NOW TAKING CLIENTS STARTING JANUARY 1, 2008

LOCATION:  POMPANO BEACH GOLD'S GYM

I'm excited to have the opportunity to work with you to help you meet your fitness goals. I'm dedicated to ensuring your success and helping make fitness fun. Please read on to learn more about me.

It's important for you to know that you have a trainer that is well educated in fitness and meets the necessary requirements to properly train you. Here's my background.

• Graduate of the Fitness Institute International in Boca Raton, Florida 2002

   

  Ava Cowan C.P.T.S, Certified Personal Training Specialist

   Certified Personal Training Specialist (CPTS^®)

  Students who successfully complete the first five courses listed under 'Course Descriptions' are awarded the ‘Certified Personal Training Specialist’ (CPTS^®) credential which is a ‘Registered’ mark. Having passed this quintet of rigorous courses, these individuals have gone the distance to establish their competency as personal trainers; and their CPTS^® certificate documents that they are not just ‘certified’ but rather truly ‘qualified’. They can display this credential with pride, for it reflects a greater knowledge base and skill level than any other personal trainer certificate available today. For this reason, it has been recognized as the most legally defensible personal trainer certificate in the industry.

   

  The uniqueness of the Institute’s personal trainer program lies in the fact that it bridges the academic training of university courses with the practical experience found only within facilities. For this reason, the Institute provides the obvious training ground for the most highly skilled personal trainers in the country.

  The past president of the National Strength & Conditioning Association who is currently the Executive Director of the NSCA Certification Commission was the keynote speaker at the Institute’s graduation and awards ceremony in 1996. As Dr. Baechle stated: “If trainers throughout the United States possessed the knowledge and qualities of Fitness Institute students (CPTS^® graduates), the status of personal training would equal that of physical therapy.”

   

  A West Palm Beach publication noted that Gold Coast residents were fortunate to have a graduate school for fitness professionals right in their own backyard. The article closed with the statement: “The next time you need to confirm a personal trainer’s credentials, look for a ‘CPTS^®’ from Fitness Institute International. It is the choice of qualified fitness professionals.”

   

  *Below I have added the course descriptions that I have taken and passed to receive my C.P.T.S. status.

  Exercise Science Foundations Course

  This course, for which there is no prerequisite, provides a comprehensive knowledge base in exercise science which is foundational to the different areas of fitness leadership. Through both lecture and demonstration, students learn principles of the physiology of exercise which are fundamental to safe and effective fitness programming for the public. In addition to aspiring and practicing instructors, many individuals, to include elite athletes, take this course to improve their own personal fitness programs.

  The course, which is conducted in a state of the art amphitheatre in Boca Raton, Florida, includes the following content areas: Health & Fitness Overview; Myths & Quackery; Philosophy & Standards; Anatomy & Physiology; Kinesiology; Sports Nutrition; Cardiovascular, Muscular & Flexibility Training; Program Design; Injury Prevention & Emergency Procedures.

  As a result of course completion and documentation of current BLS for Healthcare Providers (to include AED), students receive a ‘Foundations Course’ certificate. At this time, students become eligible for a ‘Specialist’ certification to be awarded upon successful completion of both the Exercise Science Foundations course and an advanced course. ‘Specialist’ certification verifies that individuals have undergone both didactic and practical training from an institute that is recognized for its high standards. Those who have completed or are concurrently enrolled in the ‘Foundations’ course are eligible to take either the Fitness Testing or the Strength & Conditioning Specialist courses which entail substantial hands-on training.

• Strength & Conditioning Specialist

  This course is designed for the fitness instructor whose principle leadership role is in the area of strength training and aerobic conditioning, either within the fitness facility or personal trainer setting. Course content extends the knowledge base (kinesiology, biomechanics & program design) established during the ‘Foundations’ course, with concentration on responsibilities of the instructor who supervises the use of both resistive exercise and cardiovascular equipment.

  Practical training, conducted at numerous facilities throughout the Broward and Palm Beach county areas, exposes students to the majority of strength training and aerobic equipment available today. Students are not only instructed how to use the exercise machinery themselves, but more importantly, how to train their clients in the safe and effective operation of such equipment.

  Students are graded on their knowledge base as well as instructional and supervisory skills. During practical one-on-one testing, students (instructors) must explain and demonstrate to their examiners (clients) correct set-up procedures (adjustments & alignments), appropriate ranges of motion (effective movement patterns) and any safety considerations (potential dangers). Subsequently, examiners will workout with the equipment making intentional mistakes to determine whether students can identify and remedy errors.

  Upon successful course completion, students are awarded a certificate as a ‘Strength & Conditioning Specialist’. The course will help prepare qualifying students for the two nationally accredited certifications, which are available through the National Strength & Conditioning Association (NSCA). Prerequisites for enrollment are either attendance of the ‘Foundations’ course or a degree in exercise science from an accredited university.

   

  Fitness Testing Specialist
  

• This course which is conducted at a cardiopulmonary center in Pompano Beach, Florida, provides theoretical and practical training in health risk appraisal, physical fitness testing, performance evaluation, metabolic calculations and exercise prescription. Fitness testing techniques include analysis of blood pressure, body fat, lung function, physical work capacity (submaximal stress testing), flexibility, muscular endurance and strength.

  Upon successful course completion (written and practical), students are awarded a certificate as a ‘Fitness Testing Specialist’. Graduates are encouraged to establish and operate testing centers within fitness facilities – a practice which improves safety and effectiveness of fitness programming, enhances instructor credibility and provides an additional source of revenue.

  Responsible personal trainers recognize that fitness testing is essential, not only for safe and effective program design, but also to establish a baseline against which future progress of clients will be measured. This type of feedback reinforces client behavior and enhances motivation.

  This course helps prepare students for the prestigious certifications offered by the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and the National Strength & Conditioning Association (NSCA). Prerequisites for enrollment are either attendance of the ‘Foundations’ course or a degree in exercise science from an accredited university.

  
  

•  Nutrition Education & Weight Management Specialist

  This course is for fitness instructors who desire an in-depth knowledge of nutrition science and a practical understanding of weight management. Course content includes a thorough study of the digestive system and basic metabolism in order that students understand foundational facts of nutrition education. Essential nutrients (carbohydrates, protein, fat, water, vitamins & minerals) are studied as they relate to bodily requirements. Nutritional supplements are analyzed in light of legitimate and bogus recommendations.

  Students learn to conduct dietary reviews, to determine percent of calories derived from energy nutrients and to verify one’s receiving recommended dietary allowances of essential nutrients. Based upon reviews, students are taught how to initiate dietary changes to establish healthy eating habits as outlined by the American Dietetics Association and the Food & Nutrition Board of the National Academy of Sciences.

  Weight management, as dictated by healthy eating habits coupled with regular exercise, is a primary focus of the course. Students review methods of behavioral change as well as learn techniques in dietary programming to ensure safe, progressive weight loss as well as weight gain.

  Upon successful course completion along with having finished the Exercise Science Foundations course, students are awarded a certificate as a ‘Nutrition Education & Weight Management Specialist’. Recommended prerequisites for enrollment are either attendance of the ‘Foundations’ course or a degree in exercise science from an accredited university.