FITNESS PAIN FREE certification 

The Fitness Pain Free Certification is currently closed for enrollment.  It opens quarterly (4 times per year) for a 1 week period.  To be notified of when the certification opens again and to take advantage of the pre-sale launch to save $300 click the button below:

The FPF Certification is the Complete Educational Resource for Management of Pain and Injuries in the Gym.

Do You Want to be an Expert Working with People in the Strength and Fitness World?

Olympic Weightlifters or People in the Sport of Fitness?

Power Lifters or Those That Enjoy Training Hard in the Gym?

Hi, I'm Dan,

My goal is to teach you how to help get your clients out of pain, back to training and how keep them healthy for the long haul.

When I graduated physical therapy school I knew I wanted to work in fitness.  Working as a personal trainer and coach previously, I practically went to physical therapy school just so I could figure out how to work with my painful clients better.  

Trouble is, I didn't really learn how to do this.  It didn't really prepare me to work with the people I desired:

  • Olympic Weightlifting
  • Powerlifting
  • The Sport of Fitness
  • Bodybuilding
  • People Who Just Enjoy Working Hard in the Gym

So basically what it comes down to is that University education simply isn't adequate...

  • No Advice on Proper Exercise Execution 
    You're lucky if you receive some basic info on how to squat and deadlift appropriately, let alone olympic lifts and more complex gymnastics movements.
  • No Information on Exercise Modification
    Modifying exercise training programs is essential for rehab of these athletes.  Most programs simply don't cover this.
  • No Help Creating Rehabilitation Programs to Return to Training
    Universities are not even teaching you how to evaluate a squat, let alone how to get back to squatting after an injury...
  • No Help with Future Injury Prevention
    Since injuries in this population are at best a small part of the curriculum of most universities, injury prevention isn't even on the radar.
  • No Guidance on How to Work in the Population you Desire
    Unfortunately, knowing how to work with a given population isn't enough to get them through the door and earn their respect.

This prompted me on a journey of learning how to help these folks.  I've spent years learning from some the best coaches and physical therapists in the world, reading and implementing literature and making mistakes with myself and others along the way.  Over the course of time I developed a comprehensive system to help these people get out of pain and optimize performance for the long haul.  I'm here to show you how to do the same.

WhO IT'S FOR?

Attention physical therapists, chiropractors and athletic trainers.  The major goal of this course is to show you exactly how to work with injured people in the fitness world.  I'll show you how to be the trusted resource in your community to help get your patients out of pain and back to the training they love.

Coaches and trainers receive little to no education about pain and injury and yet are forced to work with athletes with injuries and pain problems every day of the week.  This course will show you how to be competent and proficient with these folks so they can continue working towards their goals and while getting better in the process.

Learning objectives:

Spot Injury Mechanisms in the Gym

Injuries are multi-factorial and if we want to learn how to rehabilitate we need to know how injuries occur in the first place.

Analyze Exercise Technique

Learn optimal exercise techniques for performance AND injury prevention.  The technique for health isn't always the same as a technique for performance.

Coach the Lifts Confidently

Learn how to coach the main lifts in the gym (Olympic and power lifts, handstands, muscle-ups, and more). 

Write Injury Prevention Programs

I'll show you how to figure out exactly what led to your athlete's injury and strategies for preventing future problems.

Develop Rehabilitation Programs

Learn how to write rehabilitation programs for your athletes so they can get back to what they love.

Modify Exercises Appropriately for Injured Athletes

I'll show you just what to do with painful athletes in the gym so they can continue working towards their goals and rehabilitate simultaneously.

Assess & Correct Mobility & Strength Restrictions

I'll show you how to assess your athlete's movement to ensure you're giving the correct mobility or strength intervention to fix the root of the problem.

Now is the time to become an expert working with injuries in the gym. This program will give you all of the tools to be the authority in your community.

CERTIFICATION Curriculum:

Part 1: Why Athletes Get Hurt in the Gym & What To Do About It

  • What factors really lead to injury
  • The integral interplay of technique, training volume, and recovery
  • How to address each factor that leads to injury

Part 2: What is Pain & Why Modification is Essential

  • What every coach needs to know about pain
  • Why modification needs to be a priority for injured athletes
  • How to modify training for injured athletes

Part 3: Creating Injury Prevention Plans

  • Using injury mechanisms to drive injury prevention
  • How to make prevention plans specific to individuals and gyms
  • Sample injury prevention plans

Part 4: How to Write Rehab Programs

  • 4 simple steps to writing rehabilitation programs
  • Identifying lifestyle and training factors to perpetuate injury
  • How to progress back to painful movements over time

Part 5: Breaking Down the Power Lifts

  • How to coach and analyze bench press, squat and deadlift technique
  • How athletes get injured during these lifts
  • How to rehabilitate these athletes back to 100%

Part 6: Breaking Down the Olympic Lifts

  • How to coach and analyze snatch and clean and jerk technique
  • Master mobility for the olympic lifts
  • Rehabilitating knee, hip, lower back and shoulder pain

Part 7: Pull-ups, Muscle-ups & Kipping

  • What technical factors increase risk of shoulder injury
  • How to modify for painful shoulders
  • The best accessory exercises to improve technique

Part 8: Handstands & Handstand Push-ups

  • Easy modifications and rehab exercises for wrist pain
  • Coaching cues and drills to improve the handstand
  • How handstand push-ups can create neck injury

Part 9: Overhead Press, Push-ups & Dips

  • How to optimize overhead mobility
  • What to do when the shoulders hurt during press movements
  • Accessory exercises to build bulletproof shoulders

Part 10: Shoulder, Low Back, Knee & Hip Pain

  • Understanding the most common injuries in the gym
  • How to deal with patellofemoral pain, rotator cuff and labral tears
  • Shoulder, low back, knee and hip injury rehab case studies

Want to see EXACTLY what's covered?

I wanted to let you see everything within the certification before you purchase.  This way there are no "bait and switches". You get to see precisely what's covered throughout.  Click on each module below to see the entire lesson laid out:

Essential Coaching Series

How to Get Established in the Strength and Fitness World

Squat Mastery

Deadlift Mastery

Overhead Press Mastery

Bench Press Mastery

Muscle-Up Mastery

Handstands and Handstand Push-ups

Pull-ups and Kipping

Push-Ups and Dips

The Snatch

The Clean and Jerk

The Olympic Lifts

Hip Pathology (Treatment, Exercise Prescription, Case Studies)

Lower Back Pathology (Treatment, Exercise Prescription, Case Studies)

Knee Pathology (Treatment, Exercise Prescription, Case Studies)

Shoulder Pathology (Treatment, Case Studies)

SNEAK PEEK

Get up to date with the latest evidence based treatment of:

  • Knee Osteoarthritis
  • Shoulder Instability
  • Rotator Cuff Pathology
  • Patellofemoral Pain
  • AC Joint Pathology
  • Meniscus Pathology
  • Labral Pathology
  • Patellar Tendinopathy

See how to apply the research and make it RELEVANT to folks in the weight room:

Learn How to DOSE Exercise Appropriately to Get Your Patients Back to Heavy Lifting in the Gym.

Learn How to Actually Get the Patients Through the Door that You WANT to Work With.

learn from world class experts:

On your journey to be the best, you'll want to learn from the best coaches in the world.  In this certification you'll learn how to perform the Olympic Lifts, Handstands and Muscle-ups from the best coaches I know:

Dave Durante: Dave is a multiple time USA gymnastics national champion and was part of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Team as alternate. After retiring from competition, David helped coach his alma mater, Stanford University, to an NCAA Team Title in 2009 and has continued to be a part of the sport through his position on the Athlete Advisory Committee with the United States Olympic Committee as well as his position on the USA Gymnastics Men's Technical Committee. 

Dave was a lead coach with the CrossFit Gymnastics L1 course from 2013-2015. He also wrote and developed the CrossFit Gymnastics Advanced Course. Dave is co-owner of Power Monkey Fitness and Power Monkey Camp.

Duke Van Vleet: Duke was a competitive gymnast for 23 years. During that time, he was a 2-time US National Team Member. Later, Duke was fortunate enough to earn an athletic scholarship to the Pennsylvania State University. At Penn State, he was a member of the 2000 NCAA Championship Team and captain of the 2004 NCAA Championship Team.

After graduating from Penn State, he became the assistant coach for the women’s gymnastics team. While coaching the women’s team, Cirque du Soleil invited Duke to audition in Las Vegas and that was the beginning of an 8 year long career. Seven of those years were spent on tour with Cirque du Soleil’s Corteo as a Tournik artist, as well as the strength & conditioning coach.

Mike Cerbus: Mike competed in the sport of Weightlifting at an elite level from 2005-2014. He medalled at 3 National Championships and 5 American Open Championships, taking out the title in 2011 as American Open Champion, while also being selected to the United States Pan American & Olympic Qualification Teams in 2012. He trained under Senior International Coach Lou DeMarco and worked as as a training specialist from 2011-2013 at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs under Zygmunt Smalcerz. 

Since 2009 Mike has been instructing athletes of all levels across the world. This immersion into the fitness world has allowed him to adapt weightlifting principles and instruction in order to best meet the needs of those most beginner levels up to elite competitors looking to refine their movements.

SNEAK PEEK


mentoring

Far and away the largest request I get from students and newer clinicians is 1 on 1 mentoring.  Nothing beats talking through problems and "grey areas" with a seasoned clinician to figure out the best path moving forward with patients and clients.  Trouble is, students often don't have options for mentoring.  You can either hope you get some mentoring at your first job or sign up for a residency program.  The FPF Certification has multiple mentoring options to help you get a complete grasp of the topics covered in the course and apply them fully.

Physical Therapists Have Little to NO Options for Mentoring Beyond Residency Programs

The FPF Certification serves as an excellent intermediate for physical therapists that want to accelerate their career but can't afford (literally and figuratively) to uproot every aspect of their life to make it happen.  I want to ensure that you KNOW there are other alternatives out there.  Let's compare programs:

FPF Certification

  • 12 Week Program
  • Weekly or Monthly Mentoring
  • Thorough course curriculum
  • SPECIFIC to strength and fitness
  • Flexible learning - Learn at your convenience
  • Costs: $1,000 to $4,000 (Pay only for what you NEED)
  • Costs: Continue making a full-time physical therapy salary
  • Convenient location - Where ever there is internet...
  • Commitment Level Moderate - 1 to 5 hours education / week
  • Enrollment - Easy enrollment 4x / year cohorts
  • Course Curriculum: See EXACTLY what's covered inside and outside of the program
  • Guarantee: Money back guarantee AFTER completing the course if not satisfied 
  • Bonus Content: $3,000+ worth of additional programs and educational content 

Physical Therapy Residency

  • 1 Year Program
  • 3+ hours mentoring / week
  • Thorough course curriculum
  • Specific to the program (sports, neuro. etc)
  • Scheduled course curriculum - Learn at regimented pace
  • Costs: 25-50% of Normal PT salary ($20,000 - $40,000 income LOSS)
  • Costs: $2,000 - $8,000 for course curriculum, books etc.
  • Challenging Location: Forced to move to residency location
  • Commitment Level Extremely High - Additional 10-20 hours / week
  • Enrollment - Competitive application process with yearly cohorts
  • Course Curriculum: Vague description of topics / content covered
  • Guarantee: None - High risk (Don't like it, can't get a refund...)
  • Teaching hours
  • Physician shadowing
  • In person mentoring

The FPF Certification is a great "alternate" to high commitment residency programs

Residency programs are phenomenal... HOWEVER, they come at huge costs.  The FPF Certification serves as a lower cost, lower risk, lower commitment alternate that will meet the needs of many clinicians who want to MASTER their craft working in the strength and fitness world.  It is an absolute NO BRAINER if you are thirsty to improve your skills and can't make the residency work

1) Basic Program

  • 12 Week Certification

2) Monthly Mentoring

  • 12 Week Certification
  • Bi-monthly: 5 x 60 minute group lecture reviews / Q and A
  • Monthly (3 total) x 60 minute 1 on 1 - zoom calls

3) Weekly Mentoring

  • 12 Week Certification
  • Bi-monthly: 5 x 60 minute group lecture reviews / Q and A
  • Weekly: (11 total) x 60 minute 1 on 1 - zoom calls
  • Daily: Email support (5x / week) for 12 weeks

The FPF Certification has a variety of "options".  Want the course curriculum without the rest?  No worries, we have you covered.  Want the real deal experience with weekly 1 on 1 mentoring and regular email support?  There's an option for that.  We also have options for folks somewhere in between.  Pay for what you want and not for what you don't...

See All Mentoring Options at End of Page...

time commitment

Does the FPF Certification Take Too Much Time to Complete?

Nope...  I've gone out of my way to create a "FAST TRACK" portion of every lesson and module in the course.  Essentially I've created infographics, key notes and cheat sheets to go along with every lesson and module in the course.  This way you can consume the large majority of the content in the form of "Cheat Sheets" and "Infographics".  

Click the Infographic below to download:

Regimented Curriculum:

  • 12 Week Recommended Completion
  • Learning Timelines
  • Lifetime Access to the Certification
  • Complete as Fast or Slow as You Please
  • CEU Information:

    The FPF Certification is approved for 31.5 physical therapy contact hours (CEUs / CCUs) for Physical Therapists and Physical Therapist Assistants by the Accreditation Commission on Continuing Education in Physical Therapy
    (ACCE-PT).  That's the majority of credits you need to renew your license in most states!

    The FPF Certification is approved in over 40 different states.  You can check the map above or Click HERE to see if your state is eligible (P.S. Texas and Maryland is eligible as well!).  If your state is not included you can often still apply for CEUs. Click HERE for more information on how to apply if your state is not listed.

    The FPF Certification is an approved CEU provider for the National Strength and Conditioning Association. NSCA certified individuals completing this course are eligible to receive 2.0 CEU(s) in category C.

    The Fitness Pain Free Certification is recognized by the CrossFit Certification Department to offer continuing education for Certified CrossFit Trainers. This program has been approved for 32 CEUs of Professional Development.

    Bonus Content:

    I've gone out of my way to make this certification as big of a no-brainer offer as possible.  I'm literally offering pretty much every single additional program and educational course I've ever made with the certification (and a few I've never even released...) for no additional cost:

    • FPF Knee Course: $399
    • FPF Shoulder Course $399
    • Olympic Weightlifting Course $399 - never before released...
    • Garage Gym Heroes Program: $360
    • Power Building Program: $360
    • FPF Pain Programs: (Shoulder, low back, knee, hip): $399
    • Guide to Exercise Prescription: $399 - never before released...
    • FPF Mobility Programs: (Overhead, Front Rack, Squat): $149.99
    • Ain't Nobody Got Time For That Training Program: $360

    When you do the math that totals up to over $3,000 of additional content included in the cost


    Click the button below to get on the waitlist and take advantage of the pre-sale launch to save $300.

    About the course instructor

    Dan is a Doctor of Physical Therapy and board certified orthopedic clinical specialist. He has an enormous passion for fitness, rehabilitation and optimizing human performance. Not only does Dan treat athletes on a regular basis but he's been coaching and training athletes for the past 14 years as well.

    Dan is an accomplished athlete having competed as a NCAA Division 1 pole vaulter at Rutgers. He won a national championship in the sport of strongman and competed at the CrossFit regionals twice.

    Dan works with all people ranging from the beginner up to the professional and CrossFit games level athlete. As founder and CEO of Fitness Pain Free, he helps fitness enthusiasts of all levels get out of pain and back to the training they love.

    Testimonials:

    “

    If you are looking to bridge the gap between traditional rehabilitation taught in school and high level fitness, Dan Pope is the man. He is able to treat along the whole continuum of exercise. I would highly recommend taking his certification to learn more about to be able to help the patient or even your own fitness.

    Zach Leal

    Physical Therapist - CrossFitter

    “

    "As a PT student, learning how to bridge the gap between rehabilitation and returning back to performance is challenging.  Dan’s background in athletics, coaching, clinical reasoning regarding fitness and use of modifications has exposed me to this learning and given me a solid foundation for success in the future."

    TJ Jaidka

    Physical Therapist - Powerlifter

    “

    As a CrossFit Coach and Physical Therapist this course provided me with the knowledge about a population I hadn't learned about at school.  It really added to my foundation of knowledge and I'm definitely going to be using it as a resource in the future.

    Lyanne Colon

    Physical Therapist - CrossFit Coach

    " Dan Pope is one of the best in his field.  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 coach.  Getting clients to move well and being able to spot and fix issues is a game changer and in my opinion is the one main aspect that can separate the good coaches from the great coaches.

     Jason Leydon

    Head Coach, CrossFit Milford

    "

    "I've been a CrossFit coach for over 7 years now, and it is rare that I have a week of coaching without someone dealing with some type of nagging injury or pain.  This certification gave me the confidence to not only ask the right questions to find the true root of their pain.  Dan took all of his experience and resources as a successful physical therapist and bridged the gap between physical therapy and CrossFit.  This cert is the best thing you can do for your clients".

    Becca Chilczenkowski

    Coach, Ohare CrossFit

    "

    Dave Durante - USA gymnastics national champion 2008 Beijing Olympic Team as alternate

    Cheryl Heyworth - 3x Olympian (Olympic Bronze Medalist) Olympic Weightlifting

    Chad Vaughn - 2x Olympian - Olympic Weightlifting

    Before Taking the Certification:

    • Not sure why your patient was injured
    • Lack of confidence evaluating patient's injury
    • Unsure of best treatments 
    • No guidance on proper exercise technique or execution
    • Don't know how to create rehabilitation programs
    • Unaware of what people should and shouldn't continue doing in the gym after injury
    • No knowledge of how to prevent future injuries
    • A patient panel of people you don't want to treat and no respect or trust from your community

    After Taking the Certification:

    • Complete confidence with evaluating and treating your favorite population
    • Completely proficient writing rehabilitation programs
    • Master of modifications so people can continue training all throughout their rehabilitation
    • Expert guidance on how to prevent future injuries
    • Become the local expert on treating injuries in the gym
    • Have your day filled with treating the patients you love working with
    • Gain the respect and admiration of your community

    Money Back Guarantee

    I want to ensure that there is absolutely no risk of you purchasing this certification and being disappointed.  For this reason I'm offering 2 different money back guarantees:

    7 Day Money Back Guarantee:

    If you purchase this course and are unsatisfied with it for any reason you can get your money back within 7 days of purchase

    Month 3-4 Money Back Guarantee:

    If you purchase this course and complete it (must pass final examination) within the recommended time period of 3 months and still feel unsatisfied with the course, you can get your money back between month 3 and 4 of purchase.  

    I've created these guarantees so that there is ABSOLUTELY NO RISK to purchasing the course.  If you buy it and don't like it, you can get a return within 7 days.  If you're still not sure after that point no sweat.  Just finish the course (pass the examination) within 3-4 months and request your money back during that time period.  The last thing I want to do is sell you something that doesn't deliver.

    HERE'S WHAT YOU GET WHEN YOU SIGN UP


    • 32 Hours of Curriculum Material
    • 20 Hours of Bonus Material (Pathologies, Case Studies, Exercise Prescription)
    • 1 on 1 Mentoring - As much or as little as you'd like
    • 31.5  Continuing Education Credits for Physical Therapists and Physical Therapy Assistants
    • "Fast Track" to Complete the Material as Fast as Needed
    • 31.5 CrossFit CEUs
    • 2.0 NSCA (Class C) CEUs
    • $3,000 in Bonus Courses and Programs 
    • 24/7 Online Access- Consume the information in the comfort of your home or office for the lifetime of the product

    FAQs

    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 31.5 contact hours for physical therapists and physical therapy assistants.  That's the majority of credits you need to renew your license in most states!

     

    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 to 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 a simple language. This is in an effort to help everyone understand, and also to help transfer the ideas to the gym the next day.

    How much does the course cost?

    Enrollment for the program opens four times per year and enrollment is open for a one week period.   Enrollment is currently open.  Full Price for the course is $1,299.

     

    Still have questions?