Course Syllabus
Course: EXSC 2500
Division: Social and Behavioral Science
Department: Physical Education
Title: Personal Training
Semester Approved: Fall 2023
Five-Year Review Semester: Summer 2028
End Semester: Summer 2029
Catalog Description: This course is designed to give students the knowledge and understanding necessary to prepare for the ACSM Personal Trainer Certification Exam. Students will be taught skills, such as exercise programming and nutrition planning, that will help them to facilitate lifetime changes in clients as well as help them improve in posture, movement, flexibility, balance, cardiorespiratory fitness, muscular strength and endurance. In addition, they will be taught keys to helping clients adhere to nutrition and behavior changes that will improve their overall wellbeing. Upon completion of this class, students will have the option to register for and take the ACSM Personal Trainer Exam through the ACSM’s website and testing programs. (Certification is not available at Snow College.)
Semesters Offered: Fall, Spring
Credit/Time Requirement: Credit: 3; Lecture: 2; Lab: 1
Justification: This course helps to prepare students to sit for a nationally recognized Personal Training Certification exam. By obtaining a Personal Training Certificate it places students in a position to obtain meaningful employment both as a student and if they so chose as a starting point in a health and fitness career. Obesity and other health risks associated with a sedentary lifestyle are of major concern in our society. This class will help students to understand how to safely implement healthy lifetime fitness and wellness skills into their own lives as well as the lives of the clients with whom they will work.
Student Learning Outcomes:
Students will be able to identify the importance of Personal Training as a profession and the different career tracks for personal trainers. Students will be assessed through written exams.
Students will learn functional applications of Anatomy, Kinesiology, biomechanics, Exercise Physiology, and Nutrition and Human Performance. Students will be assessed through written exams.
Students will learn theories of Behavior change as well as coaching techniques that will help to elicit positive perceptions and adherence to exercise. Students will be assessed through written exams.
Students will be able to explain how the business of Personal Training is conducted including business planning and legal issues and responsibility. Students will be assessed through written exams.
Students will demonstrate their ability to perform a client screening and consultation and fitness assessments. Students will perform practical exam sessions with different "clients." Additionally, students will be measured based on their attendance and participation.
Students will show proficiency in developing exercise programs including but not limited to resistance and cardiorespiratory training, designing flexibility programs, and functional movement assessments. Students will demonstrate how to use different exercise methods while creating exercise programs through their attendance and participation.
Students will show an ability to provide programming for a wide variety of individuals based on the particular needs and goals of the client. Students will create exercise programs for a variety of people based on their specific needs and goals.
Content:
This course will provide students an education in personal training. Knowledge will be learned and applied in the following areas:
An introduction to Personal Training and Career Tracks
Human Anatomy, Exercise Physiology, Kinesiology, and Nutrition
Behavior Modification and Adherence
Client Screening
Developing Exercise Programs
The Business of Personal Training
Physical Education disciplines value human diversity. This course will strive to represent that diversity in class materials and course content through examples, assignments, class discussions, etc.
Key Performance Indicators:
Written Exams 30 to 40%
Practical exam session 20 to 35%
Exercise Program 25 to 35%
Attendance and participation 5 to 10%
Representative Text and/or Supplies:
ACSM’s Resource for the Personal Trainer Current Edition
Pedagogy Statement:
It is anticipated that this course will have both lecture time as well as lab time for practicing skills assessments etc. It is anticipated it will have 2 hours in class and 1 lab per week.
This course will promote inclusion by structuring assessment and teaching methods with the specific philosophy of valuing each participant's effort to improve in their knowledge and skills, no matter the social category or demographic group they identify with.
Instructional Mediums:
Lecture/Lab
Maximum Class Size: 20
Optimum Class Size: 15
