Powerlifting Coach Certifications

Recently I have noticed a increasing number of personal trainers claiming to be Powerlifting coaches on their PT profiles but where do you get these qualifications, and are they coaches or personal trainers who happen to include the power lifts when training their clients?

Powerlifting or Weight Lifting

Before going deeper into the topic, I often encounter clients who mix up the two strength sport disciplines. Weight Lifting is an Olympic sport consisting of the Snatch and the Clean & Jerk (yes this is the sport you see on TV every 4 years). Powerlifting Consists of Squat, Bench Press and Deadlift (completed in that order), it is not an Olympic sport but it is part of the World Games (The waiting list for the Olympics) In Australia there is a single recognised governing body for Powerlifting (Powerlifting Australia) just as there is a Single government recognise governing body for Weight Lifting. The Australian Sports Commission maintains a database of all nationally recognised coaches across all sports in Australia NCAS

Powerlifting CrossFit Coaches

Crossfit has become a popular sport in its own right and as such operates their own training and accreditation, A Crossfit practitioner can open their own gym (Box) and often do after completing a weekend course. This obviously does not count as any form of Powerlifting accreditation. A level 1 Crossfit coach without any other experience can then go on to do the “CrossFit Powerlifting Trainer Course” which teaches a Crossfit modified version of Louie Simmons of Westside Barbell method,  which is aimed at powerlifting in suits rather than the more common RAW lifters. Even more disturbing, is that this course is not designed to teach the coach about competitive Powerlifting but to “Increase loads on the Olympic lifts by special means and accommodating resistance.” Remember Olympic Lifts are not Powerlifting lifts.

Powerlifting Coaching Certificate

The next step up from a Crossfit powerlifting coach is a trainer who completes the Powerlifting Australia Coaching Course. This Course provides the base level of training for someone looking to become a recognised powerlifting coach, but it also attracts Personal Trainers who are only looking to improve their resumé and earn their required CEC points for the year. This training course is only taught by international level Powerlifters and Powerlifting Coaches. This Level of qualification is adequate for your coach if you do not want to compete and are only learning the power lifts for general fitness but if you ever aspire to stepping onto the platform in your first meet then you need to more to the next level of Powerlifting Coach.

Powerlifting Coach (NCAS)

An NCAS recognised powerlifting coach in Australia not only must complete the above Powerlifting Coaching Certificate, they must also undergo many hours of supervised coaching by an existing Coach both in the training gym and at competitions.

You cannot be recognised as a coach unless you have had supervised coaching at a Powerlifting Competition.

In addition to the hours spent an NCAS coach must meet all of the child safety (Blue Card) and Background checks, must maintain membership of Powerlifting Australia and finally an NCAS coach must abide by the same ASADA rules as their athletes. An NCAS Powerlifting coach is a drug free coach.

To maintain NCAS Powerlifting coach status a coach must also demonstrate that they are actively coaching at both a training level and at competition every year.

Gympie Powerlifting

In Gympie I am a fully qualified NCAS Powerlifting Coach, to my knowledge I am the only Gympie Powerlifting Coach at this level of training. I am not just a coach however, I am also an experienced competitor both in RAW and Equipped divisions. As a former Australian Champion I have experience to back up the training.

Do you want to achieve success in powerlifting? let me help you reach your goals, contact me here… Powerlifting Gympie Contact Form