Personal Fitness Trainer Specialist Certificate Program

Personal Fitness Trainer Specialist Certificate Program

This training program combines a two course training track:

  • Personal Fitness Trainer - Level 1
  • Personal Fitness Trainer - Level 2

This Program elaborates on all major aspects of preventative rehabilitation and fitness programs. We provide students with the information necessary to address the knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA) set forth by ACSM. The contributions of experts in the field are featured, showcasing their expertise in physiology, kinesiology, fitness, cardiology, pulmonary medicine, and epidemiology. The content of this course comprises both theoretical and practical physiological concepts, with related examples of exercise testing, training, and programming.

The Job Outlook

Employment of fitness trainers and instructors is expected to grow by 10 percent from 2016 to 2026, faster than the average for all occupations. As businesses and insurance organizations continue to recognize the benefits of health and fitness programs for their employees, incentives to join gyms or other types of health clubs is expected to increase the need for fitness trainers and instructors. Some businesses may even decide to open their own onsite facility to decrease the need for their employees to travel for exercise.

Personal Fitness Trainer – Level 1 (270 Hours)

Personal Fitness Trainer – Level 1 contains essential information for students interested in a career as a personal trainer. This course provides an introduction to the profession along with coverage of exercise physiology, biomechanics, anatomy, motor learning, and nutrition. In this Personal Fitness Trainer – Level 1 course you will learn how to establish goals for clients and assess strength, flexibility, and risk as well as develop resistance, cardiorespiratory and flexibility training programs. Learn to be a Personal Trainer and change people's lives!.

After completing this course, you should be able to:

  • Identify current trends in the field of personal training
  • Recall biomechanics and nutritional needs for fitness
  • Define coaching and behavior modification theory
  • Identify the steps for an initial client screening and exercise program development
  • Recognize the principles for starting your own business and how to address legal issues

Personal Fitness Trainer Level 2 (270 Hours)

Personal Fitness Trainer - Level 2 prepares you to take the ACSM's certification exam. This course elaborates on all major aspects of preventative rehabilitation and fitness programs. We provide students with the information necessary to address the knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA) set forth by ACSM. The contributions of experts in the field are featured, showcasing their expertise in physiology, kinesiology, fitness, cardiology, pulmonary medicine, and epidemiology. The content of this course comprises both theoretical and practical physiological concepts, with related examples of exercise testing, training, and programming.

After completing this course, you should be able to:

  • Recognize the principles of physiology, nutrition and body composition
  • Identify the steps to perform a health screening and fitness assessment tests and procedures
  • Recall the basics of exercise prescription for chronic diseases, such as pulmonary or cardiorespiratory disease
  • Identify the benefits and risks of regular exercise and maintaining a healthy weight
  • Recite factors to consider when forming an exercise prescription for patients and population

Prerequisite: Personal Fitness Trainer - Level 1


Personal Fitness Trainer Module 1

Introduction to the Field and Profession of Personal Training

  • The Fitness Industry: An Overview of the Landscape
  • Personal Trainer’s Scope of Practice
  • The Backgrounds of Personal Trainers
  • Establishing a Solid Knowledge Base
  • Professional Work Environments
  • Ethics and Professional Conduct
  • Client Expectations of a Personal Trainer
  • Where Do I Start My Career?
  • Rewarding Career Paths
  • Continuing Education and Career Development

Personal Fitness Trainer Module 2

Anatomy, Kinesiology and Biomechanical Principles

  • Body Position
  • Joint Movement
  • Musculoskeletal Anatomy
  • Joint Anatomy
  • Mechanical Laws of Motion
  • Vector Quantities
  • Power for Rotational Movements
  • Muscular Anatomy and Force
  • Biometrics of Selected Physical Activities

Personal Fitness Trainer Module 3

Exercise Physiology and Nutrition

  • Systems of the Body
  • Acute Responses
  • Energy Systems
  • Oxygen Requirement
  • Nutritional Concepts
  • Vitamins and Minerals
  • Hydration
  • Special Food Conditions
  • Understanding a Food Label

Personal Fitness Trainer Module 4

Behavior Change and Client Focus

  • Challenges of Behavior Changes
  • Transtheoretical Model (TTM)
  • Health Belief Model
  • Theory of Planned Behavior
  • Social Cognitive Theory
  • Goal Setting Theory
  • Helping Clients Stay Active
  • Self-Efficacy
  • Motivation
  • Increase Adherence

Personal Fitness Trainer Module 5

Coaching and Initial Client Consultation

  • Coaching Techniques
  • Active Listening
  • Developing Rapport
  • The 5 As Model of Behavior Change Counseling
  • Methods of Communication
  • Successful Client Relations
  • Relationship Marketing
  • Power of Nonverbal Communication
  • Generating Clients
  • Components of the Consultation
  • Client Communication

Personal Fitness Trainer Module 6

Screening and Fitness Assessments

  • The Screening Process
  • Risk Categories
  • Exercise Testing
  • Medical Clearance and Referral
  • Sequence of Assessments
  • Heart Rate
  • Blood Pressure
  • Body Composition
  • CRF Assessment
  • Muscular Strength Assessment

Personal Fitness Trainer Module 7

Program Design and Resistance Training Programs

  • Physiological Benefits of an Exercise Program
  • Muscular Fitness
  • Intensity, Time, and Duration
  • Flexibility
  • Anatomy of an Exercise Session
  • General Resistance Training Principles
  • Program Design Process
  • Resistance Training Modalities
  • Needs Analysis
  • Resistance Exercises

Personal Fitness Trainer Module 8

Cardiorespiratory and Flexibility Programs

  • General Training Principles
  • Cardiovascular Endurance
  • Benefits and Risk of Flexibility Training
  • Evaluating Flexibility
  • Three Types of Stretching
  • Static and Dynamic
  • Rationale for Flexibility Training
  • Flexibility Development Program

Personal Fitness Trainer Module 9

Functional Movement Assessments and Session Components

  • Sensorimotor Control
  • Mediators of Proprioception, Mobility, and Stability
  • Neutral Position
  • Assessment and Prescription
  • Optimal Client Care and Customer Service
  • Appropriate Sequencing
  • Education and Motivation

Personal Fitness Trainer Module 10

Program Options and Special Populations

  • Advanced Training Status
  • Advanced Program Design
  • Programming for Children
  • Programming for Older Adults
  • Resistance Training Guidelines for Older Adults
  • Balance Exercises
  • Programming for Clients with CVD
  • Programming during Pregnancy and Postpartum
  • Programming for Clients with Diabetes
  • Programming for Obese Clients

Personal Fitness Trainer Module 11

Business Planning and Legal Issues

  • Personal Trainer’s Position
  • Business Success
  • Training and Empowering Personal Trainers
  • Fitness Management
  • Starting a Business
  • Administration
  • Effectively Minimizing Risk
  • Scope of Practice and Professional Collaboration
  • Comprehensive Risk Management Program

Personal Fitness Trainer Module 1

Physical Activity and Preexercise Evaluation

  • Physical Activity and Fitness Terminology
  • Public Health Perspectives
  • Sedentary Behavior and Health
  • Health Benefits of Improving Muscular Fitness
  • Exercise-Related Cardiac Events in Adults
  • Preparticipation Health Screening
  • Screening Algorithm
  • Medical Fitness Facilities
  • Preexercise Evaluation
  • Physical Examination and Laboratory Tests

Personal Fitness Trainer Module 2

Health-Related Physical Fitness Testing and Interpretation

  • Purposes of Health-Related Physical Fitness Testing
  • Basic Principles and Guidelines
  • Measurement of Resting Heart Rate and Blood Pressure
  • Body Composition
  • Cardiorespiratory Fitness
  • Muscular Fitness
  • Flexibility

Personal Fitness Trainer Module 3

Clinical Exercise Testing and Interpretation

  • Indications for a Clinical Exercise Test
  • Conducting the Clinical Exercise Test
  • Monitoring and Test Termination
  • Heart Rate Response
  • Electrocardiogram
  • Exercise Capacity
  • Interpreting the Clinical Exercise Test
  • Diagnostic Value of Exercise Testing for the Detection of Ischemic Heart Disease
  • Clinical Exercise Tests with Imaging
  • Field Walking Tests

Personal Fitness Trainer Module 4

General Principles of Exercise Population

  • Principles of Exercise Prescription
  • Components of the Exercise Training Session
  • Aerobic Exercise
  • Muscular Fitness
  • Flexibility Exercise (Stretching)
  • Neuromotor Exercise
  • Sedentary Behavior and Brief Activity Breaks
  • Exercise Program Supervision

Personal Fitness Trainer Module 5

Exercise Prescription for Healthy Populations with Special Considerations

  • Child and Adolescents
  • Low Back Pain
  • Older Adults
  • Pregnancy
  • Exercise Testing
  • Exercise Prescription
  • Special Considerations

Personal Fitness Trainer Module 6

Environmental Considerations for Exercise Prescription

  • Exercise in High-Altitude Environments
  • Medical Considerations
  • Rapid Ascent
  • Exercise in Cold Environments
  • Clothing Considerations
  • Cold Injuries
  • Exercise in Hot Environments
  • Exertional Heat Illnesses

Personal Fitness Trainer Module 7

Exercise for Cardiac, Peripheral, Cerebrovascular, and Pulmonary Disease

  • Cardiac Diseases
  • Inpatient and Outpatient Cardiac Rehabilitation Programs
  • Patients with Heart Failure
  • Exercise Prescription for Patients witha Cerebrovascular Accident (Stroke)
  • Exercise Training for Return to Work
  • Pulmonary Diseases
  • Asthma
  • Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Personal Fitness Trainer Module 8

Exercise for Metabolic Disease and Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors

  • Diabetes Mellitus
  • Benefits of Regular Physical Activity for Diabetes
  • Dyslipidemia
  • Hypertension
  • Metabolic Syndrome
  • Overweight and Obesity
  • Bariatric Surgery

Personal Fitness Trainer Module 9

Populations with Other Chronic Diseases and Health Conditions

  • Arthritis
  • Cancer
  • Cerebral Palsy
  • Fibromyalgia
  • Human Immunodeficiency Virus
  • Intellectual Disability and Down Syndrome
  • Kidney Disease
  • Multiple Sclerosis
  • Osteoporosis
  • Parkinson Disease
  • Spinal Cord Injury

Personal Fitness Trainer Module 10

Behavioral Theories and Strategies for Promoting Exercise

  • Exercise Prescription
  • Theoretical Foundations for Understanding Exercise Behavior
  • Decreasing Barriers to Physical Activity
  • Cognitive and Behavioral Strategies for Increasing Physical Activity Behavior
  • Exercise Adoption and Adherence
  • Special Populations

**Outlines are subject to change, as courses and materials are updated.**

Certification

Personal Fitness Trainer-Level 1

Upon successful completion of our Personal Fitness Trainer Level 1 and 2 courses, students will be prepared for an entry-level position as a Personal Fitness Trainer in a health & fitness setting and will be prepared to sit for the ACSM national certification exam to become a Certified Personal Trainer (CPT).

N/A

Course Features

Request Information