Certified Personal Trainer

Human Movement Specialist

Integrated Manual Therapist

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A better personal training certification by design. Comprehensively evidence-based, outcome-driven, 3rd-party-approved.

Performance Program Design

This is a description for the subcategory Introduction to Functional Anatomy.

Introduction to Functional Anatomy

This is a description for the subcategory Strength and Power Progressions.

Strength and Power Progressions

This is a description for the subcategory Core Progressions.

Core Progressions

This is a description for the subcategory Exercise Physiology.

Exercise Physiology

Training Goals

Acute Variables

Research: Strength and Performance

Learn anatomical position and anatomical directional terms. Essential knowledge for fitness, healthcare, and sports medicine professionals to improve anatomical accuracy.

Lesson 1: Anatomical Position & Anatomical Directions.

Learn the sagittal, frontal, and transverse planes of motion—essential knowledge for exercise analysis, program design, and movement assessment in healthcare and fitness.

Lesson 2: Planes of Motion

This course introduces the joint actions of the human body and discusses the joint actions possible for each of the large joints. For example, the hip joint can perform flexion, extension, abduction, adduction, internal rotation, external rotation, horizontal adduction, and horizontal abduction. These joint actions are then used to describe the motions of various common exercises. 

Lesson 3: Joint Actions

Synovial joints are designed for motion. They include hinge joints, ball-and-socket joints, facet joints, pivot joints, gliding joints, saddle joints, and condyloid joints. 

Lesson 4: Synovial Joints

This course defines the study of the human movement systems, including the skeletal, fascial, nervous, and muscular systems. The function, organization, and physiology of the four systems of the body are described. Further, a detailed look at human movement, sports science, and the bones (skeletal system), muscles (muscular system), and nerves (nervous systems) that produce movement during physical activity. 

Lesson 5: Basics of the Human Movement Systems

Joints and joint actions of the scapula and shoulder girdle. Description of the scapulothoracic (ST), sternoclavicular (SC), and acromioclavicular (AC) joints and the scapula, joint actions/motions of retraction, protraction, elevation, depression, and upward and downward rotation. 

Lesson 6: Joints of the Shoulder Girdle and Scapular Motion

The trapezius, rhomboids, levator scapula, pectoralis minor, and serratus anterior are the muscles that contribute to the scapula's motion. These muscles are attached to the scapula and the spine or rib cage. Optimal scapula motion is essential for optimal shoulder and upper extremity motion. 

Lesson 7: Scapular Muscles

Functional anatomy of the deltoid muscles. Joint actions, location, pictures, attachments and exercises for the anterior, middle, and posterior deltoids (delts).

Lesson 8: Introduction To Deltoids

Functional anatomy of the rotator cuff. Joint actions, location, pictures, and exercises for the supraspinatus, infraspinatus, teres minor, and subscapularis a.k.a. rotator cuff muscles. 

Lesson 9: Rotator Cuff

Functional anatomy of the pectoralis major, latissimus dorsi, and teres major. Joint actions, location, pictures, and exercises for the pecs, lats, and teres major.

Lesson 10: Pectoralis Major, Latissimus Dorsi, and Teres Major

Functional anatomy of the arm muscles. Joint actions, location, pictures, and exercises for the biceps brachialis (biceps), brachialis, and triceps brachialis (triceps). 

Lesson 11: Biceps Brachii, Brachialis, Triceps Brachii, Brachioradialis and Coracobrachialis

Functional anatomy of the scapula, shoulder, and elbow. Joint actions, muscles, exercises, and planes of motion for the upper body. Detailed analysis of the pectoralis major, latissimus dorsi, teres major, deltoids, rotator cuff, and scapular muscles.

Lesson 12: Functional Anatomy by Joint Action and Exercise of the Upper Body

Functional anatomy of the hip flexors and anterior thigh muscles. Joint actions, location, pictures, and exercises for the psoas, illiacus, rectus femoris, tensor fascia latae (TFL), vastus medialis, vastus lateralis, and vastus intermedius. 

Lesson 13: Hip Flexors and Anterior Thigh Muscles

Functional anatomy of the posterior hip muscles. Joint actions, location, pictures, and exercises for the gluteus maximus, gluteus medius, gluteus minimus (glutes), and stretches for the piriformis.

Lesson 14: The Gluteus Maximus, Gluteus Medius, Gluteus Minimus, and Piriformis

Functional anatomy of the hamstrings and adductors. Joint actions, location, pictures, and exercises for the hamstrings (bicep femoris, semitendinosus, semimembranosus) and adductors (gracilis, pectineus, adductor longus, adductor brevis, and adductor magnus).


Lesson 15: Hamstrings and Adductors

Functional anatomy of the ankle joint and the ankle muscles. Joint actions, location, pictures, and exercises for the gastrocnemius and soleus (calf muscles), tibialis anterior and tibialis posterior (tibialis muscles) and fibularis longus, brevis, and tertius (fibularis muscles).

Lesson 16: Ankle Joint Actions and Muscles

Functional anatomy of the hip, knee, and ankle joint. Joint actions, muscles, exercises, and planes of motion for the lower body. Detailed analysis of the hip flexors, quadriceps, glutes, hamstrings, adductors, piriformis, calf muscles, tibialis muscles, and fibularis muscles.

Lesson 17: Functional Anatomy by Joint Action and Exercise of the Lower Body

Spine and Trunk Muscles Anatomy: Including the curves, vertebrae, joint actions, muscles, and trunk and core exercises.

Lesson 18: The Spine and Trunk Muscles

Functional anatomy of the trunk. Joint actions, muscles, exercises, and planes of motion for the core. Detailed analysis of an anterior pelvic tilt and the role of the abs/core and trunk muscles (rectus abdominis, obliques, transverse abdominis), multifidus, erector spinae, QL, psoas, TFL, glutes, in lumbopelvic hip complex (LPHC) motion.

Lesson 19: Trunk Muscles Graph, Additional Core Muscles and Core Exercise Challenge

The study of human movement science includes the relationships between the skeletal, fascial, nervous, and muscular systems. This course covers more detail regarding arthrokinematic motions (slide/glide, roll/spin, pivot), the fascial system, the function of the nervous system/mechanoreceptors (Pacinian corpuscles, Ruffini endings, Golgi tendon organ, and muscles spindle fibers), and the "rules of muscles" (function).

Lesson 20: More on the Human Movement Systems

This course describes the functional role of muscles as it applies to kinesiology and human movement science. This includes definitions for prime mover (agonist), synergist, antagonist, neutralizer, stabilizer, and fixator. Further, the terms are applied to several joint actions for the major joints of the human body (shoulder, scapula, spine, hip, knee, and ankle joints), and examples of altered recruitment and dysfunction are discussed throughout.

Lesson 21: Functional Roles of Muscles

Discover posture, postural dysfunction, and movement rules. Learn effects of length/tension, reciprocal inhibition, joint dyskinesis, anterior pelvic tilt, and rounded shoulders.

Introduction to Functional Anatomy

Lesson 1: Anatomical Position & Anatomical Directions.

Lesson 1: Anatomical Position & Anatomical Directions.

Lesson 2: Planes of Motion

Lesson 2: Planes of Motion

Lesson 3: Joint Actions

Lesson 3: Joint Actions

Lesson 4: Synovial Joints

Lesson 4: Synovial Joints

Lesson 5: Basics of the Human Movement Systems

Lesson 5: Basics of the Human Movement Systems

Lesson 6: Joints of the Shoulder Girdle and Scapular Motion

Lesson 6: Joints of the Shoulder Girdle and Scapular Motion

Lesson 7: Scapular Muscles

Lesson 7: Scapular Muscles

Lesson 8: Introduction To Deltoids

Lesson 8: Introduction To Deltoids

Lesson 9: Rotator Cuff

Lesson 9: Rotator Cuff

Lesson 10: Pectoralis Major, Latissimus Dorsi, and Teres Major

Lesson 10: Pectoralis Major, Latissimus Dorsi, and Teres Major

Lesson 11: Biceps Brachii, Brachialis, Triceps Brachii, Brachioradialis and Coracobrachialis

Lesson 11: Biceps Brachii, Brachialis, Triceps Brachii, Brachioradialis and Coracobrachialis

Lesson 12: Functional Anatomy by Joint Action and Exercise of the Upper Body

Lesson 12: Functional Anatomy by Joint Action and Exercise of the Upper Body

Lesson 13: Hip Flexors and Anterior Thigh Muscles

Lesson 13: Hip Flexors and Anterior Thigh Muscles

Lesson 14: The Gluteus Maximus, Gluteus Medius, Gluteus Minimus, and Piriformis

Lesson 14: The Gluteus Maximus, Gluteus Medius, Gluteus Minimus, and Piriformis

Lesson 15: Hamstrings and Adductors

Lesson 15: Hamstrings and Adductors

Lesson 16: Ankle Joint Actions and Muscles

Lesson 16: Ankle Joint Actions and Muscles

Lesson 17: Functional Anatomy by Joint Action and Exercise of the Lower Body

Lesson 17: Functional Anatomy by Joint Action and Exercise of the Lower Body

Lesson 18: The Spine and Trunk Muscles

Lesson 18: The Spine and Trunk Muscles

Lesson 19: Trunk Muscles Graph, Additional Core Muscles and Core Exercise Challenge

Lesson 19: Trunk Muscles Graph, Additional Core Muscles and Core Exercise Challenge

Lesson 20: More on the Human Movement Systems

Lesson 20: More on the Human Movement Systems

Lesson 21: Functional Roles of Muscles

Lesson 21: Functional Roles of Muscles

Lesson 22: Introduction to Movement Assessment and Analysis

Lesson 22: Introduction to Movement Assessment and Analysis