Raleigh | Durham, NC Testimonials
Back to Raleigh | Durham, NC
Here at Camp Gladiator, we are thrilled to have NPTI students and graduates applying and auditioning for positions with our team. We know they are prepared not only in knowledge but in experience of both private training and group/boot camp training. These students, upon exiting their curriculum are among the best prepared for the industry. We highly recommend the NPTI program for individuals proactively seeking a successful and life-long career in the fitness industry.
We teach you skills and the art of sculpting yourself and others” this is the slogan that I first read when I opened the NPTI website six months ago. I am now a graduate of NPTI, Raleigh. I am writing this to state my satisfaction with the course, as well as my satisfaction with the teaching methods of Mr. Charles Bratton. After successfully completing six months I have absorbed everything I can, not only from the curriculum, but from Mr. Charles Bratton’s very own example.
Six months ago I walked into class with almost no knowledge of the fitness industry. NPTI has given me the education, skills and insight to become a valued professional as a personal trainer, ready for the work force. Not only did I not have much knowledge of the fitness industry, I was not in the best possible health for my genetic capacity. I believe that because training includes 300 hours of classroom instruction plus 200 hours of supervised, hands on gym experience I was able to put into practice the skills and knowledge learned that day and improve my health and well being to my satisfaction.
My instructor, Mr. Bratton became more than the course instructor. Mr. Charles Bratton quickly converted into my role model. His teaching methods are easy to adapt to and very comprehensive which allowed me to escalate my education rapidly. His support during the 200 hours of hands on gym time helped me retain his trademark secrets and trainer qualities that will help me in my new career.
His body language was never intimidating and it helped me and the whole class feel welcome and part of the family. I believe Charles Bratton is over qualified for this position because of his business and marketing degree and experience. If I had asked for the perfect instructor, I am positive Charles Bratton is on the top 5 list of perfect instructors.
I recommend, without reservation, the NPTI program as well as the instructor and my role model Charles Bratton. NPTI offers a wide range of educational topics incorporated into the lesson plan that are vital to any professional personal trainer. Charles delivers these topics in the most professional and efficient manner possible. I am both grateful and thankful for joining NPTI.
NPTI offers the most practical educational program that a future personal trainer can experience. In the first 6 months of my new job, I have met nearly every single special population client that was discussed at the school. The nutritional education prepared me to guide clients through their diet plans and the exercise program designs have prepared me to work with a range of clients from total beginner to trained athletes. NPTI has everything a novice needs to get started in the passion of personal training and helping our society become physically and nutritionally healthier. If you are fortunate enough to attend the Raleigh location then you will appreciate the expert knowledge of Alan Wiest and his excellent mentor/teacher disposition. I thoroughly enjoyed the challenge of learning the science behind fitness and health and would love attending the school again but am too busy training clients!
As a graduate of NPTI I am currently on the path to have a long and successful career in the fitness world. With the knowledge and confidence I acquired in the program I never feel like I spend a day at work, instead I get to do what I love while making a lucrative living. The instructor for NPTI Raleigh, Alan Wiest, gave me insight from his years of experience and made me aware of what would be expected of me before I entered the field of personal training. Choosing to attend NPTI was one of the most rewarding decisions I have ever made in my life, both for a career decision and my personal health.
My motivation for entering the fitness industry came from my passion for helping others and understanding the importance of taking care of our bodies. When I made an appointment with Alan Wiest, who is the instructor for NPTI of Raleigh, my interest as an allied health professional quickly grew and I made the decision to invest in this program. With each passing day, I became more assured I had made the right decision and loved learning about the human body, nutrition, and how to help others as an educated personal trainer.
Alan has the utmost dedication to the program and to his students as well. Science was not my strong suit in school and I was amazed with the way Alan simplified complex concepts and made them understandable. Alan clearly values education and is passionate about expanding the number of knowledgeable, educated personal trainers in this industry. Alan has been a huge asset to all of the students as he offers a patient approach to education, and a wealth of knowledge and experience. My experience at NPTI has been extremely valuable and I feel confident that I can train people at varied fitness levels to reach their personal goals with safe and effective work-out programs. This program has far exceeded any expectations I had in the beginning and I would recommend the program to anyone interested in beginning a career in the fitness industry.
Before I joined NPTI I did a lot or research as to what would work best for me. I learn much better with hands on experience and that is what you get at NPTI. NPTI is the only program where you get a tremendous amount of practical experience. You graduate ready and comfortable to train anyone in all areas of fitness. My instructor, Alan Wiest, made learning the material fun. He explained all the material in a way that made it easy to comprehend and was ALWAYS there to help if you needed extra assistance. I would not have traded my experience at NPTI for anything. It truly changed my life.
Becoming a part of the NPTI family turned out to be the best career investment I’ve ever made. Their comprehensive curriculum provided me with the knowledge and experience necessary to excel as an elite fitness professional. As a graduate, I feel a sense of credibility and an unwavering confidence that has empowered me to successfully launch my exciting new career!
I have always been interested in healthy eating and fitness and had been thinking about taking personal training instruction for several years before I came across NPTI. But the years snuck up on me and my age was holding me back. I’ve just turned 50, and having been out of the work force for a couple of years, I was afraid I “shouldn’t” be endeavoring upon such a youthful adventure.
I’m only halfway through the program but so far the class has given me new knowledge, more strength, an immense amount of self-confidence, more self-esteem, more self-respect, some healthy humility, and an ability to laugh at myself. For so long, I had kept myself in a box, thinking I couldn’t do things because of my age when the main thing wrong about that was my thinking. There are people out there I can help at any age. All I need is the desire to do it and the determination to succeed at it.
We have an awesome instructor, Alan Wiest, who fills the program with positive energy, knowledge, and enthusiasm. It’s an atmosphere where students can thrive, learn, grow strong, and go out and help others. You’re never too old to learn something new and through Alan’s training, I want to be one of those grandmas who teach power-cleaning instead of a knitting class.
After making a drastic career change, I knew I wanted to enter the health and wellness industry, but I was not sure in exactly what capacity. I discovered NPTI online and made an appointment to meet with the director of the Raleigh program, Alan Wiest. Admittedly, I was not expecting to have an overwhelming interest in the program, but I was exploring all options and this was one of them. I thought it could balance out my interests in wellness while I prepared to go back to grad school. That said, after meeting with Alan, I was sold. The program has so much more to offer than could be explained on a website, and the primary reason for that is the instructor. The curriculum is comprehensive and challenging, and it prepared me for realistic experiences. However, I know I would not have gotten as much out of it if it weren’t for the teaching skills, passion, enthusiasm, and intelligence that Alan brought to the classroom daily. His genuine interest in each student’s success was obvious, and his willingness to go above and beyond to help students network, find jobs, experience different training settings, and teach in “outside of the box” ways was invaluable. He even made learning biomechanics fun. . . and that is not to be taken lightly. In fact, even after finishing the program, I continue to hear from Alan with ideas, opportunities, contacts, and encouragement as we all get our feet off the ground in this fantastic industry. I can truly say that NPTI Raleigh was a far better foundation for my personal training certification than I ever could have anticipated prior to beginning the program, and that is largely due to the singularly talented and driven instructor. I feel confident moving forward that I have the knowledge and experience to be successful in this industry, and I had such a great time doing it. If anyone is on the edge in trying to decide if this is the right choice for them, don’t overthink it. You will have no regrets!
NPTI equipped me with a solid knowledge base to start my own personal training business. Alan’s teaching methods are dynamic and match different learning styles, levels of knowledge and training experience. His clear explanations of exercise science concepts particularly helped me, as a newcomer to personal training, gain the knowledge and confidence I needed to design appropriate programs for a wide variety of clients.
Understanding the principles of nutrition, energy balance and hydration are key to a personal trainer’s ability to assist clients with achieving their fitness goals. Kerrie’s use of hands-on assignments helped me learn these principles and apply them to myself. Food logs, assessments and team game competitions are some of the techniques she uses to make the material stick. Kerrie’s course gave me confidence in my ability to provide my clients with reliable nutrition information.
I found attending the 6-month day session of NPTI at the Raleigh location to be a rewarding experience. I began the program following graduation from undergrad with a degree in nutrition. Having had only one sports nutrition course while in college and no exercise science background, the NPTI curriculum nicely filled in the gaps in my education. The nutrition information served as a review, keeping the material fresh in my mind. I think that the curriculum covers everything you need to know from nutrition to program design to the energy systems and business start up. You will graduate feeling as though you have received an education well worth your money.
The instructor did a great job teaching the program. In addition to being knowledgeable on the subjects taught in the program, he also genuinely cares about each student going through the program. He was always willing to stay late to help students with areas they were having trouble with and was timely in responding to email questions. Having had his own training company he was able to provide students with lots of personal experiences, both successes and failures, to learn from. One of my favorite aspects of the program was the guest speakers and field trips that the instructor went out of his way to coordinate for us. For those starting their own company Derrick Wilburn did an amazing job speaking to our class. I personally liked visiting the Athletic Lab facility in Cary, NC where we were taught now to perform Olympic lifts. Additionally, the instructor was helpful with providing the class with any job prospects he heard about.
Overall I feel that the NPTI program taught me a wide range of information in the field of personal training. Beyond the classroom, the program was great for meeting people with similar interests and gave me the confidence to go into any gym or developed a workout program for a variety of clientele. Following completion of the NPTI program I conducted an internship with Verizon’s Corporate Health and Wellness Center in Cary, NC. Throughout my internship I used the education I obtained through NPTI to motivate, coach, and train Verizon’s employees. Often while training, individuals would say “this is a new exercise” or “I’ve never done this before” and it was always something I had learned while attending NPTI. I was able to jump right in and teach group exercises with the experience I had from the weekly Monday group exercise classes in NPTI. One final benefit from the program is that training after two hours a day, four days a week for six months, you compete the program in great shape!
Attending NPTI definitely made the difference for me! I had obtained my ACE Personal Trainer Certification prior to enrolling in the program, but discovered that without any hands on experience it was very difficult to find employment. Then I heard of NPTI from a friend, researched it online, and met with Alan Wiest, the instructor at the Raleigh school. I became very impressed, and decided to enroll. It is a decision I don’t regret, as I found employment as a personal trainer less than a month after graduation!
Alan is a knowledgeable instructor who also carries a lot of passion and enthusiasm for the subjects that he teaches. He sincerely cares about his students, and wants each and every one of them to succeed. Thanks to the networking that Alan does with area fitness professionals, the NPTI curriculum is known and highly regarded among local employers. If you want a quality education that delivers the knowledge and confidence you need to become successful as a personal trainer, NPTI is the way to go!
NPTI in Raleigh, NC has prepared me for a career as a personal trainer far beyond my expectations. Coming out of NPTI I was extremely comfortable to embrace my new career. The instructors are extremely knowledgeable and want to help in any way they can. Kerrie Ferguson was my nutrition instructor who gave me the confidence to give my clients great nutritional advice. Kerrie was always able to explain things so we could grasp them and to be able to teach them. Going to NPTI and learning under Kerrie was one of the best decisions I have ever made.
I’m so grateful I had the opportunity to attend NPTI and work with Dr. Kerrie Ferguson. Whether in the gym or the classroom, Kerrie did a fantastic job engaging her students and making the subject matter relevant and memorable for all of us. Now a personal trainer myself, I try to coach my clients the way Kerrie teaches — with enthusiasm, empathy and conviction.
NPTI was a major stepping stone in my life. I have always wanted to be in a business where I am able to help others. Being a student at NPTI has changed my life and the lives of those close to me, in a good way.
The NPTI instructors are very good at guiding students to a successful career. I am thankful for them and the NPTI program for being a part of my journey. I recommend this program to anyone who loves fitness and is interested in learning about the human body.
My time at NPTI has ignited me to look deeper into myself and how I will respond to the outside world, when it comes to science and chemistry. I am now looking into Biochemistry in relation to my body and nature. I have taken your last day in class advice, where you encouraged us to continue our field of study. I have been reading and meditating a lot on exercise. I have come to realize that I have a lot more to offer after taking a run through NPTI.
Thank you again for your time and your service over the last six months of my life: they were definitely some of the most significant months I’ve encountered during my stay in the United States of America. You are certainly a master at what you do and NPTI will continue to produce great trainers and some of the best coaches who will impact the world, because of instructors like you.
