Diploma in Gym Instructing & Personal Training (Practitioner)

By the end of the course, what will I be able to do?

---

Understand essential anatomy & physiology a personal trainer requires for application to exercise programming and design for a range of clients,

Present yourself in a professional manner, provide excellent customer service and demonstrate effective communication skills.

Provide a positive customer experience to ensure exercise equipment meets health and safety requirements;

Promote a healthy and active lifestyle which includes the important of healthy eating and offering behaviour change strategies to support clients to adopt behaviours that will help prevent a range of health conditions;

Plan and prepare gym-based exercise programmes for a range of clients within the scope of practice, which includes demonstrating effective communication to engage and fully support clients;

Professionally and safely deliver an effective gym-based exercise session to a range of clients within scope of practice.

Understand commonly occurring medically controlled diseases and health conditions to enable you to effectively provide appropriate information advice and support clients through effective interaction,

Design and deliver health and fitness programmes suitable to a client's goals and level of fitness,

Develop a successful professional personal training practice by applying effective communication and interpersonal skills.

Understand key nutritional principles and healthy eating to support client goals.

Analyse client nutritional intake in order to offer advice within scope of practice and integrate into fitness programme design.

Establish a business in either an employed or self-employed position.

Gain a firm foundation for successful growth by focusing upon ways of both attracting and retaining clients.

---

What topics are covered on the course?

---

Applied anatomy & physiology including;

- optimal posture, causes of postural deviations and spinal conditions and the impact of exercise,

- structure and function of the skeletal system and the effects of exercise on the musculoskeletal system and disease processes,

- structure and function of the nervous system and the effect of exercise on neuromuscular connections,

- structure and function of the cardio

- respiratory system and endocrine system,

- classification of energy systems and how they are utilised during exercise.

- the digestive system,

- implications for special populations.

Providing a positive customer experience to include customer needs and expectations, customer service, maintaining an exercise environment, professionalism, operative and legislative procedures, controlling risks, safeguarding and supporting a health and fitness business.

Lifestyle and health awareness management to include promoting a healthy lifestyle, the importance of healthy eating, and supporting clients to adhere to exercise.

Gym-based programme planning and preparation to include adapting communication techniques when dealing with different client needs, conducting health assessments, setting goals with client information, planning a gym-based session including cardiovascular methods, resistance training, functional exercise, flexibility and motor skills.

Gym-based delivery and instruction to include introducing individuals and groups to the gym environment, instructing gym-based sessions, and supervising clients in the gym.

Promoting wellness including;

- components of a healthy lifestyle,

- psychological factors that can influence change to an individual's lifestyle,

- health conditions and medically controlled diseases,

- evidence based pre-exercise health screening methods,

- theories/approaches that can motivate positive behaviour change,

Bespoke exercise programme design including;

- screening clients,

- selecting and implementing client assessments,

- methods of static and dynamic assessment and posture assessment,

- setting and adapting SMART goals linked to client's individual needs, wants and motivators,

- planning a safe personal training programme with clients,

- using alternative environments in programme design (home, office, garage, outdoors, gyms, studios),

- design and delivery of small group personal training.

Customised exercise programme instruction including;

- fitness training techniques including various CV and resistance training methods,

- legal and ethical responsibilities,

- best practice for a personal trainer,

- planning and preparing personal training sessions,

- safely instructing, monitoring, adapting and supporting clients during sessions,

Nutrition to support physical activity including;

- principles of nutrition,

- the influence of nutrition on health,

- key nutritional guidelines and evidence-based recommendations and how they can be applied to individual clients,

- the relationship between nutrition and physical activity,

- collecting and using nutritional information,

- identify and analysing nutritional information to identify client's dietary habits.

Business acumen including;

- marketing strategies and techniques in planning and promotion,

- selling personal training services to clients,

- communicating the benefits of a personal training service,

- components and the purpose of a business plan relevant to a personal trainer,

- how to legally set up a business as a personal trainer,

- financial requirements when setting up and running a health and fitness business,

- planning, marketing and selling health and fitness services.

---

What is the entry requirement for this course?

---

There is no entry requirement, apart from a keen interest in fitness and experience using a gym including free weights and confidence working online and with programmes such as microsoft word and excel. A good level of communication and competance working online is essential.

---

What are the course units and how are each assessed?

---

LEVEL 2 UNITS

Anatomy & physiology for exercise and fitness instructors - assessed via a multiple choice theory exam and digital assessment workbook;

Providing a positive customer experience in the exercise environment - assessed via a digital assessment workbook and observation (video submission);

Lifestyle and health awareness management - assessed via a digital assessment workbook;

Gym-based programme delivery and preparation - assessed via a gym programme card, observation (video submission), case study and worksheet questions;

Gym-based programme delivery and professional instruction - assessed via two observations (video submission)

LEVEL 3 UNITS

Applied anatomy & physiology - assessed via a multiple choice exam and digital assessment workbook

Promoting wellness through client motivation and interaction - assessed via a digital assessment workbook and client consultation, lifestyle assessment, client profile and knowledge questions.

Bespoke exercise programme design - assessed via a digital assessment workbook, client consultation, lifestyle assessment, client profile, knowledge questions, a log and observation of a range of client assessments, and a 12 week personal training programme. Observations are completed via video submission.

Customised exercise programme instruction and communication techniques - assessed via a digital assessment workbook, a 12 week personal training programme, demonstrating the instruction of a range of CV, resistance, functional exercise, core and flexibility/mobility methods, and delivery of a small group personal training session (video submission).

Nutrition to support physical activity - assessed via a multiple choice exam and nutritional consultation.

Business acumen for a successful personal training practice - assessed via a digital assessment workbook and business and marketing plan.

---