ISSA Online Coaching study plan

Build a one-page map of the four exam domains that lists each domain's weight, its subtopics, and the two subtopics you know least well

Define online coaching scope and boundaries in writing, distinguishing it from in-person training, medical care, and nutrition therapy, and list three situations that require referral

Draft a 12-item intake questionnaire covering health history, medication, prior injury, training experience, schedule, equipment access, and goals

Explain in your own notes how informed consent, privacy, and scope-of-practice limits apply when you coach a client you have never met in person

Compare at least four remote assessment methods (self-reported measures, video movement screens, wearable or app data, and client-recorded performance tests) and note the reliability limits of each

Write step-by-step client instructions for three self-administered screens: a squat or overhead reach, a single-leg balance test, and a push-up or plank hold

Create a scoring rubric that turns each screen into a clear pass, caution, or refer decision

Practice running one full mock remote assessment with a friend over video and log where the instructions were ambiguous

Apply the FITT-VP framework (frequency, intensity, time, type, volume, progression) to write a four-week beginner resistance plan for a client with only dumbbells and resistance bands

Select intensity markers appropriate for remote clients, such as reps in reserve and talk-test ratings, and justify each choice

Regress and progress three core lifts for a client with knee pain, documenting the decision rule you used

Build a weekly session template that fits a 30-minute home session including warm-up and cool-down

Design a cardio and conditioning progression for a deconditioned client using both time-based and interval formats, and state when each is preferred

Write a two-week adherence plan that names the specific behavior-change technique behind each tactic (for example, implementation intentions, self-monitoring, or habit stacking)

Script a 10-minute check-in call that uses open questions, reflective listening, and a collaborative goal reset

Draft a contingency plan for a client who misses three sessions in a row, including what you say and what you change in the program

Explain the difference between motivation interviewing spirit and directive advice-giving, and rewrite five controlling statements into open questions

Build a weekly accountability cadence (check-in message, form-video review, progress log) and specify what you review and when

Write templates for three difficult conversations: a client who wants faster results, a client who is not doing the work, and a client with a possible red-flag symptom

Practice delivering feedback on a submitted form video using a three-step structure: observe, explain, cue

Set up a client tracking system (spreadsheet or coaching app) that records adherence, load, RPE or reps in reserve, body measures, and check-in notes in one place

Configure the technology stack you will actually use: video call, shared program document, messaging channel, and payment method, then test each end to end

Draft a service agreement covering session scope, communication response times, cancellation, payment terms, and data handling

Write a data-privacy note explaining what client information you store, where, and for how long

Price your coaching offer by calculating a target monthly revenue, the number of client slots it requires, and the effective hourly rate after admin time

Build a simple funnel: one profile or landing page, one discovery-call script, and one follow-up message sequence

Calculate client retention and define the onboarding sequence for the first 14 days of a new client relationship

Identify three risks specific to remote practice (connectivity failure, liability, scope overreach) and write a mitigation for each

Take one full-length timed practice exam and score it by domain to find your two weakest areas

Re-study only those two weak areas using your own notes and a written summary of each

Recite from memory the remote assessment protocol, the program-design progression rules, the check-in cadence, and the scope-of-practice limits

Run a full mock client cycle (intake, assessment, program, check-in, feedback) and log every step where you hesitated