Become a Personal Trainer
Are you interested in taking your fitness and wellness knowledge to the next level? Do you want to help others reach their fitness goals? Rec Sports offers two training programs to prepare Rec Sport members and nonmembers become nationally certified personal trainers. Programs outlined below will prepare participants to take a nationally recognized personal training exam such as the ACE Personal Training Certification Exam. Note: Spring and summer 2026 programming subject to change.
Spring 2026
The ACE (American Council on Exercise) Personal Training Prep Course-Virtual Content only is an online based program that is open to Recreational Sports members and nonmembers. Registering for this course will give you access to recorded lecture material on human anatomy, training physiology, program design, and exercise science principles to help prepare you for the ACE CPT Exam. Additionally, participants will have access to ACE study materials (quizzes, recorded lecture material, in-house practice exam). All lectures are prerecorded, and participants will have two opportunities for live Q&A sessions. This course prepares participants to take the ACE Certified Personal Training Exam and become a certified personal trainer. There is a cost associated with this program, however participants will receive a discount on the ACE CPT exam.
- Access to virtual content: TBD
- Q&A Sessions: TBD
- Location: Online
- Cost: Rec Sport Member Price: $100; Nonmember Price: $175
Registration opens online here at the end of the autumn semester.
Summer 2026
The ACE (American Council on Exercise) Personal Training Prep Course-Virtual Content only is an online based program that is open to Recreational Sports members and nonmembers. Registering for this course will give you access to recorded lecture material on human anatomy, training physiology, program design, and exercise science principles to help prepare you for the ACE CPT Exam. Additionally, participants will have access to ACE study materials (quizzes, recorded lecture material, in-house practice exam). All lectures are prerecorded, and participants will have two opportunities for live Q&A sessions. This course prepares participants to take the ACE Certified Personal Training Exam and become a certified personal trainer. There is a cost associated with this program, however participants will receive a discount on the ACE CPT exam.
- Access to virtual content: TBD
- Q&A Sessions: TBD
- Location: Online
- Cost: Rec Sport Member Price: $100; Nonmember Price: $175
Registration opens online here at the end of the spring semester.
Autumn 2026
The BuckeyePT Prep Course is a free in-house training program designed to prepare full time Ohio State students who are interested in becoming a personal trainer for the Dept. of Recreational Sports. This program is lecture based as well as hands on. Students will meet two to three times per week for the entirety of the semester, learning material on human anatomy, training physiology, program design, etc. Students who finish the course and pass their Certified Personal Training Exam are then eligible for hire at Recreational Sports as a personal trainer. Application directions are listed below. Students who already hold a personal training certification still must complete the BuckeyePT Prep Course, but their process has the potential to be expedited.
BuckeyePT Prep consists of weekly lectures and small group trainings. Small groups will be scheduled based on you and your peers’ availability and small groups meeting times will be decided during the first week of the course. Students must complete the following to be eligible for personal trainer employment with Recreational Sports: attend lectures/small groups, pass in-house personal training exam, pass mock client session and obtain a nationally recognized personal training certification such as ACE CPT.
- Course Dates: TBD
- Time: TBD
- Location: RPAC
- Cost: Free (only Columbus campus Ohio State students may apply).
Application will open August 1, 2026.
For more questions about these programs, contact the Personal Training Coordinator, Mitch Miceli.