Personal Trainer

Summary

This program trains students to be personal trainers and group exercise leaders. Emphasis is placed on the principles of exercise and physical conditioning, techniques of leading individual and group exercise classes, assessment protocols, strategies for working with special populations, appropriate methods to establishing healthy behavior, and the designing of personalized exercise programs. Students learn to develop safe, effective exercise plans for a variety of clients.

The fitness industry continues to experience growth and has an ongoing need for professionally qualified group exercise instructors and personal trainers in health clubs, gyms, fitness centers, and sports medicine clinics.

This program prepares students for the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), American Council of Exercise (ACE), National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM), and many other National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA) accredited Personal Trainer and Group Exercise Instructor certification exams. Please note that students enrolled in an occupational program must earn a grade of "C" or better in courses required for the major.

Learning Outcome(s): Students who complete the Personal Trainer Program will be able to:

1. Demonstrate movement competence as it relates to physical activity, fitness, and sport.
2. Design exercise programs to improve key fitness components, including cardiovascular endurance, muscular endurance, muscular strength, flexibility, and body composition.
3. Articulate knowledge of how physical activity influences health across the lifespan, emphasizing its role in chronic disease prevention and quality of life.
4. Apply concepts of wellness, physical activity, and exercise to develop programs that promote overall health and well-being for individuals and communities.
5. Utilize current exercise science technologies, tools and software for assessment, program design, and analysis to enhance learning, performance, and research outcomes.

Requirements