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OTS Exercise Specialist Certification

Become a Certified Exercise Specialist.

Our 100% online personal training certification. The onlythestrongINC Education Team is one of the fastest growing fitness education providers in Canada, and our nationally accredited courses are built to fill the gaps in the industry — in theory and in practice.

Program objective

Knowledge is power. Become a better version of you.

The objective of the OTS Exercise Specialist Certification is to develop a high level skill set in personal trainers through our guided methodology, delivering both a theoretical and a practical protocol which can be implemented for immediate results.

Nationally accredited

National accreditation means our certification is recognized by the largest education bodies in the country. Upon completion you can rest assured that you have received the gold standard of education.

Optimized for learning

The virtual certification has been optimized so that your experience from home parallels the in-class dynamic, with multiple streams of practical opportunity.

Industry standard

Hundreds of students have attended our acclaimed courses, workshops, lectures and seminars. Learn everything you need to create a long-standing career in a competitive industry.

Daniel Smith teaching the activity protocol in front of a projected slide
Daniel Smith demonstrating a postural assessment on a student with a resistance band

Program overview

From anatomy to program design.

Our diverse team of educators gives personal trainers various perspectives on the dynamic and ever-changing fitness industry.

Daniel Smith coaching a class of students in the studio

01The Personal Training covenant

  • Where does Personal Training fit in the industry?
  • Scope of practice and the evolution of the role
  • How to be competitive in the industry

02Anatomy and its relationship to fitness

  • Muscular anatomy: locate, palpate, facilitate
  • Skeletal anatomy and fascial systems
  • How to train each structure

03Training protocols

  • Stretch protocol: static, dynamic, PNF
  • Mobility, stability and weight training protocols
  • Coaching protocol for optimal client experience
  • Progression, regression and modification

04Pain and minor injury

  • What “pain” really means
  • Troubleshooting warm-up, training and cool-down protocols
  • Lymph nodes and their effect on training

05Assessment

  • The OTS baseline assessment protocol
  • What should an assessment tell us, and how to make it relatable
  • Maximizing results, and the power of the reassessment

06Program design and periodization

  • Passive, active and complex movement sequences
  • Program design for beginner, intermediate and advanced clients
  • Program design for elderly, injured and obese clients
  • Periodization for strength, endurance and hypertrophy
  • The five fatal flaws, and the value of an Exercise Specialist

Meet your instructors

Taught by people who do the work.

Daniel Smith

Daniel Smith

B.Comm, CSCS, ES

With over 15 years of experience in both a training and teaching capacity, Daniel brings a unique approach to the certification process. Detail driven and goal oriented, he will be sure to push you out of your comfort zone and challenge you to re-strategize how you think about all things health and wellness.

Tatiana Trigueros

Tatiana Trigueros

R. Kin, B. Kin, STR

With a decade of experience running her own private practice, Tatiana has built a reputation for herself as one of the best therapists in Toronto. As a specialist in rehabilitative practice, her insights have helped create the world class OTS assessment protocol.

See what our students say

Graduates, in their own words.

We have a base of students who have come through our certification program and now coach other people in the industry.

Next intake

Be first in line when enrolment opens.

We run the certification in intakes. Leave your email and you'll hear from us first — with the dates, the payment options and our best course price, reserved for the waitlist.

  • One email when enrolment opens. No newsletter.
  • Waitlist pricing is the only discount we offer on the course.
  • Nationally accredited, 100% online.

Our only course discount

Join the certification waitlist

When enrolment opens, we'll send you access to our best possible course price, exclusive to waitlist members.

By providing your email address you agree to receive emails from onlythestrong about the certification. You can unsubscribe at any time.

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