One of the numerous opportunities UTM students have at the gym is to become a personal trainer or fitness class instructor. Through the canfitpro program, which is offered at various times throughout the year, any student or community member has the chance to learn the basics of personal training and fitness class instructing.
What is canfitpro? It’s a nationally recognized introductory program for new personal trainers and fitness instructors. The fitness class instructor course certifies new teachers for traditional group fitness classes that are usually loud, energetic, and choreographed. This includes classes such as “Step and Sculpt”, “Body Blast”, and “Strength and Stretch”, all of which are currently offered on campus.
The personal training course includes instruction in fitness theory, workout components, basic training principles, business skills, and other essentials to becoming a personal trainer. Darren Turner, a UTM graduate and personal trainer at the RAWC, said, “[The course is] a gateway certification into the fitness industry. It gives you knowledge to put an average individual safely through a basic fitness program.”
And canfitpro also helps to create more opportunities for students to get hired on campus, as it is a requirement for every trainer on staff at the RAWC to be thus certified.
The personal training classes are offered throughout the year at the RAWC, and are taught by Andrew Bellerby, the fitness program coordinator. The course is 25 hours in total, divided over three days. The theoretical and practical exams are held separately from the course, but can both be completed at the RAWC.
The next course will be offered from March 30 to April 1 and from April 27 to 29. The next fitness instructor course will run from May 4 to 6.
