I am ACE (American Counsel on Exercise) educated and W.I.T.S. (World Instructor Training Schools) certified. W.I.T.S. provides a compact training course of thirty hours of core knowledge and hands-on training, unlike many other "crash" courses that offer one day of lecturing and no hands-on experience. My W.I.T.S. training course utilized training manuals put out by ACE. The core knowledge section examines exercise physiology, nutrition, biomechanics, and practical application in a generalized, easy-to-follow design. The course includes all aspects of program design and implementation for a variety of individuals and situations. This challenging course is taught over a 5-week period for better retention and skill competency. The training consists of 5 sessions at 3 hours each on core knowledge and 5 sessions at 3 hours each on practical skill development. The certification testing consists of written and practical competency and takes 6 hours. Achieving Personal Trainer Certification requires a student to pass the written 100-question exam on theoretical issues and to pass the live practical skills exam where you take a client through a basic workout. The following is a summary of my certification knowledge and demonstrates the intensity of this great certification program: