Certification Built for Coaches Who Build Strength for Life
Our certification reflects what KILO stands for; clear systems, deep programming knowledge, and practical application that works in the real world, that supports long-term progression and strength training longevity.
You can take any course in any order, but we’ve built a recommended path so your education progresses with intention. Each level builds on the last, strengthening your foundation, advancing your systems, and helping you specialize in the areas you care about most.
For Level 1 and Level 2, courses are laid out in a recommended sequence. This creates the best flow of concepts and shows you how each course connects to the next, giving you a complete system for long-term coaching success.
Level 1 Coach
Level 1 is not just about covering the basics, it sets the groundwork.
It’s about mastering the essential programming and periodization skills that every serious coach must know. These courses are the foundation of the KILO curriculum, not optional, but the starting point for building safe, effective, and intelligent programs that deliver real results.
Foundation Specialty
Level 1 Requirements
Courses To Complete
MAP Course (Movement Analysis & Progressions): Learn 15 key assessments to evaluate movement quality and apply progressions or regressions that keep clients safe and progressing.
Program Design Course: Master the essentials of structuring sessions, sets, reps, and exercise selection to create individualized, effective programs.
Periodization Course: Understand how to organize training phases and manipulate intensity and volume for long-term client results.
Level 1 at a Glance
Time Commitment: Approx. 12-14 hours, self-paced
Required Courses: MAP Course, Program Design Course, Periodization Course
Key Skills: Assess movement, design intelligent programs, plan effective training phases.
Outcome: Build a strong coaching foundation and confidently deliver safe, results-driven strength training programs.
Level 2 Coach
Level 2 builds on your foundation and moves you into the advanced methods that define real expertise in strength coaching.
These courses aren’t add-ons, they’re essential. Mastering advanced program design, periodization, and technical application is what allows you to keep clients progressing for years, optimize performance, and deliver results that set you apart as a coach.
Advanced Strength Specialty
Level 2 Requirements
Courses To Complete
Optimizing Strength Ratios Course: Learn how to identify and balance primary strength ratios so your clients maintain appropriate strength relationships across all major lifts. By addressing imbalances early and strategically, you’ll set the stage for sustainable progress, reduce injury risk, and ensure long-term strength development.
Specialty Technique Course: Master 60 advanced concentric, eccentric, and isometric methods, and learn how to apply them with precision to break plateaus, enhance performance, and drive long-term development.
Comprehensive Periodization Course: Go beyond the basics with advanced periodization models, linear, undulating, wave, and learn precise timing strategies to maximize hypertrophy, strength, and power.
Comprehensive Program Design Course: Learn how to apply relative strength scores, assistance and remedial strength ratios, refine microcycle structures, and individualize programs across training ages. Learn advanced block loading and programming parameters to create precise, results-driven training plans.
Level 2 at a Glance
Time Commitment: Approx. 14-16 hours total, self-paced
Required Courses: Optimizing Strength Ratios Course, Specialty Techniques Course, Comprehensive Periodization Course, Comprehensive Program Design Course
Key Skills: Advanced program design, strength balance analysis, technical methods, and long-term planning
Outcome: Elevate from foundational coach to advanced practitioner, capable of designing nuanced, high-level programs that keep clients progressing for years
Level 3 Coach
Level 3 is where you shape your coaching identity and step into true specialization.
It’s about choosing the path that aligns with the clients you want to serve and developing the deep, targeted expertise that elevates your coaching. These specialty tracks aren’t side options; they’re the work that sharpens your focus, expands your skill set, and gives you the capacity to excel with any client, in any scenario.
Specialty: Choose Your Track
Level 3 Requirements
Complete One Specialty
Select Your Level 3 Specialty Track:
Strength Preparation Specialist
Required Course
- PAAB Course (Progressive Anatomical Adaptation Blocks): Learn how to optimize movement patterns, build joint capacity, and program PAABs to lay a strong foundation for long-term strength and performance
Sports Performance Specialist
Required Courses
- Off-Season Athlete Assessment Course: Learn how to evaluate strength, movement, and performance qualities to identify athlete needs and track progress. This course equips you with a structured assessment process that drives smarter program design and sets the foundation for an effective off-season plan.
- Sports Performance Course: Learn how to design programs that meet the specific needs of team sport athletes. You’ll build mesocycle and macrocycle structures that maximize performance, manage fatigue, and ensure athletes are prepared for competition.
Body Composition Specialist
Required Courses
- Body Recomposition Course: Designed for individuals who want to cut fat and build muscle without losing sight of strength. Learn how to strategically plan training cycles for fat loss and hypertrophy, optimize session structures, and implement effective body part splits. This course shows you how to balance exercise selection and weekly programming to maximize body composition outcomes while maintaining strength.
- Fat Loss Specialization Course: Learn how to design and periodize fat loss programs across novice, intermediate, and advanced levels. This course covers session structures, microcycle and macrocycle progressions, training methods, and conditioning strategies to maximize fat loss.
- Hypertrophy Specialization Course: Learn how to design and periodize hypertrophy programs for novice, intermediate, and advanced trainees. This course covers session structures, progression models, and advanced training methods like supersets, trisets, and giant sets.
Level 3 at a Glance
Time Commitment: Varies by chosen track, Approx. 8-12 hours
Required Course(s): Depends on Specialty Selected, refer to drop down selections above
Key Skills: Targeted specialization, refined program design, population-specific expertise
Outcome: Earn your Level 3 Certification with one specialty, expand your expertise with additional tracks, and set your path toward Level 4 Mastery Coach
Level 4 Coach
Level 4 represents the highest standard in the KILO system, where you demonstrate true programming mastery.
This level is about proving your ability to think independently, solve complex programming challenges, and apply KILO’s principles at the highest level. Through a rigorous exam and case study, you’ll show that you can design long-term, intelligent training solutions for any client, any goal, and any scenario.
Master Coach
Level 4 Requirements
Complete Integration
Complete all specialty tracks (Strength Preparation, Sports Performance & Body Composition, refer to Level 3 requirements) and pass the Level 4 Exam & Case Study, proving you can apply every aspect of the KILO system.
Level 4 at a Glance
Time Commitment: Approx. 40-50 hours total, completion of all specialties
Exam: Level 4 Exam and Case Study. A 40-question multiple-choice test, requiring a minimum score of 90% to pass, followed by a Case Study submission graded on a PASS/FAIL basis.
Key Skills: Complete integration of KILO systems, critical thinking, high-level program design, advanced problem-solving
Outcome: Recognition as a KILO Mastery Coach, demonstrating the highest standard of strength program design and periodization expertise
Not Another Credential. A Complete Programming and Periodization System.