Customer Reviews

Personal Trainer Manual: The Resource for Fitness Professionals

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I read the ACE Personal Trainer Manual cover to cover (except the nutrition chapter since I have a nutrition degree) and did the exercises in the workbook (separate purchase). I easily passed the ACE Personal Trainer Exam on the first try, even though the exam is notorious for trying to be tricky. This 500 page textbook provides the information needed to pass the exam and a description of the exam's four sections. The seven parts of the book are (1) Exercise Science (chapters in anatomy, exercise physiology, biomechanics and nutrition), (2) Screening and Evaluation (includes health screening and fitness testing), (3) Principles and Methods of Training (includes cardio, strength training, and flexibility), (4) Individualized Program Design (healthy adults and special populations), (5) Leadership and Implementation (motivation, communication, and teaching techniques), (6) Injury Prevention and First Aid, (7) Legal Issues. Each chapter is written by a well-known fitness industry professional. The concepts are explained well enough for the beginning personal trainer student to understand, and in sufficient depth to get one started in the industry. The book can also serve as a reference of basic concepts, for example, as a refresher of the muscles of the rotator cuff, or the table of cardiorespiratory fitness level classifications in METS. The visuals, although in black and white, are extremely helpful, especially the anatomical drawings, and the photographs showing many common stretches and exercises (machine, free-weight, and floor) to work various muscles, along with the proper spotting technique. There's a helpful glossary as well.

I recommend this book for anyone who will be taking the ACE personal trainer exam, fitness and personal trainer students, and personal trainers getting started in the field or who otherwise could use a basic reference.

Note to fellow college instructors: This would be a suitable text for an undergraduate vocational course in personal training, as it does an excellent job explaining what personal trainers need to know. However, it lacks the scientific depth and research review needed for an exercise physiology course.

As the Vice President of Operations of W.I.T.S., a 5 week national fitness certification course, I have found this book to be very thorough and easy to read. Most textbooks assume alot of base knowledge and tend not to explain in detail, the way this book does. Our schools use this book in all 58 locations.