Over the summer before her senior year, Ava Loch, ’24, studied through the National Academy of Sports Medicine to acquire her certifications to become a personal trainer, leading to a new responsibility as a course instructor. One course is an introduction to weight training, while the other focuses on interval exercises.
Obtaining certifications through the NASM is no easy task: it requires taking a 23 chapter course to prepare for an exam administered in August.
To balance her coursework, Loch utilized a graph.
“I created a detailed spreadsheet of what materials I needed to study every week to stay on track to take the exam at the end of August,” Loch said. “Though there were a few bumps in the road, I managed to stay on track and pass my exam on time.”
Discussing what sparked her interest in teaching a course, Loch said that she decided on the goal of getting her certification in the summer of her junior year, reaching out to Assistant Athletic Director for Facilities and Recreation Jared Luteran to inquire if her certification could help her job with Allegheny Recreation in the Wise Center
“The logistics of creating the classes was pretty easy thanks to Jared Luteran,” she said. “He created the posters, the sign-up form, and just helped me with general advice.”
However, there were challenges in her journey teaching these classes.
“It has been a little bit stressful, coming up with the course structure and doing all that up front planning,” Loch said. “I’m thinking as I get more adept at running the classes and the bigger planning pieces are finished, it’ll relax.”
In creating her High Intensity Interval Training course, she hoped to help students find their place in the gym in a more relaxed environment.
“Everyone has a place in the gym, even though it might not feel like it sometimes,” Loch said. “My vision for the HIIT class was mostly to provide the opportunity for students to do a fun workout without having to plan it on their own. They can just show up, have fun, sweat a little, and get some solid exercise in.”
Her strength training course however, takes a more informative approach to the subject material.
“Because it’s a beginner class, I anticipate having students who maybe have never lifted weights but want to learn,” Loch said. “That course has a double purpose of getting a good workout in, but also building confidence in the gym. Students will learn the different types of equipment, what they can be used for, how to do different exercises, what progressive overload is, those sorts of things. If people want to go more in-depth and talk about nutrition, recovery, or other aspects of fitness, I am sure we can create the space for that.”
Loch’s HIIT class was the first in the Wise Center for Hanan Hamed ’25. “It was very inclusive and welcoming,” Hamed said. “Ava gave options for people who may have been more advanced vs not, which was nice to know. She explained each of the exercises thoroughly and made sure to keep encouraging, and to check in with the group all the way through.”
Hamed added that taking the class allowed her to reprioritize getting into the gym.
“Before her class, I never went because I was too busy, but having a class like this forces me to treat it like an actual ‘class’ and to prioritize it,” Hamed said. “I am very grateful for these classes and plan to make it to all! It was also a nice stress reliever for me, which was surprising to notice.”
Quila Gustave, ’24, felt the strength training class also helped her in her fitness goals.
“The reason why I took Ava’s class is to put in more time for the gym,” Gustave said. “Apart from when I go to the gym, I will have a community where we are all after the same goal which is to get stronger … Moreover, I want someone to tell me if my form is well or if it’s not well, making sure I am doing that exercise correctly. I want to push myself further into my gym goal and to do it with others.”
Loch plans to further her fitness education plans outside of a classroom-type environment, expressing that it will be an experience that she learns from.
“For now, I don’t plan on continuing this education in a classroom setting,” Loch said. “My main concern now is learning what I can through the latest research, advice from experts in the field, and in person experience. However I do plan to add to my expertise by taking different specialization certifications.”
The HIIT courses take place in the Wise Center Dance Studio, on Mondays from 5:15 to 6 p.m., and Wednesdays from 4:15 to 5 p.m. Beginner Strength Training takes place in the Wise Center’s General Weight Room, on Thursdays from 12 to 1 p.m. and Fridays from 7 to 8 a.m.