Pre-course Study Materials
Trainer Ethics & Responsibilities
Motivational Tactics
Instructional Techniques
Flexibility Training
You are responsible for studying the topics listed above. These pages are followed by worksheets
that should be filled out as well (the worksheets will not be collected or graded). They are
intended to help facilitate the information). On Friday morning, you will be given the
Instructional Techniques Quiz based on this material. The quiz will consist of true/false and fill
in the blank questions. The Muscle Diagram and Applied Kinesiology pages WILL NOT be
included on Instructional Techniques Quiz. You will have a quiz on this material later in the
course. It is strongly recommended that you familiarize yourself with these pages in advance.
TOP TEN
Trainer Responsibilities
1. Providing professional guidance and expertise
2. Ensuring safe exercise participation
3. Emphasizing proper form and technique
4. Progressively increasing frequency, intensity and duration
5. Accountability
6. Efficient and effective workouts
7. Providing a wide variety of exercises
8. Regular progress evaluations
9. Dynamic, fun and exciting workouts
10. Exceeding client expectations
Trainer Ethics
Provide Safe and Effective Instruction
Providing safe and effective instruction involves a variety of responsibilities for
certified fitness professionals. Safe means that the instruction will not result in physical,
mental or financial harm to the client. Great effort and care must be taken in carrying out
the responsibilities that are essential in creating a positive exercise experience for all
participants.
Establish and Maintain Clear Professional Boundaries
Working in the fitness industry requires personal trainers to come in contact with
many different people. It is imperative that a professional distance be maintained in
relationships between trainer and client. Trainers are responsible for setting and
monitoring the boundaries between a working relationship and personal friendship with
their clients.
Certified personal trainers should:
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Never initiate or encourage discussion of a sexual nature
Avoid touching clients unless it is essential to instruction
Inform clients about the purpose of touching and find an alternative if the
client objects
Discontinue all touching if it appears to make the client uncomfortable
Take all reasonable steps to ensure that any personal and social contacts
between trainer and client do not have an adverse impact on the trainerclient relationship
If it is not possible to maintain appropriate professional boundaries with a client,
the proper course of action would be to inform the fitness director so the situation can be
formally documented. The next step would be to terminate the relationship and possibly
refer the client to another trainer. Keep in mind that charges of sexual harassment or
assault, even if groundless, can have disastrous effects on your personal training career.
Motivational Tactics
Motivating clients starts with maximizing the rate of improvement and minimizing the risk of
injury. Be sure that every training session is a fun and exciting exercise experience. After every training
session, be sure to build anticipation for the next scheduled personal training appointment.
It is essential for personal trainers to carefully and consistently record each workout for their
clients. Clients’ progress should be routinely reviewed with necessary exercise modifications
implemented. By keeping detailed records of training sessions, clients will have an added incentive to
keep purchasing training sessions once they begin to see personal improvements. Another excellent form
of motivation is performance feedback (reinforcing comments and complimenting). Encouragement and
positive reinforcement are highly motivational, particularly for beginner clients who may be lacking
confidence in themselves. Performance feedback should always be shared in positive and encouraging
manner. To be the most meaningful, performance feedback or reinforcing comments should contain
specific information emphasizing those things that the client is doing well.
A final factor for client motivation is YOU. Your physical appearance, training regularity,
exercise technique, and personal attitude provide an example that can significantly increase your client’s
enthusiasm for training.
Different clients may need different verbal cues. The best cues will be the ones that work! Clear
communication between the client and trainer is imperative to the success of the program and the client
achieving his or her goals. The following are some verbal motivational cues to keep in mind to help the
client get the most out of each training session:
Verbal Motivational Cues:
 Opening: “That’s a cool looking t-shirt that you’re wearing today!”
 “You’re making this exercise look too easy!”
 “We‘re going to have to start adding more weight soon!”
 “Perfect posture and form!”
 “Keep up that intensity!”
 “Only 5 reps remaining! Finish strong!”
 Closing: “Awesome energy today! I wish all of my clients came in this motivated!”
Instructional Techniques
The role of a certified personal trainer is the active process of advising, correcting, and educating
their clients. Instead of encouraging dependence, the personal trainer’s objective should be to enable the
client to take more control and become self-sufficient. The specific role of a personal trainer can be very
complex as they will act as a teacher, coach, supporter, counselor, as well as a financial negotiator. To
be successful, trainers should be attentive to the following:
1. Posture:
Specific postures will communicate your interest. To express your
engagement, face the client at eye level and lean toward them in a relaxed
manner. Research has shown that these postural behaviors demonstrate to
the client the traits of empathy and genuineness.
2. Positioning:
Position yourself at an appropriate distance from the client to demonstrate
a respect for his or her personal space. Positioning yourself too far away
could be interpreted as a lack of confidence. Be sensitive to the client and
use your best judgment to decide the most professional distance.
3. Eye Contact:
Good eye contact is a key sign for indicating interest in a person. Eye
contact enables the client to feel comfortable and conveys your true
interest at the same time.
4. Body Language:
Nervous mannerisms such as playing with objects, pacing, and drumming
fingers should be avoided. A person’s expressions, gestures, posture and
other actions provide a constant source of information.
5. Voice Inflection:
An effective communicator is aware of the quality of delivery of the
message. Some personal trainers speak so softly that they cannot be
heard, while others speak with such volume that they become overbearing.
Your voice should be loud enough to be heard, while reserving a range to
emphasize important points or for added motivation while training.
“Tell – Show – Do” Instruction Method
Tell:
The explanation should be a detailed verbal description of the exercise that gives a clear
understanding of what must be performed.
Show:
The demonstration is the visual presentation of the exercise or movement. You MUST be
very aware of your exercise technique, body positioning, and safety tips.
Do:
The performance is the client’s opportunity to perform the exercise. Carefully monitor
the client’s performance to correct errors and encourage proper exercise technique.
Emphasize Proper Breathing Patterns
Correct breathing ensures the body is receiving adequate amounts of oxygen for working
muscles. Proper breathing includes exhaling during the most strenuous phase of the movement (exhale
on the exertion). Proper breathing during strenuous activity cannot be over emphasized.
Verbal Instructional Cues:
 Maintain a neutral head position
 Stand tall with the head up and shoulders back
 Maintain a flat back posture
 Engage the abdominals at all times
 Control the weight or resistance
 Breath in through the nose and out through the mouth
 Exhale on the exertion
 Create 90o angles
Exercise Progressions and Modifications
As a certified personal trainer, it is your responsibility to properly select safe, yet challenging
exercises. In order to accomplish this, a basic understanding of exercise progressions (making an
exercise more challenging) and modifications (making an exercise easier) is important.
There are five kinetic chain checkpoints that are recommended to review for each exercise to
ensure that proper technique is being demonstrated. By maintaining proper alignment in these five
checkpoints, the effectiveness of the exercise will be enhanced and there will be a decreased risk of
injury. Regardless of body position (standing, seated, prone, supine, multi-directional movement, or high
intensity activities), proper alignment at each checkpoint needs to be maintained.
Five Kinetic Chain Checkpoints:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Head neutral
Shoulders slightly retracted
Hips and low back demonstrate a neutral pelvis with core engaged
Knees aligned with hips and feet
Feet straight
Exercise Progressions
Exercise Modifications
- Increase load (weight or resistance)
- Decrease load (weight or resistance)
- Increase intensity (decrease rest periods)
- Decrease intensity (increase rest periods)
- Increase frequency (sets, reps)
- Decrease frequency (sets, reps)
- Single-joint to multi-joint movements
- Multi-joint to single-joint movements
- Single plane to multiple plane motions
- Multiple plane to single plane motions
- Stable (bench)  Unstable (stability ball)
- Unstable (ball)  Stable (bench)
- Two legs  One leg
- One leg  Two legs
Flexibility Training
Flexibility is an essential component of physical fitness and has been consistently shown to be
highly specific to the individual, to the activity, and to each joint. Each client will have a different
musculature, joint structure, and genetic composition. Personal trainers have the responsibility to create
flexibility training programs that are specific to each one of their clients.
Advantages of flexibility training:
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Relieves muscle tension
Improves posture and balance
Increases range of motion
Prevents muscle and joint injuries by elongating and relaxing muscles
Flushes out lactic acid
Improves circulation and blood flow giving muscles added flexibility to move freely
Improves coordination, balance, and accuracy
Improves recovery time
Muscles, tendons and ligaments are not immediately ready for the extreme range of motion
required for most physical activity. Before starting any stretching routine, it’s more effective and
efficient if the muscles are already warmed up. The warm-up increases circulation and blood flow to
muscles and gets them ready to work. The warm-up also helps to reduce stiffness, making the muscles
more flexible, so they stretch more easily. Perform a “dynamic” warm-up instead of jogging on a
treadmill or exercise bike. Perform bodyweight lunges, throwing exercises, or squat jumps – any
movement in which joints move through a full range of motion. This will increase circulation and blood
flow to the muscles and joints while also prepping the central nervous system to work.
Improper stretching can cause injury. Injury can occur when muscles are tight or cold and
occasionally because the client is doing too much too fast. Instead, pay attention to the body’s signals
and don’t push too far. Avoid ballistic stretching, which uses bouncing or jerking movements to gain
momentum. Muscles should be slowly stretched to their endpoint of movement and held for about 25-30
seconds. The idea is to have the muscles recognize that they are being stretched.
Two types of stretching that provide the best results are Static and Dynamic muscle stretching.
Dynamic Muscle Stretching – stretching that is done by gradually increasing the stretch distance and
speed of movement with each successive repetition in a particular direction. This should be a slow
controlled movement where the limit of the muscle gradually increases (dynamic muscle stretching is the
same as a dynamic warm-up).
Static Muscle Stretching – holding a stretch with low force for about 25-30 seconds. This type of
stretching is the way to increase flexibility. It’s important not to use too much pressure. Repeat the
stretch in sets for the same length of time and force.
It is important that flexibility training programs emphasize major muscle groups that are
important in postural correction. If time is limited, the focus should be to target the client’s individual
needs based on their flexibility assessment. Often the shoulders, chest, hamstrings, and hips are
particularly tight. Flexibility training programs should be tailored to the clients’ strengths and
weaknesses.
Flexibility training can also help to improve muscle imbalance. A muscle imbalance is caused
when some muscles are more warmed up and ready for exertion than others. If muscles are not stretched
equally, they are said to be imbalanced. Muscle imbalances make you less coordinated and can
contribute to injury such as pulled or strained muscles.
Functional flexibility improves the stability and mobility of the whole person in their specific
environment or lifestyle. For example: golfers, swimmers and tennis players. Individualized stretching
programs improve both stability (the ability to maintain ideal body alignment during all activities) and
mobility (the ability to use full, normal range of motion). Have clients dynamically warm-up/stretch
before the training session and static stretch during and/or after the training session.
The more time and attention spent on flexibility training, the more benefits the client will
experience. Do not fall into the category of trainers who neglect to educate and incorporate flexibility
training into their workouts.
Verbal Stretching Cues:
 “Maintain control of your breathing at all times.”
 “Inhale when releasing a stretch and returning to the original position.”
 “Exhale during the exertion or reaching phase of the stretch.”
 “Breath into the stretch.”
Trainer Ethics, Motivational Tactics, Instructional
Techniques Worksheet
1. What does safe mean?
2. Why is clear communication so important?
3.
are responsible for setting the boundaries between a working
relationship and friendship with their clients.
4. If it is not possible to maintain appropriate professional boundaries with a client, what would be
the next steps in the proper course of action?
5. Performance feedback should always be shared in
manner.
and
6. Explain the “Tell – Show – Do” Instruction Method
7. Before starting any stretching routine, it’s more effective and efficient if the muscles are
.
8. Muscles should be slowly stretched to their endpoint of movement and held for about
seconds.
9. List the 5 kinetic chain checkpoints.
10. Give 2 examples of exercise modifications.
11. Give 2 examples of exercise progressions.
12. Why is maintaining proper alignment so important?
Flexibility Worksheet
1.
is an essential component of physical fitness and has been consistently
shown to be highly specific to the individual, to the activity, and to each joint.
2.
are not immediately ready for the extreme range of
motion required for most physical activity.
3. What does the warm-up increase?
5. List more effective warm-up options besides jogging on a treadmill or riding an exercise bike?
6. The 2 types of stretching are:
1.
2.
7. Provide 3 verbal stretching ques.
8. What is ballistic stretching? Why should it be avoided?
9. Explain the difference between dynamic stretching and static stretching.
10. What are advantages of flexibility training?
31
Posterior View
Anterior View
Muscle Diagram Answer Key
0 - Posterior Deltoid
16 - Anterior Deltoid
1 - Upper Trapezius
17 - Rotator Cuff
2 - Middle Trapezius
18 - Pectoralis Major
3 - Lower Trapezius
19 - Pectoralis Major
4 - Teres Major and Minor
20 - Pectoralis Minor
5 - Rhomboids
21 - Serratus Anterior
6 - Latissimus Dorsi
22 - Rectus Abdominis
7 - Erector Spinae
23 - Internal and External Obliques
8 - Medial Deltoid
24 - Gluteus Maximus
9 - Brachialis
25 - Gluteus Medius
10 - Biceps Brachii
26 - Hip Adductors
11 - Triceps Brachii
27 - Quadriceps
12 - Triceps Brachii
28 - Hamstrings
13 - Triceps Brachii
29 - Gastrocnemius
14 - Wrist Extensors
30 - Tibialis Anterior
15 - Wrist Flexors
31 - Soleus
FRONT RAISE
LATERAL RAISE
OVERHEAD SHOULDER
PRESS
UPRIGHT ROW
INTERNAL SHOULDER
ROTATION
EXTERNAL SHOULDER
ROTATION
BENT OVER LATERAL
RAISE
SHRUGS
BACK EXTENSION
SEATED ROW
BENT OVER ROW
PULL DOWN
CHEST PRESS
PULLOVER
CHEST FLY
PUSH UP
TRICEPS PUSHDOWN
TRICEPS OVERHEAD
EXTENSION
TRICEPS KICKBACK
SKULL CRUSHER
BARBELL CURL
REVERSE CURL
HAMMER CURL
SQUAT
SEATED LEG EXTENSION
LUNGE
LEG PRESS
STANDING CALF RAISE
LEG CURL
DEADLIFT
CRUNCH
SIDE BEND
LEG RAISE
DIAGONAL CHOP
SEATED “RUSSIAN” TWIST
FRONT PLANK
Applied Kinesiology
Kinesiology is the study of human function and deals specifically with the mechanics of
movement. The purpose of learning the locations and functions of skeletal muscles, as well as the
mechanics of movement, is to enhance your ability to design effective and appropriate exercise programs.
SHOULDERS
Front Raise
Agonist muscle(s)
Anterior Deltoid
Stabilizer and synergist muscles:
Lateral Deltoid
Pectoralis Major
Biceps Brachii
Upper Trapezius
Serratus Anterior
Overhead Shoulder Press
Agonist muscle(s)
Anterior Deltoid and Medial Deltoid
Stabilizer and synergist muscles:
Triceps Brachii
Middle Trapezius
Biceps Brachii
Serratus Anterior
Lateral Raise
Upright Row
Agonist muscle(s)
Agonist muscle(s)
Medial Deltoid
Stabilizer and synergist muscles:
Anterior Deltoid
Middle Trapezius
Lower Trapezius
Serratus Anterior
Posterior Deltoid
Stabilizer and synergist muscles:
Medial Deltoid
Upper Trapezius
Middle Trapezius
Lower Trapezius
Serratus Anterior
Biceps Brachii
Internal Shoulder Rotation
External Shoulder Rotation
Agonist muscle(s)
Agonist muscle(s)
Rotator Cuff Muscles
Rotator Cuff Muscles
Stabilizer and synergist muscles:
Stabilizer and synergist muscles:
Anterior Deltoid
Latisimus Dorsi
Anterior Deltoid
Latisimus Dorsi
Bent Over Lateral Raise
Shrugs
Agonist muscle(s)
Agonist muscle(s)
Posterior Deltoid
Upper Trapezius
Stabilizer and synergist muscles:
Stabilizer and synergist muscles:
Medial Deltoid
Pectoralis Major
Middle Trapezius
Lower Trapezius
Teres Minor
Rhomboids
Erector Spinae
Middle Trapezius
BACK
Back Extension
Agonist muscle(s)
Erector Spinae
Stabilizer and synergist muscles:
Gluteus Maximus
Hamstring
Bent Over Row
Agonist muscle(s)
Latisimus Dorsi
Rhomboids
Middle Trapezius
Lower Trapezius
Teres Major
Stabilizer and synergist muscles:
Posterior Deltoid
Biceps Brachii
Seated Row
Pull Down
Agonist muscle(s)
Agonist muscle(s)
Latisimus Dorsi
Rhomboids
Middle Trapezius
Lower Trapezius
Teres Major
Latisimus Dorsi
Stabilizer and synergist muscles:
Rhomboids
Middle Trapezius
Lower Trapezius
Posterior Deltoid
Biceps Brachii
Teres Major
Stabilizer and synergist muscles:
Posterior Deltoid
Biceps Brachii
CHEST
Chest Press
Chest Fly
Agonist muscle(s)
Agonist muscle(s)
Pectoralis Major
Stabilizer and synergist muscles:
Pectoralis Minor
Triceps Brachii
Anterior Deltoid
Pectoralis Major
Stabilizer and synergist muscles:
Pectoralis Minor
Biceps Brachii
Anterior Deltoid
Pullover
Push Up
Agonist muscle(s)
Agonist muscle(s)
Pectoralis Major
Latissimus Dorsi
Pectoralis Major
Stabilizer and synergist muscles:
Stabilizer and synergist muscles:
Posterior Deltoid
Triceps Brachii
Pectoralis Minor
Triceps Brachii
Anterior Deltoid
Erector Spinae
Rectus Abdominis
ARMS
Triceps Pushdown
Triceps Kickback
Agonist muscle(s)
Agonist muscle(s)
Triceps Brachii
Stabilizer and synergist muscles:
Deltoids
Triceps Brachii
Stabilizer and synergist muscles:
Deltoids
Triceps Overhead Extension
Skull Crusher
Agonist muscle(s)
Agonist muscle(s)
Triceps Brachii
Stabilizer and synergist muscles:
Anterior Deltoid
Triceps Brachii
Stabilizer and synergist muscles:
Anterior Deltoid
Barbell Curl
Reverse Curl
Agonist muscle(s)
Agonist muscle(s)
Biceps Brachii
Wrist Extensors
Biceps Brachii
Stabilizer and synergist muscles:
Stabilizer and synergist muscles:
Brachialis
Wrist Flexors
Brachialis
Hammer Curl
Agonist muscle(s)
Brachialis
Stabilizer and synergist muscles:
Biceps Brachii
LEGS
Squat
Lunge
Agonist muscle(s)
Agonist muscle(s)
Quadriceps
Stabilizer and synergist muscles:
Hamstrings
Gluteus Maximus
Gastrocnemius
Soleus
Tibialis Anterior
Quadriceps
Hamstring
Gluteus Maximus
Stabilizer and synergist muscles:
Gastrocnemius
Soleus
Tibialis Anterior
Seated Leg Extension
Leg Press
Agonist muscle(s)
Agonist muscle(s)
Quadriceps
Quadriceps
Stabilizer and synergist muscles:
Rectus Abdominis
Tibialis Anterior
Stabilizer and synergist muscles:
Hamstrings
Gluteus Maximus
Gastrocnemius
Soleus
Standing Calf Raise
Leg Curl
Agonist muscle(s)
Agonist muscle(s)
Gastrocnemius
Stabilizer and synergist muscles:
Soleus
Tibialis Anterior
Deadlift
Agonist muscle(s)
Hamstrings
Gluteus Maximus
Erector Spinae
Stabilizer and synergist muscles:
Upper Trapezius
Middle Trapezius
Rhomboids
Quadriceps
Rectus Abdominis
Hamstring
Stabilizer and synergist muscles:
Gastrocnemius
Soleus
Tibialis Anterior
CORE
Crunch
Side Bend
Agonist muscle(s)
Agonist muscle(s)
Rectus Abdominis
Stabilizer and synergist muscles:
Obliques
Obliques
Erector Spinae
Stabilizer and synergist muscles:
Rectus Abdominis
Leg Raise
Seated “Russian” Twists
Agonist muscle(s)
Agonist muscle(s)
Rectus Abdominis
Stabilizer and synergist muscles:
Obliques
Hip Flexors
Obliques
Stabilizer and synergist muscles:
Rectus Abdominis
Erector Spinae
Diagonal Chop
Front Plank
Agonist muscle(s)
Agonist muscle(s)
Obliques
Latissimus Dorsi
Deltoids
Stabilizer and synergist muscles:
Rectus Abdominis
Erector Spinae
Biceps Brachii
Triceps Brachii
Rectus Abdominis
Erector Spinae
Stabilizer and synergist muscles:
Trapezius
Deltoids
Rhomboids
Serratus Anterior
Gluteus Maximus
Quadriceps
Gastrocnemius
Kinesiology Worksheet
Provide the appropriate Agonist muscle(s) for each movement.
Overhead Shoulder Press
Lateral Raise
Agonist muscle(s)
Agonist muscle(s)
Deltoid
Deltoid
Deltoid
Upright Row
Overhead Pull Down
Agonist muscle(s)
Agonist muscle(s)
Deltoid
Front Raise
Bent Over Lateral Raise
Agonist muscle(s)
Agonist muscle(s)
Deltoid
Deltoid
Seated Row
External Shoulder Rotation
Agonist muscle(s)
Agonist muscle(s)
Dorsi
Trapezius
Trapezius
Teres
Cuff
Back Extension
Shrugs
Agonist muscle(s)
Agonist muscle(s)
_
Trapezius
Chest Press
Overhead Extension
Agonist muscle(s)
Agonist muscle(s)
Brachii
Barbell Curl
Reverse Curl
Agonist muscle(s)
Agonist muscle(s)
Wrist
Brachii
Hammer Curl
Squat
Agonist muscle(s)
Agonist muscle(s)
Lunge
Seated Leg Extension
Agonist muscle(s)
Agonist muscle(s)
Maximus
Standing Calf Raise
Leg Curl
Agonist muscle(s)
Agonist muscle(s)
Deadlift
Side Bend
Agonist muscle(s)
Agonist muscle(s)
Erector
Gluteus
Seated “Russian Twists
Front Plank
Agonist muscle(s)
Agonist muscle(s)
Rectus
Spinae
Crunch
Agonist muscle(s)