What is the main function of a coach/trainer? Is it creating accountability? Source of motivation? Workout organizer? Being a your babysitter? These are all pieces of a coach. A coach should extract accountability and motivation out of a client. A coach should be able to organize a workout, for the individual and the facility they have access to. While “babysitting” might not be the best terminology, there is a component of keeping a client on pace for the workout and checking in on key aspects that will make a program a success. But what separates a coach from a great coach? There are multiple components. I have heard from several sources a checklist for someone looking to hire a coach. Here is my interpretation for a checklist: Level of education: Now this is listed first but it is not of highest importance. There are plenty of individuals that have gained the letters after their name. However, they have poor follow through with the information they were exposed to. A higher level of education counts for something, and the certifications that follow. But it is the application of that knowledge and exposed information that makes the difference. Coaches can also chase education outside of certs and academia. Seminars, webinars, internships, and literature, are all sources to gain more in depth knowledge. If they aren’t constantly pursuing a better understanding of training, the human body, nutrition, etc. There is no guarantee that they will be able to apply the best program for you. What is their peak performance: If your sport is powerlifting and you're in search of a coach, what are their best numbers? If they have relatively average or low numbers in SBD, do they have the practical experience to be able to coach you through certain moments? Squatting north of 700 LB has a lot behind it, other than numbers on a sheet. If your sport is bodybuilding, has the coach competed or what has their best physique been? If they have never been able to get below 16% body fat, will they know the intangibles needed to help you drop below 6% body fat? What is the highest level they have trained someone else to: Have they been able to take anyone besides themselves to the next level? Showing the ability to adapt all aspects of peak performance to the individual. Versus copy and pasting what worked for them to every client they have. Their intake process: There is a lot that is individualized for training and nutrition. Similar to the last point, a copy and paste method is one of the worst in getting the best results for each person. Do they have a movement assessment? A strength assessment? A nutrition intake form? Knowing the most about the individual client and building a program from there is key. Career longevity: Similar to the first point, the length of time someone has been doing something does not guarantee they are good at what they do. However, there are only some things that you can learn with time and working with 100’s of clients. Seeing trends coming in the industry that spark dogmatic “expertise”, easily distract a rookie coach into thinking this is the newest and best thing. Having years under the belt, a veteran coach can see a trend coming and be able to discern from the truth and the B.S. Problems without a coach The first point, to put it simply, is “you know what you know, and you like what you like”. The training and nutrition world is vast, and there are many truths and just as many lies out there. From different training approaches like, conjugate, daily undulating, linear, block, etc. In the nutrition world there is, keto, carnivor, atkins, kiko, paleo, vegan, and all the supplements. A quality coach should have a well rounded knowledge of most, if not all, of these applications. If this sounds like a tall order, it is! However, a coach should be excited by the pursuit of what does and doesn’t work for each person. Since we are all individuals and not the same computer software system, each of us will thrive in a different environment, with different inputs. Second, it is not easy to analyze ourselves. How we move, how we react to training or nutrition or lifestyle, adjustments in session to movement, etc. Not knowing that you are shifting to the left or right. Or, that a muscle is over activating in a portion of an exercise. Or, that you may not be reacting well to a certain food and thinking chronic bloating is normal, or worse you don’t notice how “bad” you feel. All these things should be exposed by a coach and corrections made to improve performance and accelerate results. Third, as you may be able to tell by now, I have the belief that the world of training and nutrition is vast enough that it can confuse even the people studying it. A quote that I feel encapsulates this is “you can either go a mile wide and an inch deep, or an inch wide and a mile deep”. There are few people who can bend this thought, an example being the late great coach Charles R Poliquin. And those who are doing their best to widen this gap. For the average person and even the elite level athletes, hiring someone who eats, sleeps, and breathes this world helps in a couple directions. 1. Saving time or hitting a deadline: Many textbooks speak about peaking for an event. Even if you're not an elite level athlete, having the ability to fluctuate your training is vital in getting results in a timely manner. 2. Staying safe: With all this information out there on what is best, or optimal. Some of these approaches, when applied inappropriately, can do more damage than good. Even in the simple approach to training, using the machines and walking. When unchanged or the need to do more increases because your progress stopped, little tweaks or major injuries can result. 3. Unlocking new potentials: The vast majority of people looking to hire a coach are “just looking to improve health, shed some weight, and don’t know where to start”. These are all valid reasons to hire a coach. Sometimes the outcome is, a client feeling more confident and is more capable to compete in a sport. This molds their reason for having a coach to a new unthought of objective. Or there is an athlete that just wants to perform better and not get hurt. With a good coach there is potential that they now possess the ability and confidence to go to a higher level than they thought possible. Wrap Up Due to this blog being written by a coach, a thought you may have is that it is biased? However, I have seen throughout my training career and younger, the great impact of not having a quality coach in certain aspects. Whether it was blown out ACLs, tweaked shoulders, thrown out backs, the common “I just can’t get my weight to budge anymore”. I continue to push greatness in what I do, and to work with a wide variety of people not only to help people achieve their highest goals. I strive to help them live healthier and perform better at life. Being a resource to help expose and answer their unanswered issues, and unlock the potentials that they thought were out of reach. Thank you for reading, Coach Collen Why should you hire a coach?
Role of a coach
