News
By Jason O'Dell · 2026-11-03
Gold's Gym and NASM announced a partnership that makes the NASM Certified Personal Trainer (CPT) credential required for the Gold's Standard Personal Trainer program at company-owned Gold's locations. If you want to train at a Gold's club, or you watch where the big chains are heading on hiring, your choice of certification now matters more.
Gold's Gym and NASM announced a partnership, reported on November 3, 2026. The NASM-CPT becomes the official, required certification for the Gold's Standard Personal Trainer program at company-owned Gold's locations. NASM's Physique and Bodybuilding Coach specialisation becomes a standard advanced credential at those locations too.
The credentials are also built into Gold's personal training leveling system. That gives trainers a defined path to move up, and it ties that path to NASM. Crunch Fitness and NASM recently launched a similar guaranteed-interview program. Two big chains doing this suggests hiring and pay levels are being tied to a single certifier. That is a pattern to watch, not a rule for the whole industry.
What to do this week: check which certification you hold today. If you want to work at a Gold's company-owned club, plan for the NASM-CPT and read the details on the Gold's page linked below. If you already hold it, look at the Physique and Bodybuilding Coach specialisation as a next step. If you train independently, nothing here forces a change, but it is worth knowing what the large employers in your area now ask for.
One note on the facts: the date comes from a single search summary, and I did not confirm the exact publish dates on the Athletech News and Gold's Gym pages. Check the sources before you make decisions about your own certification.
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