be a worthwhile resource. That being said, among the earlier chapters were quite science-heavy and never necessarily essentially the most pertinent for a private trainer. The chapters on cells and organ systems and metabolism and energy balance made me feel like I had been transported straight back to highschool biology — which wasn’t exactly my cup of tea.
Nonetheless, after getting through those more complicated chapters, I discovered a majority of the textbook to be directly applicable to my role as a private trainer and fitness coach. Sure, among the information on macronutrients had some crossover from the ISSA CPT course. However the in-depth material on micronutrients, hydration, and the psychological and business facets of being a nutrition coach definitely gave me a more well-rounded understanding of all of the facets it takes to steer a client in the precise direction.
From a training perspective, I particularly appreciated the “Product and Supplement Labels and Claims” chapter for providing detailed tables of the necessities needed to make claims like “All Natural” and “Good Source Of” on food labels. Since most of the people is basically unaware of those intricacies that may have a significant impact on their health and wellness, this is precisely the sort of easily digestible information that we as certified personal trainers need to coach our clients on.
Video Lectures
To complement the textbook, ISSA also provides video lectures that highlight key points from complex chapters. Throughout the 10-week guided study plan, visual learners can brush up on their knowledge by watching videos on topics like common digestive orders, protein bioavailability, easy vs. complex carbohydrates, and psychology and food marketing.
In total, there are 19 video lectures included with the ISSA nutrition coach certification course. Nonetheless, because most of them fall under the two-minute mark, you definitely shouldn’t (or can’t) depend on them to present you all the data you should comprehend the associated chapter.
Quizzes
The ISSA nutritionist program challenges you to show your understanding of the course material through a series of 18 open-book quizzes. Every one comprises 10 multiple-choice questions that stem directly from the textbook.
While it’s essential to acquire a high rating for your individual understanding, there isn’t any minimum threshold you should meet. Plus, you possibly can take the quizzes as over and over as obligatory. I discovered the vast majority of them to be fairly straightforward, requiring a median of about half-hour or so to finish.
Speaking of completion, you’ll find a way to access and begin your final exam only after you finish all the 18 quizzes.
Nutritionist Educational Bootcamp
In the event you need more assistance than what the textbook and lectures provide, ISSA has you covered. The Nutrition Bootcamp takes things to the following level with five weeks of direct access to high-level experts.
A slide that summarizes ISSA’s Nutrition Bootcamps and office hours
In the course of the five hour-long video sessions, ISSA Elite Trainer & Senior Content Developer Jenny Scott and Lionel University faculty member Dr. Alex Hoffman deliver comprehensive lessons on study skills specifically aimed toward certain chapters. For instance, their Week 5 Nutrition Bootcamp covered test-taking suggestions, special scenarios for nutrition coaching, and constructing a business.
For more individualized support, the duo hosted open office hours for five live one-hour sessions. Although I didn’t participate, other students can profit greatly from getting direct answers to their questions in preparation for the ISSA exam.
Client Forms Library
Available within the “Downloads” section in ISSA’s student portal is a group of forms and handouts that could make life much easier when you’re a private trainer.
Here’s what’s included:
- Client Intake Form
- Exercise History Questionnaire
- Exercise Physical Activity Readiness (PAR) Questionnaire
- Health History Form
- Medical History Form
- Three-Day Dietary Log
A portion of ISSA’s three-day dietary log
When you don’t should utilize these forms, it will probably prevent a ton of time from having to create your individual. Because YouFit provides personal trainers with their very own forms for gathering client data, I didn’t use those available through ISSA. But anyone who’s seeking to go into private coaching can depend on this resource and use the recognizable ISSA branding to bring easy credibility when working with a recent client.
Final Exam for the ISSA Nutritionist Certification
When you’ve accomplished all of the quizzes and utilized the study materials, you ought to be prepared for the last stage of the ISSA nutrition certification program: the ultimate exam.
Just like the ISSA personal trainer certification course, the exam for the nutrition course is untimed, meaning you possibly can take breaks and pick back up where you left off. However, the structure of the ultimate exam differs in that it consists of each multiple-choice questions and essay questions, corresponding to describing and explaining the role of the three macronutrients and providing the advisable dietary allowances for every.
I discovered it to be more difficult than the ISSA personal training certification test, especially with the addition of a written portion. For transparency’s sake, I scored an 86 on the multiple-choice section and received 92 out of a possible 120 points on the essay section for a cumulative rating of 81 percent.
Expected Study Time
ISSA breaks down the course into 10 weeks, with some weeks covering multiple chapters from the textbook. Because among the science-heavy content may be difficult to grasp, chances are you’ll spend more time studying some chapters than others.
From my experience, it took about an hour and a half of study time per day for just over a month for me to finish the course from start to complete. Nonetheless, fitness trainers who aren’t conversant in the essential tenets of food science might have longer.
Pass Rate
Just how difficult is it to hit that 70 percent mark on the ISSA nutritionist final exam? With a pass rate of 85 percent, it’s clear that the course materials do a more-than-adequate job of getting students able to earn their cert. Still, it’s interesting to notice that the pass rate for the ISSA CPT certification exam is barely higher at about 90 percent.
Retest Cost
Don’t fret about any financial ramifications when you fail to pass the ultimate exam in your first try. The ISSA provides one free retest for its nutrition certification program. And for the reason that exam is open-book, you must find a way to realize no less than a 70 percent if you have got to retake it.
Nonetheless, when you don’t pass in your two free attempts, there’s a $99 resubmission fee per subsequent attempt.
ISSA Continuing Education Requirements
In the event you obtained your personal training certification through ISSA, you should complete no less than 20 continuing education units (CEUs) through workshops, seminars, other certifications, or other approved activities every two years. Luckily, going through their nutrition certification program is not going to only deal with that 20-unit requirement, but in addition assist you to skip out on having to pay a $99 recertification fee.
Although that wasn’t the first reason I signed up for the course, I gladly welcomed this added bonus with open arms. And with my CEUs already taken care of, I can focus my efforts on getting the perfect results for my clients.
Expected Salary
Nutrition coaching generally is a solid profession selection when you know the best way to market your services. In accordance with ZipRecruiter.com, as of September 11, 2023, the national average salary for a nutrition health coach was $43,270. Most coaches can expect to make around $21 per hour, though that figure varies by state.
While that salary range won’t make you a millionaire, you possibly can boost your earning potential by establishing a robust online presence. Constructing a loyal following on social media and learning the best way to consistently reel in recent clients via testimonials and fascinating video content can enable you stand out in a crowded field of certified personal trainers and nutrition coaches.
Other ISSA Certification Programs
Whether you should start your profession as a CPT or add a specialization to your resume, ISSA offers a big selection of courses you can complete from the comfort of your individual home.
Along with Nutritionist, listed below are a few of their hottest fitness certification options:
- Master Trainer
- Elite Trainer
- Corrective Exercise
- Fitness Coach
- Certified Health Coach
- Online Coach
- Bodybuilding Specialist
- Powerlifting Instructor
Plus, there’s even a second nutrition-based program you possibly can partake in through ISSA: the Precision Nutrition Certification.
Precision Nutrition Certification
Must you end up in need of much more nutrition tools, there’s another choice available, albeit at a much steeper price. At a price of about $1,200, the ISSA Nutrition & Fitness Coach certification program permits you to obtain two world-class certifications because of a partnership with considered one of the most important leaders within the fitness industry: Precision Nutrition.
Partaking on this two-part course permits you to earn ISSA’s top-rated personal trainer certification and Precision Nutrition’s Level 1 Certification for a reasonably inexpensive price. You possibly can take each courses at your individual pace, and every final exam is open-book. Ultimately, though, when you’re focused more on training than delivering ultra-detailed nutrition protocols, you’ll be secure with signing up for the usual ISSA nutritionist course.
ISSA vs. NASM
Like ISSA, the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) has a pathway for private trainers to develop into certified in nutrition coaching. Written and reviewed by 20 leading experts, the NASM Certified Nutrition Coach Certification (CNC) curriculum includes 24 in-depth chapters across three sections: Dietary Science, Behavior Change Strategies, and Nutrition Coaching. The course culminates in an open-book final exam that comprises 100 multiple-choice questions, which you should finish inside 90 minutes.
To earn the NASM CNC, you should obtain a rating of no less than 70 percent. You might be allowed to retake the test two more times when you don’t pass initially. In the event you fail all three attempts, you should contact the Member Services team via phone to debate your options. From a price perspective, NASM is barely dearer than ISSA, checking in at around $750. Nonetheless, the organization also offers interest-free financing as an incentive.
NASM Nutrition Certification
4.3
- Cost: Starts at around $66 per thirty days
- Course length: 4 to 10 weeks
- Study materials: Digital learning platform, practice quizzes, downloadable PDF version of the textbook
- Minimum passing rating on final exam: 70 percent
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ISSA vs. ACE
In comparison with ISSA, the American Council on Exercise (ACE) offers a cheaper option for nutrition certification. At slightly below $500, their Fitness Nutrition Specialist Program is perhaps more palatable if you have got a limited budget. Not only does the course include an eBook, video lectures, and quizzes, however it also incorporates a podcast that goes through the main points of every stage of the behavior change process.
Identical to ISSA, ACE requires students to attain no less than a 70 percent on the ultimate exam to earn a passing grade. Not only do you get to take the test at home, but you might be allowed unlimited retakes. Take into account that since the ACE nutrition program is a unbroken education course, you should already hold an NCCA-accredited certification to find a way to make the claim of “specialist.”
ACE Fitness Nutrition Specialist
4.0
- Cost: Starts at around $367
- Course length: 25 hours (around 4 weeks, depending on how often you study)
- Study materials: Fitness nutrition manual, video lectures, podcasts, quizzes
- Minimum passing rating on final exam: 70 percent
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Parting Thoughts on the ISSA Nutritionist Certification Program
As someone who underwent a significant weight-loss journey, I can sympathize with those that struggle to get their nutrition right. Nonetheless, going through the technique of shedding 75 kilos and finding my calling as a private trainer and fitness coach taught me how essential it’s to concentrate on every thing you set into your body. Constructing off that first-hand experience by taking the ISSA nutritionist certification program sharpened my skills and knowledge, opened more doors to make more cash, and most significantly, put me in a stronger position to assist other people achieve their very own physique and health goals.
So, when you’re able to take your profession as a fitness skilled to the following level, don’t hesitate to join a specialization program that each you and your clients can profit from for years to return.