RTS COURSE STRUCTURE

A Progressive Education in Exercise Mechanics™

Each level builds on the last, developing your understanding of Exercise Mechanics™ from foundational concepts to advanced application.

Whether you are new to RTS or pursuing the highest level of professional development, the education pathway grows with you.

RTS Level 1 (RTS1)

RTS Level 1 is a practical introduction to the science and logic behind individualized exercise. It teaches foundational concepts of resistance, force, and human structure to change how you see every single rep.

Every major joint function is explored with the strategies to challenge it effectively through customization and exceptional precision. 

RTS1 is the starting point for anyone ready to start thinking in terms of mechanics.

Elements introduced:

  • The Proprietary Concepts & Principles

  • Forces, Reaction Forces, Friction & Resultant Forces, Torque & Inertia

  • Basic Positional Anatomy

  • Reframing to training Joint Functions, not simply Movements or Muscles

  • Primary Strength Profiles and introduction to Resistance Profiles

Ideal for: Personal trainers, coaches, rehab professionals, and advanced trainees.

Dr Mark Slavin explaining to students at a practical workshop in Bangalore, India, the importance of understanding the glenohumeral joint when designing pressing exercises for clients
Dr Mark Slavin explaining to students at a practical workshop in Bangalore, India, the importance of understanding the glenohumeral joint when designing pressing exercises for clients
Benny Price pushing a student to their limits on a Leg Press during a practical session of an RTS Level 2 course in Singapore in 2026
Benny Price pushing a student to their limits on a Leg Press during a practical session of an RTS Level 2 course in Singapore in 2026

RTS Level 2 (RTS2) 

From awareness to understanding.

RTS Level 2 builds on the thinking developed in Level 1, with greater emphasis on joint-specific analysis and practical application across a broader range of scenarios.

Layers added: 

  • Component Forces

  • Joint Forces

  • Exploring Positional Anatomy LIVE

  • Equipment Analysis

  • Problem Solving Processes

The course deepens your ability to adapt exercise based on structure, tolerance, and response, particularly when working near physical limits.

Exclusively for: Experienced, professional RTS Level 1 graduates seeking deeper application

RTS Mastery (RTSm)

Advanced study in Exercise Mechanics

RTS Mastery represents the highest level of RTS education and is taught exclusively* by founder Tom Purvis at RTS headquarters in Oklahoma City, USA.

*RTS Global does not host Mastery, but qualified professionals are encouraged to explore this program directly.

Tom Purvis delivering RTS Mastery content on dealing with the neck in 2024
Tom Purvis delivering RTS Mastery content on dealing with the neck in 2024

RTS1 FORMAT & AGENDA

Format:

Online lectures, self-guided theory learning, practical workshops

Duration:

~13 hours (theory) + ~20 hours (practical)

You will learn to:

  • recognize resistance in its various forms (tensile, compressive, shear, reaction, friction, and resultants)

  • understand how joint function and muscle action relate to force

  • evaluate why some exercises produce the intended effect and others do not

  • apply core RTS concepts such as the Exercise Equation®, Functional Continuum®, and Exercise Continuum®

Learning outcomes

  • Targeting internal stimulus while managing joint stress

  • Designing exercise for the individual rather than the protocol

  • Applying critical thinking to every movement

RTS Level 1 is where all further RTS education begins.

RTS2 FORMAT & AGENDA

Format:

Online lectures, self-guided theory learning, practical workshops

Duration:

35 hours (theory) + 4 live calls + 4 days (practical)

RTS Level 2 expands your understanding of:

  • positional anatomy and how muscular relationships change through ranges and planes

  • joint-specific force analysis, including rotatory and translatory component forces

  • magnitude and resistance profile analysis of machines using lever systems

  • modifying exercises to suit different structures, goals, and constraints

  • applying RTS principles in higher stress and near-failure conditions

RTSm FORMAT & AGENDA

Format:

  • 120+ hours of online lectures

Three, 3-day Advanced Hands-On Labs:

  • Spine & Trunk

  • Lower Extremity

  • Upper Extremity

Location: RTS Headquarters, Oklahoma City, USA

Instructor: Tom Purvis (RTS Founder)

RTSm marks a new starting point, shaped by the depth of study that precedes it.

The curriculum is designed to develop:

  • decision-making grounded in physics and structure

  • precision thinking across both general and complex scenarios

  • advanced skills in equipment analysis, movement orchestration, and exercise delivery

The scope includes rehabilitation, performance, and physique-focused training, adapted to the experience and questions of those attending.

“True masters are not protocol followers. They are thinkers and problem solvers, always exploring scenario-specific solutions.”

— Tom Purvis