International Personal Trainer Academy: Certified Nutrition Specialist

The program is for complete newcomers, aspiring nutrition coaches, existing personal trainers looking to expand their scope, and fitness professionals who want a credential to charge higher coaching rates. No prior credential is required to enroll.

The course is built on the IPTA FUELS Method, a five-domain coaching system: Foundation, Understanding, Evidence, Lifestyle and Standards. It runs from what food actually is, through the evidence behind nutrition advice, to how a client’s behavior really changes, and is designed to sit alongside the IPTA CPT’s PRIME Method so a coach can handle both the workout and the plate.

The exam content outline covers five areas: nutrition and your body, nutrients (the largest share, at about forty percent), nutrition guidelines, coaching strategies (about thirty percent), and the business and legal side of nutrition coaching.

The course is part of IPTA’s self-study curriculum. The academy is led by its president, Martin, who has more than 25 years in the personal training industry, and its team includes Michael, a personal trainer of 15 years described as one of its top nutrition experts. Its authors include registered dietitians Kira Spreenberg-Bronsoms, Chrissy Arsenault and Ellen Landes.

The CNS is fully self-paced and delivered online. Students get the complete textbook in the academy’s online reader, and the Fast-Track Study System tells them what to study and in what order, while SurePass indicates when they are ready to sit the exam. The final exam is taken online, with unlimited retakes and an exam pass guarantee.

Graduates receive IPTA’s Certified Nutrition Specialist credential, a specialization certification that qualifies them to coach clients on nutrition alongside training. It is valid for four years, with recertification at the two-year mark and the first recertification included, and the course counts as 23 continuing education credits when recertifying an IPTA certification.