Functional Fitness Certification
Functional Fitness Certification
Build your functional fitness coaching knowledge.
Develop your understanding of movement-based exercise with the ExpertRating online Functional Fitness Certification course. Learn functional training methods that can help clients build strength, power, balance, and coordination for everyday activities and sport.
Explore exercise readiness and fitness assessments, bodyweight movements, and exercises using kettlebells, resistance bands, medicine balls, BOSU balls, stability balls, and free weights.
Study beginner, intermediate, and advanced exercises, along with pure functional programs, hybrid programming that combines functional training with other strength-training methods, and sport-specific training concepts. Learn why exercise selection and progression should reflect each client’s fitness level, goals, and limitations.
For just $99.99.
Certification
About the Functional Fitness Certification
The ExpertRating online Functional Fitness Certification course is designed for experienced fitness professionals and fitness enthusiasts new to functional training. Existing trainers can expand their knowledge of fitness assessments, functional exercises, and programming, while new learners can build an understanding of movement-based training.
Functional fitness focuses on developing strength, balance, and coordination for everyday activities such as lifting, carrying, and climbing stairs. The course covers bodyweight exercises and training with kettlebells, medicine balls, resistance bands, BOSU balls, stability balls, and free weights.
Explore beginner, intermediate, and advanced exercises, pure functional programs, hybrid programming, and sport-specific training concepts. Learn how exercise selection, modifications, and progression relate to clients’ fitness levels and goals.
Enroll in the Functional Fitness Certification
Why Earn the Functional Fitness Certification?
The ExpertRating Functional Fitness Certification can help you expand your functional training knowledge and demonstrate successful completion of a structured course and assessment. Certification requirements vary by employer, role, and location, so check that the credential meets your intended workplace’s requirements.
Study online courseware covering fitness assessments, bodyweight and equipment-based exercises, and functional training programs, with exercise examples and instructional guidance. ExpertRating estimates that most learners complete the course in 2–4 weeks when studying 1–2 hours daily; your pace may vary.
After studying the courseware, take the online multiple-choice certification exam using a compatible internet-connected device. Once you pass, you receive an online transcript showing your exam score and a downloadable PDF certificate. A printed certificate is available for an additional fee.
Curriculum
What You Will Learn in the Functional Fitness Certification
Explore the ExpertRating course curriculum in four areas, covering functional movement fundamentals, fitness assessments, exercise methods, and programming concepts.
Foundations and Assessment
- Understand functional movement patterns, compound exercises, and planes of motion.
- Explore exercise readiness and assessments of strength, endurance, flexibility, balance, cardiovascular fitness, and body composition.
- Study client limitations and examples of exercise modifications.
Training Methods and Equipment
- Learn about bodyweight functional exercises and training with kettlebells, medicine balls, resistance bands, BOSU balls, stability balls, and free weights.
- Explore beginner, intermediate, and advanced exercises, along with variations and progressions.
Workout Programs and Training Principles
- Study Functional Strength Workout Programs I, II, and III to develop your understanding of exercise selection and progression.
- Explore the benefits of functional training for core strength, movement, and everyday activities.
- Compare functional training with traditional strength training and learn how they can be combined.
Specialized Programming
- Explore pure functional programs, including Ankorr and Zuu.
- Study hybrid approaches that combine functional training with other strength-training methods.
- Examine sport-specific movement examples and progression concepts.
Final Certification Assessment
After studying the courseware, take the online multiple-choice certification exam.
Author
About the Author
Mandie Davis is a Certified Personal Trainer and Certified Sports Nutritionist with more than a decade of experience spanning personal training, health-club operations, gym ownership, and fitness-business consulting. Her career brings together the perspectives of a trainer, business owner, and staff-development professional, giving her a broad understanding of the fitness industry—from working with individual clients to supporting the professionals who serve them.
Her background includes the development of personal trainers and fitness staff, connecting exercise knowledge with the practical demands of delivering fitness services. This combination of coaching, operational, and business experience informs her perspective as the author of the ExpertRating Functional Fitness Certification course.
For learners, Mandie’s professional background provides valuable context for understanding how functional fitness fits into everyday training practice and the wider fitness
Credentials
Understanding Functional Fitness Credentials: ACE, CFSC, and ExpertRating
The American Council on Exercise (ACE) offers a Functional Training Specialist Program covering functional anatomy, movement and postural assessments, and motor learning principles. It is designed for fitness and related professionals, although ACE states that no prerequisites are required.
Certified Functional Strength Coach (CFSC) emphasizes exercise demonstration, coaching technique, and programming. Its onsite Level 1 pathway includes an online written exam, an in-person workshop, and a practical coaching assessment. CFSC also advertises online-only course options; applicants should review the requirements for their chosen format.
ExpertRating’s Functional Fitness Certification is an online course covering fitness assessments, bodyweight and equipment-based exercises, functional strength workouts, pure and hybrid programming, and sport-specific training concepts. Its certification assessment is an online multiple-choice exam based on the supplied courseware.
ExpertRating is not affiliated with, approved by, or accredited by ACE or CFSC.
ExpertRating’s Functional Fitness Certification is its own credential. The course includes online study materials and an online multiple-choice assessment based on the courseware. No prior fitness certification is listed as an enrollment requirement, and the published assessment information does not identify a required in-person practical exam. Completing this course does not award an ACE or CFSC credential.
When comparing programs, consider their curriculum, assessment methods, enrollment requirements, total cost, and suitability for your intended work.
ACE Functional Training Specialist Program: Open to learners without prerequisites, while designed primarily for fitness and related professionals. Topics include functional anatomy, movement and postural assessments, corrective functional exercise, and coaching principles.
CFSC Level 1: Requires participants to be at least 18 years old, with no formal prior qualification required. The onsite pathway includes an online written exam, an in-person workshop, and a practical coaching assessment. CFSC also advertises online-only options; review the requirements for your selected format.
ExpertRating Functional Fitness Certification: Offers self-paced online learning covering fitness assessments, bodyweight and equipment-based exercises, functional strength workouts, and programming concepts, followed by an online multiple-choice exam. It provides an option for developing functional-training knowledge or supplementing existing fitness education.
Check whether your intended employer accepts the specific credential before enrolling.
Career
Career Prospects for Functional Trainers
Functional training knowledge can complement work in personal training, group fitness, and independent coaching. Fitness professionals may apply these skills in gyms, health clubs, recreation centers, workplace fitness facilities, and clients’ homes. Available opportunities depend on experience, employer requirements, and the credentials accepted for each role.
The ExpertRating Functional Fitness Certification course covers fitness assessments, bodyweight and equipment-based exercises, functional strength workouts, and programming concepts. These topics can broaden your understanding of exercise selection and progression for different fitness levels and goals. Functional exercises can be incorporated into individual sessions and group workouts.
Professionals interested in fitness communication may also share their knowledge through articles, blogs, or videos. These activities require additional writing, production, and audience-development skills.
In the United States, the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 7% employment growth for fitness trainers and instructors from 2025 to 2035, with approximately 68,000 openings each year, including openings to replace workers leaving the occupation. The median annual wage was $47,160 in May 2025. These figures describe the broader occupation and are not specific to functional trainers or graduates of this course.
Certification
Certificate and Trust
Your certification package includes a downloadable professional certificate, an online transcript showing your exam score, and proof of certification for employers and clients. A hard copy of the certificate can be optionally purchased and delivered to your physical address for an additional fee.
ExpertRating is ISO 9001:2015 certified and a member of the Institute for Credentialing Excellence (I.C.E.), reflecting adherence to internationally recognized quality-management standards. On Trustpilot, ExpertRating holds a 4.6 TrustScore across 1,361 reviews.
Over 6,500 companies rely on ExpertRating for training and testing, including Walmart, IKEA, Google, Ericsson, Gap, and Dell. ExpertRating delivers over 3 million online certifications and tests annually, with an 86% reorder rate among corporate clients.
Testimonials
Our Customers Love Us
It has helped me tremendously with knowledge of how functional fitness is used in everyday life
Functional fitness is composed of the movements that we do everyday. These movements are important for everyone, from getting up from a chair, to putting something in an overhead cabinet, to putting on a seatbelt. This course was particular helpful in coaching elderly and less flexible clients.
I incorporate both functional fitness and strength and flexibility into my group fitness classes on a regular basis. The moves I have learned through these courses has helped to make me a better instructor by making me aware of things I had been ignoring and not planning for in the past.
Has provided me with a basis and continued knowledge with other certifications to help me perform my job more effectively.
Given assurance to potential clients of knowledge and training
ExpertRating has allowed me to offer additional health improvements for veterans in rehab and in their journey to better health.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Start Your Functional Fitness Certification
Build your knowledge of fitness assessments, functional exercises, and programming with ExpertRating’s self-paced online course.
Enroll for $99.99
Includes online courseware and the initial certification exam. After passing, receive a downloadable PDF certificate and an online transcript.
ENROLL NOWExam retakes, certification renewal, and an optional printed certificate cost extra.