Chris coaching a new lifter the importance of hip drive in the squat

My name is Chris Lane.  I am a strength coach with over 5 years of experience in the fitness industry.  I started working as a certified personal trainer in 2011 for traditional health clubs while working towards my Associate’s and Bachelor’s degrees.  During this time, I always emphasized the value of strength through resistance training.  I have always been interested in the most effective methods of increasing one’s strength.  I may not have fully understood the value of being stronger but I knew it’s importance in real world application.

I eventually discovered Starting Strength: Basic Barbel Training, a book based on a model of barbell training.  I read the book several times to better understand the nuances of coaching athletes using barbell training modalities.  While at Towson University, I was required to complete in an Internship program as a requirement for my degree.  I was fortunate enough that one of my internship opportunities happened to be a Starting Strength Gym.  In January of 2015, I began interning at Westminster Strength and Conditioning, arguably one of the strongest gyms in the world.  My internship allowed me to understand how to coach athletes under the bar proficiently while learning from the best coaches in the world.

Chris coaches proper grip on the press

The culmination of 4 years of coaching and my 20 month internship prepared me to participate in the Coaching Evaluation at the Starting Strength Seminar.  While most of my certifications only required me to pass a multiple choice computer-based examination to earn their credentials, Starting Strength actually evaluated my abilities to coach someone in real time.  After 21 hours of evaluation over 3 days (during finals week of my last semester of college), I passed the Platform Evaluation of the seminar.  I was rewarded with a seven question essay that I only had two weeks to complete.  When I submitted my essay, my final word count was 33,000 words all related to barbell training.  I am currently 1 of 100 people in the world who hold the prestigious title of Starting Strength Coach.  Today, I run my own business, Lane Strength and Conditioning, and every athlete that I coach (no matter their goals) learns to squat, press, deadlift, and bench press based on the Starting Strength model of lifting.

Chris commanding the platform while reinforcing good form

Starting Strength Coach since August 2015

Bachelor of Science- Exercise Science- Towson University- Class of 2015

Associate of Science- Health, Fitness, and Exercise Studies- AACC- Class of 2013

NSCA- Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist since June 2015

Crossfit Level 1 Trainer since June 2014

Crossfit Trainer Mobility Certificate since October 2014

Heartsaver CPR AED: expires December 2017