Hey everybody, and welcome to PT Pioneer. If youโre new here, this is your one-stop shop for all things related to professional fitness.
You’re in the right place if you aim to be a top-notch fitness professional or spread health and wellness as your career.
Just as additional value, Iโd like to invite you to try out this awesome quiz.
Please take the quiz which will allow you to discover which weightlifting qualifications will suit your needs and preferences as a fitness pro.
In this article, weโll be discussing weightlifting certifications.
Iโll provide you with the most in-depth analysis of what Iโve identified to be the five best weightlifting certifications.
Iโll be looking at the following:
- Why you should get a weightlifting cert
- An intro into the top 6 certs
- Accreditation
- Study Materials
- Cost
- Exam structure and difficulty
- Recertification
- Pros and cons Final score determining which is the best across all criteria
After reading this article, you should be able to decide which certification will fit your current needs.
With that said, letโs jump right into it.
Top 6 Weightlifting Certifications
Team USA Weightlifting Certifications
The USAW Level One course is a fundamental program administered by the US Olympic Weight Lifting organization.
This level of authority and heritage makes it one of the most comprehensive and highly regarded certifications in this category.
The course runs over two days and covers the basic theory and practice of Olympic weightlifting from a coaching perspective.
The only prerequisites are a high-school diploma or equivalent and an active membership with USAW.
NSPA Certified Weightlifting Performance Coach
The National Sports Performance Association was founded to unify the main aspects of high-performance athletic coaching for optimized coaching outcomes.
These aspects are:
- Speed & Agility
- Strength and Conditioning
- Nutrition
- Program design
Each aspect is encapsulated in its program and certification.
In the case of this article, weโll be dealing with strength and conditioning in the form of the Certified Weightlifting Performance Coach.
The 16-module program culminates in a 75-question multiple-choice test conducted entirely online.
Prerequisites for the NSPA CWPC are simply that candidates be holders of high school diplomas or equivalent.
ASFA Olympic Weightlifting Coach
The American Sports and Fitness Association, ASFA, is an online institution that delivers entry-level and advanced credentials for fitness pros.
Their Olympic weightlifting Cert caters to personal trainers who want a professional edge regarding correct programming and instruction of standard lifts.
The principles included in the ASFA OWC cert also lend themselves to professional athlete coaching and have a nutritional component in the curriculum.
Eleiko Weightlifting Level 1
Eleiko is a company with an interesting history.
Founded over 60 years ago in Sweden, the brand is now synonymous with top-quality weight training equipment.
Their barbells and weight plates are considered the finest quality and are often the official brand for many of the worldโs top Olympic lifting and powerlifting competitions.
They’ve issued their weightlifting certification with their influence and expertise in weight training.
The cert specializes in building the observational skills you will need as a coach in checking and adjusting form and cueing lifts and movements.
Burgener Strength Education Weightlifting Level 1 Course
Founded by world-renowned Mike Burgener, Patron of the Burgener weightlifting dynasty, the BSEW Level 1 cert is a comprehensive program by the pros, for the pros.
Their dedication to facing a progressive challenge with the strictest form is why Burgener Strength is highly recommended and approved by CrossFit.
The team of instructors behind the curriculum is seasoned weightlifting athletes; some are considered the best in the world.
This means youโre dealing with a wealth of traditional evidence-based knowledge and some priceless personal insight.
ISSA Strength and Conditioning Coach
While this certification isn’t strictly a weightlifting-only course, it comes from one of the best fitness certification organizations. It emphasizes athlete programming and weightlifting technique, so you get weightlifting knowledge and much more. Best of all, ISSA has many other excellent certifications that can be bundled together for incredible value.
They offer an Elite Trainer package, which includes 3 different certifications, so you could get their strength and conditioning certification along with personal training and nutrition for only a few hundred dollars, more than one cert by itself.
Accreditation
Now that Iโve given you a brief on the various certifications weโll be looking at letโs look at another important aspect.
That aspect is accreditation, one of the first things you should watch when shopping for credentials.
Thatโs because accreditation lets you know that what youโre getting suits the general standards for the correct administration of education and that the content of the curriculum is relevant and approved.
Accreditation also helps you steer clear of scams and money grabs.
In certain cases, accreditation isnโt available and may not be necessary.
In such cases, it would need to be a cert or institution that has built itself a reputation and level of credibility that speaks for itself.
Exclusive PTP CPT Offers |
||
---|---|---|
Gold Standard Cert | Most Popular Cert | Best Study Materials |
A Good Option | A Good Option | Best CPT for you? |
Using an example in the nutrition space, I will point to Precision Nutrition.
Thatโs a world-renowned, highly regarded nutrition coaching program, which is also not accredited by any recognized commission.
But back to weightlifting certs and their accreditation.
Certification | Accreditation |
---|---|
USAW Level 1 | NONE (USOC approved) |
NSPA CWPC | NONE (NASM approved) |
ASFA OWC | NONE |
Eleiko Weightlifting Level 1 | NONE (IWF endorsed) |
Burgener Strength Education Weightlifting Level 1 | NONE (CrossFit endorsed) |
ISSA Strength and Conditioning | DEAC |
As you can see from this table, no weightlifting certifications are accredited by an accrediting commission.
Regarding accrediting commissions, youโre looking out for two main ones.
These are the National Commission on Certifying Agencies, NCCA, and the Distance Education Accrediting Commission, or DEAC.
These two commissions are the gold standard for authenticating fitness credentials.
However, in this case, weightlifting is a sporting discipline first and a fitness methodology second.
That means weightlifting certs aren’t bound to the same criteria as a personal trainer cert, for instance.
Regardless of this, we do see some of the certs having alignment with reputable organizations.
For example, Burgener Strength is a CrossFit preferred administrator, while the US Olympic Committee endorses USAW Level 1.
NSPA states that NASM accredits it, but accreditation in this sense means approval since NASM is not an accrediting commission but is accredited by the NCCA.
Eleiko is an approved supplier by the IWF (International Weightlifting Federation), but this is primarily concerning their equipment.
Eleiko is considered the most preferred brand for weightlifting and powerlifting.
Study Materials
Every certification and its curriculum is structured around a suite of study materials.
These resources aim to introduce all the knowledge and concepts, prepare you for the final exam or assessment, and in some cases, provide initial support as you launch into your career.
When I look at the quality of study materials, I look at the variety and relevance.
Relevance is simply a look at how congruent the content of the curriculum is with its practical application once you certify it.
With variety, you have many options, meaning more of your bases are covered in learning and exam prep.
There is a line, however, where excess variety means the study package is just bloated.
Now that you have a basic idea of what to look for, letโs see the study packages.
USAW Level 1
The USAW Level 1 study package includes a course manual that can be considered a textbook.
With this, youโll also have access to 3.5 hours worth of module videos.
From what many people are saying, according to reviews and discussions from forums such as Reddit, the real value comes from the course instructor.
Each USAW Level 1 program is facilitated by an expert instructor offering insight, teaching, and guidance while administering the final assessment.
The quality of your outcomes as a candidate seems to hinge on the instructorโs experience and abilities more than on the study package.
NSPA CWPC
The NSPA weightlifting cert includes extensive study materials that cater to further understanding the 16 modules.
These materials include:
- The Certified Weightlifting Performance Coachโข Course
- Video lectures corresponding to the 16 modules
- Eight-course handouts
- Advanced Programming bonus material
There is no course textbook for this program which is a bit of a drawback based on what I consider the ideal learning experience.
A textbook allows you to refer to relevant concepts during your coaching practice.
ASFA OWC
ASFA doesnโt list its course materials on its website; however, they do list some recommended texts.
These include:
- Science and Practice of Strength Training
- Explosive Lifting for Sports
- Powerlifting
Eleiko Weightlifting Level 1
Eleiko provides a comprehensive study package that combines practice assessments, lifting and form guides, and all required reading and study exercises in one complete bundle.
You can access it online as well through your student profile.
Burgener Strength Education Weightlifting Level 1
According to a Burgener Strength facilitator, the course materials are all condensed into the Participant Guide for those who register for the course.
This single-copy document serves as a one-stop shop for all your requirements.
ISSA Strength and Conditioning Coach
ISSA provides the best study materials out of these programs.
Study materials you will receive include:
- A hard copy of the primary textbook, which is 615 pages
- A guided study workbook to help you
- 250 animated exercises online
- Access to an online student forum
- Practice exams and section quizzes
- Access to certified professionals for any questions you have
The ISSA study materials are fantastic overall and certainly more than any smaller organization.
Exclusive PTP CPT Offers |
||
---|---|---|
Gold Standard Cert | Most Popular Cert | Best Study Materials |
A Good Option | A Good Option | Best CPT for you? |
Cost of Certifications
Cost is king, and when it comes to picking a certificate program to dig into, how much it costs can be a deciding factor.
When looking at top-rated institutions such as ACE and NASM, youโll notice that their tentpole certifications, usually the Personal Trainer ones, can be quite pricey.
With Olympic weightlifting certs, the pricing is a bit more conservative.
Letโs take a look at pricing according to the course websites.
- USAW Level 1 – $549 for course +$84 (annual membership fee)
- NSPA CWPC – $495
- ASFA Olympic Weightlifting Coach – $199 (certified for one year)
- Eleiko Weightlifting Level 1 – $299 for online course
- Burgener Strength Education Weightlifting Level 1 Course – $645
- ISSA Strength and Conditioning Certification – $471.41 ($39.28/12 months)
As you can see, none of the courses register a price in the thousands of dollars.
With your average PT cert, you will often find price points well into the thousands, especially with the all-inclusive packages.
Speaking of packages, most of these weightlifting programs only come in one package.
It’s common for fitness certifications to come in multiple package options, all priced differently according to what you get in terms of course material.
ASFA is the only one with multiple packages available based on their website listing.
The one I indicated in the table above is their basic package, which only includes the course.
After that, youโll have the Certificate & Pocket Certification Card, which goes for $125 and is valid for one year; then you have the Certificate & Pocket Certification Card with lifetime renewal, which goes for $299.
This means that for just under 300 bucks, you will never need to recertify with ASFA, but more on recertification later.
Exam Structure And Difficulty
The next thing Iโm going to look at is the exam structure and difficulty.
The complexity of the final assessment is a necessary consideration.
If you want to append a weightlifting cert to your current fitness credentials, the easier, the better.
If you want to go into weightlifting coaching as your main focus, the more challenging and comprehensive program would be a better choice.
USAW Level 1
Letโs start with USAW Level 1.
This cert can be considered incredibly easy.
Many have reported that the difficulty barrier may perhaps be too low.
Thatโs because the combination of USAWโs lack of stringent prerequisites and an easy-to-pass assessment means that anyone with little to no knowledge of Olympic weightlifting has a significant shot of qualifying.
The course combines a two-day seminar and instructional held by USAW expert coaches and an online certification exam.
NSPA CWPC
The NSPA CWPC is considered relatively challenging by many whoโve taken it.
Compared to USAW Level 1, itโs more of a natural and worthy barrier to entry when it comes to qualifying candidates.
One snag with NSPA is its recognition.
Since itโs a regional cert, mainly recognized and accepted in the Midwest US, it features very little elsewhere and is not as preferred as the others in this article.
ASFA OWC
ASFA OWC offers a straightforward assessment that combines a live 2-day seminar and a final written exam.
From my perspective, the exam isnโt very challenging, but it isnโt a breeze either.
It acts more as a reinforcement of what you will have learned from your course material and practical sessions.
Eleiko Weightlifting Level 1
Eleiko, in recognition of the explosion in popularity of both powerlifting and weightlifting, devised a four-step process by which they administer their program.
These steps are:
- Stance
- Grip
- Position
- Action
How Eileko conducts the course is aimed at driving candidates towards competence rather than testing them for it.
In this way, all course candidates will gain experience and knowledge in coaching Olympic weightlifting.
However, to certify, there is a certification test, which according to many successful candidates, isnโt too stressful provided you attended and fully immersed yourself in the coaching seminar.
Burgener Strength Education Weightlifting level 1
Burgener Strength administers its final assessment as a live practical seminar like the rest.
Over two days, candidates will be drilled on the fundamentals of technique, how to execute the lifts, and how to coach them effectively.
Many candidates report the Burgener course to have a more in-depth approach and a higher barrier of entry compared to USAW, for instance.
This means the Burgener program should, in essence, produce a higher caliber of Olympic weightlifting coaches.
ISSA Strength and Conditioning Certification
The ISSA SSC test is completed online.
The test is also open book, and there is no time limit.
You will be asked questions about:
- Anatomy
- Fitness assessment
- Sport-specific training
- Sport psychology
- Physiology
- Nutrition
- Injury prevention for athletes
I could not find pass rates for the certification, but I assume it’s around 90% similar to their general CPT.
Area of Focus
All the certs listed in this article are geared towards equipping you to coach Olympic Weight Lifting; however, even within that category, each cert presents something different and has a unique approach.
Understanding each cert’s specific angle and area of focus should help you decide better between them.
USAW Level 1
USAW Level 1 is your standard, general approach to Olympic lifting. It is instituted by the national body of the sport, after all.
This general approach has often been cited as why USAWโs difficulty is so low, allowing many candidates to qualify, even with little lifting experience.
This is a good cert to add weightlifting expertise to your personal training repertoire since it doesnโt require much-lifting knowledge and experience before enrollment.
NSPA CWPC
Based on NSPAโs mission statement, their programs aim to equip coaches to administer sports-specific training at all levels.
That means youโre gaining the skills to instruct and coach exercise science from a recreational, amateur, or professional level.
So while it isnโt aimed at a high level of competition, the standards and methodologies instilled make it a great compliment to sports coaching.
ASFA OWC
ASFA is a certification agency dedicated to upskilling established professionals.
So if youโre a newbie, their programs probably arenโt your best bet, but if youโve got some skin in the game, ASFA OWC might just be what you need to take your weightlifting coaching to the next level.
Eleiko Weightlifting Level 1
Eleiko is a brand synonymous with quality regarding lifting equipment and apparatus.
As mentioned earlier, their plates and bars are preferred for most pro-level weight and powerlifting events.
As such, their Level 1 cert aims to equip pro-lifting coaches with what they call โthe coachโs eye.โ
Besides developing skill and knowledge in the science of lifting, Eleiko Level 1 aims to improve a coachโs innate ability to determine correct training loads and subtle discrepancies in form and technique.
Burgener Strength Education Weightlifting Level 1
The Burgener family heritage is one of excellence in the world of lifting.
Mike Burgener, founder and head coach at Burgener Strength is considered the godfather of American weightlifting.
As such, this cert focuses on competitive excellence, which makes it ideal for the pro weightlifting coach.
Another strong aspect of Burgenerโs strength, no pun intended, is their association as an approved certifying partner with CrossFit.
If you want to be a CrossFit coach, this is the best lifting cert for you.
ISSA Strength and Conditioning Certification
As stated above, the ISSA certification is more of a well-rounded program that includes Olympic weightlifting.
Principles taught alongside the barbell technique include the following:
- How to apply principles of metabolism, body mechanics, and anatomy to help aid athletes in producing optimal performance
- Anatomy and how body mechanics and structure influence energy and performance for athletes.
- How to describe exercise instruction and benefits to clients
- Tools to develop individualized fitness programs for endurance, strength, power, and speed
- Principles of nutrition and supplementation as they apply to athletics
- Proper identification of over-training and reducing the risk of injuries
- Fitness assessments and ways to track an athlete’s progress
- Fundamentals of sports psychology for individual athletes.
Conclusion
Olympic weightlifting is a precise sport with many immediate risks if not coached or instructed properly.
Therefore, I will give a tied first place to Burgener Strength and Eleiko regarding a comprehensive professional lifting coach certification by lifters for lifters.
These certs prepare their trainers for high-level competitive activity such as being a national coach, with Burgener Strength also lending itself as a preferred CrossFit certifying agency.
In the third spot, we have ASFA OWC.
This cert is more in-depth when dealing with Olympic lifts than many on this list because it is aimed at established fitness industry professionals.
ASFA is aimed more toward the sports medicine specialist in this sense.
Fourth place goes to NSPA CWPC.
It is an intermediate-advanced level program, so itโs not quite the gold standard for weightlifting certifications.
However, itโs decent enough to teach you all the fundamentals and difficult enough to pose a necessary challenge.
In fifth is ISSA: it’s a great cert, just not as specialized as the others on this list.
In last place is USAW Level 1.
USAW is a great cert, and being that the national governing body of weightlifting administers it, it ticks all the boxes in terms of what you need to know to be a pro athlete coach.
However, it all comes tumbling down when you understand how easy it is to enroll and pass the cert, even with little to no lifting experience.
In my and many peopleโs opinions, this diminishes the quality and relevance of an otherwise amazing cert.
References
- “Reviews for ASFA on Indeed.” Indeed, https://www.indeed.com/certifications/companies/asfa-2O5JYEOJ/reviews.
- “Anyone Else a Bit Unimpressed with USAW’s Level 1?” Reddit, posted by user in r/weightlifting, https://www.reddit.com/r/weightlifting/comments/28xr5t/anyone_else_a_bit_unimpressed_with_usaws_level_1/
- “NSPA Certification.” T-Nation Forum, https://forums.t-nation.com/t/nspa-certification/113304.
- “USA Weightlifting vs CrossFit Weightlifting.” Reddit, posted by user in r/weightlifting, https://www.reddit.com/r/weightlifting/comments/4zlzum/usa_weightlifting_vs_crossfit_weightlifting/.
- “Courses.” Burgener Strength, https://www.burgenerstrength.com/courses.
- “About American Sports and Fitness Association.” American Sport and Fitness Association, https://www.americansportandfitness.com/pages/about.
- “Education Courses.” Eleiko, https://www.eleiko.com/en/education/courses.
- “Coaching Courses: USAW Level 1.” Team USA, USA Weightlifting, https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Weightlifting/Coaching/Coaching-Courses/USAW-Level-1.
- “Eleiko Coaching Certification Course.” Reddit, posted by user in r/weightlifting, https://www.reddit.com/r/weightlifting/comments/4qpnup/eleiko_coaching_certification_course/.
- “Olympic Weightlifting Coaching Prices.” Reddit, posted by user in r/weightlifting, https://www.reddit.com/r/weightlifting/comments/3ptxdh/olympic_weightlifting_coaching_prices/.
Tyler Read
PTPioneer Editorial Integrity
All content published on PTPioneer is checked and reviewed extensively by our staff of experienced personal trainers, nutrition coaches, and other Fitness Experts. This is to make sure that the content you are reading is fact-checked for accuracy, contains up-to-date information, and is relevant. We only add trustworthy citations that you can find at the bottom of each article. You can read more about our editorial integrity here.