May 29, 2018

SIU offering personal trainer certification PREP course

by Christi Mathis

CARBONDALE, Ill. — Southern Illinois University Carbondale’s Student Recreation Center is sponsoring a course that will provide people with information they need to take the American Council on Exercise personal trainer certification exam and become an effective personal trainer.

Class meets twice weekly for two months

The Personal Trainer Certification PREP class begins next week at the Student Recreation Center. The class runs from June 5 through Aug. 9 and meets from 6:30 to 7:45 a.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Many topics covered

The course utilizes the ACE Integrated Fitness Training Model to prepare personal trainers to design individualized programs that address each client’s unique health, fitness and performance goals. This comprehensive course covers everything from building a connection with clients to conducting assessments, creating individual plans and assessing results.

The key class topics include:

  • Human anatomy, exercise physiology, applied kinesiology and nutrition.
  • Principles of adherence, motivation, behavior change and health psychology.
  • Communication and teaching techniques.
  • The ACE Integrated Fitness Training Model.
  • Building rapport.
  • Health and exercise history information assessment.
  • Functional training, including assessments, programming and progressions for posture, movement, core, balance and flexibility.
  • Physiological assessments.
  • Resistance training – programming and progressions.
  • Cardiorespiratory training – programming and progressions.
  • Professional and legal responsibilities, scope of practice and business strategies for personal trainers.
  • Special exercise programming topics such as mind-body exercise, special populations and exercise implications for common musculoskeletal injuries.

Completing the course provides the groundwork for the ACE certification examination and participants will receive information on when and where the exam will be available.

Registration is open now

The course is available for anyone who is 18 years or older. Online registration is at www.online.rec.siu.edu or by visiting SIU Student Recreation Center Member Services.

The cost is $40 for Student Recreation Center members, $25 for SIU students and $55 for the general public. The course fee does not cover the cost of any additional study materials or the certification exam.