Overview

In this course, you will learn foundational knowledge of the fitness industry and how to begin training clients. It will provide the groundwork and essential skills you will use to progress in your career, as well as gain an understanding of the industry and the role of a personal fitness trainer. You will also learn how to conduct and interpret fitness assessments, which are essential tools for personal trainers to evaluate their clients' fitness levels and design customized training plans. Additionally, you will learn how to apply health screenings and their results in a fitness setting. This knowledge will enable you to identify any potential health risks or limitations that may impact your client’s ability to safely participate in physical activity. By understanding how to apply health screenings and interpret their results, you will be able to design safe and effective fitness programs that meet the unique needs of each client. By the end of the course, you will be able to: • Understand the current state of fitness. • Understand the fitness profession. • Conduct and interpret fitness assessments. • Apply health screenings and their results in a fitness setting.

Syllabus

Week 1 - Understanding the Current State of Fitness

The need for society to be proactive in preventive medicine has perpetuated a strong focus on exercise in recent years. Although it seems like nothing new, exercise has gained some acceptance in society as a viable means to increase quality of life and life expectancy. However, implementing exercise in daily life is met with hesitation and avoidance. Much of this is attributed to the lack of knowledge of exercise applications and benefits in the general population. Upon completion of this week’s lessons, the aspiring fitness professional will be able to:

Week 2 - Guiding Clients to Healthy Lifestyles

Nearly everyone understands the benefits of a healthy lifestyle. However, the typical lifestyle does little to provide the human body with what it needs to maintain proper health. As previously stated, the wealth of technology and automation in the United States has begun to take a toll on public health. Technology advancements have greatly reduced the need for physical exertion in daily life. For that reason, fitness professionals have a great opportunity to connect with clients and help them change their lives for the better! Upon completion of this week’s lessons, the aspiring fitness professional will be able to:

Week 3 - Introduction to Health and Fitness Assessments

Designing an individualized, systematic, integrated fitness assessment can be properly accomplished only by understanding a client’s goals, needs, and abilities. This entails knowing what a client wants to gain from a training program, what a client needs from a program to successfully accomplish their goal(s), and how capable they are of performing the required tasks within an integrated program. The information necessary to create the right program for an individual comes from a proper fitness assessment. Upon completion of this week’s lessons, the prospective fitness professional will be able to:

Week 4 - Performing Fitness Assessments

After discussions of lifestyle and medical history are performed to gather subjective information about a client, it is time to get into the gym and perform objective fitness assessments in order to paint the clearest picture of a client’s fitness needs. These include physiological assessments, body-composition assessments, postural assessments, cardiorespiratory assessments, and muscular endurance and strength assessments. Upon completion of this week’s lessons, the prospective fitness professional will be able to:

Course 1 Final Quiz and Assignment

The final quiz is designed to assess your understanding and mastery of the key concepts covered throughout the course. It will include questions from all the major topics discussed in Weeks 1 to 4, ensuring that you have a solid grasp of the principles and practices of personal fitness training. The final peer-reviewed assignment aims to assess your practical skills in evaluating client information, designing individualized fitness programs, and addressing client-specific needs and motivations. By completing this assignment, you will demonstrate your ability to conduct comprehensive fitness assessments, develop personalized training programs, and construct SMART goals for clients.