I have worked with trainers for whom the moment they earned an athletic degree was the moment they stopped investing their efforts in continuing education. They have determined that they have sufficient knowledge and there is no need for continuing education for fitness professionals. This ultimately manifested in career struggles, lack of skill development, and apathy in the field, to the point where they spent time on multi-level training instead. A marketing plan with the false hope of retiring by age 35.
For the majority of us who have invested in making others better, resting on our laurels is not an option.
But…do you need an advanced degree (or degrees) in exercise science, nutrition, or a related field to succeed in the fitness field? The short answer is no.
The long answer is no, but earning such a degree opens valuable doors and sets you up for success. Look no further than Dr. Mike Israeltell, a Sports Physiologist and co-founder of Renaissance His Periodization. Although Mike is one of the most highly educated people in nutrition, he does not have a formal degree in nutrition or dietetics. Compare this to his CEO Nick Shaw of Mike’s partner, RP. He is extremely knowledgeable, has a bachelor’s degree in sports management, and is successful in his own right.
For many coaches, earning a degree or adding an advanced degree in fitness or nutrition is prohibitively time-consuming and expensive. Thankfully, there are plenty of free, low-cost, high-value, and medium-cost options available to allow coaches to grow and thrive. Continuing education for fitness professionals should be the foundation of a successful career.
Here are some of the best continuing education resources for fitness professionals.
The best free continuing education for fitness professionals
Most coaches don’t start with disposable income to rack up seminars and certifications. Fortunately, most information exists for free on the Internet. Early in my career, I read a library of strength and conditioning, nutrition, and muscle building articles at T-Nation, Muscle and Fitness, Bodybuilding.com, and Precision Nutrition. I collected more articles on the websites of their regular writers, including Tony Gentilcore, Ben Bruno, Christian Thibaudeau, Lee Boyce, and Christa Scott Dixon. Their example inspired me to start writing.
Early in my career, I discovered Dr. Layne Norton, binge-watched his early YouTube videos on nutrition, and discovered his old podcast Physique Science Radio with co-host Sohee Lee. I did. This led to Jeff Knippard’s podcast, Danny Lennon’s Sigma Nutrition Radio, Kevin Larrabee’s Fitcast, and later Luka Josevar’s Vigor Life Podcast. Sigma and Vigor are still going strong, and I even appeared as a guest on his Vigor. How to Become a Personal Trainer by Jordan Shutt and Mike Vacanti is a must-read for anyone looking to become a coach. I love podcasts and founded one with a friend over 6 years ago. It now continues as The Lift Free and Diet Hard Podcast.
Much of YouTube is sensational “infotainment”, good at entertainment and short on education (think CT Fletcher, Rich Piana (RIP), BroScience/Dom Mazzetti), while others are based on lots of reliable evidence. fitness experts are gaining a strong foothold on YouTube. . Luka Hocevar, Jeff Nippard, Renaissance Periodization, and many other fitness experts and brands have grown their channels to success and driven substantial business.
YouTube is also a treasure trove of business and media skills that many coaches neglect. Even a deep dive into Alex and Leila Hormozi’s podcasts and YouTube may give you more surgical business education than a four-year degree (I can speak from experience with a Bachelor of Commerce).
This should also encourage all fitness professionals to think about creating their own long-form content, whether it’s writing articles, hosting a podcast, or filming YouTube. This can open a great door to the foundations of brand development and social media growth. As evidenced here, writing for my own website for him has opened up many opportunities for me to write for publications.
Low-cost, high-leverage resources
Not everything is free, and people don’t necessarily value free things. Ask any trainer who offers free programs to friends. Compliance rates are mediocre at best. It helps to have a little skin in the game.
Buying books, yes, buying books, is one of the best investments you can make. However, while books are cheaper than most formal courses, they do require an investment of time. Audiobooks, like podcasts, turn your daily commute and cooking time into college-style continuing education. I reserve my limited physical reading time for textbooks and other resources that cannot be consumed audio-wise, or for content creation such as writing, recording, and presentations. Because of this, I read an average of about 80 books a year, primarily through audiobooks (work on it until you can listen faster). Books deepen your knowledge about sales, business, marketing, communications, coaching, philosophy, public speaking, writing, productivity, nutrition, and a variety of other valuable skills for a successful career.
My main recommendations for fitness professionals include:
- Make sure to make a reservationwritten by Michael Port
- about writing wellby William Zinsser (I highly recommend reading the physical book for writing development)
- switch, Written by Chip and Dan Health
- coaching habitswritten by Michael Stayner
- crush itby Gary Vaynerchuk
- Get clients and referralsby Jonathan Goodman
- Renaissance Diet 2.0, Written by Dr. Mike Israeltel, Dr. Melissa Davis, Dr. Jen Case, and Dr. James Hoffman
- practicee, by Seth Godin
(There are many other educational books out there. Send me a message on Instagram and I’ll personally recommend books that fit your current needs. @andrewcoatesfitness.
A bigger but more valuable investment
As your business grows and you have more disposable income, it’s wise to reinvest in your skills and career growth. There is a strong argument that investing in skills that increase your income potential is a better investment than the stock market. This isn’t advice against regularly saving for retirement, but accelerating your income growth can put you on a faster path to future financial freedom.
Careful selection of courses, seminars, and certifications can be a profitable and surgical way to acquire important knowledge.
Many trainers begin by adding deeper nutrition knowledge to expand the range of services they offer their clients. Some trainers want to feel confident and qualified to discuss general nutrition with their clients, while others want to add formal nutrition coaching to their services. Some of the most popular and well-received nutrition courses include Precision Nutrition Level 1 and Martin MacDonald’s Mac-Nutrition Uni.
Chasing certifications for the sake of getting more certifications is a fool’s errand and a waste of time and money. However, carefully chosen certifications provide important skills that distinguish you as a caring, confident and skilled coach.
Some of the best certifications I have personally received include:
- Certified Conditioning Coach: Joel Jamison’s Sports Program Design and Periodization, Conditioning and Energy Systems.
- Prescript level 1: Biomechanics (Don’t rely on TIkTok for biomechanics education) Training anatomy, exercise selection.
- Pain Free Performance Specialist Certification: Program design and coaching.
- Girls Gone Strong: Menopause Coaching Certification, Women’s Health, Coaching.
- Online Trainer Academy: How to build an online business.
- Build your online business by Don Saladino: How to build your online business and monetize your brand.
It’s smart to earn a certification if it’s the most efficient way to learn important skills.
One of the most unique high-leverage ways to succeed in the industry is by attending seminars and industry conferences. You’ll gain knowledge and skills, but perhaps even more enriching, you’ll have the opportunity to connect with industry leaders and like-minded peers on the same journey.
Some of the most valuable opportunities in my career have come from meeting and supporting other coaches on the road. At least a few times a year, I fly out of the frozen north of Edmonton, Canada, to be surrounded by friends in the industry, new and old.
I will be speaking at Raise the Bar in Dallas, Texas on February 23-24, along with industry leaders including Molly Galbraith, Luka Josevar, Nick Shaw, Jordan Shutt, and Kelsey Heenan. is.
Also, The Real Coaches Summit in Las Vegas is coming up and I’ll be back to support my friend organizer Aram Grigorian and spend time with many of my industry friends.
These events changed my life by allowing me to connect with like-minded people who have become lifelong friends, while also spending quality time with industry leaders. I worked for six years under the strict system of a commercial gym. Surrounding myself with different coaches with different business structures allowed me to let go of my limiting mindset and grow in ways I never understood possible. Some of these connections led to great podcast guests, invitations to appear on podcasts, invitations to write for big publications, and public speaking opportunities.
Coaches can also hire mentors to facilitate growth. Mentorship programs are more popular than ever, but many are prohibitively expensive and don’t always provide value. A good mentor can guide you ahead with important business and career choices and systems, but a bad mentor can deplete your coffers and leave you discouraged. Take the time to find the right mentor or program that aligns with your values and provides the specific skills you need. You’re paying a high price to avoid self-exploration, which can be time-consuming and inefficient.
How much continuing education is enough?
Everything we can know about health, muscle building, fat loss, human psychology, and all the other important career skills we believe we need can only be learned in one lifetime. We’re just scratching the surface. Then consider the complex depth of coaching in a variety of fields, including training and nutrition in sports, martial arts, military and paramilitary forces, special forces, bodybuilding, powerlifting, Olympic weightlifting, CrossFit, and more.
The smartest PhDs are still learning. New research emerges, old beliefs are questioned, and new information refines or discards them. On the other hand, even the most reliable evidence-based scholars and coaches don’t agree 100% on every detail. If you wait until you have all the answers before you start helping people, you’ll never get started. He is also one of the best teachers with experience.
Even if you study every waking moment, you won’t be able to help others without practical experience. Experience requires time and opportunity. The opportunity cost of gaining experience may result in lower hourly wages in the short term. The goal is to gain as much experience as possible as quickly as possible to be in a position to earn more living, secure more life resources, and reinvest in your education.
Great coaches never stop learning.