Certificate of Proficiency in Fitness Instructing

Gain the knowledge and practical skills to professionally assess client fitness to provide effective reassessment and programme prescriptions.

Fitness instructing course overview

The Certificate of Proficiency in Fitness Instructing is the second of three courses you need to complete to become a qualified personal trainer and fitness instructor. This course focuses on the practical application of exercises, including cardiovascular, strength, and flexibility. You will develop applied skills in prescribing safe, effective and up-to-date exercise programmes.

Topics include:

  • Assessment of blood pressure, body composition, endurance, aerobic fitness, and muscular strength
  • Exercise demonstration and spotting
  • Programming for cardiovascular/aerobic fitness, fitness and weight loss
  • Postural assessment and relative flexibility
  • Resistance training programming for strength and hypertrophy

When you have successfully completed this course you will receive a Certificate of Proficiency in Fitness Instructing.

Delivery mode

Students are required to attend all in-person classes on the AUT North Campus in addition to online self-study throughout the course. There are no online classes to attend.

By successfully completing the two courses for the Short Course in Fitness Instructing, you could be a qualified fitness instructor within 3-4 months.

Prerequisite

Who this fitness instructing course is suitable for

If you’ve already completed the Certificate of Proficiency in Fitness Foundations and you’re ready for the next step in your journey to becoming a qualified personal trainer and fitness instructor, then this is the course for you.

After completing this course

The Certificate of Proficiency in Fitness Instructing is the second of three courses you need to complete to become a qualified personal trainer and fitness instructor. The three courses are taught part-time over 4 months and each course is a prerequisite for the next course.

When you've successfully completed the first course, the Certificate of Proficiency in Fitness Foundations (Level 4), you then enrol in this second course – the Certificate of Proficiency in Fitness Instructing (Level 5). This allows you to be recognised as a fitness instructor and become REPS registered nationally and internationally in the fitness industry.

When you successfully complete the third and final course, the Certificate of Proficiency in Personal Training (Level 5), you will be qualified as a personal trainer and also be able to become REPS registered nationally and internationally in the fitness industry.

Next step to become a personal trainer and fitness instructor

2025 classes

March (SPEX508/01)

Course date: Friday 7 March (material and study calendar available online)
Class dates: Saturday 15, Sunday, 16, Saturday 22 and Sunday 23, Saturday 29, and Sunday 20 March (workshop dates when students are required to attend the class in person on the AUT North Campus)
Times: 8.30am-5.30pm approx. (once the course starts you will be able to access the full timetable)
Final assessment: Monday 7 April – submit assessments online
Prerequisite course: Certificate of Proficiency in Fitness Foundations SPEX402

July (SPEX508/02)

Course date: Friday 25 July (material and study calendar available online)
Class dates: Saturday 2, Sunday 3, Saturday 9 and Sunday 10, Saturday 16, and Sunday 17 Aug (workshop dates when students are required to attend the class in person on the AUT North Campus)
Times: 8.30am-5.30pm approx. (once the course starts you will be able to access the full timetable)
Final assessment: Monday 25 August – submit assessments online
Prerequisite course: Certificate of Proficiency in Fitness Foundations SPEX402

How to apply

You can apply online to study this fitness instructing course.

If you're ready to apply now:

  1. Visit Apply now
  2. Tick ‘Other individual courses’ on the ‘My programmes’ tab (second tab)
  3. Tick 'Sport and Recreation'
  4. Select your preferred intake

Apply now

If you need help with applying

Visit Applying to study at AUT

Disclaimer
Your enrolment in this course will only be complete after you’ve paid your course fees. You can pay fees online, on any AUT campus or by fees invoice. If you haven’t paid your fees within two weeks and 10 days before your course starts, your enrolment will be cancelled. If your employer is paying your fees, please provide a purchase order, with your employer's contact and billing details before the course starts. AUT reserves the right to cancel courses that don’t have enough students. If this happens, you’ll be given at least 2 or 3 days’ notice and can transfer to another start date for this course.

Quick facts
Programme code:
AKCOP
Course code:
SPEX508
Prerequisite course:
SPEX402
Start dates:
7 Mar 2025 (Intake 1)
25 Jul 2025 (Intake 2)
Duration:
5 weeks approx.
Campus:
North
Fees:
$1,430 (domestic)*
$1,705 (international)*

*All fees are in NZ dollars, include the tuition fee and GST. The student services levy is an additional cost.

Contact us

If you have any questions about this course:

Email fitnessinfo@aut.ac.nz