RIDICULOUS

I will be the first to admit that I am a bit of a "certification snob."  I am proud of the time and work I put into my education and I am proud to be certified by the NSCA.  I am proud to be a personal trainer even with the stereotypical view that all trainers are big muscle bound guys or girls in sports bras and short shorts.  Many know that this is not the case, but public perception is everything. 
Now when it comes to certifications, I always lean towards the best as in NSCA, NASM, ACSM, and ACE.  However doing a quick Google search, there are pages and pages of "certifications."  Some that you only need to take an online course and be ready to train people in a number of hours. 

RIDICULOUS

Now today, I get word from a client that there was a freaking Groupon discounting an online personal trainer certification. Insane

That is a giant slap in the face to me, to any trainer that has ever put time into their education.  No reputable certification would discount their education like this.  This is where the industry fails in my opinion.  If you can have "online certs" or groupons for certs, then we as an industry have failed to fight that stereotype of big dumb trainers. 

And yes I know certifications are only as good as the paper they are printed on, which is why more comprehensive educational courses need to be designed. 

I'm not even mad at this point, I'm extremely disappointed that this is happening.  Currently I am working on a presentation on health care that I am super excited about, and the lack of personal training standards is one of the biggest aspects of that presentation.  Call me a cert snob, but if we are to be taken seriously in the world of health care, we need to step up to the plate and claim our spot.  Fighting nonsense like this and setting standards is a great place to start.