Make a difference in the lives of others by helping individuals improve their health through physical fitness. According to the AJC, personal training is one of the fastest growing job industries in Georgia with a growth of 32% since 2008. This program will teach you to assess individual fitness levels and create customized plans to help clients achieve personal fitness goals.

The course is comprised of a combination of classroom lecture and hands-on training in our on-site fitness center. You will learn the basics of human anatomy, exercise physiology, nutrition, principles of motivation, behavior change, and building client rapport. Upon completion, you will develop a fully-customized exercise program for a prospective client. HIPAA security and privacy are also covered.

This certificate program will assist you in preparing for the American Council on Exercise Certified Personal Trainer (CPT) exam. Tuition includes American Heart Association Heartsaver® CPR AED training. Exam fee and textbooks are additional. Textbooks are required at the first class meeting and are available at the KSU Center Bookstore.

Learning Outcomes:

• Recall the basics of human anatomy, exercise physiology, applied kinesiology, and nutrition as it relates to personal training.
• Define the principles of adherence, motivation, behavior change, and health psychology.
• Identify and apply the components of the ACE Integrated Fitness Training Model.
• Collect and conduct health and exercise history information assessments.
• Identify the components of Functional Training, including assessments, programming, progressions for posture, movement, core, balance, and flexibility.
• Identify the guidelines and considerations for effective physiological assessments.
• Identify the components of effective resistance training, including programming and progressions.
• Identify the components of effective cardiorespiratory training, including programming and progressions.
• Describe the professional and legal responsibilities and business strategies of a personal trainer.
• Identify exercise programs for special populations, including mind-body exercises and preventing common musculoskeletal injuries.

Prerequisite: High School Diploma or equivalency. Working knowledge of computers and access to computer and Internet are required.