Starting Strength Birmingham

Coach Onboarding Hub

Quick access to all systems, resources, and training materials. Bookmark this page.

Systems & Tools
Coaching Schedule

Generated 2026-05-14 1:01 AM CDT   May 11 โ€“ May 16, 2026

DayMorningNoonEvening
Monday
May 11
BrentKirstie BrentBrent
Tuesday
May 12
Brentโ€”Kirstie
Wednesday
May 13
BrentBrentBrent
Thursday
May 14
Brentโ€”Kirstie
Friday
May 15
BrentBrentBrent
Saturday
May 16
Brentโ€”โ€”
Staff meeting: TBD โ€” set in data/gym.yaml
๐Ÿ“…
Weekly Schedule Dashboard
Live view of this week's sessions, Free 30 bookings, coach assignments, and availability gaps. Pulled from Pike13.
โ†’
Coach Checklists

Follow these every shift. The daily checklist covers everything that needs to happen each business day. The weekly checklist covers items to review once per week.

๐Ÿ“‹ Daily Checklist Every Shift
๐Ÿ’ช Headspace check: We are here to help people improve the quality of their existence โ€” everything we do is in service of that.
Concierge Hub (GHL)
  • โ˜ Reply to missed calls, texts, and email messages in your inbox
  • โ˜
    Check for missed calls, texts, emails, and social media messages in the team inbox
    • โ˜ Respond to those that need an immediate reply
    • โ˜ Text your colleague(s) that have messages/calls pending
  • โ˜
    Go to your Dashboard and complete today's tasks
    • โ˜ Especially important: follow up with all new leads and free sessions that didn't convert
  • โ˜ Call Members that missed their last session without giving you notice
  • โ˜
    Go through each pipeline (leads, members, holds/cancellations) and make sure you are the "owner" for all people you're responsible for
    • โ˜ Ensure there is a task with a due date and reminder for every lead, member, and hold/cancellation
    • โ˜ Ensure you're "moving people through the funnel" correctly (e.g. "Free Session Booked" โ†’ "Free Session Attended")
    • โ˜ Ensure you've added notes to all contacts you've interacted with since your last GHL update
    • โ˜ Ensure you've checked "unassigned" contacts and assigned them the correct owner
  • โ˜ Send a text to the group text about all Free Sessions conducted since your last update
Pike13
  • โ˜ Check who is on your schedule for free sessions and Intros โ€” look ahead two weeks
  • โ˜ Ensure Members from last business day are marked as attended or no show
  • โ˜ Ensure free session, Intro, Private attendees from last business day are marked as attended, canceled, or no show
  • โ˜ Keep a running total of how many sessions were missed (group training) for your Coach's logbook
  • โ˜ Call Members that are missing 3+ sessions per month
Email / Slack
  • โ˜ Check and respond to messages
  • โ˜ Save important information on your G Drive for later reference
TrueCoach
  • โ˜ Respond to messages
  • โ˜ Respond to completed workouts
  • โ˜ Ensure the next week's workouts are programmed
Digital Logbook
  • โ˜ Ensure all Members last seen have programming entered for next workout
  • โ˜ Prepare milestone celebrations for any member hitting a plate milestone, or 600/1000lb club
  • โ˜ Post a write-up in Slack of all Members that hit a plate milestone โ€” tag the social media lead
Gym Maintenance & Cleanliness
  • โ˜ Ensure opening/closing checklists are followed closely
  • โ˜ Ensure cleaning checklist is followed closely
  • โ˜ Send facilities requests to the gym manager (e.g. a light goes out)
๐Ÿ“… Weekly Checklist Once Per Week
  • โ˜ Pike13: Check your roster for the next week โ€” make sure no one is double booked or on the waitlist who shouldn't be
  • โ˜ Check the waitlist to see if anyone is waiting to join your sessions
  • โ˜ Update Coach logbook
  • โ˜ Meet with manager to review Coach logbook
  • โ˜ Meet with a Senior Coach to review programming (unless you're an SSC)
  • โ˜ Complete Coach Development Cohort assignments (unless you're an SSC)
  • โ˜ Read 20 pages in one of the three books (unless you've read them all, twice)
  • โ˜ Hit a PR on your squat, press, or deadlift (unless you're already "strong")
  • โ˜ Check supplies, notify the manager of anything running low
  • โ˜ Check merchandise inventory, notify the manager if we need to order more
  • โ˜ Check upcoming personal schedule โ€” ask teammate if you need coverage. If no luck, notify the manager with at least two weeks notice
๐ŸŽฏ Free 30 Post-Session Checklist After Free 30
โฐ Do this in the 10 minutes right after the prospect leaves, while details are fresh.
CRM Update (Lead Connector)
  • โ˜ Open the contact and add a session note: who they are, what brought them in (their words), concerns, what you coached, outcome
  • โ˜
    Move contact through the pipeline:
    • โ˜ Move to Free Session Attended (always โ€” required for reporting)
    • โ˜ Then: Signed up โ†’ Closed Won
    • โ˜ Then: Declined โ†’ Closed Lost (add reason in notes)
    • โ˜ Then: Needs follow-up โ†’ leave in Free Session Attended until outcome
  • โ˜
    Create a follow-up task with a specific date:
    • โ˜ Signed up โ†’ schedule Intro session
    • โ˜ Needs follow-up โ†’ call within 24โ€“48 hours
    • โ˜ Declined โ†’ check in after 1 week
Group Text Debrief
  • โ˜ Post to the staff Free 30 debrief thread
  • โ˜ Include: who they were, their goals, questions you asked, how they responded, outcome, what you learned
Conversion & Review Follow-Up
  • โ˜
    If they signed up:
    • โ˜ Report conversion to the manager for $100 bonus
    • โ˜ Send thank-you text with Google review link
  • โ˜
    If they didn't sign up:
    • โ˜ Send thank-you text
    • โ˜ Include a matching member story video from Coach Hub
    • โ˜ Include Google review link
Pike13 Cleanup
  • โ˜ Mark session as attended, cancelled, or no-show
  • โ˜ If signed up: get Intro session on the Pike13 calendar
Quick Self-Check (Optional)
  • โ˜ Did I let them talk first? (Step 1: Their Why)
  • โ˜ Did I connect strength to their specific goals? (Step 2: Reframe)
  • โ˜ Did I name their fears before they did? (Step 3: Preempt Fear)
  • โ˜ Was my coaching confident and clear? (Step 4: Coach)
  • โ˜ Did I ask directly? (Step 5: Ask)
  • โ˜ Did I move to logistics immediately? (Step 6: Schedule)
Playbooks

Step-by-step reference guides for coaching execution. Click to expand.

๐Ÿ‹๏ธ Novice Linear Progression (NLP) Quick Reference Programming

The Basic Program

Day A
  • Squat โ€” 3 ร— 5
  • Press โ€” 3 ร— 5
  • Deadlift โ€” 1 ร— 5
Day B
  • Squat โ€” 3 ร— 5
  • Bench Press โ€” 3 ร— 5
  • Deadlift โ€” 1 ร— 5

Week pattern: Aโ€“Bโ€“A โ†’ Bโ€“Aโ€“B โ†’ repeat. Squat and deadlift every session. Press and bench alternate. After 3โ€“6 weeks, introduce the power clean (5 ร— 3) to alternate with deadlift on Day B.

Power Clean Timing

Sooner (3 weeks): young, healthy, progressing fast, athletic. Later (6+ weeks): older, injury history, slower progression. Skip entirely: knee/shoulder/back pain, can't jump.

Weight Increases Per Session

LiftYoung MaleOlder / FemaleNotes
Squat10โ€“20 lb early, 5 lb ongoing2โ€“5 lbFirst lift to stall. Watch closely.
Deadlift10โ€“20 lb early, 5 lb ongoing5โ€“10 lbStalls later than squat.
Bench5 lb2โ€“5 lbAvoid failures when possible.
Press5 lb2โ€“5 lbMost sensitive. Failures expected.
Power Clean5 lb5 lbWeight can vary within a session.

Critical Rule: Members Should Not Fail Lifts

Squat failures: Avoid at all costs โ€” damages confidence AND disrupts programming. Bench failures: Avoid when possible. Press failures: Expected โ€” most sensitive lift, smallest muscles. If reps are slowing significantly, throttle back before hitting the wall.

First Programming Change โ€” Light Day

When the squat is slowing down, introduce a Wednesday light day.

Monday โ€” Heavy
  • Squat 3ร—5 (PR)
  • Press 3ร—5
  • Deadlift 1ร—5
Wednesday โ€” Light 80%
  • Squat 3ร—5 @ 80%
  • Bench 3ร—5
  • Power Clean 5ร—3
Friday โ€” Heavy
  • Squat 3ร—5 (PR)
  • Press 3ร—5
  • Deadlift 1ร—5

Women's Programming โ€” Neuromuscular Efficiency

Women recruit fewer motor units per set than men (~70% vs ~85โ€“90%). Sets of 5 may not provide enough stress for continued adaptation. Common misdiagnosis: "She needs to eat more." Actual cause: She needs heavier load exposure per set.

Before โ€” Standard
  • Squat โ€” 3 ร— 5
  • Press / Bench โ€” 3 ร— 5
  • Deadlift โ€” 1 ร— 5
After โ€” Women's
  • Squat โ€” 5 ร— 3
  • Press / Bench โ€” 5 ร— 3
  • Deadlift โ€” 2 ร— 3

Apply to all lifts simultaneously except power clean. Make the switch as soon as the bar starts slowing down. Same total volume (15 reps), but heavier load per set = more motor unit recruitment.

Proactive Programming โ€” Three Questions

  1. Where are they in the NLP right now?
  2. What's the next programming change?
  3. When do I expect to need it?

Recovery factors: Nutrition ยท Sleep ยท Life stress ยท Competing activities ยท Attendance consistency

Core principle: The NLP is the easiest part of coaching โ€” anyone can write "add 5 lbs." The coaching skill is in transitioning people out of the NLP at the right time. Most coaches' biggest mistake: keeping people on NLP too long โ†’ failed reps โ†’ frustration โ†’ quitting.
๐Ÿงน Cleaning & Maintenance Schedule Operations

Daily โ€” After Each Block of Sessions

  • โ˜ Vacuum all floors (training floor and common areas)
  • โ˜ Take out trash (all cans)

Daily โ€” Before Each Block of Sessions

  • โ˜ Wipe down toilet
  • โ˜ Wipe down sink
  • โ˜ Stock paper towels
  • โ˜ Stock toilet paper

Weekly

  • โ˜ Mop training floor
  • โ˜ Mop bathroom floor
  • โ˜ Dust cubbies and rack panels
  • โ˜ Clean metal boards (whiteboard / record board)
  • โ˜ Dust plate trees and bar holders
  • โ˜ Clean windows

Mail Pickup

  • โ˜ Tuesday
  • โ˜ Friday
"Block of sessions" = morning block and evening block. Clean between blocks and after the last session of the day. If something is out of stock, flag it immediately in Slack or group text.
๐ŸŽฏ Free 30 Session Playbook Sales

Convert prospects by coaching โ€” not selling. Remove uncertainty, and the decision makes itself. If closing feels hard, something earlier was skipped.

The Six Steps

  1. Their Why. Listen first. Ask open questions. Let them talk 70%+ of the time. Repeat their words back.
  2. Reframe Strength. Connect strength to their life outcomes. Use their language. Bones, balance, pain, independence.
  3. Preempt Fear. Name their concerns before they do. Age, injury, intimidation, cost. Share a matching member story.
  4. Coach. This is the sales pitch. Coach the squat. Let them feel what coaching is like.
  5. Ask. Direct. Simple. "Do you want to sign up?" Silence after asking is okay.
  6. Schedule. Momentum, not negotiation. Move immediately to logistics. State pricing without hesitation.

Four Buying Triggers

  • ยท Emotional Safety โ€” They feel understood and not judged. You listened before you explained.
  • ยท Physical Proof โ€” They felt coaching work on their body.
  • ยท Future Clarity โ€” They can see themselves here long-term.
  • ยท Friction Removal โ€” No unanswered questions about money, schedule, or next steps.

Do This / Not That

Do This
  • Ask questions before explaining anything
  • Use their words, not your jargon
  • Name fears before they bring them up
  • Coach the squat โ€” let them feel it
  • Ask directly: "Do you want to sign up?"
  • State pricing without apology or pause
Not That
  • Launch into a sales pitch or gym tour
  • Explain programming, sets, or reps
  • Wait for objections then react
  • Skip coaching or rush through it
  • Hint, hedge, or wait for them to ask
  • Offer discounts or act uncertain about cost

Pricing Script

"$28 per session. Three days per week, which comes out to $365 monthly. No term contracts โ€” just month to month. No questions asked refund policy if we don't exceed your expectations in month one."
๐Ÿ“ Intro Session Flow Sales

The intro session bridges the Free 30 and regular group training. One-on-one session โ€” $185 includes the intro + first free week of training. After the first week, billing starts at $28/session or $365/month.

What to Cover

  • โ˜ Teach remaining lifts โ€” squat and press (deadlift covered in Free 30)
  • โ˜ Take measurements โ€” body weight, relevant measurements
  • โ˜ Set up Digital Logbook โ€” create profile, enter initial data
  • โ˜ Establish rack heights โ€” they'll forget, but give them the info
  • โ˜ Program overview โ€” Day A (squat, press, deadlift) / Day B (squat, bench, deadlift)
  • โ˜ Walk through what sessions look like โ€” squat every workout, small weight additions, coaching every session, own rack
  • โ˜ Answer questions

Time-Saver Option

If the prospect converts during the Free 30 and has time, extend into a full intro on the spot. Saves a separate appointment and gets them started immediately.

After the Intro

  • โ˜ Book their first session
  • โ˜ Bulk enroll them on the schedule
  • โ˜ They show up and start training
Don't skip the intro under normal conditions. Doing intros during a live session with other members is not ideal โ€” becomes difficult with 6+ people. One-on-one time before group sessions ensures quality setup.
๐Ÿง  Member Management Framework Coaching

For every member you coach, you should be able to answer these three questions at any time. This prevents reactive programming and builds member trust.

  1. Where are they right now? Moving toward their goal or away from it? Judgment-free, fact-based assessment.
  2. What's the next programming change? Know the next adjustment before it's needed. Critical for 45+ demographic: smooth upward trajectory โ€” hard the whole time, but never insurmountable.
  3. When do I expect to need that change? Rough timeline: next week? Two weeks? Just be aware and watching.
Worst case to avoid: Member fails a rep, puts bar on pins, and the coach has no answer. Always have a response ready: "Let's put the bar back up, take 10 lbs off, finish the set, and we'll adjust from here."
Protocols

Standard procedures for lead management and session operations. Click to expand.

๐Ÿ“ž Lead Response Protocol Sales & Service

Every lead response should demonstrate that you read what they wrote and understand their situation. Generic responses kill conversions.

Response Timing

Target: 30 minutes during work hours. Maximum: 3 hours before the lead starts doubting. The CRM auto-text fires on booking โ€” your job is to follow up quickly with a personalized response.

Response Framework

  1. Acknowledge their specific situation โ€” reference what they actually said (injury, goal, concern, life context).
  2. Connect to what we do โ€” "We help people in your situation all the time." Reference specific outcomes: bone density, chronic pain, fall prevention.
  3. Send a relevant member story โ€” if a video matches their situation, send it.
  4. Create a conversation โ€” ask a follow-up question.
Good Response
  • References their specific injury/goal, connects to a success story, includes a matching member video, asks a follow-up question.
Bad Response
  • "We can definitely help you get stronger." Generic. Doesn't reference anything they said. No follow-up question. Conversation dies.
โœ… Session Confirmation Protocol Free 30

Confirm upcoming Free 30 sessions 24โ€“48 hours before to minimize no-shows. Especially important for ad-generated leads who may not realize this is a 1-on-1 appointment.

Confirmation Sequence

  1. Call first โ€” confirm date, time, and that the assigned coach will meet them at the gym.
  2. If no answer, text via CRM โ€” "We're planning to have [coach name] meet you at the gym on [day] at [time]. If we can't confirm, we'll need to cancel and reschedule. Please let us know!"
  3. If still no response โ†’ cancel โ€” cancel in Pike13, update CRM status, leave a note on the contact record.
Why this matters: Ad-generated leads have lower show rates than referrals. A no-show wastes a coach's time slot. The confirmation call builds rapport. Cancelling unconfirmed sessions protects schedule integrity.
Training & Knowledgebase
Lead Follow-Up Videos

Member success story videos to send during lead management. Match the video to the prospect's situation and send via CRM or text.

๐Ÿ‘ด Seniors Age 55+, falls, osteoporosis, independence, surgery recovery 28 videos
๐Ÿ’ช Middle-Age Age 35โ€“55, back/knee pain, perimenopause, weight loss, intimidation 30 videos
Pricing Quick Reference
$28
Per Session
$365
Monthly ยท 3x/week ($ 405 at 30 members)
$185
Introductory Session (one-time)
How to present pricing

"$28 per session. Three days per week, which comes out to $365 monthly. No term contracts โ€” just month to month. No questions asked refund policy if we don't exceed your expectations in month one."