The University of California at Davis offers a bachelor of science in exercise biology. This program teaches students about the anatomy of the human body, both physiologically and psychologically. Students learn about ow to body works during exercise, and includes courses on nutrition so graduates can assist clients with their diet as well as with their training program for a complete approach to fitness. The four-year degree allows graduates to seek certification as a personal trainer, and gives them additional opportunities to continue their education after, or while, working as a personal trainer.
The California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo has a Food Science and Nutrition Department that offers a number of technical majors personal trainers would find useful to their long-term professional development. These include a bachelor of science degree in nutrition. This degree teaches students all about food from its basic chemistry to the nutritional effects of different methods of preparation. Students can use this knowledge to bolster their credentials as a personal trainer, and also to pursue certification as a registered dietitian to expand their professional options.
The National Personal Training Institute offers a diploma in personal training. This program teaches aspiring personal trainers about the technical aspects of exercise and how to help clients maximize the effectiveness of their workouts. The program itself covers 500 hours of instruction, during which students are learn about evaluating client fitness levels, planning fitness programs for different fitness goals, and how to properly plan repetition intervals, rest periods, and exercise sets within those fitness programs. Instruction also includes a nutritional component.
The National Council on Strength and Fitness is a governing body that awards certifications for personal trainers. While the NCSF only awards certification to an applicant after he passes the NCSF's certification examination, the body offers a class program to teach test takers the technical knowledge they will need to pass the examination. Students can take these courses at a number of training facilities, or they can complete a home study program. However, the certificate examination must be taken at a testing facility.