The education's structure: practical work and subject exam.
From basic course to journeyman in fitness
Fitness and trainer education (formerly known as Fitness Education) is a vocational education that like other EUD courses alternates between school periods and practical training in a fitness center. The education is offered among others at HANSENBERG in Kolding and is developed in collaboration with the industry's own organisation DFHO (Danish Fitness & Health Organisation).
§From basic course to main course
The education typically starts on basic course 2, where you get a broad, basic introduction to both strength and conditioning training, group training, and injuries, while also working with instruction, communication, and customer service. The basic course also includes a shorter practical period in a business (often called business-placed teaching, VFU), where you become acquainted with the reality you will later work in.
- 01Basic course 2 – broad introduction to training theory, team training and customer service.
- 02Company-based teaching (VFU) – shorter internship periods along the way.
- 03Education agreement—must be in place before the main course can start.
- 04Main course – alternates between school periods and practical work in a fitness center.
§Finding a training contract
After the basic course you must have a training agreement with a fitness center or similar workplace before you can continue on the main course. It is equivalent to an apprentice contract: you are employed and receive pay while you are in education. It is a good idea to be proactive early in the course – good practical placements often accept students who have already shown interest and commitment.
§School and internship in the main course
In the main course you alternate between school periods, where theoretical subjects such as anatomy/physiology and nutrition are taught, and practical periods, where you apply the theory in the real centre with real members. That alternation is the education's strength: you learn not just to explain a principle but also to use it when a member stands before you.
§The trade exam.
The education ends with a trade test where you show that you can combine the theoretical knowledge from school with the practical skills from your training company. The trade test is the last and decisive part of the education and typically consists of a practical and an oral part where you demonstrate and justify your professional choices — for example in connection with a training or guidance task.
“A trade exam does not test whether you can remember the theory – it tests whether you can use it when a real member stands in front of you.”