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Online Certificates in Personal Fitness Training and Advanced Personal Fitness Training
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The online Professional Certificate in Personal Fitness Training is a collaboration between Thomas Edison State College, the College-University Partners Network™, industry experts, faculty members, internship affiliates and national organizations. This interactive, comprehensive Web-based certificate program with an optional field internship elective course will allow students to fit courses into their busy work and home schedules, go online wherever they are and complete the certificate within five months; or have up to two years if necessary. The noncredit program is offered in partnership with the American Council on Exercise (ACE), allowing graduating certificate students a preferred discount on the ACE Personal Training Certification Exam and study materials. Current ACE certified professionals who complete courses in the Certificate in Personal Fitness Training program will earn ACE continuing education credits toward recertification. In addition, the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR), the credentialing agency for the American Dietetic Association (ADA) has approved the Certificate in Personal Training program for 150 Continuing Professional Education Units (CPEUs), the Advanced Certificate program for 90 CPEUs, and the Optional Field Internship Course for 60 CPEUs for both Registered Dietitian (RDs) and Dietetic Technician-Registered (DTRs).
Certificate structure and start date:
The certificate, advanced certificate and elective internship courses are offered three times a year in the fall, spring and summer semesters. View the Program Schedule.
To earn the Professional Certificate in Personal Training, students are required to complete all five core courses. Students may also elect to take the Optional Field Internship upon completion. Students who have completed the Professional Certificate in Personal Fitness Training may register for the Advanced Personal Fitness Training Program, which requires three additional courses and is designed for students interested in furthering their personal training education by incorporating specialized resistance training, functional movements and nutritional programs for their clients.
Professional Certificate in Personal Fitness Training
Course 2: Introduction to Exercise Science-Level II (Exercise Physiology)
Course 3: Health Risk Profiles and Fitness Assessment Techniques
Course 4: Business Administration and Management Aspects for Personal Trainers
Course 5: Designing Exercise Prescriptions for Normal/Special Populations
Elective Course: Optional Field Internship in Personal Training (elective)
Course Descriptions
PFT-001 Introduction to Exercise Science - Level I
This course focuses the musculoskeletal and functional anatomy and the effects that exercise places on joint structure during exercise movements. Emphasis is placed on learning about proper body alignment, joint range of motion (ROM), basic biomechanics, and kinesiological principles for the development of safe and effective exercise programs.
Fee: $275 30 Hours
PFT-002 Introduction to Exercise Science - Level II
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 the training programs and environmental considerations.
Fee: $275 30 Hours Program Schedule
PFT-003 Health Risk Profiles and Fitness Assessment Techniques
This course teaches students how to assess and evaluate cardiorespiratory endurance, muscular testing techniques, joint range of movement (ROM), flexibility, body-fat analysis, blood pressure and body measurements based on ACSM guidelines. Topics include client screening procedures, completing medical and health history intake forms, identifying high risk clients, determining the appropriate test, conducting the tests and evaluating the results.
Fee: $275 30 Hours
PFT-004 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 studio to managing a department within a large healthcare facility.
Fee: $275 30 Hours Program Schedule
PFT-005 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.
Fee: $275 30 Hours Program Schedule
PFT-006 Optional Field Internship in Personal Training
Prerequisite: 5 Core Courses and CPR Certification
Note: This course is an optional course and is not required in order 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 a total of 60 Hours in this course.
Fee: $275 60 Hours Program Schedule
Professional Certificate in Advanced Personal Fitness Training
Course 1: Nutritional Analysis and Management
Course 2: The Science and Biomechanics of Resistance/Weight Training Techniques
Course 3: Functional Flexibility, Core, and Balance Training
PFT-007 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 and the exerciser and non-exerciser; strategies for successful weight management; and recognizing normal to disordered eating patterns.
Fee: $275 30 Hours Program Schedule
PFT-008 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 performance of initial client assessments, neurological ability and 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 exercises or functional movements.
Fee: $275 30 Hours Program Schedule
PFT-009 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.
Fee: $275 30 Hours Program Schedule
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