How to Advance as a Post-Novice Coach

How to Advance as a Post-Novice Coach: From Solid Foundations to Strategic Growth

In the coaching world, advancement does not follow a clearly defined ladder like in other professions. While a doctor or mechanic might follow a linear credentialing path, coaches often find themselves in a gray area—some with impressive degrees and little real-world coaching ability, others making a significant impact with no formal training. So, what does it really mean to advance as a post-novice coach?

Foundations: What Novice Coaches Must Master

Before moving beyond the novice stage, a coach needs to be solidly competent in both technical and professional foundations:

Technical Skills

• Teach the basics: Can you coach the foundational lifts (squat, deadlift, press, bench) or other core movements, depending on your niche?
• Program for the majority: Design general strength programs that work for a majority of clients.
• Manage injuries: Not to diagnose, but to train around them safely and refer out when necessary.

Professional Skills

• Liability coverage: Legal waivers, insurance, and client questionnaires.
• Business setup: Register your business, manage taxes, and track finances.
• Certification: While not required to start, having one helps with liability and credibility as you grow.
• Program delivery: Efficient, clear communication and systems to deliver training plans.

Advancing as a Post-Novice Coach

Once these elements are in place, many coaches fall into two traps when trying to advance: either collecting more credentials without a clear purpose, or obsessively researching niche topics (e.g., biomechanics) that may not help clients directly. To move forward meaningfully, coaches should shift focus from collecting knowledge to solving real problems:

Solve Immediate Client Problems

Listen closely. What frustrations are your clients expressing, even indirectly? These small comments often reveal opportunities. For example, a coach created a successful pull-up program after overhearing a client’s casual complaint about a lack of progress.

Solve Better Problems

Now that you are competent with the basics, who do you love working with? Focus your learning around those ideal clients and their unique needs. If you love training obstacle course racers, invest in that specialty, not random certifications.

Solve Future Problems

Every client will eventually leave. Can your business survive that loss? Learn how to grow and scale sustainably. That might mean improving systems, increasing marketing, or eventually hiring help. Think beyond today’s sessions—think business resilience.

Resources to Help You Grow

Courses like our Coaching 101 lay the groundwork for novice coaches, helping them confidently handle a majority of common training scenarios. From there, the Complete Coach courses support deeper dives into injury management, conditioning, and more specialized coaching challenges.

True advancement as a coach is not about how many certifications you hang on your wall. It is about becoming more effective for your clients, more fulfilled in your work, and more resilient as a business. Listen, solve, grow—that’s the real path forward!