CEU/CEC Approved
9.0 category A BOC CEUs
Overview
About Your Instructor
Dr. Sophia Veiras
PT, DPT
Hi, I’m Sophia, the creator behind Unique Considerations for the Female Barbell Athlete. In high school, I was the only girl on the varsity wrestling team. Through this experience I cultivated a passion for advocating for the unmet needs of female athletes in the male dominated world of fighting. My mission to fight the gender gap in athletic participation continues, now fueled by a love for the empowerment behind lifting weights.
Only 1 in 4 women currently meet the World Health Organization’s guidelines for strength training. On a fundamental level, women are physiologically different than men with their bodies having adapted in response to different hormones. It is important that we consider these unique differences in the development of a strength program...and that's exactly what you'll learn in this course.
As fitness and rehab professionals YOU are in a powerful position to encourage women to strength train and combat the gender gap. This course will equip you with an evidenced based framework to handle the unique considerations of the female barbell athlete. From periods & pelvic health to maternity and menopause...you’ll be prepared to handle it all!
What's Included
88 Videos
Totaling 9 hours of content. Watch at your own pace. Start and stop whenever you want.
Watch on any device
With an easy user interface for mobile, desktop, or tablet. Lifetime access.
A Follow Along PDF Guide
To help solidify the concept and enhance your understanding
Earn a certificate of completion
Pass 6, 5 question multiple choice quizzes and get CEUs!
Take a Look Inside
What We Cover
Module 1 (105 min)
Strength Training 101: From Sex Hormones to Strength Development
In this module, we lay the foundation for the biological basis behind sex differences and how this influences strength development. We describe the role of the neuroendocrine system and sex hormones in systemic differences between female and males. The gap is bridged from sex hormones to skill acquisition, discussing the mechanisms by which strength adaptations occur. This module finishes with an overview of exercise prescription, the fundamental movement patterns, and the 4-Step Framework for Training with Pain.
Module 2 (50 min)
Pelvic Anatomy & Function: Foundations of Pelvic Health
The female pelvis has appropriately adapted in structure to allow for childbearing, resulting in unique features distinguishing it from the male pelvis. In this interactive screen recording-based module, participants will be guided through pelvic anatomy & function, the muscles of the pelvic floor, bladder anatomy & function, and the role of all these structures in pressure management.
Module 3 (90 min)
Urinary Incontinence: Practical Applications of Pelvic Floor Muscle Training
Control of intraabdominal pressure is important in the context of strength training. With increased intraabdominal pressure comes an increased responsibility of the pelvic floor muscles to manage pressure. Current advice heard around the weight room around the topic of incontinence in lifting includes “just go to the bathroom before you lift”, “start training your Kegels”, and “if you’re fighting to pee, just let it go.” This module aims to dispel these myths and provide participants with an actionable, biopsychosocially informed model for managing incontinence in the context of strength training.
Module 4 (100 min)
Pregnancy: What to Expect in Training When You’re Expecting
Building off of the knowledge gained in Modules 1-3, this module deep dives into pregnancy from fertilization to the finish. Participants will learn the intricacies of pregnancy that influence exercise tolerance across the trimesters and be able to adapt training appropriately for their pregnant clients. Common complaints in pregnancy influencing exercise prescription will be reviewed as well as red flags appropriate for referral.
Module 5 (125 min)
From Postpartum to PR's: Navigating the New Normal of Motherhood
Throughout history, women have led as key family caregivers, taking care of their children, families, and elders; sometimes neglecting their own needs along the way. In this module, participants will be exposed to potential barriers to physical activity that exist in the postpartum and learn how to work with those barriers to provide care that is sensitive to the physiological changes going on during the postpartum period.
Module 6 (70 min)
Training Across the Lifespan: From Menarche to Menopause
Bringing it back full circle, participants will be able to apply their knowledge of hormones & strength development across the reproductive lifespan. We will discuss the implications of hormone levels on strength adaptations focusing on the youth female athlete and the masters female athlete. Information will be presented via screen recordings finishing it off with specific case samples for each the youth and masters female athlete.
What Others are Saying
Michelle Potter, NASM-CPT, USAW-L1
"I loved this course. After passing my CPT test, I still had a ton of questions (most pertaining to training women). My daughter had 2 c-sections in 2 years, and my mom has excessive prolapse and osteoporosis. Almost every friend I have that knows I lift heavy weights for a 51 year old, scolds me that it’s bad for me. I knew it was not true but I wanted to learn this from professionals and peer-reviewed research. I was looking for confidence to defend what I believe and explain the science to unsure clients. The Unique Considerations for the Barbell Athlete course took care of my concerns and helped me feel confident training my daughter and other women of all ages and stages. There’s plenty of instruction on what to look for and how to train female clients that have special circumstances. I would like to applaud Dr. Sophia for being very informative and thorough without being too drawn out and adding too much time-consuming repetition. The course is very easy to start with no time waisted learning to navigate. I recommend this course to all trainers that train women! Thanks Barbell Rehab and Sophie for providing this awesome course!"
Jessica Shiyomura, PT, DPT
"I loved this Female Barbell Rehab course! I didn't realize that PT school left out so much about working with pregnant athletes from my education and I'm so thankful to have Barbell Rehab filling in those gaps. The course was very easy to use and easy to follow. The mini lessons allow me to continue to progress through the training by chipping away at the modules. I'd highly recommend this course for any fitness professional interested in working with female athletes at ANY age of their lifespan!"
Mark Doherty, Strength Coach
"I would highly recommend this course for both fitness and rehab professionals. Dr. Veiras delivered highly informative though digestible presentation in a meaningful and engaging manner. I learned up-to-date evidence-based information about anatomy and physiology related to sex hormones and the pelvic floor that I had not previously been exposed to, which was great. And there were many practical takeaways such as how to identify red flag symptoms, approaches to strengthening the pelvic floor to mitigate incontinence, and unique programming considerations for the female barbell athlete. As a powerlifting coach, I have found this information extremely valuable in every day practice. "
Wendy Smith, PTA, CPT
"Thank you for this course! It has given me more confidence in both aspects of my career. I am looking forward to implementing the techniques I learned; as well as to my next course! "
Zach Snyder, NASM-PES
"This course was great! I work with a lot of women as a personal trainer and never had a resource to really help me understand their unique needs, until now. I learned a lot of actionable coaching strategies to help reduce stress urinary incontinence during lifting as well as a plethora of exercise modifications that I can make for women during pregnancy and postpartum. I now feel much more comfortable and confident working in my skills as a coach. I would highly recommend this course to all fitness professionals who routinely work with women! "
Love it or Get Your Money Back
We KNOW this course will improve your skill set as a fitness professional. If, for any reason, you're unsatisfied with it, we will give you your money back. No questions asked. We are here to help YOU!
Course Bonuses
Private Facebook Group
The Barbell Rehab Academy
By signing up for this course, you will be granted access to our private Barbell Rehab Academy Facebook Group!
Here, you can interact with others who have taken this course (both the live and online variations), and ask Dr. Sophia questions about the content.
The Barbell Rehab Bladder Diary
Build Healthier Bladder Habits
How do you respond when a client says:
- I just peed myself while (insert lift here)
- I went to the bathroom before performing the lift and still peed.
- I’ve had 3 children, there’s no way I’m lifting heavy without peeing.
- I’ve been doing Kegels, they’re just not working.
- I’ll just lift with a pad inside my underwear.
Navigating these conversations can be hard but addressing it doesn’t have to be! Sometimes it’s the low hanging fruit that drives the needle forward the most. In this bonus PDF, we are providing you with a way to build healthier bladder habits to mitigate the risk of urinary incontinence while lifting.
Sample Postpartum Abdominal Exercise Progression
Did you know that 1/3 pregnant women undergo a Cesarean section delivery?
Encouraging exercise in the postpartum is a must for any fitness or rehab professional. But for many clients in the postpartum, particularly if they have gone through an Cesarean section, abdominal bracing may be difficult and some of the usual go-to abdominal strengthening exercises may be a bit much.
We wanted to create something that would help guide you
In this exclusive course bonus, we lay out a simple postpartum abdominal progression that is perfect for those looking to ease back into a strength training program. Meet your client where they are and then work to progress them from there!
FAQ
Take this course at your own pace with no time limit for completion. Enjoy lifetime access!
Become the go-to professional to work with female clients through pregnancy, postpartum, and beyond!
$499 $397
Get started for only $99 down! Select "Payment Plan" at checkout (price is in USD)
Add to Cart