As a fitness professional, having an understanding of the structure and function of the human anatomy is vital to helping your clients work as efficiently and safely as possible. Whether you are new to the industry, or a seasoned veteran, it is always worth investing time into continuing your education on anatomy and physiology. But as there are so many options to do this both online and off, how do you know which to choose? Here we list sources for coursework, workshops, and classes recommended by our own in-house personal trainers and physical therapists.
NKT(NeuroKinetic Therapy)
As one of the most highly recommended courses by our trainers, NeuroKinetic Therapy corrective movement system is an invaluable resource that addresses the causes of dysfunctional movement/coordination problems at their root. NKT will help you focus on assessment and correcting these dysfunctional movement patterns in order to provide the tools your clients need to perform a successful workout program.
“In NKT you jump straight into muscle testing and this was huge as I was starting out as both a bodyworker and trainer - it helped me literally get a much better grasp of biomechanics because in order to properly test muscles, you needed to functionally understand origins, insertions and fiber alignment.”
- Austin Villamil , BS Kinesiology
ART (ACTIVE Release Techniques)
For more than 30 years ART has been used to treat the body’s soft tissue through manipulation and movement. Learning this technique will provide trainers with an in depth and tactile understanding of the human anatomy, as well as be an invaluable tool to help their clients work through a multitude of musculoskeletal conditions.
The difference between ART and other techniques is that during treatment, the patient actively moves the affected structure while the practitioner presses or maintains contact on the injured area. This allows the practitioner to feel the structure as it moves under their contact, and to effectively treat those restricted muscles, tendons, or ligaments.
’ART is an excellent way to brush up on your anatomy, although their coursework can be pricey.’
- Dr. Kevin Fong, DPT
NOTE: In order to take ART coursework, you must be licensed as a CMT, PT, or chiropractor.
San Francisco School of Massage and Bodywork
We recommend Massage Training as a great way to familiarize yourself with the muscles in the body through hands-on work with actual patients. In this way you can receive tactile information from feeling the structure and connections of the muscles and joints, which is much more comprehensive than simply reading material and memorizing diagrams. Though the training itself and the techniques it provides are geared more specifically to working as a massage therapist than a personal trainer.
“I’d recommend massage school. It opens up a lot more doors to touch clients; it's quite the commitment though. Anything hands on really helped improve my anatomy knowledge.”
- Derrick Lee, CMT, Corrective Exercise Practitioner
Kenhub
Kenhub is a wonderful online learning platform dedicated to helping you learn anatomy faster, smarter, and more effectively. You will be provided with a variety of study tools to choose from based on your own preferred method of study; an anatomy atlas, articles, videos, quizzes, etc. that focus on the body region of your choice as you progress.
“Kenhub provides extensive human anatomy learning resources spanning gross, clinical and cross-sectional anatomy, histology and medical imaging. Our dynamic, effective and guided approach to learning anatomy is brought to you via a full anatomy atlas, in-depth articles, videos and a variety of quizzes which can be tailored to your level.”
“The human anatomy is a complex masterpiece, and the trainers and practitioners who have truly developed a clear and advanced level understanding of it are far better equipped to assist their clients with achieving success. Never stop challenging yourself to gain a deeper understanding of the human body. It is your best tool for your clients, your business, and yourself, and should always be kept sharpened.”
-Billy Polson, CSCS