What its like to be studying to be a health promotion and fitness expert.
Currently I am finishing up my second year of college in the major of Health Promotion and Fitness. This semester I am taking classes on nutrition, strengh training and exersice phys. I love it so far its just like learning things you would want to know anyways.
But the reason of this post was to ask everyone if it would be benificial for my to do a little write up about my major and what fields are avalible to people in my major. the reason I ask this is because I hear people posting about wanting to go to college to study to become a personal trainer or work in another field in fitness or nutrition. Let me know what you think and I can have a nice write up with details on classes, diffrent majors and opritunities.
Re: What its like to be studying to be a health promotion and fitness exper
Also I would be glad to answer any questions that people have about this subject. And let me know if there is anything you want me to include in the write up.
-kevin
Re: What its like to be studying to be a health promotion and fitness exper
How much does your school require you to take as far as hard sciences go? I know here it depends on the concentration, but was curious about how much emphasis other schools put on it. Is your degree pretty much specifically for personal training?
Re: What its like to be studying to be a health promotion and fitness exper
For sciences you are required to take an intro to chemistry class and then the two biggies, Anatomy and Phys 1 and 2. And those two are huge. I was spending 8-10 hours a week doing work for that class from the weekly quiz to tests to the Lab.
Along with the A&P lecture course is the Lab that is done at the same time. There you disect cats and need to know the name of every muscle, bone, organ, sexual reproduction organs and the names of all the veins and arteries.
Other than those here is the run down:
* PE 200 Applied Kinesiology (3 credits)
* PE 243 Resistance Training Program (1 credit)
* HLSC 214 Nutrition Fundamentals (3 credits)
* HLSC 330 Psychology of Sport and Exercise (3 credits)
* HLSC 332 Fitness Testing (3 credits)
* HLSC 333 Exercise Programming (3 credits)
* HLSC 334 Group Fitness Leadership (1 credit)
* HLSC 372 Practicum: Health Promotion and Fitness (3 credits)
* HLSC 431 Stress Management (3 credits)
* HLSC 472 Advanced Practicum: Health Promotion and Fitness (3 credits)
Re: What its like to be studying to be a health promotion and fitness exper
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Is your degree pretty much specifically for personal training?
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My major is not specifically for personal training but you can be a PT. What I plan on doing with my major is to work in the field of Corperate Fitness. With that field you work for a company which is hired by other firms who create workout/nutritional programs for each employee. Also involved is building on site fitness centers and doing weekly checkups with the employees to see how progress is going and to see if any changes are needed.
More and more companies are hiring Corperate Fitness groups because in the long run they save more on health insurance and in many cases moral becomes higher. When I am done with school I plan on working for Corporate Fitness Works. Thankfully I know someone in the company and already have an internship set up. Here is a link to the site:
Re: What its like to be studying to be a health promotion and fitness exper
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Best of luck, Kevin...the field is fantastic, and you are well on your way to a satisfying and enjoyable career!
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Thanks bipennate!!
Now that I am done with the hardest part of my major (A&P) I am really loving going to classes. For example in fundementals of nutrition the past 2 classes we have been going over glycose index and glycose load. I was able to contribute a lot to the discussions because of all the great reading I have done from JB, Craig and all the guys on the forum. It is really nice to be able to learn about how grains are refined and all the diffrences between 10 minute oats, 5 minute oats, instant oats and the other variants. It is truely fun to go to class because I am getting to fine tune all the info I have already obsorbed before taking the class.
Another fun topic today was the diffrences is sugar alternitives from nutrasweet to sugar alcohol (although that is not man made). I also got to hear my teacher say the words "anal leakage" in referance to an over-intake of sugar alcohols, which can be found on many "low carb" protein bars and snacks.
Re: What its like to be studying to be a health promotion and fitness exper
I've done a few of those subjects you listed.
I noticed you don't have any biomechanics. I'm liking that subject. The anatomy and phys was HUGE here too. We got to disect humans instead of animals. That was the highlight of my week actually.
I'm not a fan of health promotion subjects they are just so boring.
Re: What its like to be studying to be a health promotion and fitness exper
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I've done a few of those subjects you listed.
I noticed you don't have any biomechanics. I'm liking that subject. The anatomy and phys was HUGE here too. We got to disect humans instead of animals. That was the highlight of my week actually.
I'm not a fan of health promotion subjects they are just so boring.
Good luck with it all.
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Humans??? Holy shi*!!!
Are you serious? that would freak me out. I didn't really like the smell of the solution that the cats were soaked in (for freshness of course [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img] ) You get used to it but that first wiff from walking into the Lab always hit me.
You really disected humans????? I still can't believe it. that would scare the crap out of me. It was cool though that one of the cats in my class was pregnant and had 6 kittens inside her, although sad at the same time.
Re: What its like to be studying to be a health promotion and fitness exper
Yeah the humans were cool. Some people refused to do the pracs because of the smell but i found them so interesting and learnt so much more then from a text book.
We had photo's of them in all our lectures and exams with the bodies.
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Yeah the humans were cool. Some people refused to do the pracs because of the smell but i found them so interesting and learnt so much more then from a text book.
We had photo's of them in all our lectures and exams with the bodies.
Great subject.
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Sounds very interesting and like it costs a lot more then some cats from Mexico. JoshDunn where do you go to school?? Just curious.
Re: What its like to be studying to be a health promotion and fitness exper
I remember A&P..good times! I'm with bipennate, it's odd that you don't have to take biomechanics, it's for the most part kind of important. At least you don't have to take the grad level physiology course and physics courses I had to take to graduate...blah
Re: What its like to be studying to be a health promotion and fitness exper
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I noticed you don't have any biomechanics. I'm liking that subject. The anatomy and phys was HUGE here too. We got to disect humans instead of animals. That was the highlight of my week actually.
I'm not a fan of health promotion subjects they are just so boring.
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I get to dissect a cadaver in gross anatomy, I'm looking forward to it. Our health promotion degree here doesn't have any biomechanics either, but sports med does. I'm looking forward to neuromusclar aspects and biomechanical aspects of human movement, seems like they will be interesting classes, especially since I'm really enjoying learning about the nervous system in anatomy right now.
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At least you don't have to take the grad level physiology course and physics courses I had to take to graduate...blah
Re: What its like to be studying to be a health promotion and fitness exper
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What is your degree?
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I'm graduating this semester with a degree in kineseology, with a pre-pt submajor. the grad class, physics, calculus, and 2 horrible literature courses are all pre-recs I needed to apply to PT school.
Re: What its like to be studying to be a health promotion and fitness exper
I'm a senior in high school and when I get into college my desired major is Exercise Physiology. I've applied to Northeastern, Boston University, University of New Hampshire, Fitchburg State, and UMass Boston.
I've been accepted into UMass Boston, UNH, Fitchburg State, and I'm still waiting on Northeastern and Boston University.
When I went to Fitchburg State the instructors were telling me that one of their graduates got a job as a cooperate fitness manager and ended up starting at $80,000 a year.
Re: What its like to be studying to be a health promotion and fitness exper
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When I went to Fitchburg State the instructors were telling me that one of their graduates got a job as a cooperate fitness manager and ended up starting at $80,000 a year.
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And everyone in IT knows someone who was flown somewhere for an interview and got in on the ground floor with a company car, corner office, benefits and $120,000 salary.
Sure it might happen, but it's unlikely. Look at the average salary the grads make, not one extreme example.
Re: What its like to be studying to be a health promotion and fitness exper
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What is your degree?
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I'm graduating this semester with a degree in kineseology, with a pre-pt submajor. the grad class, physics, calculus, and 2 horrible literature courses are all pre-recs I needed to apply to PT school.
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whoa, what school is this? schools that im looking at for PT have more prereqs then that.
Re: What its like to be studying to be a health promotion and fitness exper
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I'm graduating this semester with a degree in kineseology, with a pre-pt submajor. the grad class, physics, calculus, and 2 horrible literature courses are all pre-recs I needed to apply to PT school.
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Which school are you applying to? I've been looking at PT programs also and none of them required calculus, or literature classes outside of basics. Is your physics course grad level too or only the physiology course? How much chem do you need for the school you are applying to?
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whoa, what school is this? schools that im looking at for PT have more prereqs then that.
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yeah, they need more pre-recs than that. but all the others were factored in to my kin. degree, these were just extras I had to take.
the school is carrol college in WI. Nice school, and weird little trivia, it's where the bears took there cymbol the " C" from that's on there helmets...
Re: What its like to be studying to be a health promotion and fitness exper
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Which school are you applying to? I've been looking at PT programs also and none of them required calculus, or literature classes outside of basics. Is your physics course grad level too or only the physiology course? How much chem do you need for the school you are applying to?
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I applied to and got accepted to midwestern, univ. illinois chicago, minnisota state, U of WI, marquette U, and carrol, where i'll probably be going. I had to take a lot of nit picky classes for each individual school. most grad schools want this or that that the other doesn't. But any PT school that's decent will require 2 semesters of physics, non-calculus based, 2 semesters of general chem, 2 semesters of biology, 1 semester of calculus or at least college level alg., 2 semesters of A&P, a semester of stats..
every school is a little differet, but MOST require that or something like it to apply. If you plan on applying to several schools, make sure you look up and take all the different classes each one requires otherwise you're wasting your app. fee. the grad physiology course was a pre-rec for UIC, marquette required pharmacology... all little shit like that. the lit classes are not ALWAYS a requirement, but are general humanities credits most grad schools would either like you, or want you to have. Some schools require a GRE, some don't so check that out before you apply.
Re: What its like to be studying to be a health promotion and fitness exper
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I applied to and got accepted to midwestern, univ. illinois chicago, minnisota state, U of WI, marquette U, and carrol, where i'll probably be going. I had to take a lot of nit picky classes for each individual school. most grad schools want this or that that the other doesn't. But any PT school that's decent will require 2 semesters of physics, non-calculus based, 2 semesters of general chem, 2 semesters of biology, 1 semester of calculus or at least college level alg., 2 semesters of A&P, a semester of stats..
every school is a little differet, but MOST require that or something like it to apply. If you plan on applying to several schools, make sure you look up and take all the different classes each one requires otherwise you're wasting your app. fee. the grad physiology course was a pre-rec for UIC, marquette required pharmacology... all little shit like that. the lit classes are not ALWAYS a requirement, but are general humanities credits most grad schools would either like you, or want you to have. Some schools require a GRE, some don't so check that out before you apply.
Big wnough post, I'm finished!
let me know if you have any more questions!
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Ah, alright, that sounds about like what I was seeing. At first I thought you were saying they made you take a graduate level physics course, which seemed insane. The schools I've been looking at don't require calculus, but require three semesters of chem. I know they all require a GRE score too. My degree plan sets me up nicely for getting admitted to grad school, but that is pretty much the sole purpose of the concentration so I suppose it should. Lots of biomechanics and exercise physiology I don't necessarily need. Also a senior level class in rehab exercise which should be helpful.
What kind of GPA did you graduate with? I know the average depending on the school was 3.4-3.6 in the ones I was looking at. How did you go about getting clinic hours, the advisors at school or did you just call around? I need ~400 hours, but have no idea how to get them.
Re: What its like to be studying to be a health promotion and fitness exper
I have with a 3.75, but I'm a pretty nig nerd.. my friends got in with GPA's between 3.1-4.0, just make sure you have a good average in the sciences, schools will look at that seperately (chem, bio, math, physics). clinic hours I did a lot set up through my advisor, and asked around and set some up myself... your advisor or the person in charge of the undergrad program and placing of interns for other degees are good people to turn to. I needed between 40-100 depending on the school. 400 is freaking insane!
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No clinic hours are technically required, but that is the average among the people who actually get accepted. I have to be careful not to screw up my GPA on my core classes, and a couple of other bullshit classes I need to graduate. I tend to do really well in the sciences, especially anatomy, but have a hard time getting myself to class for some of the others. Last semester I should have had an easy 4.0, but ended up with like a 2.9996 because my classes were easy prereq stuff so I just didn't go to them. That plus I missed a major assignment in three classes because of oversleeping or just forgetting that bumped me from A's to B's in those classes, definitely learned my lesson about slacking. Hopefully after this semester I'll be up to at least a 3.4 though. I tend to get ultra nerdy about the classes I take interest in, and am the stereotypical college kid slacker in the ones I don't.
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yeah, I hear ya. I took B's on acouple of classes last semester because I could get that with only going to the exams and never to lecture... and I half ass all my literature stuff
What its like to be studying to be a health promotion and fitness expert.
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