THE PROFESSIONAL BARBELL COACH CERTIFICATION SEMINAR

The Professional Barbell Coach Certification Seminar is a three-day in-person coaching development and platform evaluation seminar. Written, oral, and platform testing is required to earn the PBC. The platform evaluation is completed during a PBC Certification Seminar, held in conjunction with a Coaches Development Camp. The written and oral portions of the certification are completed after the seminar weekend for those that successfully pass the platform.

Standards

Participants that demonstrate a high level of proficiency in coaching the lifts and a thorough understanding of programming concepts and academic background will have earned the certification. The standards to pass the certification include:

• Effective coaching of the four main barbell lifts (squat, deadlift, bench press, overhead press)
• Ability to program for a general strength trainee from an early novice stage through the early intermediate point of training advancement
• Functional understanding of physiology, anatomy, and biomechanics

Schedule and Procedure

Friday Schedule

The weekend begins with a brief discussion of logistics followed by an in-depth lecture on coaching theory and the standards expected from a Barbell Logic Professional Barbell Coach. In this lecture, we discuss a model for coaching beyond the basics of the barbell movement. We believe earning the PBC is just the first step in your coaching journey, and this lecture sets a vision for how you can continue to improve as a coach through the rest of your coaching career.

Saturday Schedule

The first day of the camp will cover lectures on four main barbell lifts: the squat, press, deadlift, and bench. During these lectures, we will cover each lift with an in-depth review of the teaching progression, common errors, difficult errors, cues to use to correct movement problems, and demonstrations of coaching. Coaches will have an opportunity to practice coaching their fellow participants throughout the day. We will end the day with lectures on programming and a Q&A with the staff.

Sunday Schedule

During the final day of the weekend, coaches will be evaluated in their ability to run a client through the teaching progression for the squat, press, deadlift, and bench press. If possible, novice clients will be brought in from the local area to be coached by prospective coaches – our experience is that this provides the most realistic coaching environment. If novices aren’t available, prospective coaches will coach each other for the purpose of evaluating proficiency in the lifts.

Written and Oral Evaluation

Attendees that pass the platform evaluation will be extended an invitation to take the written exam. The written exam will be completed via a video conference call after the seminar weekend. Those that pass the written exam will be invited to an interview to complete the final step in the certification process.

Participants will be tested on programming, physiology, anatomy, biomechanics, and coaching theory concepts in both a written and oral evaluation.

All participants will leave the seminar with a detailed written and verbal evaluation of their platform performance and pass/fail notice within 48 hours.