2026 PERSONAL TRAINERS VIRTUAL CONFERENCE

1. Select and program at least three trainable physical qualities that can be meaningfully developed during early-stage rehab by training the healthy limb and non-injured systems.
2. Identify and implement 3-5 non-traditional movement patterns or training methods that can be used during prolonged rehab to maintain athleticism and expand training options beyond standard rehab exercise selections.
3. Describe and apply three progression criteria (outside of traditional performance testing) to guide effective training advancement during rehab.

Lecture/Hands On

1. Develop Power Training Strategies that mitigate high ground impact forces in older adults while utilizing exercises (including plyometrics) to safely enhance power, cardiovascular fitness, and deceleration strength.
2. Design Sustainable Concurrent Training Programs for aging athletes by effectively balancing and managing total training volume, with a specific focus on optimizing cardiovascular load and incorporating "cardio-sneaking" techniques.
3. Alternative Exercise Selection for the aging athlete by incorporating unilateral movements and identifying strength training substitutes that protect the lower back, limit the necessity of high-load barbell training, and keeps the sessions mentally engaging.

Lecture

1. Explain the interference effect and describe how concurrent strength and endurance training can impact physiological adaptations in clients.
2. Evaluate program variables (training order, intensity, volume, and recovery) that influence the degree of interference in a client’s training plan.
3. Design and modify training programs for clients by applying evidence-based strategies to manage interference and optimize strength and endurance outcomes.

Lecture

1. Participants will be able to explain the mechanism of GLP-1 agonists and describe their impact on weight loss and metabolic health.
2. Participants will be able to identify and gain a deeper understanding of the special considerations, potential risks, and benefits of training clients who are currently using, have used, or are discontinuing GLP-1 agonists.
3. Participants will be able to integrate and apply evidence-based best practices in strength training and mindful nutrition to design and refine strategies for client consultation, intake, and ongoing assessment, specifically for those using or discontinuing GLP-1 agonists.

Lecture

1. Participants will identify key VBT concepts—including velocity zones, velocity loss thresholds, and daily readiness indicators—to understand how bar speed regulates training intensity in youth and general population clients.
2. Participants will apply zones and velocity loss criteria to design individualized, autoregulated training sessions that improve movement quality, strength, and power across varying readiness levels.
3. Participants will design youth- and adult-appropriate training plans using VBT principles that reduce fatigue, manage life stress, and teach clients how to “train like an athlete” safely and effectively.

Lecture

1. Learn why all clients, regardless of age or training goal, should be engaging in some form of ballistic training.
2. Learn how to categorize and progress different Medicine Ball exercises.
3. Learn how to program Medicine Ball exercises based on the needs and limitations of their clients.

Hands On

1. Participants will learn how speed, coordination, deceleration, elasticity, and motor control apply to both youth athletes and adult clients, and why athletic training is essential across the lifespan.
2. Attendees will discover how fascia-driven concepts, mechanotransduction, and neuromuscular coordination enhance movement, resiliency, and performance—regardless of age or training background.
3. Coaches will learn how to use external cues, constraints-led approaches, dynamic systems theory, and self-organization to build smarter movers and speed up learning.
4. Participants will explore best practices for floorplan design, equipment placement, zoning, and traffic flow that support high-energy athletic training for youth and adults.
5. Attendees will learn how to organize groups, progress movements, coach efficiently, and deliver an athletic experience that improves retention and translates to profitable programs.

Lecture/Hands On

1. Design programs that help active adults increase longevity in sport.
2. Utilize different strength exercises to not only improve strength but also mobility.
3. Learn different ways to structure a mesocycle (how each program can achieve a similar result with a different structure).

Hands On

1. Identify the physiological and behavioral consequences of sedentary occupational environments and chronic workplace stress: How this relates to decreased productivity and increased costs for Corporations.
2. Apply principles of movement, nutrition, and recovery to design periodized performance programs for non-athlete workplace populations. The goal of improving sustainable habit change, reducing healthcare costs, and supporting return on investment for employers.
3. Describe how corporate health benefit structures (e.g., Wellness Funds, HRA’s, FSA’s, HSA’s) can support the implementation and funding of performance-based workplace wellness programs.

Lecture

1. Identify a scalable model to modify movements for clients and athletes experiencing pain.
2. Learn how to appropriately collaborate with physical therapists when working with a client experiencing pain.
3. Understand the mechanism of neurological and soft tissue healing and why movement is a vital part of the healing process.

Lecture/Hands On

1. Potentially learn a new way to set up a warm up for you clients.
2. Learn outside the box movements to build resilience in your clients.

Hands On

Lecture