Do You Have to Be Certified to Be a Strength and Conditioning Coach?

Requirements can vary for each fitness professional role. Learning the necessary qualifications for your desired position can help you better prepare. If you want to become a strength and conditioning coach, one of your top questions may be whether you need your certification.

Unfortunately, there is no clear-cut answer—and we’ll soon explain why. Before we do, let’s talk about what a strength and conditioning coach does. This can help clarify if this is the right career path for you.

What Does a Strength and Conditioning Coach Do?

One of the primary duties of a strength and conditioning coach is to help clients improve their athletic performance. How they do this depends on the individual athlete. It also changes based on the athlete’s training goals.

Some athletes want to increase their speed. Others want to boost their strength. Additional factors impacting human performance include:

• mobility

• agility

• endurance

• power

It’s up to the coach to develop strength training and conditioning programs to improve these elements. This is followed by implementing the training to get the client the desired results.

An athlete’s ability to achieve peak performance can impact their sports career. For some, it can mean the difference between their career ending in the minors or continuing to the pros.

Research also supports strength and conditioning coaching for injury prevention (1). With the proper knowledge and strategies, the coach can help create a more resilient, injury-free athlete. This is critical since a major sports injury can put an elite athlete’s career on hold. It may even end it altogether. And certain types of players are at risk for specific injuries.

For example, one study reports that the most common injuries in basketball are to the ankles and knees (2). A strength and conditioning coach who works with basketball players would then want to develop a strength and conditioning program that targets these areas.

Strength and Conditioning Coach vs. Personal Trainer

In case you’re unclear, there are differences between a personal trainer and a strength and conditioning coach. One of the most notable is that a personal trainer often works with the general public. Conversely, a strength and conditioning coach works with athletes and performance-based clients. Plus, a personal trainer can focus on a variety of fitness goals, from weight loss to rehabilitation. As discussed, a strength and conditioning coach has two main purposes: to improve athletic performance and prevent injuries.

If you want to work with lower-level athletes and teams, certification may also not be required. Maybe your local high school has a wrestling or baseball team. If you’d like to work with them, they may not care whether you have your certification.

That said, if you want to work for a high-level sports team, they will likely require you to be a certified strength and conditioning coach. They may even dictate the certification they want you to have.

By only hiring a certified strength and conditioning coach, these teams and their players are assured that you have a certain level of knowledge and skills. This provides greater comfort with your ability to devise a safe and effective training program. With some athletes being worth millions, they only want the best training staff.

The Importance of Certification in Strength and Conditioning

Certification is often regarded as the gold standard in strength and conditioning. Obtaining credentials ensures that coaches possess the essential knowledge and skills to design effective strength training programs. Certification demonstrates an understanding of key principles in sports science, including exercise physiology, biomechanics, and program design. Moreover, it signals to employers and athletes that the coach is committed to continuous professional development and adheres to industry standards, enhancing both credibility and career opportunities.

Do You Have to Be Certified to Be a Strength and Conditioning Coach?

Now the big question and the reason you are here. Do you need a strength and conditioning certification to work in this role?

Technically, certification is not always required to be a strength and conditioning coach. In some settings, like local gyms or non-competitive environments, coaches can work without formal certification. However, if you're aiming to work with elite athletes or in higher-level sports, obtaining a strength and conditioning certification is highly recommended.

Certified coaches have demonstrated proficiency in designing performance enhancement programs and are equipped with the knowledge to ensure injury prevention. For many employers, especially in professional sports, certification is a non-negotiable requirement.

Reasons to Earn a Strength and Conditioning Certification

There ar1. e several benefits of becoming a strength and conditioning coach. You get to play an active role in athletic development while, oftentimes, working in a sport that you enjoy. But there are more benefits to taking the additional step of earning your coach certification—even in cases where it isn’t required.

1. Knowledge and Expertise

You gain more knowledge to help athlete clients. Athletes often have different fitness goals than non-athletes, and many of these goals involve improved performance. Having your certification tells them that you can help them reach these specific goals.

2. Competitive Advantage

Being a certified strength coach also differentiates you from trainers who lack this credential. This puts you in a more compelling position with prospective clients. You can more easily become their trainer of choice.

3. Increased Credibility and Trust

Another reason to pursue certification as a strength and conditioning coach, even if you don’t need to, is that it can increase your credibility with others in positions of authority within the sports field. This includes the head sports coach, assistant coach, and athletic trainer. When they have more trust in you, you become part of their team.

4. Higher Earning Potential

Earning your certification may even increase your income. Salary.com reports that the average strength and conditioning coach earns $67,045 per year. This is based on a range of $60,274 to $75,458 annually (3). Yet, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that one factor that impacts pay is a person’s credentials (4). This includes certification. So, having a fitness certification can enable you to earn more, improving your ability to hit your financial goals.

How to Become a Certified Strength and Conditioning Coach

If you're interested in becoming a certified strength and conditioning coach, the International Sports Science Association (ISSA) offers a comprehensive certification program that can help you gain the necessary skills and qualifications. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you navigate the process:

1. Meet the Eligibility Requirements

Before you begin the ISSA Strength and Conditioning Certification program, make sure you meet the basic eligibility criteria:

Age Requirement: You must be at least 18 years old.

Educational Prerequisites: High school diploma or GED. The program is designed to be accessible to beginners, but prior experience in fitness or coaching can also be helpful. Consider starting with ISSA’s Personal Trainer Certification to set yourself up with a solid foundation.

CPR/First Aid Certification: You’ll need a current CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation) and First Aid certification. This is essential to ensure you can handle emergency situations.

2. Register for the ISSA Certification Program

Once you’ve confirmed you meet the eligibility requirements, the next step is to register for the ISSA Strength and Conditioning Certification program. You can easily sign up online through the ISSA website, where you'll be provided with access to study materials and online resources. The ISSA Strength and Conditioning Certification is designed to be flexible, allowing you to study at your own pace.

3. Study the Certification Material

The ISSA certification program includes in-depth study materials that cover a wide range of essential topics, including:

• Exercise science and sports science

• Human kinetics and biomechanics

• Strength training techniques for athletes

• Conditioning methods for improving endurance, speed, and agility

• Injury prevention and rehabilitation

• Sports nutrition to support performance and recovery

You can also take advantage of the online student forum, where you can interact with other students and ISSA Master Trainers to deepen your understanding.

4. Take the Certification Exam

Once you’ve completed the study materials, you’ll need to pass the ISSA Strength and Conditioning Certification exam. The exam consists of multiple-choice questions that assess your knowledge of the key concepts covered in the program. The topics include strength training, sports performance programming, nutrition, and injury prevention.

Don’t worry if you need more time to study—ISSA allows you to take the exam online, so you can complete it from the comfort of your home at your own pace. You’ll receive your results immediately after completing the exam.

5. Earn Your Certification

After successfully passing the exam, you will receive your official ISSA Strength and Conditioning Certification. This certification qualifies you to work with athletes to improve their athletic performance, reduce injuries, and design tailored strength training and conditioning programs.

As a certified coach, you’ll have the credibility to work with athletes of all levels, from beginners to professionals. The ISSA certification is highly regarded in the industry, offering recognition for your expertise in sports science and performance enhancement.

6. Maintain Your Certification

Like many certifications in the fitness industry, the ISSA Strength and Conditioning Certification requires renewal every two years. To maintain your certification, you will need to earn continuing education credits through ISSA-approved workshops, courses, or conferences. This ensures you stay up-to-date with the latest research and training methods in the field of strength and conditioning.

Maintaining your certification not only keeps you current with industry standards but also helps you stay competitive and knowledgeable in your field.

Get Certified as a Strength and Conditioning Coach

Ready to get started? Sign up for ISSA’s Strength and Conditioning Certification today! This certification opens up exciting career opportunities, enabling you to work with athletes at all levels to help them achieve peak performance, prevent injuries, and reach their fitness goals.

References

1. Talpey, S. W., & Siesmaa, E. J. (2017). Sports injury prevention: The role of the strength and conditioning coach. Strength & Conditioning Journal, 39(3), 14–19. https://doi.org/10.1519/ssc.0000000000000301 

2. Andreoli, C. V., Chiaramonti, B. C., Biruel, E., Pochini, A. de, Ejnisman, B., & Cohen, M. (2018). Epidemiology of sports injuries in Basketball: Integrative Systematic Review. BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine, 4(1). https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjsem-2018-000468 

3. Salary.com. (2023, July 25). Strength and conditioning coach salary. Salary.com. https://www.salary.com/research/salary/recruiting/strength-and-conditioning-coach-salary 

4. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2015, May). Same occupation, different pay: How wages vary: Career outlook. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. https://www.bls.gov/careeroutlook/2015/article/wage-differences.html