American Council on Exercise by American Council on Exercise
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To meet the needs of a changing market in both the health and fitness industry and in education, ACE is launching the all-new ACE Personal Trainer Study Program. Designed from the ground up to educate and prepare future certified personal trainers to be successful in their fitness careers, this program incorporates quality, evidence-based information into a multidimensional learning experience that caters to the specific needs of adult learners. Throughout the program, case studies, graphics, images, and videos are used to help learners understand how to apply the knowledge and principals they are learning to real-world scenarios with clients.  

What You Need to Know

  • The ACE Personal Trainer Study Program is an entirely new, comprehensive approach to educating and training the next generation of personal trainers in the art and science of exercise programming.  
  • The ACE Personal Trainer Study Program is rooted in a client-centered approach to training and evidence-based behavior change strategies that foster positive, healthy change.   
  • Many personal trainer programs focus solely on theory and scientific models, whereas the ACE Personal Trainer Study Program unlocks the key to understanding how to work with clients to promote behavior change and healthy outcomes—turning knowledge into action.  
  • With the updates to the ACE IFT Model and inclusion of the ACE Mover Method Philosophy emphasized through the five sections of content in this program, the ACE Personal Trainer Study Program is the most comprehensive learning program for personal trainers available. 

1. How will the new study program help me achieve my mission of becoming a personal trainer? 

The updates include the evolution of the textbook and study companion. The new textbook, The Exercise Professional’s Guide to Personal Training, includes foundational and essential exercise science content and is a fantastic resource for ACE Certified Pros as they advance in their careers. Also updated is the ACE Integrated Fitness Training® (ACE IFT®) Model, which makes it possible to design programs based on fitness goals through the use of client engagement and training phases, which allow for safe and effective progression in training. The revised ACE IFT Model also features the ACE Mover Method Philosophy and ABC Approach.

A brand-new online platform and interactive content, including the option for live learning experiences, round out the biggest updates to the program. A range of tools available within the study program make it possible for you to absorb content in a method that best fits your individual learning style. “Multimodal” learning is applied through the study program as well as adult learning theories to help you feel supported, motivated and inspired throughout your study process.  

2. How will it help my career? 

Those who have a solid foundation as an ACE Certified Personal Trainer are ahead of the curve when it comes to client-trainer relationship building, program design and working with clients who may need modifications to their exercise plan. The all-new ACE Personal Trainer study experience includes countless case studies, video demonstrations and scenarios that are based on real clients so you will feel comfortable seeing and applying your new knowledge to your future clients. By using the ACE IFT Model and ACE Mover Method Philosophy, you will be well equipped to work with a variety of clients who possess a variety of goals, moving both your clients and careers forward.  

3. Can I still use the original study materials to prepare for the exam?

Yes, you can use the original materials to successfully prepare for the ACE Personal Trainer exam. Continue your current study plan using all print and online study materials, including any practice tests. If you’ve been working with these materials for a while, we encourage you to finish up your studies and sit for the exam. The Exam Content Outline has not changed, and the original study materials will still prepare you for the certification exam. However, if you’d like to have the new materials, we have several options, which you can find on our website. 

4. How do the new materials compare to the original? 

The Exercise Professional’s Guide to Personal Training is a completely new textbook (not an updated version of the previous one). The Essentials of Exercise Science textbook no longer exists and has been woven into The Exercise Professional’s Guide to Personal Training textbook. The updated study companion is more robust and includes “scaffolded learning” techniques to help you move from lower levels of learner to high levels as your knowledge grows. The online components have been completely recreated and follow the new textbook page by page.  

With the new manual, you no longer have to flip forward or backward in two different textbooks to follow along and complete assignments. The all-new study program has been designed to be a seamless learning process. 

Become an ACE Certified Personal Trainer and help people live healthier, happier lives