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This course, for which there is no prerequisite,
provides a comprehensive knowledge base
in exercise science which is foundational
to the different areas of fitness leadership.
Through both lecture and demonstration,
students learn principles of the physiology
of exercise which are fundamental to safe
and effective fitness programming for the
public. In addition to aspiring and practicing
instructors, many individuals, to include
elite athletes, take this course to improve
their own personal fitness programs.
The course, which is conducted in a state
of the art amphitheatre in Boca Raton,
Florida, includes the following content
areas: Health & Fitness Overview; Myths & Quackery;
Philosophy & Standards; Anatomy & Physiology;
Kinesiology; Sports Nutrition; Cardiovascular,
Muscular & Flexibility Training; Program
Design; Injury Prevention & Emergency
Procedures.
As a result of course completion and documentation of current BLS for Healthcare Providers (to include AED), students
receive a ‘Foundations Course’ certificate.
At this time, students become eligible
for a ‘Specialist’ certification
to be awarded upon successful completion
of both the Exercise Science Foundations
course and an advanced course. ‘Specialist’ certification
verifies that individuals have undergone
both didactic and practical training from
an institute that is recognized for its
high standards. Those who have completed
or are concurrently enrolled in the ‘Foundations’ course
are eligible to take either the Fitness
Testing or the Strength & Conditioning
Specialist courses which entail substantial
hands-on training.
This course which is conducted at the Institute of Human Performance in Boca Raton, Florida, provides
theoretical and practical training in health
risk appraisal, physical fitness testing,
performance evaluation, metabolic calculations
and exercise prescription. Fitness testing
techniques include analysis of blood pressure,
body fat, lung function, physical work
capacity (submaximal stress testing), flexibility,
muscular endurance and strength.
Upon successful course completion (written
and practical), students are awarded
a certificate as a ‘Fitness Testing
Specialist’. Graduates are encouraged
to establish and operate testing centers
within fitness facilities – a practice
which improves safety and effectiveness
of fitness programming, enhances instructor
credibility and provides an additional
source of revenue.
Responsible personal trainers recognize
that fitness testing is essential, not
only for safe and effective program design,
but also to establish a baseline against
which future progress of clients will be
measured. This type of feedback reinforces
client behavior and enhances motivation.
This course helps prepare students for
the prestigious certifications offered
by the American College of Sports Medicine
(ACSM) and the National Strength & Conditioning
Association (NSCA). Prerequisites for enrollment
are either attendance of the ‘Foundations’ course
or a degree in exercise science from an
accredited university.
This
course is designed for the fitness instructor
whose principle leadership role is in the
area of strength training and aerobic conditioning,
either within the fitness facility or personal
trainer setting. Course content extends
the knowledge base (kinesiology, biomechanics & program
design) established during the ‘Foundations’ course,
with concentration on responsibilities
of the instructor who supervises the use
of both resistive exercise and cardiovascular
equipment.
Practical training, conducted at numerous
facilities throughout the Broward and Palm
Beach county areas, exposes students to
the majority of strength training and aerobic
equipment available today. Students are
not only instructed how to use the exercise
machinery themselves, but more importantly,
how to train their clients in the safe
and effective operation of such equipment.
Students are graded on their knowledge
base as well as instructional and supervisory
skills. During practical one-on-one testing,
students (instructors) must explain and
demonstrate to their examiners (clients)
correct set-up procedures (adjustments & alignments),
appropriate ranges of motion (effective
movement patterns) and any safety considerations
(potential dangers). Subsequently, examiners
will workout with the equipment making
intentional mistakes to determine whether
students can identify and remedy errors.
Upon successful course completion, students
are awarded a certificate as a ‘Strength & Conditioning
Specialist’. The course will help
prepare qualifying students for the two
nationally accredited certifications, which
are available through the National Strength & Conditioning
Association (NSCA). Prerequisites for enrollment
are either attendance of the ‘Foundations’ course
or a degree in exercise science from an
accredited university.
This course is designed for the strength & conditioning
specialist who wishes to take his instructional
skills to the next level, thereby progressing
his clients beyond traditional gym exercises.
The typical gym environment provides equipment
which either allows one to isolate individual
muscle groups for hypertrophy or when working
multiple joints, to do so through only
a single plane of motion. Although this
type of training has advantages for initial
conditioning, it does not truly prepare
the body for how it must perform in ‘activities
of daily living’ or ‘athletic
competition’.
Despite the fact that our body works
as a unit, we tend to train it through
the isolation of body parts. This shortcoming
combined with the fact that gym equipment
normally does not allow us to operate in
a ground-based, real-life, multiplanar
environment means that we fail to train
in a manner that facilitates human movement.
Functional training, on the other hand,
is founded upon the principle of working
the whole body in an integrated fashion
with movements occurring in everyday activities.
This ‘FUNctional’ approach
coupled with this fact that sessions are
more “FUN”, due to the variety
of equipment and uniqueness of movements,
has accounted for the popularity of this
type of training.
Sixty hours of academic instruction,
to include thirty hours of practical training,
at the Institute of Human Performance
in Boca Raton, enables students to evaluate
functional movements and then progressively
prepare clients for whole body activities
whether it be in the home or on the playing
field. This type of training conditions
the body to relate to real life and to
function at an optimal level.
Upon successful course completion, students
are awarded a certificate as a ‘Functional
Training Specialist’. This course
will help prepare students for the NSCA-CPT
and CSCS certification exams. Prerequisites
for course attendance are completion of
the Fitness Testing and Strength & Conditioning
courses or a degree in exercise science
from an accredited university.
This course is for fitness instructors
who desire an in-depth knowledge of nutrition
science and a practical understanding of
weight management. Course content includes
a thorough study of the digestive system
and basic metabolism in order that students
understand foundational facts of nutrition
education. Essential nutrients (carbohydrates,
protein, fat, water, vitamins & minerals)
are studied as they relate to bodily requirements.
Nutritional supplements are analyzed in
light of legitimate and bogus recommendations.
Students learn to conduct dietary reviews,
to determine percent of calories derived
from energy nutrients and to verify one’s
receiving recommended dietary allowances
of essential nutrients. Based upon reviews,
students are taught how to initiate dietary
changes to establish healthy eating habits
as outlined by the American Dietetics Association
and the Food & Nutrition Board of the
National Academy of Sciences.
Weight management, as dictated by healthy
eating habits coupled with regular exercise,
is a primary focus of the course. Students
review methods of behavioral change as
well as learn techniques in dietary programming
to ensure safe, progressive weight loss
as well as weight gain.
Upon successful course completion along
with having finished the Exercise Science
Foundations course, students are awarded
a certificate as a ‘Nutrition Education & Weight
Management Specialist’. Recommended
prerequisites for enrollment are either
attendance of the ‘Foundations’ course
or a degree in exercise science from an
accredited university.
This course is designed for those personal trainers who have clients with unique disabilities and chronic diseases for which they have specific exercise goals along with accompanying contraindications. The course addresses working with special populations who have received medical clearance to exercise in non-clinical settings (e.g. fitness facilities, personal training studios) but remain afflicted with hypertension, heart disease, stroke, peripheral artery disease, diabetes, orthopedic concerns, neurological disorders, COPD, asthma, etc. and their associated risks.
The course, which is conducted at the Institute of Human Performance, presents advanced concepts related to clinical anatomy as well as assessment techniques beyond that learned in the Fitness Testing Specialist course. Emphasis is placed upon post-rehab protocols that are within the scope of practice of personal trainers. Protocols include assessment forms, functional assessment scales, program formats, specific precautions, and progression guidelines.
Upon meeting course prerequisites and successful completion of the written and practical exam process, students are awarded a certificate as a ‘Special Populations/Post-Rehabilitation Specialist’. Prerequisites for enrollment are either attendance of the other specialty courses or a degree in exercise science from an accredited university with the ability to successfully pass a comprehensive test of the knowledge base expected of a Certified Personal Training Specialist (CPTS®). Certificates are only awarded to those with the CPTS® credential or those graduates of an accredited degree program who have passed the comprehensive CPTS® exam.
As the largest segment of the population now availing themselves of fitness facilities and personal training is the over-fifty group, it stands to reason that trainers will be working with more higher risk clients and their special needs that are addressed in this course. From all indications, this course is the only comprehensive course of its kind in the State of Florida and, therefore, provides its graduates with specialized skills making them not only more effective trainers but also more marketable.
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