AFPA provides the most comprehensive and authoritative resources for you as a Certified Personal Trainer, whether you are a newcomer to the field or have a well-established business. The AFPA Personal Trainer Certification program is full of valuable information about working with clients and designing programs, and provides a practical guide to all aspects of the personal training business.

AFPA Personal Trainer graduates are prepared to start a personal training business of their own from their home, train clients in the client's own home gyms, work at community recreation centers, hospital fitness facilities, universities and local colleges, heath clubs, gyms and YMCAs.

The AFPA Personal Trainer Certification Course Objectives:

• Identify the business fundamentals of administration, marketing, and management in personal training.
• Employ the communication skills needed in personal fitness instruction.
• Apply the principles of exercise science, human anatomy, and biomechanics to movement design and exercise instruction.
• Name and describe exercise testing procedures to assess cardiorespiratory function, body composition, muscular fitness, and flexibility and give suggestions for improvement in these areas.
• Design educationally- based fitness programs to include cardiovascular training, resistance training and flexibility programs.
• Demonstrate the proper usage of various commercial fitness machines and equipment utilizing appropriate exercise guidelines and spotting techniques.
• Differentiate between appropriate exercise principles and practices for adults, children and older populations
• Discuss exercise testing and training modifications for special populations.
• Operate as a personal trainer in the health and fitness industry and uphold the AFPA Code of Ethics.

As an AFPA Certified Personal Trainer working for yourself:

• You keep the money you earn.
• You receive many tax advantages.
• You create your own work schedule.
• You make all the business decisions.
• You can work from home, in a client's home, or at a facility.
• You can further your credentials by obtaining other AFPA Specialty Certifications and increase your earning potential.

As an AFPA Certified Personal Trainer working in a club:

• You may receive a free membership to the facility.
• You may receive employee benefits.
• Management personnel will assign you clients.
• You may be encouraged to sell club memberships and receive additional commissions.
• You may be required to give a percentage of your money to the club, or pay a rental fee.
• The facility will have extensive equipment that you can train your clients with to help them obtain their goals.
• You may get bonuses for obtaining new clients, selling memberships, and nutritional products.

Minimum Requirements for the AFPA Personal Trainer Certification Course:

• 18 years of age
• Functional knowledge of English and arithmetic
• CPR is not required to take the examination but will be required by employer, and to obtain liability insurance.

AFPA Personal Trainer Certification Course Includes:

• AFPA Personal Training Certification textbook
• AFPA Effective Training & Corrective Techniques textbook
• Book and DVD Set with descriptions and demonstrations of over 70 exercises for training fitness components such as strength, functionality, stability, flexibility and balance
• Course Study Guidelines and Completion Schedule to stay on track
• ONLINE TESTING OPTION for immediate results on Final Exam
• Self-Assessment quizzes to test your knowledge
• Unlimited Student Support
• No extra or added fees for additional materials and examination
• Upon successful completion and passage your certificate will read "Certified Personal Trainer"
• Access to the Members Only (upon completion)
• Discounts for Professional Liability Insurance
• AFPA ENews weekly newsletter with updates, event postings and job listings
• Continuing Education opportunities

AFPA Personal Trainer Certification Course Topics:

• Starting, Maintaining, and Growing a Successful Personal Training Business
• Foundations Behind Program Design That Works
• Practical Fitness Testing and Assessment.
• Achieving Goal- and People-Oriented Programming
• Science Behind Accurate Exercise Programs
• Program Design: Application That Bridges Theory to Practice
• Gauging Exercise Intensity
• Cardiorespiratory Conditioning Programming
• Resistance Training Programming: A Balanced Approach
• Flexibility Training: Effective Program Design
• Fueling Your Clients: Before, During, and After Workouts
• Guiding Clients Toward Healthy Eating Habits
• Managing Cholesterol, HDL, LDL, High Blood Pressure, and Heart Disease
• Training the Cardiac Patient
• Diabetes Mellitus: Types 1 and 2
• Asthma and Your Client
• Arthritis: Osteoarthritis and Rheumatoid
• Working With Older Adults
• Training the Pregnant Client: A Special Healthy Population
• Anatomical Design and Function
• Effective Exercise Selection
• Optimal Exercise Technique
• Core and Trunk Exercises
• Compound Lower Body Exercises
• Isolated Lower Body Exercises
• Upper Body Pushing Exercises
• Upper Body Pulling Exercises
• Program Planning
• Training techniques for strength, definition, and muscle size
• Functional training exercises using the stability ball, medicine balls, tubing and more
• Included are three programs for base strength, full-body fitness, and advanced split routines that show you how to combine the exercises into progressive strength programs. By varying intensity, volume, recovery, and exercise sequencing, you can design customized programs for reaching both immediate and long-term training goals.

How to complete the AFPA Personal Trainer Certification Course:

• Enroll safe and secure online, mail in enrollment application or phone in your order.
• Receive and review all your course materials.  Follow the weekly schedule.
• Complete the self-assessment quizzes; essay assignment; and final exam ONLINE or by MAIL.
• You have up to 6 months to complete your Personal Trainer Certification program.
• You may complete your final exam ONLINE or by MAIL at anytime prior to the 6 months.
• 90% is required to pass your final exam.

Re-testing:

• You must receive a passing grade of 90% or better to receive your certification.
• If you do not meet this minimum requirement you will be mailed/or emailed your results.
• You will be the opportunity to correct your answers within a 90 day time period.
• Students that do not achieve this score are able to retake a final exam within 3 months at no added fee.
• Additional attempts are subject to a $50 administrative fee.

How to Order, Shipping & Handling:

• You may place your order online anytime with VISA, MasterCard, AMEX and Discover.
• AFPA has a secure online system 24 hours a day.
• You will receive confirm via email once your order has been received.
• Your order is processed for shipping within 24 business hours.
• You may place your order by phone with a major credit card by calling 1.800.494.7782, M-F 9:00am-5:00pm EST.
• You may mail check or money order, along with completed Enrollment Application to AFPA.
• Standard shipping is USPS Priority Mail. Please allow 3-5 business days for delivery.
• Optional Shipping is 2 Day FED EX or Next Day FED EX for an additional fee.
• All international orders are shipped Economy Fed EX to insure delivery.
• Select your shipping option upon check out.
• Orders are processed immediately and shipped w/in 24 business hours.