Welcome to Certificate in Exercise (Advanced Health and Fitness Coach) (Level 5)!
The aim of this programme is to equip students with the advanced knowledge, skills and techniques to be able to work in the exercise industry across a variety of exercise environments with a range of clients. This programme will also provide practical experience of working in the industry through industry work placements in a gym or exercise facility.
The programme develops concepts and application of theories from the New Zealand Certificate in Exercise (Level 4) to give learners advanced knowledge to deliver technical and personalised exercise programmes with competencies to help people improve the physical well-being of New Zealand, the exercise industry, their clients and communities.
This programme meets the requirements of the New Zealand Certificate in Exercise (Level 5).
Graduates will be eligible to register with the New Zealand Register of Exercise Professionals (REPs).
In addition, the programme is intended to provide a pathway to study exercise science or related fields at level 6.
When you successfully finish the programme, you will be awarded the New Zealand Exercise (Advanced Health and Fitness Coach) (Level 5). This is an official document that you can show to others, like employers, so they can be confident you can:
- design exercise programmes to the industry standard and implement advanced exercise options to enhance client performance.
- provide appropriate referrals and follow-up actions to address nutritional requirements as part of personalised exercise prescription.
- integrate a broad range of health and wellness factors into an extended exercise intervention programme to meet client goals and objectives.
- analyse and select from a range of advanced exercise options underpinned by exercise science to customise exercise assessment and programmes.
- design programmes and apply exercise principles within scope of practice using understanding of the indications and contraindications for symptomatic or apparently healthy people.
- develop networks with other allied professionals to support exercise client outcomes.
| Module No. | Module | Assessments | Approx Learning Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Exercise Science Part A | Assessment 1 A: (Neck, shoulder and upper crossed syndrome) Assessment 1 B: (LPHC and lower crossed syndrome) Assessment 1 C: (Knee and ankle) Assessment 1 D: (Postural analysis process) (10 credits) |
100 |
| 2 | Exercise Prescription Part A | Assessment 1 A: (Periodisation- Annual Training Plan for Resistance Training) Assessment 1 B: (Session Planning for Resistance Training Approaches) Assessment 1 C: (Session Adaptation and Delivery- Resistance Training) (10 credits) |
100 |
| 3 | Exercise Science Part B (Nutrition) | Assessment 2 A: (Hydration Case Study) Assessment 2 B: (Performance Nutrition Case Study) Assessment 2 C: (Micro-nutrient and Supplementation Case Study) Assessment 2 D: (Weight loss Case Study) (10 credits) |
100 |
| 4 | Exercise Prescription Part B (Cardio) | Assessment 2 A: (Periodisation- Annual Training Plan for Cardiovascular Training) Assessment 2 B: (Session Planning for Cardiovascular Training Approaches) Assessment 2 C: (Session Adaptation and Delivery- Cardiovascular Training) (10 credits) |
100 |
| 5 | Special Populations and Exercise Industry: Professional Practice | Assessment 1 A: (Research and Pre-screening) Assessment 1 B: (Health Professional Liaison and Baseline Testing) Assessment 1 C: (Week Programme Design and Implementation) (10 credits) Assessment 2: (Work Experience Journal and Evaluation) (10 credits) |
200 |
About the programme
The online programme consists of 5 modules and 16 assessment tasks. At certain times during the programme, you will be required to work on multiple assessment tasks simultaneously.
Helpful information you won’t want to miss…
To ensure a smooth and structured learning experience, we recommend starting the modules at specific weeks. This will help you progress gradually and reach important milestones by their due dates. The due dates for assessment are detailed in the Programme and Assessment Information document provided by your online tutor in the Announcements Forum. You will also find this information within the Introduction to every Module.
Each module includes an overview that provides the details for your progression and important milestones. This information will help you manage your time effectively, know when to start your learning content and submit your assessments. Here is a snapshot of your student journey to help guide you. The top line indicates the time you should spend on online content and self-directed study (gym and theory) for each module. The lines below it indicate how long your assessments are expected to take. It displays which week to get started and when to submit each assessment.
Click through the following images using the arrows beneath to view what your progression should look like for each module of your course.
How will you learn?
Your learning journey is structured around weekly progression for learning and assessments, ensuring steady advance alongside your peers.
While you have the flexibility to engage with the material at your convenience, adherence to the weekly schedule is vital for course advancement. As you proceed through the course, each module will be unlocked sequentially, allowing your learning build on knowledge and to evolve progressively.
You are encouraged to interact with other students through forums or group messaging. Keep in mind that not everyone likes to study when you do, so you may need to wait for a response.
Live sessions
Join our Live Sessions with the online teaching team or book a one-on-one with your tutor.
Your course tutors conduct a minimum of one live session per week for each intake. These sessions encompass a variety of topics, which may include the following:
- Discussing forthcoming assessments.
- Exploring challenging or intriguing aspects of the learning material.
- Introducing supplementary topics related to, but not covered in, the learning.
- Featuring guest speakers discussing relevant subjects, such as industry experts.
- Engaging in general question and answer sessions.
- Tackling specific learning components that often raise queries, such as FAQs.
- Sharing strategies for effective assessment work and optimising online study, such as tips on navigating your time.
Important
These sessions are designed to provide valuable insights, address queries, and offer additional perspectives. While we understand that recordings are available, we highly encourage you to participate in these live interactions. Attending these sessions in real-time not only allows you to actively engage but also offers a unique opportunity to connect with experts and fellow learners. Your presence contributes to a vibrant and collaborative learning environment that can truly elevate your experience.
Learning hours
Total learning hours are 600 hours. That is approximately 20 hours per week when studying part-time.
The learning hours include:
- reading, watching, participating and completing activities on the online campus
- completing assessments
- self-directed practical (gym or outdoors)
- delivering sessions or conducting assessments on clients
- self-directed theory (researching areas of interest or where you need more support).
Get qualified!
A total of 60 credits are awarded for the programme. The number of credits will be specified on assessments.
Assessments will be recorded as an achieved or not-achieved result.
- Achieved: All work/unit has been achieved to the standards set in the assessment and performance criteria.
- Not Yet Achieved: The student has yet to complete the relevant work to be awarded the assessment or unit.
To obtain an achieved result, it is necessary to fulfil all learning outcomes. This means completing all assessments fully and ensuring all answers are correct.
There are opportunities to resubmit assessments with a maximum of 3 attempts at any one assessment before the end date of the programme.
Get assessment ready
You will need to find suitable clients for some of the assessments. Start your search early so you are ready for the assessments.
There are four (4) assessment tasks in this module.
The first three (3) are based on case study clients. You will need to provide evidence (photo or video) where you can explain and conduct a few chosen functional tests on a willing client.
The final assessment is a full postural analysis that will also require a willing client for you to mark, photograph and analyse.
There are three (3) assessments in this module.
The first two assessments are based on a case study of an elite athlete where you will be required to produce both an annual training plan and individual training sessions to help meet their resistance training performance goals.
The third assessment will require you to adapt and implement two (2) resistance training sessions on a willing client.
There are four (4) assessment tasks in this module.
These assessments are all case study based and will not require a client.
There are three (3) assessments in this module.
The first two assessments are based on a case study of an elite athlete where you will be required to produce both an annual training plan and individual training sessions to help meet their cardiovascular training performance goals.
The third assessment will require you to adapt and implement two (2) cardiovascular training sessions on a willing client.
There are two (2) assessments for this module. Assessment one consists of three (3) assessment tasks, (1 A, 1 B, and 1 C) that are submitted independently.
In the first assessment, (1 A, 1 B and 1 C) you will research a particular special population group.
You will then create session plans and deliver these to a client belonging to this special population group (over six (6) weeks) to meet this client’s fitness or health goals.
This client can be sourced from personal contacts or your work placement facility.
The second assessment involves completing 40 hours of work placement within the fitness industry.
Those of you who already work in the industry can use your own workplace for this assessment, although it is recommended that during these 40 logged hours, you look to complete some work duties that fall outside of your regular job description.
This assessment requires you to log and reflect on your hours in the workplace, as well as comment on the professional practices of the workplace you completed your placement.
More information about suitable clients and assessment tasks can be found on the assessment pages.
We’re here to help
It's important to remember that it's okay to make mistakes. When we make mistakes, we can learn from them by reflecting on what went wrong and how we can do things differently next time.
We're here to provide assistance and support! If you have any doubts or need help, please feel free to contact your tutor. You can contact them by sending a message through email or using the "Messages" feature on the online campus. Remember, your tutor is as invested in your success as you are! So don't hesitate to ask for help and get the guidance you need to put your best foot forward.