SS Coaching Certification Topics

[Dhines]

Coach,

You mentioned in your recent interview that the current certifications available were lacking when it came to teaching the barbell lifts. My question is then, how deeply will your certification seminar and exam go in to the other aspects strength training? Or perhaps put better, how will it stack up to the CSCS for example in terms of testing anatomy, physiology, and how to set up a weight room (apparently that's important to the NSCA since the chapter on it in the NSCA textbook is longer than rehab and the chapter on programming)

This question comes from standpoint of someone who would like to get into strength coaching at the high school level, but is self educated on the subject (formal education in engineering) through your books and time under the bar.

[Mark Rippetoe]

The new SSS will only deal with barbell training and the general programming topics covered in Dr. Bradford's lecture on adaptation and training. We'll leave the weight room design stuff to you, since you're capable of sorting out where to put your bar, platform, and rack without a lot of expert help.

[stef]

Dhines,

There is a good bit of anatomy and physiology that is built in to the discussion and understanding of both the barbell training and the programming. And you'll get more out of the seminar if you're comfortable with these areas beforehand as you won't be scrambling around trying to follow conversations filled with unfamiliar terms.

Weight room set up and the like are too broad to fit in to what will already be a very full program. But you can get questions like this answered during Bar Time (as in the pub, not the platform) as well as after the seminar. You'll find that it is generally easy to get more Answer than you want out of Rip and the rest of the coaching staff in person. And you'll find that there will be plenty of help from fellow attendees at the seminar.

stef