This course, for which there is no prerequisite, is designed for the general public as well as for current fitness instructors and personal trainers. It provides elemental and essential information for the health conscious individual but also a foundational knowledge base for all fitness leaders. Through both lecture and demonstration, students learn principles of exercise science that are fundamental to safe and effective fitness programming for the public. In addition to practicing instructors and trainers, many elite athletes take this course to improve their own personal exercise programs.

This course has become popular with group exercise leaders who often lack a foundational and in-depth knowledge base in exercise science. Although well meaning, Pilates, yoga, spinning, boot camp, martial arts, aerobic dance, step and other group instructors frequently place their class members at risk due to teaching physiologically unsound and overly stressful activities. Unless an instructor has been well grounded in exercise physiology, kinesiology and biomechanics through formal education, it is unlikely that they can conduct programs that are truly safe and effective for all class participants.

This course, which is conducted at the Institute of Human Performance in Boca Raton, Florida, includes the following content areas: Health & Fitness Overview; Myths & Quackery; Philosophy & Standards; Health Screening, Anatomy & Physiology; Kinesiology & Biomechanics; Sports Nutrition; Cardiovascular, Muscular & Flexibility Training; Program Design; Injury Prevention & Emergency Procedures.

As a result of successful course completion and documentation of current American Heart Association Healthcare Provider/Basic Life Support CPR/AED certification, students receive an ‘Exercise Science Foundations course’ certificate. At this time, students become eligible for a ‘Specialist’ certificate to be awarded upon successful completion of both the Exercise Science Foundations course and an advanced course. ‘Specialist’ certificates verify 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 that entail substantial hands-on training.