Coaching Pathway · Step 3
Prove it.
The Professional Barbell Coach Certification is for strength coaches with a high level of proficiency in coaching the lifts and a thorough understanding of programming concepts.
Not a course — an assessment. A proctored written exam, an interview, and an evaluation of you actually coaching on the platform.
The course
The standards you are held to
What a Professional Barbell Coach is expected to be able to do. The exam, the interview and the platform evaluation all test against these.
Teaching the lifts
Effective and efficient use of teaching progressions for the squat, deadlift, bench press and overhead press.
Seeing and correcting
Identifying, prioritizing and correcting movement errors using tactile, visual and audible cues.
Programming
Programming fundamentals for the early novice through the post-novice transition, roughly the first three to six months.
The science underneath
A functional understanding of physiology, anatomy and biomechanics — enough to explain a decision, not to sit an exam on the theory alone.
Who it is for
- You already coach the lifts proficiently and want the credential that says so.
- You want your programming judgement assessed by someone other than your clients.
- You are building a coaching practice and need something a stranger can verify.
No prior purchase is required. Coaching 101 and the Principles Course are the recommended route to the standard the exam tests, not a gate in front of it.
What the certification involves
- A proctored written examFive sections — Practical Coaching, Anatomy, Physiology, Functional Mechanics and Programming — sat online in four contiguous hours.
- An interviewA video interview by conference with a Barbell Logic assessor.
- A platform coaching evaluationVideo submissions of you coaching, assessed against the standards above.
- A TurnKey Coach accountFirst month free, then 50% off for five months.
- The coaching networkMembership of the professional coaching network on completion.
Before you register
Do I need to have taken the other courses?
No. There is no prerequisite purchase. Coaching 101 and the Principles Course are the recommended route to the standard the exam tests, and most candidates come through them, but the exam is open to any coach who can meet the standard.
What does the written exam involve?
Five sections — Practical Coaching, Anatomy, Physiology, Functional Mechanics and Programming — sat online with a proctor. Set aside four contiguous hours.
Is the exam the whole certification?
No. There is also a video interview by conference and a platform coaching evaluation, where you submit video of yourself coaching.
Is there a study guide?
Yes, a study guide is available for the exam.
Next
Certified. Now what?
Certification gets you into the professional coaching network. The Complete Coach courses are where coaches go next — conditioning, anatomy and injury, post-novice programming and the business of coaching online.
Add the courses you want and the bundle discounts apply automatically.
