Certified Functional Strength Coach
Upcoming Certification Dates:
Chicago – Sat. May 16th @ Park Center Health & Fitness
San Francisco – June 7th @ Crunch Fitness
NYC – Sat. June 20th @ 495 Drive
Chicago – Thu. June 25th @ Before the Perform Better Summit
Rhode Island – Thu. July 16th @ Before the Perform Better Summit
Long Beach – Thu. Aug 5th @ Before the Perform Better Summit
Why Start a Certification?
When we set out to construct the CFSC Certification, we started by evaluating the core philosophies of what we do at MBSC as well as what we expect from our coaching staff. We also made note of what we felt the other certifications in the strength and conditioning field were doing wrong. The CFSC is all about making good coaches great and great coaches even better. Our goal is for the CFSC label to be known as a distinction for great coaches.
Continued Reading: Do we really need another certification?
What Separates Us From the Rest?
From a quick glance the CFSC may seem similar to other certifications out there. But once you take a closer look, you will see we are building something that will revolutionize the fitness industry. Even with the current gold standard certification of the strength and conditioning field, all you do is sit down at a computer and answer multiple choice questions. What about the ability to coach athletes and clients? What about being able to modify your athlete’s or client’s program on the fly when situations occur such as not being able to perform an exercise correctly due to fitness or pain? This is where the whole idea of, “The Art of Coaching” comes in. The ability to address these situations as they occur on the training floor.
The Practical Component
To become certified it is required that you attend a 1-Day CFSC On Site Training. We believe one of the major omissions of strength and conditioning certifications is the absence of a practical component. Even if you can pass the written exam that doesn’t prove you are a great coach. With the CFSC we require applicants to not only attend an On Site Training, but also that you pass a practical exam at the end of the day.
At the 1-Day On Site Training you will be in a small group (about 12-15 attendees per coach) to mimic how we run our groups at MBSC. We want every person that attends the On Site Training to have a personal experience and the attention necessary to make sure they get the most out of the training. Throughout the day we will breakdown the MBSC program bit by bit and demonstrate our system of progressions and regressions for each movement pattern.
Once the training is complete, each attendee will take a practical exam where they will be tested on their ability to demonstrate and coach the basic movement patterns we use at MBSC. The attendee’s knowledge of the progressions and regressions system will also be tested. CFSCs will be ready for many of the common situations that can occur while training.
Yes, people will fail. If you can not move properly or demonstrate knowledge of the system, we can not pass you. As mentioned before, the reputation of the CFSC certification is something we hold in a very high regard. To prepare you, we have created a database of step by step videos explaining the coaching cues, the common mistakes, and the progressions/regressions we normally use for a given movement pattern. For special circumstances we may offer retesting as well as video submission if someone fails at one of the On Site Trainings.
The Written Exam
While we put a great deal of stress on the practical component of the CFSC, we also have 5+ hours of lectures, a CFSC Manual, and an eBook version of Mike’s, “Advances in Functional Training.” A 50-Question multiple choice written exam has been comprised based on this material. We simply want you to have a clear understanding of the CFSC methodologies as well as how and why we program the way we do at MBSC. Registrants are required to pass the written exam before attending one of the On Site Trainings.