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Online Personal Trainer Certification

Fitness Trainer Estimated Time of Completion

Estimated Length of program:
4-8 months, self-paced

Fitness Certification Results

Certification:
National Council on Strength & Fitness [NCSF] Certified Personal Trainer exam

Fitness Trainer Program Estimated Time of Completion

Program Goal:
To prepare students to take the NCSF certification exam and gain entry-level employment in the fitness industry.


Program Outcomes

The Certified Personal Fitness Trainer & Nutritional Specialist Course offers a foundation in exercise physiology and nutrition, focusing on overall wellness and health. Students receive technical training on improving flexibility, muscular strength and endurance, cardiorespiratory fitness, and nutrition. Students also conduct health and fitness assessments and design appropriate fitness and nutrition programs for a vast segment of the population, including those with special needs. In addition, they will be trained to implement business and marketing strategies and effectively employ communication skills.

Jill Bear Instructor

Personal Fitness Instructor/Course Expert

Jeanie Sutter, M.S.

At U.S. Career Institute, our dedicated team of course experts, instructors and instructor assistants are committed to developing and delivering high-quality curriculum. Our qualified Personal Fitness Program instructor Jeanie Sutter, not only possesses extensive qualifications but has also actively worked in the field. This firsthand experience allows her to provide invaluable support to ensure the success of our aspiring Personal Fitness students.

The coursework trains students to:

  • Apply the skills needed to obtain entry-level personal fitness and nutritional specialist positions.
  • Demonstrate the functions of fitness equipment, including machines, free weights, fit balls, weight benches and more.
  • Explain the science of exercise, including muscle mass and flexibility.
  • Evaluate a client’s body composition, muscle strength, muscular endurance, and cardiorespiratory fitness, using fat mass and heart rate calculations.
  • Explain the role of fats, carbohydrates, protein, vitamins, minerals, and water in nutrition.
  • Calculate the calories necessary to maintain or lose weight and increase or decrease muscle mass.
  • Develop exercise programs and nutritional guidance programs for individual clients.
  • Discuss ethics, boundaries, and confidentiality in relation to starting a business.
  • Explain informed consent and the standards of professional conduct.
  • Apply mental assessment tools to help motivate and aid clients.
  • Obtain certification through the National Council on Strength and Fitness (NCSF).
Online Fitness Trainer school training outcomes

Curriculum

Instruction Pack I: Personal Fitness Training, Nutrition and Physiology

Students explore the demand for personal fitness trainers and nutritional specialists and career opportunities in the fields of fitness, health, and wellness industries. Then, students learn the psychology of wellness and how lifestyle, motivation and expectation play a role in any fitness regime. Additionally, students gain an introduction to nutrition and how to effectively fuel activity. Finally, students learn the basics of exercise physiology.

Instruction Pack II: Cardiovascular Fitness and Muscle Anatomy and Physiology

Students learn theory and applications of cardiovascular exercise and energy production. Students then continue their anatomical and physiological studies as they closely examine how muscles work. They practice isometric, dynamic resistance and isokinetic exercises, as well as stretching and flexibility techniques.

Instruction Pack III: Fitness Equipment, Movement and Support I and Ethics for the Trainer

Instruction Pack III introduces students to the various types of equipment and clothing used in the fitness industry. Students then focus on the anatomy and physiology of upper body movement and support, covering the torso, the chest, upper back, shoulder girdle and arm. Students also learn about ethical and legal issues for the personal fitness trainer and nutritional specialist to consider.

Instruction Pack IV: Movement and Support II, Injury Prevention, Safety Precautions and Flexibility

Students study the anatomy and physiology of the pelvis and leg. They also learn to recognize, treat, and prevent injury. Additionally, students explore the theory and anatomy and physiology of stretching and developing flexibility. Students then take their studies to an interpersonal level––the initial client interview and how to assess a client’s goals, needs, desires and level of physical fitness.

Instruction Pack V: Exercise Prescriptions, Training for Weight Loss/Gain and First Aid

Students learn to manage training methods, intensity, duration, frequency, progression, and balance in fitness programs. Additionally, this instruction pack focuses on training methods and nutritional guidance for clients who want to gain or lose weight. Students learn basic first aid and emergency procedures. The course culminates in a practicum that allows students to develop appropriate fitness and nutritional prescriptions for a variety of hypothetical clients.

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