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Physical Trainer

Type Course
Duration 5 days

Looking to embark on or fast-track a career in the health and fitness industry? Get off to the best start and gain a recognized qualification when you enrol on our Physical Trainer program.

Our Physical Trainer program is designed to help you embark on or advance your career, and to gain a qualification if you're already a working professional. You'll also get access to complementary education programs. Off to a flying start…

Once you've gained your Physical Coaching Academy qualification, we'll automatically enter you in the EREPS (European Register of Exercise Professionals) register. EREPS is recognized by EuropeActive (the European Health and Fitness Association).

🎯 First interview guaranteed

Some PCA partner clubs offer a first job interview to Physical Trainer certified coaches (EREPS level 3).

See our partner clubs that are hiring

Looking to advance your knowledge? You must have completed the Physical Trainer course in order to be eligible for the NASM™ Certified Personal Trainer module (unless you have an EREPS level 3 qualification or equivalent).

Need help ?

Please feel free to contact us by phone at +32 (0)2 347 06 27 or via our contact form.

To understand basic anatomy, physiology, biomechanics and physical training.

Teaching covers the following topics:

  • Functional anatomy
  • Biomechanics
  • Exercise physiology
  • Training principles and methods
  • Nutrition and sport
  • The psychosocial aspects of health and fitness

This course will fully prepare you to progress to the NASM™ Personal Trainer qualification.

Lessons and exams

  • The course spans 6 weeks (1.5 months)
  • 5 days of lessons, alternating between theory and practical sessions
  • 1 exam day (written and oral)

Teaching days are organized so that every participant has sufficient time to absorb the theory and put it into practice.

Placement

  • Supervised 15-hour internship at a fitness center.
  • 15 hours of training recorded by the student in a logbook

Day 1 teaching

  • Introduction
  • Skeletal anatomy
  • Joint anatomy
  • Terminology of movements
  • Planes and axes of movement
  • Muscular system
  • Postural deviations and assessment
  • Stretching

Day 2 teaching

  • Functional anatomy of the muscles:
    • The abdominal muscles
    • Back
    • Chest and shoulder
    • Arms
    • Lower limbs
  • Core Training:
    • Functions
    • Tests
    • Exercises

Day 3 teaching

  • Biomechanics
  • Resistance training
  • Resistance training (free weights)
  • Injuries

Day 4 teaching

  • Physiological basics of training
  • Assessing cardiovascular endurance
  • Training and cardiovascular endurance
  • Sport and nutrition:
    • Nutritional hierarchy
    • Macronutrients
    • Micronutrients

Day 5 teaching

  • Training basics
  • Recovery, overload, overtraining
  • Program Design
  • Communication and motivation
  • Professionalism, code of conduct, ethics, national standards and directives
  • Designing a training program

Internship

The 30-hour internship breaks down as follows:

  • At least 15 hours in a fitness centre (supervised by an instructor qualified to at least EREPS level 3 or equivalent).

The internship gives students the opportunity to observe a Fitness Instructor at work and participate in various tasks.

Students learn how to introduce clients to the equipment and guide them during training sessions. They also become familiar with designing and explaining a training program, and contribute to the smooth running of the centre. Tasks include assisting with opening and closing the venue, answering phone calls, scheduling appointments, registering new clients, inspecting and cleaning equipment, and keeping the venue tidy.

After completing the 15 hours, the supervising instructor will assess the skills acquired during the internship. You have a maximum of 6 months from the last day of the course to submit your internship documents, otherwise you will be considered to have failed.

PCA Advantage

Physical Coaching Academy helps you find your internship.

You'll have access to a dedicated page of PCA partner clubs, where you can:

  • Find an internship near you, using a province filter
  • Identify clubs ready to host PCA interns
  • Locate clubs offering a first job interview after certification

👉 A concrete opportunity to turn your internship into your first professional experience

This approach reflects the confidence of industry professionals in the quality of coaches trained at PCA.

  • 15 hours of personal training to be recorded in a logbook.

Exams

The course concludes with a written exam, an oral exam, and a practical assessment by the supervising instructor.

Written exam

50 multiple-choice questions (60 minutes). To pass, students must score at least 80%.

Oral exam

To prepare for the exam, you'll be asked to design 2 training programs for an imaginary client. On the day of the oral exam, you'll bring along the 2 programs you've designed and your logbook. Additional questions will be asked about the programs. To pass, students must score at least 50%.

Practical assessment

Included in the 15-hour internship at a fitness centre: coaching a client during a session.

Pass criteria

To earn the qualification, students must pass all components: written exam, oral exam, and practical assessment.

If a student fails, each exam may be retaken once at no extra cost. In all cases, you have a maximum period of 6 months from the last day of the course to complete your exams, after which you will be considered to have failed.

Qualification

Once you pass your exams and assessment, you'll receive the Physical Trainer certificate and automatically be entered into the EREPS register (level 3).

An asset for you and your clients: first-aid certification

As a health professional, you'll want to have the knowledge and reflexes to assist your clients, particularly in the event of a cardiovascular incident. We strongly encourage our students to complete training in cardiopulmonary resuscitation and the use of an external defibrillator via the CPR/AED course. This certification is also a valuable asset when seeking employment.

Enrolment

You must be at least 18 to participate in the exams.

Payment in 4 installments at no additional cost

You can pay for the course in 4 monthly installments. The first payment of €376.00 is due at the time of order, and the remaining 3 installments of €373.00 will be automatically debited approximately every 30 days.

An invoice with the total course amount will be issued, and you can choose the option “I pay my order in 4 monthly installments” after accepting our general terms and conditions. Once your order is placed, the estimated debit dates will be visible on your personal dashboard.

Vouchers

The Walloon Region offers financial support for this course.

Chèques formation

  • Intended for self-employed/SMEs in the Walloon Region.
  • €15 per teaching hour (VAT included) funded by the Region. You can use chèque formation vouchers up to €525 (35 vouchers) to pay for this course.

Timetable

Lessons take place between 9:00 and 16:30.

Physical Trainer Summer School

During the summer months, you also have the opportunity to participate in the Physical Trainer SUMMER SCHOOL and complete your qualification in under 3 weeks.

Enrol

After selecting your preferred language, choose the schedule that suits you and follow the steps to confirm your registration. It takes no more than 2 minutes.

For logistical reasons, we recommend registering ideally 2 weeks before the course start date.

Do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions.

Register for Physical Trainer.

Price (tax incl.): €1495.00
Pay in 4 instalments at no extra cost

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If you wish, you can still complete your registration, and book a class at any time later from your dashboard. Open registrations help us estimate demand for classes. We will let you know when a class is scheduled in your region and preferred language.

Would you like to apply for a subsidy?

You might be eligible for a government subsidy.

More info about subsidies ›

BLACKROLL Personal Trainer's Set

We created a high-quality Personal Trainer's set to help you get started. This set is composed of must-have tools that belong in any trainer's arsenal.

More info about the Personal Trainer's Set ›

Conditions of participation

You must be at least 18 to sit the exams.

Please select a class or "I will book my class later." before you continue.