Why The Personal Fitness Trainer Diploma Hits The Sweet Spot Of Personal Fitness Training Education

We are often asked by potential students, “What does Personal Fitness Trainer Diploma entail? What are the differences between your program and others? What do some of the various other options offer?”. Below I will cover the three general routes we see: a personal training certification, a Kinesiology degree, and then a brief overview of what our PFT Diploma entails.

Certifications have various levels of acceptance and acknowledgment within the fitness industry based on the process of acquisition and requirements in place to obtain said cert. Certifications are in place as a base competency, meaning they are the minimum requirement that an individual must have, showing that you can keep your clients safe while engaging in exercise. The type of certification you take will vary greatly in the competencies required. Certifications are usually based around single, or multiple examinations, which test an applicant’s ability to navigate within the scope of that cert. The program design theory covered will vary from fitness certification to fitness certification, and often involve the utilization of a certain framework, set by the certifying body. Depending on the certification pursued, there may be an examination for a practical portion, however, not all fitness certifications have this.

Typically, these fitness certifications are self-taught, with some offer preparation courses to aid in your independent learning. Seeing as these certifications are set out to assess a base level competency, sole-certification programs commonly have a good start to practical experience but fall short in the depth of understanding of the systems at play. They often teach the “what” and “how”, in terms of exercises, but not the “why”.

A Kinesiology degree provides in-depth knowledge, on the concepts used within the health and fitness industry. Usually, students are looking at a broad overview towards the start of the program, where they are able to get a more in-depth understanding of biochemistry, physics, and anatomy. From there, more options are provided, allowing students to take higher-level courses, focusing on various topics that may interest them: ergonomics, more in-depth anatomy, biomechanics, injury mechanisms, motor learning, etc. This leaves students with a better understanding of what systems are working, and why they work.

Typically, Kinesiology programs are  multi-year programs, consisting of mostly lecture-based classroom work. Being an education-focused pursuit, often we see Kinesiology graduates having a great understanding from a book-knowledge perspective, but not having as much practical experience, within the realms of fitness programming and client work. This leaves them with an understanding of the “what” and “why”, but not the “how”.

With the Elevated Learning Academy Personal Fitness Trainer (PFT) Diploma, we have created an applied program that brings attention to the “what”, “why”, and “how”, required for being a highly effective personal trainer. We elevate the knowledge base past that of a base competency so that students understand what they are talking about, and why it is important as a Personal Trainer. The program expands beyond the bare-bones requirements and applies real-world terminology as well as a working understanding of both the cardiovascular and muscular systems. By discussing how these systems work, we can build an understanding of “what” we need to do, in order to improve these systems, and “why” our actions will be effective. Through our breakdown of the components, function, and connectivity of the cardiovascular and muscular systems, the “how” is covered. From here, students then look at applications within a training session with a client. Digging into exercise selection, progressions and regressions, and programming from a client-centered perspective, allows us to form a full-circle understanding of what we, as personal trainers, need to do, to help our clients reach their goals. 

The Personal Fitness Trainer Diploma is based out of an interactive classroom, where students take part in independent work, in-class lessons, and opportunities for application, where the students apply the knowledge in practical scenarios. Not only are students learning the knowledge they need to set their first foot forward in the industry, but also the framework and foundational skills to excel. The Personal Fitness Trainer Diploma hits all three aspects of learning, where you get the “what”, the “why”, and the “how”.