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MAXIMUM IMPACT.
ACCELERATED PROGRESSION.
ENDLESS OPPORTUNITY.

Take your talent to an altogether different level with the Functional Fitness Course – the natural progression for every serious fitness professional

Developed by the Professional Fitness Coaches Association. Designed to transform your everyday knowledge and credentials. Functional Fitness Coach Level 1 is an elite online course for tomorrow’s fitness professionals - this is the true Mark Of Excellence.

FFC Level 1 is the difference between where you are now and where your talent and ambition can take you. Developed to build a practical foundation for excellence, it blends proven scientific principles with expert coaching and communication skills – to transform your knowledge, upgrade your abilities and maximise your impact on clients.

THE CATALYST FOR YOUR COACHING NEEDS

You have the potential. FFC Level 1 is designed to help you make the most of it. Encompassing over 12 - 16 weeks of video learning and written assessments, this online functional fitness course is a comprehensive step to next-level coaching.

Learn dynamically. Study when it suits you. On the gym floor. At home. Or on the move. With FFC Level 1 you choose the classroom and the timetable.

Course Overview

The industry is changing. Fast. FFC Level 1 is designed to get you up to speed and keep you ahead of the curve.

Discover what makes a great coach, how to make an impact on your clients and how to motivate them to reach their goals. Enrich your understanding of exercise mastery, developing mobility and optimising movement. Transform your skillset and learn how to develop bespoke programmes that push all the right buttons.

What FFC Level 1 teaches you

  1. How to take your potential, and prospects to a new level with tried and tested strategies and processes.
  2. How to become the complete coaching professional, get incredible results and be among the best in class.
  3. What you need to develop a kick-ass coaching reputation that stands out from the crowd.
  4. The art of creating sustainable behaviour change and how to have an impact on your clients' lives.
  5. The PFCA Goal setting framework. How to create sustainable change and transform more lives.
  6. How to use the world-class FFC Level 1movement screen to gain an edge over the competition and give clients total confidence in your abilities.
  7. When to use corrective exercise techniques and how to prescribe techniques that build clients up, not break them down.
  8. The science behind developing mobility and how to change and improve your clients’ movement, strength and stability
  9. The key to developing strength and how to differentiate between skill acquisition and strength intentions.
  10. How to correctly assess, coach and develop ALL movement patterns specific to the client.
  11. The secret of successful programme design within functional fitness and how to deliver structures that allow you to coach freely and let your creativity to flow.
  12. How to develop and enhance energy systems, plan, progress and improve.

What you need to start

FFC Level1 is open to everyone. Trainers, coaches, clinicians, physiotherapists and fitness enthusiasts will all benefit from this course.

However, to practice the techniques covered in the course with clients, you will need professional liability insurance.

Course assessments

To make sure you’re on the right path, each module includes a mini assessment. You’ll also need to complete a full assessment, once you’ve completed the course content. This includes a mix of multiple choice and hand-written questions.

Course Qualification

If you successfully complete the course, you will be awarded a FFC Level1 Certificate – and achieve a level of professionalism few trainers ever attain. You will also gain access to the FFC Certified branding, which you can add to social content, branding and your website.

Course Overview
What You’ll Learn
What you need to start
Course assessments
Course Qualification

The industry is changing. Fast. FFC Level 1 is designed to get you up to speed and keep you ahead of the curve.

Discover what makes a great coach, how to make an impact on your clients and how to motivate them to reach their goals. Enrich your understanding of exercise, mobility and movement. Transform your business and learn how to develop bespoke programmes that push all the right buttons.

  1. How to take your potential, and prospects to new level with tried and tested strategies and processes.
  2. How to become the complete coaching professional, get incredible results and be financially-free.
  3. What you need to develop a kick-ass coaching brand that stands out from the crowd.
  4. The art of behaviour change and how to have an impact on your clients’ lives.
  5. How to identify a client’s goals and make everyday routines meaningful.
  6. How to use the world-class FFC Level 1 movement screen to gain an edge over the competition and give clients total confidence in your abilities.
  7. When to use corrective exercise techniques and how to prescribe techniques that build clients up, not break them down.
  8. The basics of developing mobility and how to change and improve your clients’ movement, strength and stability.
  9. The key to developing strength and how to differentiate between skill acquisition and strength intentions.
  10. How to correctly assess, coach and develop key movement patterns, e.g. squats, hinges or lunges.
  11. The secret of successful programme design and how to deliver structures that allow you to coach freely and let your creativity to flow.
  12. How to develop and enhance energy systems, plan, progress and improve.

FFC Level 1 is open to everyone. Trainers, coaches, clinicians, physiotherapists and fitness enthusiasts will all benefit from this course.

However, to practice the techniques covered in the course with clients, you will need professional liability insurance.

To make sure you’re on the right path, each module includes a mini assessment. You’ll also need to complete a full assessment, once you’ve completed the course content. This includes a mix of multiple choice and hand-written questions.

If you successfully complete the course, you will be awarded a FFC Level1 Certificate – and achieve a level of professionalism few trainers ever attain. You will also gain access to the FFC Certified branding, which you can add to social content, branding and your website.

Six reasons to start today

Learn on the move, online, anywhere

ACCESS OVER 12-16 weeks OF EXPERT VIDEO CONTENT

Set your own pace, choose your own timetable

Join the elite PFCA coaches community

Boost your prospects with job opportunites at world-leading facilities

BECOME THE COACH WITH THE TRUE MARK OF EXCELLENCE

TRANSFORM YOUR COACHING POTENTIAL

There’s a world of difference between the average trainer and a functional fitness professional. Clients can see it. Facilities can see it. You can see it. So why let your potential go to waste? There has never been a better time to invest into yourself and your coaching ability. Step up today.

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The course in detail

The FFC L1 aims to develop our coaches across these modules

Module 1 - Elevate the Coach

Module 1 allows us to set the tone, share our beliefs and have you challenge your own. This is our opportunity to clarify our expectations and educate you on how to be the best among the rest

Module 2 - Client-Centric Coaching

The most overused term within the industry and yet nobody does it well enough. "Make it all about them and less about You" - A phrase from our Lead Educator Craig Massey. This module will completely transform the way you see and do "client-centric" coaching.

Module 3 - Sleep, Nutrition and Behaviour Change

You cannot do high-level coaching without the required skills to influence changes outside of the walls of the gym. In order to build resiliency within our clients lives we need to facilitate improved quality of sleep and better protocols around nutrition in order to nourish the body and create an environment for adaptation to occur.

Module 4 – Functional Anatomy

Improve your ability to see movement at a deeper level. Our functional anatomy module allows you to better understand movement. In order to develop a mastery behind exercise mechanics you need to develop an x-ray like vision for the inner workings of the system. This has a direct impact on exercise prescription and programme design.

Module 5 - Developing Space, Dynamic Stability & Strength

Learn the protocol behind developing relevant mobility and dynamic stability at the key joint segments. Functional Fitness is often bottlenecked by a clients' inability to get into certain positions and/or produce force out of those positions. This module unpacks the entire system and gives you structure to work from.

Module 6 - Exercise Mastery

Every coach thinks what they need is better cues. However, the best coaches rely on a greater understanding of exercise mechanics and the potential influence each exercise can have on the client with or without the need for cues. Here you will learn EVERY possible progression from foundational movements all the way up and the nuance behind each step of the way.

Module 7 - Programme Design - Form

Phase one of our programme design series. Our system is broken into 3 key phases. Form, Force & Flow. Herein lies the principles behind programme design and the protocols for developing skills, strength and the integration into a functional fitness setting

Module 8 - Programme Design - Flow

Phase two unpacks everything within energy system development and enhancing aerobic capacity. In order to make the greatest impact in your clients' lives there is a required skillset in developing a high functioning aerobic system. The issue is most trainers have no idea how. This is a masterclass in all things building capacity, optimising the aerobic system and the integration of mixed-modal fitness in a safe & progressive manner.

Module 9 - Weightlifting for Functional Fitness

Most trainers believe functional fitness is doing Weightlifting or Gymnastics in a mixed-modal setting. This is not functional fitness. However should your clients progress to this level then Module 9 & 10 have you covered. You will learn the principles behind weightlifting within functional fitness, a specific movement screen and how to coach the clean, jerk and snatch.

Module 10 - Gymnastics for Functional Fitness

As alluded within module 9 breakdown, This module will unpack the principles behind gymnastics within a functional fitness setting, how to coach the relevant skills and the nuance behind the integration into your programme design.

Module 11 - Programme Design Operating System

Without giving away too much. This module is a complete masterclass of ALL things programme design. The one-of-a-kind PFCA Programme Design Model and the art and science behind developing the best programming in the game. This module will transform your confidence in your PD skills and give you the tools to become more efficient and effective. This module is worth the value of the course on it's own

Module 12 - Applied Case Studies

Learn by doing. This final module allows us an opportunity to showcase the systems in action. This is where the science meets the art. Show how we take 3 very different client types and how we utilise our systems to create incredible results-focused programmes.

Module 13 - Bonus Module

The final piece of the puzzle is the art behind the various methods of delivery. Whether you are a 1-1 in-person trainer, online coach or deliver in a group setting. These lectures unpack the various naunces that seperate the best from the rest

Your FFC Instructors

Created and delivered by three of the UK's leading fitness coaches: Jenz Robinson, Craig Massey and Ollie Marchon, the course combines personal expertise with proven success to connect, understand and influence every aspect of functional fitness.

Ollie Marchon

Co-Founder of the PFCA, Ollie is also the owner of one of the UK’s leading Functional Fitness brands, MARCHON: a best-in-class destination gym and innovative, online training and nutrition coaching platform.

His motivation is simple: to transform the fitness experience for consumers and coaches, redefine the industry standard and accelerate the career prospects of every fitness professional.

Having played professional rugby with England rugby 7s, he knows all too well what coaching and operating at the highest-level entails. He also has a first-class degree in sports and exercise science, and multiple strength and conditioning qualifications.

This unique skill set has enabled Ollie to build strong partnerships with leading fitness brands. He remains head of performance for the National Fitness Games and is the lead trainer of Functional Fitness for both Nike and Maximuscle.

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Jenz Robinson

South-African born and bred, coach Jenz has a passion for helping people and a determination to be the best that has seen him reach a level few ever achieve.

Using the same drive and commitment that propelled him to play professional rugby in South-Africa, he opened his first gym at 25, motivated 1000s of clients to achieve their fitness goals and inspired numerous professional sportsmen to reach the highest level.

Jenz’s proven interpersonal skills make the complex simple, applicable and fulfilling for the coach and client.

His personal approach to education and development has led him to adopt a white-belt mentality. This hunger for improvement is just one of the reasons why the PFCA remains at the forefront of applied functional fitness training today.

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Craig Massey

Craigs entry into the industry was via the early UK CF scene in the mid to late 00’s. At this point, still an engineer by trade, Craig managed to visualise what a career shift and subsequent starting point in the vocation that really always had his heart and mind would look like.

A leap of faith, many years, 3 gyms and one bespoke coaching practice later, here he stands today. Underpinned by 10 years within the OPEX system as both long term student and then OPEX license holder, Craigs values and beliefs are very much education-centric – whether coach or client, we’re all here to learn, and we’ll all never know it all.

Craig believes that with knowledge comes great responsibility; the responsibility to do something worthy with it. Today, grateful to be a part of the PFCA, I am provided with an opportunity to do just that – to contribute – to aim to be of use to those coming after me.

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SERIOUSLY PRACTICAL. SERIOUSLY PROFESSIONAL

There are only two options in life: make progress or make excuses

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FAQS

When does the course start?

Upon enrolment, the course will be available for you to start working through on your PFCA portal. You can work through the course at your own pace.
GROWTH STARTS TODAY.

How much does the course cost?

The 13 module course investment retails at £1,499. For UK students, 3 interest free instalments are available via Klarna.

For overseas students and for those who would like to split their payment up further, we offer a 6 x £279 monthly instalment option.

How long will it take to complete the course?

We recommend a minimum of one-two hours a week over a period of 12-16 weeks of online study.

How will I be assessed?

After each module, you’ll receive a mini-assessment, to make sure you’re getting the most out of the content and the learning experience. Once you complete all the modules, you’ll receive a mixed-form assessment, in which you’ll need to achieve a pass mark of at least 80% to reach the required FFC Certified standard.

How do I know I can trust the PFCA to do my training?

The Professional Fitness Coaches Association has helped 100s of coaches to develop and grow their fitness businesses. What’s more, our systems have been tried and tested by1000s of gyms and honed by athletes, worldwide.

How does the FFC differ from other online courses?

The FFC course guarantees you and your business maximum impact, by accelerating your progression to becoming the complete coach and increasing the opportunities available to you. In short, Functional Fitness Coach L1 is an elite online course for tomorrow’s fitness professional that will transform your everyday knowledge and credentials.

Do I need prior qualifications to start the FFC Course?

FFC L1 is open to everyone. Trainers, coaches, clinicians, physiotherapists and fitness enthusiasts will all benefit from the course.

However, to practice the techniques covered in the course with clients, you will need professional liability insurance.

What support and resources are available while I study?

All UK orders will receive the FFC L1 printed handbook within 2-5 working days upon purchase. The handbook is a comprehensive student resource that covers all the content included in the video lectures, plus many other bonus materials.

All overseas orders will receive the handbook for e-book download.