Table Of ContentEuropeActive’s
Essentials
for Personal
Trainers
EuropeActive
Thomas Rieger
Ben Jones
Alfonso Jiménez
EDITORS
Human Kinetics
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: EuropeActive. | Rieger, Thomas, 1973- editor.
Title: EuropeActive’s essentials for personal trainers / EuropeActive ;
Thomas Rieger, Ben Jones, Alfonso Jimenez, editors.
Description: Champaign, IL : Human Kinetics, [2016] | Includes
bibliographical references and index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2015041792 | ISBN 9781450423786 (print)
Subjects: LCSH: Personal trainers--Training of--European Union
countries--Handbooks, manuals, etc. | Personal trainers--Vocational
guidance--European Union countries--Handbooks, manuals, etc. | Personal
trainers--Certification--European Union countries--Study guides. |
Physical education and training--European Union countries--Handbooks,
manuals, etc.
Classification: LCC GV428.7 .E87 2016 | DDC 613.7/1--dc23 LC record available
at http://lccn.loc.gov/2015041792
ISBN: 978-1-4504-2378-6 (print)
Copyright © 2016 by EuropeActive
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The web addresses cited in this text were current as of September 2015, unless
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Contents
Preface vii
PART I The Role of the Personal Trainer
Professionalism and Presentation 3
1
Jan Middelkamp
Personal Training 3 ■ Examining the Sector of Personal
Training 6 ■ Professionalism of Personal Trainers in
Business 11 ■ Presentation and Qualifications in Personal
Training 16 ■ Marketing and Sales 18 ■ Conclusion 23
Planning a Personal Training Session 25
2
Davide Filingeri and Thomas Rieger
Principles and Characteristics of Personal Training 25 ■
Planning Activities 27 ■ Conclusion 34
Delivering a Personal Training Session 37
3
Nuno Pimenta
Monitoring and Adjusting Exercise 38 ■ Maintaining Good
Communication and Motivation 43 ■ Different Personal
Training Environments 49 ■ Extending Frequent and Good
Communication to Clients 54 ■ Conclusion 57
PART II Functional Anatomy
Skeletal Articulations and Joint Movement 61
4
Daniel Robbins and Mark Goss-Sampson
Connective Tissue 61 ■ Joint Structure 63 ■ Lever
Systems 66 ■ Effects of Resistance Training on
Joints 68 ■ Conclusion 69
Injury Prevention 71
5
Pauline Jacobs and John van Heel
Osteoporosis 71 ■ Spinal Injury Prevention 73 ■
Shoulder Stabilisation 79 ■ Ligamentous Damage 81 ■
Conclusion 83
iii
v i Contents
Muscular System 85
6
Anders Nedergaard
Contraction Types and Their Characteristics 85 ■ Acute
Muscle Adaptations to Different Training Types 88 ■ Chronic
Muscle Adaptation to Training 90 ■ Muscle Functions of the
Hip and Thoracolumbar Fascia 93 ■ Conclusion 95
AT R I P I I Physiology
Energy Systems 99
7
Francesco Bertiato and Simonetta Senni
Three Energy Systems 100 ■ Acute Variables and Energy
Systems 101 ■ Effects of EPOC and Interval Training
on Metabolism 103 ■ Fat Burning 106 ■ METs and
Calories 107 ■ Methods for Monitoring Exercise 108 ■
Use of Energy From Nutrients 111 ■ Conclusion 112
Cardiorespiratory System 115
8
Christoffer Andersen
Cardiovascular System 116 ■ Respiratory System 120 ■
Conclusion 123
Nervous System 125
9
Alexis Batrakoulis
Organisation of the Nervous System 126 ■ Function of
the Nervous System 128 ■ Nervous System and
Exercise 132 ■ Conclusion 133
Hormonal Responses to Exercise 135
0 1
Sabrena Merrill and Cedric X. Bryant
Structural Overview of the Endocrine System 135 ■
Classification of Hormones 143 ■ Hormone Interactions
With Target Cells 144 ■ Hormonal Responses to Acute
Exercise 148 ■ Hormonal Adaptations to Chronic Exercise
Training 155 ■ Conclusion 156
AT R I P V Lifestyle Assessment
Health and Fitness Assessment 161
1 1
Nuno Pimenta, Samantha Jones and Ben Jones
Defining Health and Fitness 161 ■ Preliminary Health
Assessment 162 ■ Fitness Assessments 163 ■
Conclusion 188
Contents v
Psychological Aspects of Personal Training 189
2 1
Chris Beedie
Role of Psychology in Personal Training 189 ■ Goals and
Goal Setting 191 ■ Beliefs and Expectations 193 ■
Emotions, Stress and Coping 197 ■ Conclusion 200
Nutrition 203
3 1
Fernando Naclerio and Robert Cooper
Energy Requirement 203 ■ Estimating Energy Expenditure
204 ■ Calculating Energy Needs 204 ■ Recommended
Dietary Intakes 206 ■ Healthy Eating Patterns 206 ■ How
Dietary Intake Influences Health 207 ■ Micronutrient
Deficiency and Health 209 ■ Fads and Popular Diets 211 ■
Food Pyramid and MyPlate Dietary Plans 213 ■ Developing a
Healthy, Balanced Way of Eating 214 ■ Tobacco, Alcohol and
Caffeine 216 ■ Fat and Lipoprotein 218 ■ Safe and Effective
Weight Loss and Gain 221 ■ Conclusion 222
AT R V P Training Adaptations,
Exercise Planning and Programming
Training Adaptations 227
4 1
Rafael Oliveira, João Brito and Ben Jones
Adaptations to Training Principles 228 ■ Adaptations
to Resistance Training 231 ■ Adaptations to Aerobic
Training 235 ■ Adaptations to Range of Motion
Training 237 ■ Conclusion 238
Exercise Planning and Programming 241
5 1
Christoffer Andersen, Thomas Rieger
and Lars L. Andersen
Planning for Resistance Training 242 ■ Planning
for Aerobic Endurance Training 250 ■ Applied
Training Programming 251 ■ Examples of Exercise
Programming 257 ■ Conclusion 258
Appendix: European Qualifications Framework (EQF) Level 4: Personal Trainer 261
References 279
Index 295
About the Editors 305
Contributors 307
About EuropeActive 309
Preface
Personal training is undoubtedly one of the most important
occupations in the European fitness industry. The job market for
personal trainers currently shows excellent opportunities because
obese and ailing populations now understand the need for fitness,
nutrition and an active lifestyle. Accordingly both the number of
exercise professionals with personal trainer certification and training
providers offering such courses are steadily increasing. A significant
majority of accredited training providers in Europe have decided to
make their personal training courses applicable for the EuropeActive
accreditation. Most of the professionals on the European Register of
Exercise Professionals (EREPS) hold a personal trainer qualification.
Nevertheless compared to the U.S. market, there is still room for
growth and development in Europe. The U.S. government’s Bureau
of Labor Statistics predicts a 29 percent increase in exercise profes-
sionals between 2008 and 2018. In other words the personal trainer
occupation is a success story. Based on a shift in societal values,
there is more demand for individualised services like personal train-
ing. Consumers want to be addressed personally in order to ensure
optimal conditions for achieving their physical and health-related
goals. Personal trainers have the skills, competency and knowledge
to fulfil these expectations. As mentioned before the relevance of
this profession is reflected in the European educational standards
for fitness developed by the Standards Council of EuropeActive and
its experts. At the moment the European Qualifications Framework
(EQF) includes the following formally published standards for all
vocational levels: fitness assistant (EQF level 2), fitness and group
fitness instructor (EQF level 3), personal trainer, active ageing trainer,
youth fitness instructor, Pilates teacher (all EQF level 4), and exer-
cise for health specialist, (pre)diabetes exercise specialist and weight
management exercise specialist (all EQF level 5).
The EQF links the qualifications systems of
countries in Europe, acting as a translation device
to make qualifications more understandable.
This will help learners and workers wishing to
vii
i i i v Preface
move between countries, change jobs or move between educational
institutions at home.
The series reflects the current status of educational fitness stan-
dards in Europe and provides the foundations at EQF level 2, fol-
lowing with the essentials for fitness instructors at EQF level 3 and
for personal trainers at EQF level 4.
With regard to the number of accredited training programmes
based on these standards, it becomes obvious that personal trainer
courses play a key role in this context. Hence after the publication
of EuropeActive’s Foundations for Exercise Professionals (EQF level
2) and EuropeActive’s Essentials for Fitness Instructors (EQF level
3), EuropeActive and Human Kinetics have decided to continue this
series with this textbook, EuropeActive’s Essentials for Personal
Trainers (EQF level 4).
EuropeActive’s Essentials for Personal Trainers provides a standard
reference for teaching the basic competencies, skills and knowledge
that personal trainers need. The book is divided into the following
parts and chapters: The Role of the Personal Trainer (chapters 1
through 3: Professionalism and Presentation, Planning a Personal
Training Session, Delivering a Personal Training Session), Func-
tional Anatomy (chapters 4 through 6: Skeletal Articulations and
Joint Movement, Injury Prevention, Muscular System), Physiology
(chapters 7 through 10: Energy Systems, Cardiorespiratory System,
Nervous System, Hormonal Responses to Exercise), Lifestyle Assess-
ment (chapters 11 through 13: Health and Fitness Assessment,
Psychological Aspects of Personal Training, Nutrition) and Training
Adaptations, Exercise Planning and Programming (chapters 14 and
15: Training Adaptations, Exercise Planning and Programming).
Personal trainers should be acquainted with the skills, competen-
cies and knowledge from the aforementioned fields, since they are
based on a very comprehensive process of standards development
set by EuropeActive’s Standards Council and supported by the com-
mitment of many renowned exercise and fitness experts worldwide.
The textbook is primarily aimed at exercise professionals serving
as personal trainers. In addition training providers can use it as
the basic teaching material within their personal trainer courses to
assure that their course is in line with the current standards. This
textbook gives a perfect orientation for what is needed to success-
fully apply for EuropeActive accreditation. Finally EuropeActive’s
Essentials for Personal Trainers is also intended for personal trainers,
coaches, students of sports and exercise science as well as anyone
who is interested in exercising, fitness, physical activity and health.
The content bundled in this book ideally prepares personal train-
ers all over the world to deliver client-oriented service grounded on
