|
Certificate Course Descriptions:
The Online Professional Certificate in Personal Fitness Training is an instructor led, web-based, interactive educational experience that includes input and guidance from outstanding faculty/instructors drawn from colleges/universities, the allied health/medical field, and the personal fitness training profession. Students can elect to take the Advanced Professional Certificate in Personal Fitness Training, which requires an additional 3 courses (see below).
The certificate program is designed to supply essential education integrating exercise science curriculum and practical training techniques into a systematic model that teaches students to progress their clients through different training levels and phases. Students will be prepared for careers working at medically-based fitness facilities, community wellness programs, personal training studios, physical therapy clinics, corporate fitness centers, YMCA’s/JCC’s, and private and commercial health clubs.
The Personal Fitness Training certificate program has five required courses:
Course 1: Introduction to Exercise Science - Level 1 (Anatomy and Kinesiology)
In
this course, students gain an understanding of musculoskeletal and
functional anatomy and the effects of exercise placed on joint
structures during exercise movements. Emphasis is placed on learning
about proper body alignment, joint range of motion (ROM), basic
biomechanics, and kinesiological principles to the development of safe
and effective exercise programs.
Course 2: Introduction to Exercise Science - Level 2 (Exercise Physiology)
This
course is designed to teach the personal trainer how the muscular,
skeletal, and cardiorespiratory systems function with and without
exercise conditioning. Additional topics include energy metabolism,
neuromuscular function, and the physiology of exercise in relation to
training programs and environmental considerations.
Course 3: Health Risk Profiles and Fitness Assessment Techniques
This
course teaches students how to assess and evaluate cardiorespiratory
endurance, muscular testing techniques, joint ROM, flexibility, body-fat
analysis, blood pressure, and body measurements based on ACSM
guidelines. Topics include client screening procedures, medical and
health history intake forms, identifying high-risk clients, determining
the appropriate test, conducting the test, and evaluating the results.
Course 4: Business Administration and Management Aspects for Personal Trainers
This
course gives personal trainers a solid background in developing or
starting a personal training business and prepares them for financial
management, marketing strategies, and business plan development.
Techniques for effective management include standards and guidelines,
facility/studio personnel management, and operational issues from a
small personal training (PT) studio to managing a PT department at a
large health facility.
Course 5: Designing Exercise Prescriptions for Normal/Special Populations
This
course teaches how to develop an exercise prescription in relation to
health implications for normal/special populations related to age,
medical condition, and fitness level. Topics include cardiac conditions,
diabetes, physical disabilities, HIV and AIDS, asthma, sensory
impairments, pregnancy, and program design for children to senior
populations. This course is designed as a research-based class with
emphasis on designing a step-by-step process to creating individualized
exercise programs.
Course 6: Optional Elective - Field Internship in Personal Fitness Training
Prerequisite: 5 Core Courses and CPR Certification
NOTE:
This course is an optional course and is not required to receive the
Professional Certificate. Learn to work with professionals in the
fitness and health industry for a hands-on experience working with
members at fitness facilities and health centers. Students intern for 60
total hours in this course
The Advanced Personal Fitness Training certificate program, in addition to the above courses, has 3 additional required courses:
Course 1: Nutritional Analysis and Management
Students
will study the basic nutrition principles and how to apply them when
designing structured nutritional programs for clients in collaboration
with registered dietitians and nutritionists. The focus will be on
vitamin, mineral, and supplement knowledge; the effects of nutrition on
the exerciser and non-exerciser; strategies for successful weight
management; and recognizing normal to disordered eating patterns.
Course 2: The Science and Biomechanics of Resistance/Weight Training Techniques
This
course teaches an educational systematic approach to teaching
resistance/weight training movements. The practical application of
anatomy, physiology, and body alignment is introduced to analyze weight
training techniques, exercise equipment, and the risk/benefit analysis
of a specific exercise chosen. Equipment modalities reviewed include
stability balls, exercise bands, free weights, body weight, and
commercial strength equipment.
Course 3: Functional Flexibility, Core and Balance Training
Students
will study principles and techniques for evaluation and implementation
of exercise prescriptions that include instruction in flexibility, core,
and balance training. Students will learn how the beginning phases of
an exercise program are based upon the starting point/level of the
client based upon performance of initial assessments, neurological
ability, and individual goals. In addition, students will learn to
implement the Sequential Exercise Training (SET) Model to enhance
posture, body alignment, stability, proprioception, and awareness to
more complicated exercise movements or functional movements.
Format of Online Program:
Online Program Requirements:
- A computer with email and internet connection
- Online students should have basic computer knowledge
Additional Course Materials: (Order information will be received after certificate registration)
Our Refund Policy: Once you receive the access procedures for the course(s)/program(s) you registered for, NO refunds will be accepted.
|
