EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM MODULES

1. THE ROLE OF PERSONAL TRAINER

• Job description and specifications, rights and obligations, characteristics of a successful personal trainer.
• Certified education, continuing training, lifelong learning.
• Professionalism, code of professional ethics.
• Communication with the trainee, behavior, rules of self-commitment.
• Necessary preventive medical examination, taking a medical history, contraindications to exercise.
• Health promotion strategies through exercise, basic safe exercise instructions.
• Collaboration with scientists of other specialties and health professionals.
• Finding and studying reliable scientific literature and sources of information.

2. FUNCTIONAL ANATOMY – KINESIOLOGY / EMBIOMECHANICS

2.1. Human skeleton – Bones system:

• Human skeleton.
• Bone types.
• Joints, joint classification, joint types.
• Bones and joints of the spine, chest, pelvis, lower extremities, upper extremities.
• Articular movements.
• Neutral position of spine, scapulae and pelvis.
• Spinal deviations such as scoliosis, lordosis, kyphosis.

2.2. Muscle system:

• Muscle types and their functional characteristics.
• Skeletal muscles: morphology, properties, characteristics, categorization.
• Types of muscle contraction.
• Description and action of skeletal muscles (indicative: upper arm muscles, chest, spine muscles, pelvis, lower extremities).

2.3. Biomechanics / kinesiology:

• Body weight – Weight Center. Laws of inaction, acceleration, action-reaction. Levels – Motion axes. Torque. Levers. Movements.
• Biomechanical principles for balance, stability, upright posture, sitting position, movement, lifting and carrying objects.
• Industrial analysis of basic positions for starting exercises, joint movements and gymnastic exercises with and without resistance.

3. PHYSIOLOGY, PHYSIOLOGY OF EXERCISE AND MECHANISMS OF MUSCLE ENERGY (ERGOFYSIOLOGY)

3.1. Physiology:

• Physiology of cell, tissue, organs, systems.
• Homeostasis, control and regression mechanisms, blood pressure regulation, blood glucose regulation, acid-base balance.
• Blood physiology, circulatory system (heart – blood vessels), respiratory system, respiratory function.
• Gastrointestinal system, food digestion, liver and kidney function.
• Nervous system, senses – sensory organs, neuromuscular control (nerves, muscles, motor units), autonomic nervous system.
• Endocrine glands, hormonal system – hormones.

3.2. Physiology of exercise and production of muscle work:

• Energy balance, metabolism and nutrition.
• Energy systems during exercise, aerobic metabolism – maximum oxygen uptake (V0₂max), anaerobic threshold, anaerobic metabolism, energy expenditure (Metabolic Equivalent of Task – MET).
• Muscle cell physiology, response and adaptation of the neuromuscular system to exercise.
• Hormonal, circulatory, respiratory and metabolic adaptations during exercise, acid-base balance, thermoregulation.
• Intentional fitness training, acute and chronic responses and adjustments.
• Causes of muscle fatigue, recovery after exercise.

4. ASSESSMENT OF HEALTH, BODY COMPOSITION AND FUNCTIONAL STATUS

• Necessity of preventive medical examination of trainees, necessary procedures, tests and measurements, restrictions.
• Writing an eligibility questionnaire for exercise, obtaining a health history, interviewing the candidate trainee.
• Assessment and evaluation of body composition, percentage of body fat and lean body mass.
• Orthosomic /posture testing, musculoskeletal evaluation, functional mobility-stability tests – muscle imbalances, simple physical fitness tests and measurements that do not involve safety risks.
• Gathering, capturing, controlling, presenting, using, storing data, personal data protection (GDPR).
• Classification and assessment of health risk factors, categorization of trainees, identification of individuals who may need further medical investigation and approval in order to exercise.

5. TRAINING – PROGRAMMING – EXERCISE AND PROGRAMS FOR HEALTHY PEOPLE

5.1. General training:

• Purpose and characteristics of proper training.
• Fundamental training principles such as progressive overload, progressiveness, overconfidence, periodicity, reversibility of fitness.
• Basic training terminology such as load, dynamic contraction, isometric, concentric contraction, eccentric contraction, muscular hypertrophy, set, repetitions, plyometric exercises.
• Types of physical activity and exercise (general, special, competitive, weight training, resistance training, etc.).
• Basic parts of the training unit: warm-up, mainly program, cool down (recovery).
• Exercises with body weight, exercises with resistance (bar, dumbbells, rubber band, etc.), continuous, intermittent (interval), mixed, circuit and stationary training.
• Prevention and detection of potential risks when performing various exercises.
• Ways of differentiation and adaptation of exercises in relation to the age, experience, fitness level and health status of the trainee.
• Training units and programs: general muscle strengthening, maximum strength, muscular endurance, cardio-respiratory training (cardio), flexibility – muscle elasticity training, training with mixed goals (mixed), functional training – mobility training, stability training, posture training, training skills.
• Training load (load – adjustment – improvement, process – structure – protocols), appropriate intensity, duration and frequency for healthy individuals, benefits and precautions, training adjustments.
• Training with portable digital technologies (Wearable Technology).
• Exercise – rehabilitation – over-training (prevention – recognition – treatment).

5.2. Teaching guidance:

• Exercise teaching methods.
• Exercise analysis, demonstration, error correction, technical error correction strategies, guidance, psychological support, and athlete motivation.
• Systematic control and safety of the athlete, preventive protection measures, observance of safety and progressive rules.
• Proper assistance, necessary safety adjustments and personalized modifications depending on the trainee.
• Dealing with emergencies, basic first aid procedures and emergency support.

5.3. Personal training and small group training:

• Warm-up (Preheating): Practical application of various types of warm-up (general, joint mobilization, special /correlated etc.).
• Strengthening: Exercises with body weight and exercises with partner. Exercises with additional resistance, e.g. dumbbells, rubber bands, barbell/bar, etc.)
• Cardiorespiratory training: Basic principles – Methods – Ways of controlling intensity / heart rate (palpation, subjective perception, use of a heart rate monitor, etc.). Design of training units and programs with various methods such as interval, continuous, complex / mixed, circuit and stationary method, special training systems. Outdoor cardio-exercise.
• Flexibility – Mobility: Practical application of various types of stretches for individual muscle groups and the whole body as well as special exercises (with various means) to improve mobility and stabilization.
• Recovery: Practical application of various types of recovery / relaxation.
• Practical Personal Training applications with assignment of coach-trainee (Role Plays), practical applications in a small number of trainees (Small Group Training).

5.4. Special training with fitness equipment (weight training):

• Basic conditions of strength training in the gym, safety principles.
• Differences between free weights and resistance machines.
• Types of muscle strength training, forms of training organization, load control criteria and total load.
• Differences for women, the elderly, adolescents.
• Exercises with gym instruments per muscle group (indicative: chest – back – shoulders – arms – forearms – legs – abdomen – low back, etc.).
• Technically correct execution of exercises, injury prevention, personalized modifications – adjustments.
• Methods of improving various forms of muscle strength (muscle hypertrophy, intramuscular coordination, strength, strength endurance).
• Aesthetic gymnastics with resistance – training systems for muscle hypertrophy, training techniques for fat reduction / body cuts.
• Bodybuilding, weight lifting, power lifting, power building.

5.5. Functional training:

• Good Posture – Stability – Mobilization.
• Functional training with body weight.
• Functional training with various micro-instruments.
• Functional imbalance training with and without instruments (accessories).

6. EXERCISE PLANNING AND PROGRAMMING FOR HEALTHY PEOPLE (PERSONAL TRAINING AND SMALL GROUP TRAINING)

• Training unit, microcycle, mesocycle, megacycle, periodicity / periodization model.
• Program planning according to gender, age, fitness level, coaching experience and the trainee’s goals based on scientifically confirmed protocols.
• Design of functional health promotion programs, general fitness improvement, fitness parameters, aesthetic goals, etc.
• Planning programs with various training methods, such as intermittent (intermittent), continuous, mixed, circuit training and special systems.
• Step by step design applications for all levels of athlete experience, guidance, control – S.M.A.R.T. goals.
• Organization of long-term intentional training (pursuits, phases, successive step algorithms, content protocols) – individual case study.

7. CONSULTING NUTRITION

• Basic principles of healthy eating.
• Food composition and caloric content.
• Carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, trace elements, ergogenic substances, antioxidants and phytonutrients.
• Energy metabolism at rest and exercise.
• Nutritional adjustments to the requirements of the exercise, intake of fluids, calories, nutrients.
• Nutritional counseling for health promotion, weight management, fat reduction, muscle hypertrophy, optimal physical appearance and performance.
• Dietary supplements and special sports nutrition products.

8. MARKETING – SKILLS OF FITNESS BUSINESS, COMMUNICATION & SALES

• Principles of sports marketing (approaches, definitions, delimitation).
• Categorization and special characteristics of sports services, consumer preferences and behaviors.
• Work in the gym: finding, resume-C.V., interview, job description, roles, tasks, communication, behavior, goal setting.
• Work as a freelancer: description, capabilities, professionalism, personal brand creation, marketing strategy, offline and online tactics for increasing customer base.
• Creating a fitness gym / personal studio: legal prerequisites, budget, feasibility study, procedures, equipment, organization, financial data, pricing strategies.

9. SPORTS PSYCHOLOGY – CONSULTING – MOTIVATIONS

• Incentives – incentive theories – rewards – punishments.
• Leadership-leadership behavior of trainers / trainees / athletes.
• Personnel types of trainees / athletes.
• Stress – Anxiety – Stimulation, stress management.
• Psychological preparation, behavioral enhancement to achieve goals.
• Behavior modification methods, goal setting, and motivation to motivate efforts, such as e.g. for stress control, smoking cessation, adoption and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
• Strategies for dealing with unexpected situations.
• Mental training.
• Relaxation techniques.

10. CPR SEMINAR: CARDIOPULMONARY RESUSCITATION