Best GLP-1 Courses for Coaches & Trainers

“Shots! Shots! Shots!” is what you’d expect to hear in a college town bar on a Friday night. But you might just hear a similar sentiment in doctors’ offices and pharmacies around the country. Shots of GLP-1 agonists are being called for and given out all over (albeit perhaps not quite as freely as shots of tequila). Patients are requesting them, and doctors are answering. With injections everywhere, where does that leave us as fitness professionals? 

Up until recently, we’ve been left in the dark. There hasn’t been great education on GLP-1 agonists, except for the miraculous or controversial excerpts you might find on Reddit. However, we’re finally starting to see courses from several accrediting bodies being released on the topic. GLP-1 and other weight loss medication courses are available from ISSA, NASM, NESTA, and AFPA, among other smaller entities.

How do these new certs stack up? Let’s find out. 

The Best GLP-1 Courses Ranked

Whether you’re looking for a quality education or a basic understanding regarding weight loss medications like GLP-1s, here are the top GLP-1 courses for fitness professionals:

1. ISSA GLP-1 Weight Loss Support Training – Well-rounded course offering education and application for health professionals of all types.
2. NESTA GLP-1 Exercise Specialist – Comprehensive training for exercise-based professionals.
3. NASM Understanding Weight Loss Medications: A Guide for Fitness and Wellness Professionals – Excellent continuing education course for the lifelong learner
4. AFPA Coaching Clients on Weight Loss Medication – Short and sweet course that teaches the basics.

What are GLP-1s and How Do They Affect Exercise?

Known primarily by the acronym GLP-1, glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists are hormones produced naturally by the body to aid in digestion and blood sugar regulation. In recent years, medications have been developed to mimic and even multiply the effects that GLP-1 hormones have. These effects include:

• The stimulation of insulin secretion to lower blood sugar levels, 
• The inhibition of glucagon secretion to keep blood sugar levels from rising, and
• Delayed gastric emptying to keep people feeling full longer. 

Most of the effects of GLP-1s involve blood sugar and satiety, but they may also provide cardiovascular and kidney benefits as well. GLP-1 has become a popular medication for two groups of people: those with diabetes and those who want to lose weight.

Many clients we work with as fitness professionals fall into one or both of these categories, so it’s important for us to know how GLP-1 medications can impact their health before, during, and after exercise. The courses we reviewed here do just that. They go beyond the scope of single scholarly articles or several blog posts about the topic. They dive into the good and the bad of GLP-1s, discussing faster weight loss and increased abilities alongside greater muscle wasting and potential problems. 

Let’s jump in and talk about the best GLP-1 trainings to help you train your clients with safety and success.

Breaking Down the Top GLP-1 Courses

1. ISSA GLP-1 Weight Loss Support Training

They always say not to judge a book by its cover, but in this case, it might just be a good idea. The International Sports Science Association (ISSA) is at the forefront of education for fitness professionals on weight loss medications. 

With a quick glance through their website, you’ll find comprehensive course information including the course outcomes, authors, and applications, something that most other courses lack. GLP-1s are all the rage, but the fitness industry has been somewhat slow in producing quality training materials on them. While many course offering sites seem a little sparse on information or thrown together, it is apparent that ISSA’s course is here for the long haul, helping prospective students know just what they’re getting when they sign up for the course. 

As for the course itself, there are 6 primary topics, each with its own course module. A standout among the modules is ISSA’s focus on emotional and behavioral support as well as long-term client guidance. It provides insight into the many non-physical challenges that come with GLP-1s and rapid weight loss. 

The course, as well as all the others in this list, is remote so you can study from anywhere with an internet connection. Study is done through their online learning platform that has a nice combination of both reading and video content. 

ISSA’s GLP-1 course will set you back $159, but the quality and quantity of the education you receive puts you ahead of the competition. If you’re seeking CEC, it also offers 6 credits to go towards your recertification.

Who It’s For: Fitness professionals who want to tackle the big picture of GLP-1 medications.

2. NESTA GLP-1 Exercise Specialist

Coming in a close second for best GLP-1 training is the National Exercise & Sports Trainers Association’s (NESTA) Exercise Specialist course. For this course, NESTA has partnered with Eric Durak and his company MedHealthFit to offer the course (Pro Tip: MedHealthFit also offers this certification on their own website, so consider both for pricing and promos before purchasing.). 

When we first saw this course, the title Exercise Specialist seemed almost a bit too niche compared to other offerings, whose reach expanded to nutritionists and other fitness professionals. We were pleased to find, however, that one of the six modules in the course was focused on nutrition. 

Other topics include the interactions between GLP-1s and exercise, body composition, exercise programming, how to work with clients using GLP-1s, and our personal favorite, the culture of weight loss. This module was unique to NESTA and provided great context for the why of weight gain and the how of lasting weight loss. It is important to note that these modules are delivered via video, so if you prefer a course with reading, look above to ISSA’s mixed content course. 

NESTA’s course came in second primarily for a few small reasons. The first was its niche. We liked offerings that have greater reach, even if only in the title, simply because they have more application. But, if niche is what you’re looking for, this one is a great course. 

Second, with the course primarily directed by a single person, we questioned whether information was biased or limited in scope. A primary reason many of us take certifications is to learn from multiple people’s experience. For this reason, we liked ISSA’s certification more, because they were transparent about tapping into the knowledge of more than one professional. 

Lastly, the course has a deadline. You have 1 year to complete the materials, which for most people won’t be an issue. But in an era of no contracts and deadlines, it feels a bit dated. The course, like ISSA’s, is entirely online and offers continuing education credits, which can be a big motivator in completing the course. 

Right now, NESTA is offering their introductory pricing for the course, making it available for $149. If you miss the boat, you’ll end up paying $199.95.

Who It’s For: An exercise-focused professional who thrives on learning through video content.

3. NASM Understanding Weight Loss Medications: A Guide for Fitness and Wellness Professionals

The National Academy of Sports Medicine is known for having some of the best certifications and continuing education courses out there, but we’re not sure if this is one of them. Rather than being marketed as a specialty to add to your resume, the course seems to be there just for the sake of education, rather than career advancement. This could be a great fit for fitness pros who want to learn about GLP-1s, but don’t necessarily plan on marketing to GLP-1 users. 

The course covers several types of weight loss medications, including GLP-1s and GIPs. 

This information is broken down into 3 sections with 15 videos to educate students on weight loss medications, our role as fitness professionals in regard to them, and what we found to be the highlight here, how to help clients who have stopped or are discontinuing the use of such medications. 

This was a unique angle from NASM, as many coaches, clients, and even healthcare professionals don’t look to the long-term when using GLP-1s. Everyone sees the immediate benefits, but there’s far less discussion about when and how to stop using them. 

If you have clients taking GLP-1s, there is a great likelihood that they will need to come off the medication at some point. However, without the proper education and guidance, many people relapse into similar habits, gain weight back, and lose some of the benefits the GLP-1s afforded them. As a fitness professional, having the tools to prepare clients for that split makes you an invaluable resource in their long-term health journey. 

These tools aren’t the only sweet part about NASM’s certification either. The price is a cool $99 (if you catch it while it’s on sale), which provides access to quality education at a lower price point than our first two options. With other options out there, you might end up paying for that specialty designation, which you don’t have with NASM. 

Who It’s For: The education junkie who doesn’t need to pad their resume and won’t be marketing to people using weight loss medications.

4. AFPA Coaching Clients on Weight Loss Medication

The American Fitness Professionals and Associates’ (AFPA) take on weight loss medication offers a brief approach to GLP-1s. It ranked last in our research for several  reasons, but primarily due to the basic information it provides. The title says “weight loss medication,” but if you read on through the course information, you’ll see that it primarily discusses GLP-1s, so if you’re looking for a course that addresses several types of weight loss medications specifically, NASM may be a better choice. ISSA and NESTA both offer GLP-1 specific courses as well, but offer a more in-depth look at the medication.

A big draw for many is the time it takes to complete AFPA’s course. If you need some basic information and CECs without investing a lot of time, this course may be a good fit for you. The course includes 2, 1-hour webinar style videos, 2 research articles, and a quiz. In about 3 hours, you’ll be done and out the door with your CECs. 

Looking through the course objectives, you’ll see that its goals are focused on helping students understand GLP-1s and their effects, but is substantially lacking in the actions and applications a fitness professional may need to take to effectively train a client using these medications. 

The other downside of this course is the pricepoint. Currently, it is available for $149, putting it roughly on par with ISSA and NESTA, but with far less bang for your buck. It seems a bit expensive for what you’re getting, especially in comparison to better courses.

Who It’s For: Fitness professionals who might get an occasional GLP-1-related question from a client.

Conclusion

Just as weight loss medications are changing the way people manage their health, they are also changing the way we train and coach our clients. Top courses like ISSA’s GLP-1 Weight Loss Support Training or NESTA’s GLP-1 Exercise Specialist course provide much needed education to help us as trainers keep up with the times and stay competitive in an ever-evolving fitness landscape. If you’re looking to up your game or just want to provide more education to your clients, these courses will take you there.