Goal Setting for Personal Trainers

Two modules introduce personal training and the communication that supports an appropriate client relationship. ACE connects professional ethics and scope with behavior-change conversations, goals and screening concepts. The taught material and assignments provide a foundation for discussing needs without assuming that one fitness objective fits everyone.

What you will learn

• Explain a personal trainer’s scope and responsibilities
• Develop respectful goal-setting questions
• Recognize the purpose of screening and referral

Who this suits

The Beginner course is the first stage of ACE’s introduction to personal training. It suits aspiring trainers who want professional context before more involved exercise-programming study.

Before you enroll

The published estimate is seven hours. Completion is separate from an ACE professional certification and does not replace practical competence or applicable role requirements. Use fictional scenarios in assignments. A trainer’s communication skills should help clarify a client’s choices and limits, not pressure them into a particular body-related target or unsupported health promise.

Coursera offers paid enrollment or subscription access. Check the enrollment screen for assessment and certificate terms, trials and any financial-aid options. Provider access terms can change; review them before paying.

Put it into practice

Draft a goal-setting conversation for a fictional client. Replace assumptions with open questions and identify what information or referral is needed before proposing an exercise plan.

Source and review

This overview is based on the provider's published information, checked on 12 October 2026. It is an editorial assessment, not a claim that we completed the resource. Time filters are approximate study ranges; projects and exercises can take longer.

View the curriculum and current access options at Coursera.

How YellowCourse describes and checks learning resources.