FPF Master Shoulder Course
Become the go-to shoulder expert clinicians trust
Without guesswork, protocol reliance, or fear of “breaking” patients.
- ✓ Stop guessing which shoulder exercises to use, and why
- ✓ Treat complex shoulder pain with confidence, not protocols
- ✓ Progress patients safely back to lifting, pressing, throwing and life
- ✓ Earn 30.5 CEUs while upgrading real-world clinical skill
- ✓ Learn the decision-making that AI can’t replace
30.5
CEU contact hours
10
In-depth modules
38
Non-op & post-op protocols
7
In-depth case studies
24/7
Lifetime access
Why clinicians struggle with shoulder rehab
Shoulders shouldn’t feel this hard
Yet for many clinicians, they are. You’ve probably experienced this:
- ✕ Patients who don’t respond to “standard” shoulder protocols
- ✕ Pain that shifts, lingers, or comes back as soon as load increases
- ✕ Athletes who want to lift, press, or throw, and no clear plan to progress them safely
- ✕ Conflicting research, social media opinions, and “expert” advice
The result?
Uncertainty. Second-guessing. Over-protective programming. And patients who plateau instead of progressing. This course was built to fix that.
What changes after you take this course
You won’t just know more. You’ll think differently.
- ✓ Confidently assess shoulder pain instead of chasing symptoms
- ✓ Choose exercises with intent, not trial-and-error
- ✓ Progress load, volume, and complexity without fear
- ✓ Coach pressing, pulling, and overhead movements after injury
- ✓ Explain your reasoning clearly to patients, athletes, and colleagues
This isn’t about memorizing exercises. It’s about clinical judgment, the skill that separates average clinicians from great ones.
Inside the course
What you’ll learn
01
Shoulder assessment that actually guides treatment
Evaluate shoulder pain in a way that directly informs exercise selection and progression, without over-relying on special tests.
02
Exercise selection without guesswork
Understand why certain movements work, when to use them, and how to regress or progress intelligently.
03
Load management & programming
Scale volume, intensity, and complexity, from early rehab to return-to-lifting and sport.
04
Overhead, pressing & athletic demands
Confidently reintroduce pressing, overhead lifts, Olympic lifts and sport-specific demands instead of avoiding them.
05
Clinical decision-making frameworks
Develop repeatable mental models you can apply to any shoulder presentation, not just textbook cases.
“This course is awesome!”
“Dan is one of the only physical therapists I’ve found that applies the current research straight over to a strength and fitness population. He makes the rehab seem just like a normal workout. I loved the PDF protocols; they’ve been great resources to use as a guideline with new patients.”
Nancy Kuhn · Physical Therapist
“Before taking this course I was overwhelmed by the idea of a truly comprehensive shoulder evaluation for active adults. This course provides everything a clinician needs to perform a thorough evaluation, along with the tools to coach these folks back to the movements they want to do.”
Meredith Fagan · Physical Therapy Student
Is this course right for you?
Who this course is for & not for
It’s for you if…
- ✓ You treat shoulder pain regularly and want clearer decision-making
- ✓ You feel confident with some shoulder cases but struggle with complex or persistent pain
- ✓ You want to progress patients beyond basic rehab into lifting, sport, or higher load
- ✓ You dislike rigid protocols and prefer adaptable frameworks
- ✓ You want to understand why an exercise works, not just what to prescribe
- ✓ You work with active adults, athletes, or lifters
It’s NOT for you if…
- ✕ You want passive, modality-based rehab
- ✕ You prefer rigid protocols over clinical reasoning
- ✕ You’re looking for “quick fixes” without thinking
- ✕ You want “magic exercises” without understanding the reasoning
- ✕ You’re unwilling to load, progress, or challenge patients appropriately
Course curriculum
10 modules, pain to performance
Spot injury mechanisms in the gym, master the clinical exam, write rehab programs, and coach the lifts with confidence. Tap a module to see what’s inside.
01 Mastering Mechanisms of Injury & Rehab Principles
- What factors really lead to injury
- The integral interplay of technique, training volume, and recovery
- How to address each factor that leads to injury
02 Systematic & Effective Clinical Examination
- How to run a comprehensive subjective exam
- Being systematic and comprehensive in your objective exam
- Using this information to create an accurate plan of care
03 Write Fun & Effective Rehab Plans
- Non-operative rehab: meet patients where they are with a plan that takes them back to their goals
- How to create safe and effective post-op rehab plans
04 Exercise Prescription, Programming & Periodization
- How to progress and regress exercises for patients
- Choosing the best set and rep scheme to maximize strength and hypertrophy
- Long-term planning to optimize patient outcomes
05 Overhead Press & Bench Press
- How to coach and analyze bench press and overhead press technique
- How to choose the right modifications for patients
- How to rehabilitate these patients back to 100%
06 Breaking Down the Olympic Lifts
- How to coach and analyze snatch and clean & jerk technique
- Master mobility for the Olympic lifts
- How to progress back to the O-lifts after shoulder pain
07 Troubleshooting Bodyweight Movements
- How to coach and analyze pull-ups, kipping, muscle-ups, handstands, push-ups and dips
- How athletes get injured during these movements
- How to rehabilitate these athletes back to 100%
08 Shoulder Pathology
- An evidence-based approach to the most common shoulder pathologies
- Rotator cuff related pain, cuff tears, instability, SLAP tears, biceps tendinopathy, AC joint pain, arthritis, frozen shoulder
09 Case Studies
- Non-operative and post-operative case studies
- Olympic lifters, powerlifters, overhead athletes and the average Joe and Jane
10 Post-op & Non-op Protocols
- My exact step-by-step program for every shoulder pathology
- Video links for each exercise, with exact sets, reps and frequencies
- Populations: Olympic lifting, powerlifting, sport of fitness, overhead athletes, general weight training
Case studies & protocols
Teach a man to fish and feed him too
You get the principles you need for success, plus the exact non-op and post-op protocols and templates I use with my patients, and case studies that show exactly how I use them.
7 in-depth case studies
- SLAP tear non-op rehab in a pitcher
- Rotator cuff related pain in a powerlifter
- AC joint pain in a recreational lifter
- Biceps tenodesis in the sport of fitness
- Shoulder instability
- Shoulder osteoarthritis
- Frozen shoulder
Protocols for every population
- Olympic weightlifting & powerlifting
- Overhead athletes: baseball, volleyball, tennis
- General population
- The sport of fitness
Pathologies covered
- Non-op: rotator cuff, SLAP, biceps tendinopathy, weightlifter’s shoulder, instability, arthritis
- Post-op: cuff & SLAP repair, biceps tenodesis, Bankart & posterior labrum repair
8 evidence-based guides
- Rotator cuff related pain & cuff tears
- Shoulder instability & SLAP tears
- AC joint pain & biceps tendinopathy
- Shoulder arthritis & frozen shoulder
28 post-op + 10 non-op protocols
Talk about taking out all of the guesswork. You’ll be able to apply this to each one of your patients immediately.
Built for busy clinicians
Your guidance doesn’t end after purchase
“Done with you” community
I guide students through the content inside our online community. Every week I email the next set of lessons along with questions to reinforce your learning, and I read your responses and add my feedback. Ask as many questions about your own patients as you like.
“Fast Track” cheat sheets
It’s a big course: 30.5 contact hours. So every lesson and module comes with infographics, key notes and cheat sheets, letting you absorb most of the content fast and save valuable time.
Your pace or a 12-week plan
Binge it or take your time; you have lifetime access. Prefer structure? Follow the 12-week curriculum, from injury mechanisms and the exam in week 1–2 to frozen shoulder and arthritis in week 12, with community questions that line up with each week.
30.5 CEU contact hours
Approved for 30.5 physical therapy contact hours (CEUs / CCUs) for Physical Therapists, Physical Therapist Assistants & Athletic Trainers. That’s the majority of credits you need to renew your license in most states.
Bonus content
Bonuses worth more than the course itself
Sign up and you also get several of my courses and programs free, plus bonus videos and the most relevant research articles for every section.
Included free: Ultimate Training Program for Shoulder Pain · Garage Gym Heroes · “Ain’t Nobody Got Time For That” · Power Building Program · Ultimate Mobility Series · Monkey Method: Movement Essentials
Plus 14 bonus videos
- ✓ How poor sleep and high stress affect injury risk
- ✓ A PT’s guide to improving patient sleep
- ✓ Psychological risk factors for injury in sport
- ✓ How risky is it to push through pain in the gym?
- ✓ My favorite return-to-sport tests after upper extremity injury
- ✓ 6 keys to choosing exercises patients actually do
- ✓ My favorite rhythmic stabilizations for pain & instability
- ✓ Mastering rotator cuff pathology: special tests & diagnosis
- ✓ Soft tissue techniques every PT should know
- ✓ Manual techniques for subacromial pain syndrome
- ✓ Anterior shoulder instability clinical exam
- ✓ Posterior shoulder instability clinical exam
- ✓ Shoulder instability exercise basics: 5 keys
- ✓ Advanced exercises for shoulder instability rehab
Plus 64 research articles and 30+ additional videos so you can go deeper on the topics you care about most.
The total bonus content adds up to more than the cost of the shoulder course itself.
Learn from world-class experts
Coach the lifts with the best in the world
You’ll learn the Olympic lifts, handstands and muscle-ups from the best coaches I know.
Dave Durante
Gymnastics · muscle-ups
Multiple-time USA Gymnastics national champion and 2008 Beijing Olympic team alternate. Former lead coach of the CrossFit Gymnastics course and co-owner of Power Monkey Fitness.
Duke Van Vleet
Gymnastics · bodyweight strength
2x US National Team member and captain of Penn State’s 2004 NCAA championship team. Spent 8 years with Cirque du Soleil as an artist and strength & conditioning coach.
Mike Cerbus
Olympic weightlifting
Elite weightlifter from 2005–2014 and 2011 American Open champion, selected to the US Pan American team. Former training specialist at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs.
The transformation
Before & after the course
Before
- ✕ Not sure why your patient was injured
- ✕ Lack of confidence evaluating a shoulder injury
- ✕ Unsure of the best shoulder treatments and when to use them
- ✕ No guidance on proper exercise technique or execution
- ✕ Don’t know how to create rehab programs
- ✕ Unaware of what people should and shouldn’t keep doing in the gym after injury
After
- ✓ Complete confidence evaluating and treating shoulder injuries
- ✓ Proficient writing non-op and post-op rehab programs
- ✓ A master of modifications, so people keep training through rehab
- ✓ Expert guidance on preventing future injuries
- ✓ The local expert on treating shoulder injuries in the gym
- ✓ A schedule full of the patients you love working with
Your instructor
Dan Pope, DPT, OCS
Dan is a Doctor of Physical Therapy and board-certified orthopedic clinical specialist. Not only does he treat athletes regularly, he’s been coaching and training athletes for the past 20 years.
A former NCAA Division 1 pole vaulter at Rutgers, Dan was the 2009 Strongman National Champion (175 lb class) and competed at CrossFit Regionals twice. He works with everyone from beginners to professional and CrossFit Games athletes.
He’s a published author who speaks nationally and internationally on physical therapy education. As founder and CEO of Fitness Pain Free, he has helped create thousands of coaches and clinicians who love their work.
“Dan is always first on my speed dial when I have any questions on movement, injury prevention, rehabilitation and education. I highly recommend this course for every clinician and coach.”
Jason Leydon · Head Coach, CrossFit Milford
Zero risk
Two money-back guarantees
7-day money-back guarantee
Unsatisfied for any reason? Get your money back within 7 days of purchase.
Month 3–4 money-back guarantee
Complete the course (and pass the final exam) within the recommended 3 months and still feel unsatisfied? Get your money back between month 3 and 4. The last thing I want is to sell you something that doesn’t deliver.
Here’s what you get
- ✓ 31 hours of curriculum across 10 modules
- ✓ 20 hours of bonus material: videos, research and training & mobility programs
- ✓ Community guidance: I answer your questions as you go
- ✓ 30.5 CEUs for PTs, PTAs & ATs
- ✓ “Fast Track” to complete the material as fast as you need
- ✓ 38 protocols (non-op and post-op)
- ✓ 7 in-depth case studies
- ✓ 24/7 online lifetime access
$599
Enroll nowOr choose the 3-month payment plan →
If rotator cuff pain, instability, or a lifter who can’t press overhead has ever made you hesitate, over-protect or second-guess your programming, this is your moment to fix that.
FAQs
Questions, answered
Is this a physical DVD or all online?
This course is 100% online through a platform called Kajabi. There is no physical DVD. The course can be accessed via any phone, tablet, or computer.
Can I get CEUs if I am a physical therapist or physical therapist assistant?
Yes, the course has been approved for 30.5 contact hours for physical therapists, physical therapist assistants and athletic trainers. CEU acceptance varies by state, so email [email protected] to confirm your state is eligible before you enroll.
How long do I have access to this course?
How does lifetime access sound? After enrolling, you have unlimited access to this course (pending you are not sharing free access with friends!) for as long as you like, across any and all devices you own.
Are the information and terminology too complex for me?
Definitely not! Dan uses highly scientific information but works hard to explain complex things in simple language, to help everyone understand and to help transfer the ideas to the gym the next day.
How much does the course cost?
The course is $599 as a one-time payment, and a 3-month payment plan is also available.