I mean, that’s the last adjective I’d use to describe them. A back massage feels good. Hitting a walk-off home-run feels good. Hell, I’d argue getting kicked in the balls feels good compared to a heavy set of front squats.
The set-up is kinda wonky and you’re always at the risk of suffocating yourself – not the greatest feeling in the world when you’re trying to lift heavy things. Then there’s that annoying part where the barbell inevitably starts to roll off the shoulders.
Each repetition is a battle against gravity (and patience).
It sucks.
The front squat JUST SUCKS.
That said, I’d be remiss to ignore the front squat is still a staple exercise I prefer to incorporate myself and something I have most of my clients perform as well.
Why?
They’re joint friendly – almost always a better option for those with a history of lower back and knee pain.
They allow most people to attain a deeper depth.
They’re (arguably) easier to perform compared to back squats. They allow a more upright torso (which plays into the deeper depth thing), and for anyone who lacks the requisite upper back and/or shoulder mobility (abduction/external rotation, T-spine extension) front squats are a superb option.
They help build a monster set of legs, help bulletproof the core, and turn your back into the size of Rhode Island.
I’d go into more of the particulars but 1) I’m lazy and 2) my good buddy, Eric Bach, already did and wrote an excellent article on the front squat HERE that I could’t possibly top.
Go read it, seriously.
Anyways, as much as I tend to belly-ache about how much the front squat makes me want to slam my face into a brick wall, I do prefer performing them over back squats.
Mainly because, and I can’t believe I’m about to say this…
I’m 40 now, not 25.
It’s not lost on me that my 25 year old self would Sparta kick my 40 year old self in the pancreas for uttering the “I’m 40 now” line.1
However, while I don’t expect my N=1 anecdote to reflect everyone else’s experience, if I were a betting man I’d put everything on black that a vast majority of people reading feel the same way.
Stuff just feels different at 40 compared to 25.
Relax internet, I still back squat.
But not as much as I used to, and not nearly as heavy. If I were to be honest, I back squat juuuuuuust enough to maintain a decent enough number in addition to having enough of a carry over to my deadlift. After that I don’t give a shit.
I’m not a powerlifter, so who cares?
Besides I DOfeel I get more out of the front squat (see reasons above), and more importantly it just feels better and doesn’t beat me up as much. And while I’m not winning any internet dick measuring contests by posting this, I have worked up to a 300+ lb front squat which is nothing to sneeze at.
A post shared by Tony Gentilcore (@tonygentilcore) on
My 2 Favorite Front Squat Cues
The biggest issues I find with most trainees with regards to the front squat is bar placement on the shoulders and the fact the bar has a tendency to roll off the shoulders. Both are annoying, but both have a simple solution.
Check out this video below – it’s short – to find out my two “go to” cues for cleaning up front squat technique. I hope it helps.
Today’s guest post comes courtesy of MBSC Thrive coach, Sean De Wispelaere. When it comes to fitness entrepreneurship – NOTE: commercial gyms trainers this still applies to you – everyone’s always looking for that one “trick” or slight “edge” that will help separate themselves from the masses and serve as the tipping point towards success.
Below are a few things that Sean has noticed from some of the of the top performing coaches have in common within the Thrive program/system.
1). Do You
Gary Vaynerchuck, a well-respected entrepreneur and social medial savage, spoke at the USC Entrepreneur Talk a few years back. He had 60 minutes on the clock, walked in, and told the class that the only piece of advice that matters is that they have to identify what they are good at and go all in on that.
He then asked if there were any questions. Savage
Relating that back to the coaching or training, you have to find out who you are as a coach and be really good at making sure your clients see that authentic you. If not, you will always be missing “something” and it will affect your ability to succeed at the level that you want in this industry.
It looks like all of our teachers, parents, and Dr-freaking-Seuss were right. I typically don’t trust anyone wearing a striped hat and bow tie…unless they advocate eggs (or even green eggs)…if Dr. Seuess had a rhyme-y coffee and deadlift book he’d be a triple threat.
Anyway, the majority of coaches or trainers who I have seen fail are the ones who fail to be their authentic self.
The clients are being 100.01% authentic when they buy your services.
That means that they need your help, that they cannot do this on their own, and believe that you’re the one who can help them.
So, when you’re not authentic they will sniff it out over time and as a result they will end their time with you. They usually say that they “can’t afford it anymore,” or “they have a new job that messes up their schedule,” or “King Leonidus power-kicked them into a deep dark hole.
…Regardless of their reason, it comes down to this harsh truth, in my opinion: They don’t trust you. You’re supposed to be the person that helps them succeed with something very challenging and when “something just doesn’t feel right,” you’re done.
Your clients should know some of your quirks, your interests, and why you do what you do.
Warning: there’s a line.
If one of your quirks is that you like to go to Comic-Con, cool. But they shouldn’t know that you went to Comic-Con last week, got hammered, and made 1-5 bad decisions with a Pikachu.
There is no cookie-cutter way of doing this. I’ve seen badass coaches who are the pump-up/hype coach, coaches who are quiet but remember EVERYTHING about their people, coaches who are uber-nerds and give their clients superhero personas, coaches who send a weekly newsletter to their clients just to let them know what is upcoming this week and highlight some clients.
Do you.
You have to be the person that you truly are and not the version that sounds good when you meet someone at the next fitness conference.
Outside of all of the things that can make you, you, here are the things that you have to be able to say ‘yes’ to:
Do you believe in your clients?
Do you lead by example and eat, train, and live the life that you’re advising?
Do you like people?
If your answers to the above aren’t an unequivocal “YES,” then find a way to make them a part of who you are. If you are unable to do that, then you might have to consider a different path. Sorry, but it’s true and might save you a lot of headache down the road.
2) Develop A Firm Philosophy
Your philosophy should be one that your clients can understand.
Keep it simple.
It will go a long way when they are telling their friends about you and WHY your workouts are different than the other programs in your area. On that note, spend the time educating your clients (not all at once…drip it out over time, Turbo). Develop an army of people spreading your good word and impacting your overall culture.
You can’t just be another “get sweaty as F%$k” workout in 2017. There is WAY too much of that and you won’t stand out.
A few tips to develop, re-work, strengthen, or badass-ify your philosophy:
Simplicity is king
It has to be one that you believe in so that your enthusiasm about it is contagious
Let it marinate…
When you hear a new idea or see a super sweet new piece of equipment don’t become immediately turned on (whoa, whoa…outta the gutter, Nasty) or turned off by it. Let it marinate to see if it actually fits into your philosophy and then make the call.
“Don’t be afraid to neglect certain ideas that oppose your message But you’re just as proud of what our products don’t do as are of what they do.” – Jason Fried, ReWork
Too many coaches and trainers think that they have to know everything about everything and include all of the things into their philosophy. I am not saying that you shouldn’t strive to be diverse, but it is ok to take some pressure off of yourself. It wasn’t until I read the above quote that I had a simple way of telling people why we don’t do that one flashy exercise that their friend on Instagram does.The quote is now my gift to you and I hope it helps you say “no” and have that be a positive thing more often.
You are the professional and that is why they hired you. If you let the clients dictate the workout, then why would they keep paying you? Also, remember to have fun (seriously, it’s ok.)
Disclaimer 1:I am well aware it is not about the money. There are 100 other reasons as to why this is the best industry in the entire world, but most coaches are not in a place where they can do it for free.
I have seen aspiring coaches who deeply wanted fitness as their profession, but couldn’t make it financially so they got a job that they didn’t love because it paid the bills. So, though it isn’t all about the money, it is a business and if you want to have the financial means to make it a profession that you are fulfilled in then below are some good business thing-things to keep in mind.
Disclaimer 2: If you have a product, people will buy it. Yes, it really is that simple. They will buy it and tell their friends about. Cool. That is all good and fine, but too many coaches and trainers wait for that to happen. If you want to expedite the process, here are a few ideas to consider.
Referrals
How many referrals per month are you getting? If you have 20 clients and got 4 referrals that is 20%.
How much can you increase that % by each month?
How to increase:
Ask!
Why can’t you have a special group session each month with all of your clients? One that is on-the-house and at the end you let them know that the biggest compliment that they can give you is to bring in a friend to experience what they have. Hand out some “bring a friend” workout cards and let them know how much you appreciate them.
Voila.
New Leads
Outside of marketing via social media (that is a 1,000.5 page article on it’s own)…
Look, I get it. Asking people to workout with you can be a tricky task. Whether you’re in a big box gym or a studio setting this is always a hot/awkward topic. If you’re the type that is able to just walk down the street and grab five leads for a workout…awesome, you don’t need any help and enjoy that cool horn, you’re a unicorn.
But, if you’re like the rest of us…
Drawing up leads:
Have a weekly or monthly 15-minute KB workshop -or- 2 secrets of fat-loss nutrition tips -or- back pain reducing warm up, etc
Promote it by telling everyone when they check-into the gym
Get promo cards made up and pass them out
Get it on the Group Fitness Schedule
If you’re not getting New Leads
Outside of marketing via social media (that is a 1,000.5 page article on it’s own)...
…in a big box gym, then all of the above topics work well for corporate in-services. Most companies in your area would LOVE to have a health professional come in and talk to their staff. Be audacious enough to reach out to the right people to make that happen.
Conversion
If you give 10 people an introductory workout and ask them to continue training with you, how many say “yes?” 30% is acceptable and upwards of 80% is REALISTIC if you’re damn good.
How to increase it you ask? Well, let’s go to school.
How good is the initial workout or assessment that you give just before you ask for the sale?
Do people understand why your services are unparalleled?
Have you asked your clients why signed up with you and leveraged those reasons into that initial workout with future leads?
Do you consider yourself a student of sales or just blow off that idea as if it is insulting? If you have a product that you are truly proud of and one that can help people live a better life, then why aren’t you proud to influence as many people as possible with that?
When was the last time you read a sales book and had a good mindset about it? Are they relatively corny? Yes, but, there just might be a few valuable tools in them to help you grow your venture.
“Time-the-heck-OUT! Sean, you didn’t give any advice in the above conversion topic at all.”
Or did I? Figured I go out with a Mr. Miyagi moment, Danielson.
* Special moment: To say that writing with Tony Gentilcore, the first fitness blog that I read AND respected, is an honor just doesn’t seem like a strong enough word. Dreams come true.
Thanks for reading and Kaizen on, Beast.
About the Author
Who am I?
Sean De Wispelaere. I have been with MBSC Thrive since the developmental years in 2010 and have contributed to many areas within the company. Mainly in program quality, coach development, and making sure that all of our locations have the support that they need to reach their wildest dreams. Featured in Men’s Health, Women’s Health, Prevention, Runner’s World, Vitamin Shoppe, Bicycling, and Seandthrive.com.
MBSC Thrive licenses facilities across the world with the Mike Boyle Strength And Conditioning program and branding while fueling it with proven business systems.
Last week Travis Hansen wrote part one and covered some arguable topics that you can focus on as a trainer/coach to help improve your personal and online training business over the long-haul.
It’s a very competitive world and there are many sub-fields within the training industry that you can explore to try and make a living and attempt to specialize in. (i.e. fat loss, muscle building, bodybuilding, powerlifting, Olympic lifting, Crossfit, athletic development, bootcamps, corrective exercise, etc. etc.)
Trying to stay general and master all areas of training development is a pipe dream and self-limiting.
Just take a quick look at the best in the business, and they are once again sharing something by having a specific brand or niche.
Granted you could make a very strong case that these guys could hold their own in just about any type of debate about a specific subject matter.
Nonetheless, most have a specialty because training is extremely competitive and technical when you get into the nitty gritty and discover lots of depth on a topic. And as I mentioned in part #1, this is yet another reason why you will need a sound network, so that you know who to turn to when an issue originating in an area outside of your target specialty occurs.
Also, bear in mind that there is much overlap between speciality’s which will require strong foundations across many types of training, but be sure to be real with yourself always and make it a point to identify your limits and knowledge gaps.
2. Practice What You Preach
This one probably pretty much goes without saying at this point, but I still think it’s worth mentioning.
If you want immediate attention and respect from clients and athletes in the short-term then all you need to do is look the part.
For example, if you want to train bodybuilders then be a bodybuilder. If you want to attract football players then play collegiate or even pro football and watch the initial waves of players that come knocking on your doorstep.
But does all of this guarantee that you are going to keep clients coming back in for more?
Hell no.
Why?
People inevitably want what they want, and this is results!
Although, having gone through the type of training you are preaching will award a temporary competitive advantage since you have gone through the process…beyond that you will have to gorge yourself with info and be a “student.”
This is why you see many pro superstars that don’t evolve into becoming coaches after their career’s are finished. They didn’t learn all of the x’s and o’s. Training goes beyond just hard work and talent. You have to really dedicate yourself to craving more knowledge and learning both the science and art of training.
Conversely, on the other end of the spectrum you have guys that have very little experience in a style of training, but are absolutely phenomenal and world class at what they do. There are several examples but it’s not important.
These individuals are brilliant intellectually, and can identify angles and interpret information and research differently from the rest of us. They are of course the exception, and are few and far between though.
And just so you don’t think I’m talking out of my ass, here is a comparison video from years ago of me walking the walk:
I was running consistent mid to high 4.4’s from multiple people hand timing me. And there happened to be one day where I felt superhuman and did record a 4.31 (4.54 fully electronic)!
What I was really proud of is that I spent half of a decade trying to improve my speed because I love speed training.
I started at a 4.7-4.8 initially.
I researched every technique, book, research study, program, and periodization model that I could find. My goal was to run a 4.3 naturally, and once I did that I lost all of my motivation and wanted to help others with a similar passion in becoming as fast as possible.
Since then there has been hundreds of athletes follow our training system and become much faster. Which brings me to the next factor.
3. Build Your Portfolio
Early on in my training career I would spend money on business cards, pamphlets, etc. in hopes of generating business leads and potential clients since I had just become self-employed and hated the corporate scene.
This was the approach that was advocated by my circle at the time, but I must admit that it didn’t feel right at all and I quickly dismissed the idea and went a different route altogether.
I asked myself why am I trying to sell a service with out much evidence that it works, along with a crystal clear understanding of what I’m actually doing?
And that is when I decided to commit myself to constant learning and daily practice.
Moreover, I wanted to make the absolute most out of each opportunity that I had training each client.
My learning to client ratio at the time was like 9:1.
I wasn’t making really any money, but I had a large window of time that I could capitalize on outside of training to gradually improve my training skill set. Anytime outside of that was focused on being social and staying sane!
And then I would train my ass myself.
Over time, I had taken care of a lot of people, and my clientele incrementally started to grow. But my whole mission of being results based and results driven has never changed and never will.
Do good work and people will come. Word of mouth will start to surface, and then eventually you will have something tangible that you can really market and sell to the public.
4. How Do You Respond to Failure?
How you respond specifically to acts of failure is going to be a huge determinant in how far you go I’ve found out.
Like anybody, you are going to always take your lumps in this business or any for that matter.
I think a big key factor is trying to minimize your failures and not make things harder on yourself than necessary. I can tell you firsthand that I’ve had days where I’ve completely sucked, cried, broke shit, sat there and shook my head in disbelief, and questioned whether or not it was all worth it, or if I really wanted to do this anymore.
A big part of the reason for this I think is because I have ridiculous goals and always have since I was 8 years old. And when you are miles and miles away from were you want to be, well it f*%ken sucks.
But when you start to become and remain accountable with yourself and you are constantly learning and practicing your craft with full effort, then it all starts to make sense eventually and things begin to fall in place slowly.
Wrap Up
On a final note, I really sincerely hope these two pieces may have enlightened you on a few things you may not have thought about with the profession and my full intention is to help you as much as possible.
Stay patient, grind, laugh, have fun, and try not to worry too much or be too critical of yourself. It will eat you alive!
About the Author
Travis Hansen has been involved in the field of Human Performance Enhancement for nearly a decade. He graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Fitness and Wellness, and holds 3 different training certifications from the ISSA, NASM, and NCSF.
He was the Head Strength and Conditioning Coach for the Reno Bighorns of the NBADL for their 2010 season, and he is currently the Director of The Reno Speed School inside the South Reno Athletic Club.
He has worked with hundreds of athletes from almost all sports, ranging from the youth to professional ranks. He is the author of the hot selling “Speed Encyclopedia,” and he is also the leading authority on speed development for the International Sports Sciences Association.
This train of thought is something I’ve experienced throughout my career on several occasions, first, when I was still at Cressey Sports Performance. Other coaches would stop by for the day to observe or shadow and inevitably one of them would inquire why we tended to solely use the trap bar for deadlifting.
“Don’t you feel that’s sorta cheating?“
Inside my head, whenever this was asked, I’d want to say something to the effect of:
“Yes, because here at CSP we’re all about shortchanging our athletes and making them inferior in every way possible. Trap bar deadlifts, 1/4 squats, UP, UP, DOWN, DOWN, LEFT, RIGHT, LEFT, RIGHT, B,A, START, SELECT2, it’s all good.”
And if they didn’t pick up on my sarcasm I’d follow up with:
“I guess I’ll just go fuck myself. Ten points taken away from Gyffindor for being an inferioir coach and using the trap bar.”
I mean, really? Cheating?
Cheating?
That’s how you assume we (I) roll? Cheat?
In reality, I’d just smile and politely mention the trap bar deadlift was a starting point for pretty much everyone who walked through our doors, professional athlete or not.
Our version of “scaling” the movement.
I understood it was just a question, that it was harmless, and that there was (likely) no ill-intent on their end to be condescending.
But holy shit, it would take every ounce of restraint to not want to do this:
And even now, on occasion, I’ll catch flak from other coaches via social media whenever I post videos of clients deadlifting with a trap bar.
The most egregious of the bunch will provide snide remarks like:
“1. Yeah, well, everyone in my gym performs conventional.”
My Response
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TAryFIuRxmQ
“2. Trap bar is great for beginners, but only for a few weeks. Eventually they’ll have to progress to the straight bar.”
My Response
Says who? You? The tooth fairy?
Listen, no one has to do anything. Unless you’re a competitive powerlifter or OLY lifter you don’t have to use a straight bar.
If it’s someone’s goal to straight bar deadlift, cool, lets progress accordingly. However, lets be clear that no one has to deadlift with a straight bar.
Advantages of the Trap Bar
1. It’s More Joint/Back Friendly
Because execution of the exercise requires standing inside the bar – rather than the bar in front of the body – the axis of rotation (hips) is closer to the line of pull reducing much of the shear load on the spine.
In English: It allows people to maintain more of an upright posture.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-sA3PG1kGY
Thus making the trap bar deadlift a much more joint-friendly way of deadlifting.
2. It Takes Into Account Mobility/Movement Restrictions
Those who lack the appropriate ankle dorsiflexion, hip flexion, and/or t-spine extension to get into proper (safe?) position to begin with will benefit greatly from the trap bar deadlift.
Likewise, from an anthropometric (individual differences in body types and levers) standpoint, the trap bar deadlift will lend itself more advantageous to those with longer torsos, longer femurs, and/or T-rex arms.
Basically, for taller individuals, in addition to those “stuck” in computer guy posture, the trap bar deadlift is a solid, almost long-term, fit.
3. Trap Bar Deadlift = Still a Deadlift
Correct me if I’m wrong: but the weight still starts from the floor, right? Someone still has to hinge from the hips with a neutral back position, lift the weight up, lockout, and reverse the action back down, right?
How is this not a deadlift?
How is this “cheating?”
Is an asterisk needed warranted upon the completion of each rep?
In the End
Relax. Take a deep breath. Get off your high-horse. If you’re a powerlifter or OLY lifter or Jason Bourne, then, yes, you should probably get really comfortable with straight-bar deadlift variations.
However, if you’re neither of those three, or if you work with athletes and general population clients who are not powerlifters, OLY lifters, or secret government assassins suffering from amnesia, then STFU.
The trap bar deadlift is not cheating.
Rather, you’re just being competent, well-intentioned coach who understands the balance between helping people get bigger, faster, and stronger AND keeping them healthy long-term.
We’ve all been there: Year #1 as a coach and all the “deer in headlights” shenanigans it entails. I look back at my first year as a coach and it’s hard not to cringe. I made a lot of mistakes and did a lot of stupid things.
But I also look back with fondness.
For starters I had more hair back then, but also it was a year or exponential growth as a fitness pro. Many of the lessons learned in that first year were lessons I still carry with me today. And in today’s guest post by UK-based trainer, Jake Hartley, he shares some of his Year 1 experiences that I’m sure many people reading can glean some insight from.
5 Biggest Learning Curves in My First Year as a Coach
What do you think about when you look back at your first year as a coach? Are you shocked at how much more you now know, your progression since then or maybe you even look back with a little bit of regret?
Last year, with my Sports Science degree in my pocket and a head full of ideas, theories and a little bit of nerves, I started my first coaching role at Strength & Performance. Initially, I thought I already knew a good amount to start off with, but as I soon learned, its not all about telling someone what exercises, weight, sets and reps to use.
By the end of the year I can safely say that the experience I gained and lessons I learned have made me a much better coach. I guess this is what all coaches want, to consistently learn and sharpen the sword so that we are in a better place to best help the people that we train.
Some of the S&P gang during one of our warrior nights last year.
Here are my five biggest lessons from last year and hopefully I can provide you with something that will help you become better:
1. Not One Person is the Same
At S&P we usually train in a group setting, so during a session I can be coaching between 2-10 people.
What I quickly realised is that I can’t use the same coaching approach for each and every person.
One guy will just need re-assurance, encouragement and slight guidance. Whilst in the same session you have someone who is new to the programme and needs constant cues on exercise form and answering questions about why we are doing this and not that.
I’m reading a great book at the moment by Brett Bartholomew called “Conscious Coaching” (If you haven’t added it to your collection yet, I highly recommend it) One of the areas the book discusses is how people are different types of archetypes. The strengths and weaknesses, plus how to best connect with these archetypes when you’re coaching them.
I now know that when working with a person for the first time, I need to try and find out which approach they will learn/work best from.
Remember “one size doesn’t fit all”.
With every person that you train, you need to gain their respect and trust, to do that its going to require slightly different methods for each one.
2. Maintain the Thirst for Knowledge
The job is full on.
Don’t get me wrong, its my passion and I wouldn’t change it for anything, but you will have early starts and late finishes. It is stressful and you need to make sure each and every session that you give your clients the best version of you whether its your first session of the day or your very last.
But despite all these demands, you have to make time for learning new things and developing your knowledge base.
Want to know the good thing? I think its easier than ever!
Living in the UK, a lot of the coaches I look up to are based in America, so getting to a workshop or a course isn’t as simple as I’d like.
Don’t get me wrong, you can’t beat actually attending a seminar or a workshop, I managed to complete the CPPS Level 1 Certification by Joe DeFranco and Jim Smith last year which was a massive help to me.
However, these days there is so much quality information on a range of topics on the internet. Want to know the best part?
Most of it is free.
I’ve developed a lot of great sources which I read/listen/watch weekly.
We all learn differently, if you know you’re someone who prefers hearing information rather than reading it than find more podcasts to learn from. Similarly if you’re someone who loves watching how people coach/train rather than listening about it, subscribe to some good quality YouTube channels.
I’m someone who doesn’t generally have a preference so for every article I read from places like EliteFTS.com and Juggernaut, I’ll probably watch a video from MobilityWOD or Gary Vaynerchuk. Make sure you develop your own set of websites, podcasts and YouTube channels to make sure you keep pushing your knowledge base to the next level.
Develop your learning resources and don’t just think about training. Gary Vee is my go to man for motivation.
3. My Favourite Quote for Clients
“Show me a man who cannot bother to do little things and I’ll show you a man who cannot be trusted to do big things.” – Lawrence D.Bell
This quote came up on my Twitter feed a few weeks back and I think it perfectly sums up people who want the most advanced methods of training and nutrition before they have even done the simple things.
As a coach you will work with people who feel they’re more advanced than they are. You’ll have people who haven’t trained for years and have done nothing but eat microwave meals since college who will want the most advanced programs despite being unable to perform a bodyweight squat.
Whenever I see something like that it makes me want to do my best Farooq impression from back in the day, “Damm!” (How cool was WWE back then!?) before I go over and correct them.
People need to build the advanced methods of training and nutrition on an ALREADY STABLE base of the basics.
For every person who is benching, squatting and deadlifting a lot of weight, they will have learnt how to do the fundamentals (press ups, bodyweight squat and hip hinge) before hand. Without this base, your structure is going to come falling down sooner rather than later.
As a coach it is our role to ensure that each client is educated and takes the logical steps necessary to help them get closer towards their goal.
Yes it may be cool to have your client doing a load of fancy looking exercises along with an in-depth nutrition plan. But, having them do a programme based on the fundamental movement patterns along with having them eat enough protein, drink enough water etc may be better suited to they’re current status and ability.
4. Some of Your Best Results Aren’t Going to be Six Packs
Getting people the aesthetic goals such as bigger arms or that sculpted six pack are very impressive. But sometimes the best results you get with people are the ones you necessarily don’t see.
We work with a range of people on a daily basis, going from people who have never trained before to MMA athletes. This means that each person’s goals or reason for coming to us is going to differ. Some of the best things I heard last year is when people say they can now play with they’re kids on the park without getting out of breath.
As I said aesthetic results are great, but when somebody can now spend more quality time with their children for example it feels great to have played a part in that.
It sounds like a simple thing, but when you hear of results like that or how they can now walk up the stairs without getting out of breath, its just as good a feeling as somebody getting great aesthetic results.
At first, I often felt frustrated or upset that not every client that we train was getting results. But, you quickly learn that by celebrating the different types of achievements that people collect can be great for your mindset.
5. You’re More Than a Coach to These People
For some clients you’ll just be the person who writes the programme and tells them how to perform exercises etc. To other people you’re a source of inspiration or somebody they can lean on during tough times.
First and foremost, I have to be someone who sets the standard for the clients to look up to and follow. I had spells last year where I didn’t train (I honestly couldn’t tell you why) and as a result, inside I just felt like I wasn’t as good as a coach.
This year my trainings on fire, I’m eating well, I’m pushing my self-development and as a result, I feel my coaching is at a decent level (I’m always horrendously harsh on myself!).
As well as setting the standard to the clients, I now realise just how many roles that this job entails. I can go from advising somebody on how to improve their nutrition to speaking to somebody about how bad their day has been and trying to lift them up and get them in a good place.
Don’t just try and be great with the training side of coaching, also be a great person to the people who trust in you. You can be a big difference in these peoples lives and thats not to be under estimated.
About the Author
Jake Hartley is a BSc CPPS certified strength and conditioning coach at Strength and Performance in the UK.
When he isn’t working he enjoys trying to become a better than average powerlifter, holds the UK record for most chocolate milk consumed in one year and listening to the best slow jams the RnB industry has to offer
I had a busy weekend moving and our new apartment currently looks like a HAZMAT scene. My hands are full figuring out where to put my Blu-Ray collection and fancy towels. Luckily my good friend and fellow coach, Kim Lloyd, was kind enough to pinch-write for me today.
How good of a listener are you when you’re coaching?
I came into this industry later than most. I quit my job to do an internship at Cressey Sports Performance when I was 38 years old – older than all of the coaches at CSP and most of the clients.
Note From TG: ahem, not older than all the coaches.
I spent the bulk of my internship and even my first few months as a coach stressing about how much I didn’t yet know. Periodization, how to do a half-kneeling 1-arm manual resistance with external rotation at 90 degrees, valsalva breathing (wasn’t the valsalva that hangy ball thing in your throat?)…the list went on and on.
As I was busy cramming my brain with the ins and outs of exercise physiology, it became easy to lose track of what coaching is really all about.
Listening.
It isn’t what you say to your client. It’s what your client is willing to say to you. Yes knowledge is important. But that whole business about two ears and one mouth and using them in that order?
That’s coaching.
Sure you have to know anatomy and exercises in order to help clients, but the knowledge does nothing if you can’t get to the heart of what motivates them and what’s important to them.
Listening by itself isn’t an easy skill.
Every morning on my drive in to work I either listen to a podcast or an Audible book (although somedays it’s Whitney Houston, because you know, Whitney Houston.) And without fail, at some point during my 50 minute commute, I’m reaching to hit the 10 or 30 second rewind button because I zoned out.
Recent research suggests that humans now really do have the attention span of a goldfish. According to a 2015 study from the Microsoft Corporation, people now lose concentration after eight seconds, where the goldfish can actually concentrate for nine seconds. Back in 2000, we could concentrate for a whopping 12 seconds. But not any more.
Note From TG: Unless you’re a twelve year old kid.3 I give you exhibit A:
So what does that mean for us as coaches?
We all fall into the trap of constantly “nexting,” as author Daniel Goleman reminds us in the book Primal Leadership. I know I often catch myself in a conversation with a client waiting to talk as opposed to actively listening. She just said something that reminds me of a great post I read about core training and I know exactly what she needs to do.
If she would only stop talking so I could fix it.
Actively listening means responding to the client in a way that makes her feel understood. That sounds easy, but training ourselves to stop, pay attention, and be present with someone is as much a matter of practice and conditioning as any exercise set we assign. I’ve found that the following tips help:
1) Maintain Eye Contact
No, not in a creepy, bug eyed way.
In a way that is absorbing the entirety of what’s being said. You’re looking at the client and watching her facial expressions and nodding when it’s appropriate. Our clients need to know we’re listening.
This can be tough to do if a client decides to divulge some important information to you while you’re in the middle of a session with three other people, but in this case, I try to schedule another time to talk. Hey, you’ve got some important stuff to say and I want to give you my full attention, so let’s talk about this after the session.
2) Don’t Interrupt
Have you ever tried to tell a story and had someone finish your sentence for you? But not in a cute, we’ve-been-married-for-fifty-years kind of way. More in a what-the-hell-I-was-just-pausing-to-breathe-it’s-not-an-invitation kind of way.
Stop doing that. No really. Cut it out.
Listen to the whole sentence. And then listen to the next whole sentence. And wait until there’s more than a 0.5 second break to start talking. In fact, wait several seconds. Make sure you’ve heard her. Reflect what she’s told you to make sure you understand.
3) Don’t Give Advice
This is a tough one and is the staple of motivational interviewing. You’re not so much solving the problem for a client as helping them solve it themselves. You can guide the process, but telling people what to do isn’t the same as having them come up with the solution on their own. To help them get to that solution, you have to be paying attention to the information they give you, and absorbing enough to point out connections they may not have initially recognized.
4) Empathize
Some coaches are naturally empathetic. And some are guys.
Empathy comes naturally to many of us in this industry – it’s why, hopefully, we are in the business of helping others. According to Brene Brown, who did all kinds of research on vulnerability and empathy, the very definition of empathy is “feeling with people.”
Rarely does an empathetic response start with the phrase “At least.”
“I just had shoulder surgery.”
“At least you have one good arm.”
Um, yup. Thanks for that. Makes my spending six weeks in a sling and six months doing rehab completely better.
Good coaching has many components, and we are all working tirelessly to figure out what those pieces are. But I know for me as a client or a patient, the most satisfying and important criteria in choosing who I’ll work with is a feeling that I’ve been heard. That you are not just nodding and smiling and waiting for your turn to talk.
And I believe all of our clients want the same.
Author’s Bio
Kim is a former Cressey Sports Performance intern, and currently works as a strength coach at Spurling Fitness in Kennebunk, Maine. Prior to working in the fitness industry Kim worked in college athletics as a softball, lacrosse, and cross country coach. She has a Masters in Sports Leadership from Northeastern University and is a proud graduate of Gannon University in Erie, Pennsylvania.
Coaching. There’s a connotation that it’s all butterfly kisses, rainbows, wearing sweatpants to work and/or hoisting up a Lombardi Trophies.5
From a fitness pro’s perspective the sweatpants part is true, however the career is anything other than rainbows. It’s an arduous, drawn-out, paying your dues ass-kicking to be truthful. In today’s guest post by Texas based personal trainer, Shane McLean, he sheds some light on the “other” side of coaching.
You see them on TV. You see them in the gym and you see them at ball games. Coaches, they’ve got it made, right?
They’re strutting along the sideline yelling and screaming instructions at their players. Or it’s the personal trainers at your gym wearing tracksuit pants and checking their social media feed while telling clients what to do.
They don’t seem to be doing an ounce of ‘work’ and they get to wear comfortable pants to boot. Some might say, “That job looks so easy even I could do it.”
When I first started in the fitness industry over 8 years ago, I had no clue what to expect. Sure, I’d been lifting weights for a while, was in reasonable shape and was freshly armed with a personal training certification.
Which meant I knew everything and everybody else knew nothing. I thought coaching would be a walk in the park. How wrong I was.
I couldn’t coach my way out of wet paper bag. I was hurting my clients and they weren’t understanding any of my instructions, cues or programs. Maybe it was my Crocodile Dundee accent?
‘That’s not a knife…….that’s a knife.’
It’s one thing to know something, but it’s an entirely different matter to coach what you know to someone else. The history of sports is littered with great players who couldn’t coach to save themselves.
Sorry Magic
So, how did I get better at coaching? I worked my butt off, observed good coaches in their natural environment and read. That has kept my head above water (for now) but I’m still a work in progress.
Coaching is a great profession but I’m pulling back the curtain to reveal the other side. Here are some things that you probably never considered about that coach who is going bananas on the sideline while his/her team is up by 20.
1) People Are Less Than Truthful
When I first started working as a trainer, a fellow professional said something to me that I’ll never forget.
“People are liars.”
I brushed this comment off at the time, to be honest. I’ve always seen the best in people (rather than the worst) and I’m inclined to believe whatever they’re telling me.
However, over time this statement has rung true. Some clients (in my experience) have been less than truthful about their reasons for cancelling, their old injuries or about general life details.
It’s hard enough to get the best out of players/clients as a coach, but when they’re less than truthful, it becomes more difficult. And when your livelihood depends on results, it becomes a real problem.
2) It Doesn’t Always Pay the Bills
Most coaches get into this business because of a burning desire to help people and they also love telling people what do to. I know I do. Furthermore, most coaches get to wear tracksuit pants to work.
Beats the suit and tie every time.
However, the passion coaches have doesn’t always reflect in their pay check, particularly at the start of their career. I’ve known good coaches who have left the profession or have had to work a second job to make ends meet.
While others have sold a little of their soul to get a decent paycheck.
Hint: none of the trainers (or models hired behind them) got their body by doing the exact thing they’re selling.
I’m extremely fortunate to have a supportive wife who understands but doesn’t necessarily like the up/down nature of the fitness business. For a large part of my career as a coach, I’ve struggled to make a decent living. However, that’s all on me and I’m working hard to rectify this.
There are plenty of coaches who are making a good living because they work their butts off and have figured it out. However, in my experience, that’s more the exception than the rule.
There are lots of good coaches who are still waiting for the rewards of their hard work.
3) There is More to Coaching Than Meets the Eye
Most of the public sees the final product of the coach’s toil, where they yell, scream, motivate and act like a crazy person who’s had way too much caffeine.
What the public doesn’t see is all the hard work that goes on behind the scenes. Good coaches burn the midnight oil planning and preparing to make their clients/teams/players better.
Most coaches I know are happy to do the work. However, at times the consumer only sees the costs but not the value. What a lot of people fail to realize is all the hard work that goes into that final dollar value.
Furthermore, the coaching profession is an ever-evolving industry and if you’re not getting better, you’re getting left behind. The time and money spent on continuing education, industry conferences, coaching and travel adds up to a pretty penny.
Good coaches invest ton to make themselves and their clients better, a fact not seen by most of the non-coaching public.
Wrapping Up
Coaching is not all sunshine and roses. There is a lot of blood, sweat and tears involved. There are far more ways to earn a better living but none as quite as rewarding as affecting people’s lives in a positive way.
Wearing tracksuit pants is just a welcome bonus.
About the Author
Shane “The Balance Guy” McLean, is an A.C.E Certified Personal Trainer working deep in the heart of Texas. Shane believes in balancing exercise with life while putting the fun back into both.
Today’s guest post comes courtesy of central NY based strength coach, Justin Kompf. Justin’s written several guest posts for this site and I always appreciate his contributions.
Today’s post is one that every coach should read. We may feel some athletes are “dogging” their workouts and get mad, and we may not like every client we work with. That’s okay. But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t treat each person with respect and understand that people are often much more than the behaviors they demonstrate on any given day.
In middle school I played the trombone (and if you must know had a bowl cut too). In fact, when asked to describe my young awkward years, I often tell a story of carrying my trombone in one hand and a stack of books in the other only to have those books knocked out of my hands by some nice classmate.
I didn’t like playing this instrument, I had been doing it for a few years and just wasn’t having fun. To express my distaste for the trombone, I would intentionally mess up in practice. Rather than play to the beat I would basically play whatever the hell I felt like.
So why do I tell this story?
From the small screenshot of my behavior you might come to the conclusion that I wasn’t putting in any effort.Maybe you would think I was a bratty little kid who was just trying to be funny. But what if, given the situation I was in, I was actually giving my best effort?
When we look at s small screenshot of behavior we ignore the person as a whole. We might ignore the fact that six months prior I had tried to tell my instructor I was not having fun and would like to quit only to be disregarded. We might ignore that I would rather be playing basketball or that I didn’t enjoy being the person that lugged around a 4-foot instrument through middle school.
When we look at the fact that I felt I was being forced to do something I didn’t want to do and wasn’t having fun doing it, my behavior shouldn’t seem surprising. Maybe I actually was doing the best I could with the situation I was in.
The notion that people are doing their best in all circumstances resembles a psychological concept called unconditional positive regard (which is towards others) and unconditional positive self-regard (which is towards oneself).
I believe that holding a mindset of unconditional positive regard (UPR) is a crucial component to being a great coach.
This is especially true when we are working with people who want to change health related behaviors such as exercise and diet. UPR means holding no conditions on acceptance of an individual, caring for people and recognizing that each person is unique with different backgrounds and experiences. It does not mean you have to like everyone you work with or even approve of their behavior, but it does mean withholding judgment.
To me this mindset means the acceptance of behaviors with the capacity to evaluate and then self-regulate to make healthier or better choices.
It is the belief that once you consider an individual’s circumstances, and realize that their observable behavior does not define them as a person, that people are trying their best. This is a mindset that can be accepted not just towards others but towards oneself.
When you experience UPR towards yourself you are able to, in a non-threatening way, evaluate all of your behaviors and feelings. Negative feelings about behaviors can easily threaten our sense of self-worth and cause us to engage in further negative behaviors to avoid self-evaluation.
Being human, every coach has had negative thoughts about their clients or athletes behaviors. Maybe an athlete is having an off day and you become upset about their effort levels or listening ability. You might think, “Why isn’t this kid busting his ass to be a better athlete?”
You might be training a client who consistently breaks their dietary plans and wonder what is so hard about eating a salad or having a protein shake for breakfast rather than a bowl of cereal. You might wonder why you care more about your client’s health than they care about their own.
If you’ve been coaching long enough you’ve inevitably heard the saying “people don’t care about how much you know until they know how much you care”.
Often times when you are coaching you will in fact care more about a client or athlete’s well-being than they care about their own. You will have many occasions where the people you are working with will make mistakes. Your job is to evaluate how you can help without judging these behaviors.
It is your responsibility to look at the people you work with as more than just a set of behaviors.
When an athlete or client fails to give what you perceive to be 100% effort, rather than assuming that they are lazy imagine what could have happened to them that day. Maybe they had two tests, maybe a family member is ill, or they are having relationship problems.
It is your job to listen and show that you place no conditions on how you care about them as a person. Their performance in the gym or adherence to health behaviors should not affect how much you care.
‘Unconditionality,’ then, means that I[you] keep on valuing the deeper core of the person, what (s)he basically is and can become.
Once this sense of UPR is established you can help the person you are coaching work towards healthier behaviors in the face of whatever other struggles they are currently dealing with.
Summary
Accepting this mindset is conscious work and also unlikely to be maintainable every second of the day.
I’ve found working towards owning this mindset makes coaching and teaching more enjoyable.
Every day I work with people that seem to be lacking effort. I have athletes that could work harder, I have students that could listen better and I, like all humans, engage in behaviors that are in conflict with how I see the best version of myself to be. This is human nature, every single person, acts in ways that are in conflict with how their ideal self would operate.
But every person can also work towards pursing their own unique steps towards self-growth. Adopting this accepting and unconditional positive mindset can be helpful in evaluating and changing health related behaviors.
Author’s Bio
Justin is the head strength coach at SUNY Cortland. He is also a lecturer in the kinesiology department at the university. Cortland hosts a health and wellness conference each year, this year on April 8th. Speakers will include Tony Gentilcore, Dr. Lisa Lewis, Brian St. Pierre, David Just and Mark Fisher. For more information go HERE.
Note From TG: The conference linked to above is $60 to attend. That’s a steal considering the quality of presenters coming in and the information that will be shared. Students: you can’t use the excuse of “that’s too expensive” because I know full-well you’re spending that much (if not more) drinking on the weekends. Fitness Pros: this is Cortland, NY, in April, for $60. Shut up and get your butt there…;o)
To be blunt: I don’t feel what I do is all that special or altogether revolutionary. But it’s a topic that came up a lot earlier this week when I asked the Twitterverse for some ideas on what they’d like to see me write about in the future.
@tonygentilcore1 Creating buy-in from your client, how much time you spend on an assessment in the first couple of sessions, break it down!
Much of the time the entire process starts with a swipe right an email. Someone reaches out and expresses an interest in coming to my studio in Brookline, MA so I can take a look at their bum shoulder or low back, or maybe to have me audit their deadlift or squatting technique.
They’ll be a few back and forths and I’ll try my best to articulate to them what my assessment will cover. I’ll ask for a little background information – training history, any current/past injuries I need to be aware of, or whether they’re Team Jacob or Team Edward?6 – and then I’ll break down the general flow of the assessment and what they can expect.
In short, I’ll inform them that I divide the session into two parts: The “poking and prodding part” and the “pseudo training session part.” The part where I incessantly blurt out movie quotes is just a given.
The goal, for the poking and prodding part, is to see if any red-flags pop up from a “is anything I’m doing causing any pain standpoint?” and a “do they have the mobility/flexibility of a rusty crowbar standpoint?”
Likewise, the goal of the pseudo training session part is to ascertain general movement quality and to not bore them to tears.
I explain this to them in a much more professional and succinct manner.
Once we’ve established a date/time to meet up I’ll send them the address of the studio (you would think this is obvious, but I can’t tell how many times I have forgotten to do so), pre-payment options if they so choose (PayPal Button), as well as my Health Questionnaire I’d like for them to fill out prior to coming in (to help save time).
An important point I’d like to note about my health questionnaire (I am not saying you have to do this) is that I consider this an opportune chance to start building a rapport with the client. Most people know what to expect from a standard health questionnaire. Questions regarding their family history, past/current injuries to note, allergies, and what (if any) medications they’re taking are all par for the course. Mine questionnaire is no different.
However, out of nowhere I’ll hit them with questions like:
What’s your favorite movie?
What’s your pet’s name?
Have you ever been bitten by zombie?
Such things help break the monotony and serve as conversation stimulators. Plus they demonstrate I don’t take myself too seriously and that I’m cool as balls.
The Face to Face
Now it’s go time. We finally meet face to face.
I’ve championed this sentiment in the past but it bears repeating:
“The main objective for me when starting with a new client is to not treat the assessment as an opportunity to showcase how much of a walking ball fail they are. It serves no purpose IMO to point out every…single…thing they suck at. Rather, my goal is to do anything and everything I can to demonstrate to them success.”
If they’re coming in with shoulder pain and they lack shoulder flexion, what can I do to 1) help them get out of pain? and 2) demonstrate movements that they can do (pain free)? Moreover, can I use the Test/Retest protocol to see an increase in ROM in shoulder flexion?
If I can accomplish one of those things within an hour, if not all three, it’s a safe bet I’ll likely achieve an easy “buy in” on their end. I’ll also kindly ask them to refer to me as Gandalf from that point on.
I’ll begin each assessment with a 5-10 minute window where we discuss our feelings. Normally I’d rather jump into a shark’s mouth than discuss my feelings with anyone, but it’s about them not me. The best thing I can do is shut up, ask questions, and listen and use the word “why?” a lot.
Example 1
Them:“I want to lose ten lbs?”
Me:That’s cool, why is that? What benefit do you think you’ll receive in attaining that goal?
Example 2
Them:“My goal is to compete in my first powerlifting meet.”
Me (after I high-five them):“Cool. why is that? What benefit do you think you’ll receive in attaining that goal?
Example 3
Them:“I’d like to get stronger.”
Me:“Yeah, that’s cool but it says here your favorite movie is The Matrix Revolutions, is that right?
Them:“Yep, I love it.”
Me:“Get the fuck out of my gym.”
Sometimes people talk for a few seconds, while others go on for several minutes (and then some). Either way, by getting THEM to talk – and asking why? – I’ll get a better idea of where their mindset is at in addition to having a better appreciate of where they’re coming from.
Something else to note here is that, often, coaches will use the interview process to ask about coaches and trainers the person may have worked with in the past and their experiences with them. I think it’s a good idea to ask. However, what I find is all too common is some coaches take it as an opportunity to lambast the other coach.
“Your previous trainer did whaaaaat? That’s so stupid!”
Don’t do that.
Just nod your head, say something to the affect of “huh, that’s interesting,” and move on. You’re not doing yourself any favors by talking smack about other fitness professionals. In fact I think it comes across as very unprofessional.
It’s Time to Poke and Prod
NOTE: Just realized this comes across as slightly creepy. Rest assured things stay 100% PG.
At this point I’ll take out my training table and start the formal assessment. To be honest: while I do have a checklist I work off of, no two assessments are the same. Having the checklist helps, but everyone’s different. While there is some overlap, what I look at and how I assess a 22-year old college baseball player can be quite different compared to a 47-year old accountant with limited exercise experience.
To that end, every fitness pro approaches assessment differently. I’ve taken the FMS and use portions of it all the time. However I’m going to try my best to cater the assessment to match the person standing in front of me. That’s the beauty of having my own spot. I can do whatever the heck I want.
If that means going off the beaten track so be it.
I’d be remiss not to mention it’s inevitable there’s going to be a degree of bias. One’s training philosophy and values will come into play. For example I’m a “strength” guy. I like getting people strong (while also helping them feel a little more athletic). Despite my assessment I’m still going to have people deadlift, squat, press, row, carry, lunge, and perform first pumps x infinity to Annie Mac radio.
Some may be like, “WTF Tony. What’s the point in doing the assessment, then, if all your going to have them do is the same stuff you have everyone else doing?”
Fair question.
The assessment helps me figure out someone’s starting point. More to the point, the assessment helps me figure out what variation of those lifts will be the best fit given their goals, ability level, and movement quality.
As an example, I use the table assessment to perform a hip scour and gauge hip (IR/ER) ROM. If someone has 45-50 degrees of ER and 20-40 degrees of IR (and appropriate hip flexion ROM) it’s a safe bet they’re okay with squatting below 90 degrees (or with most anything else I’d have them perform on the gym floor). If not, well, I’ll adjust.
I can also perform further “screens” to see if the lack of ROM is due to actual “tightness” or if all I have to do is work on someone’s REACTIVE stability:
I can also use the Shoulder Flexion Screen to see whether or not overhead pressing is a good idea.
In the end, I’m not going to sit here and say you MUST do “x, y and z” because I don’t know what you should or shouldn’t be doing. All I know is that there’s no one right way, but that getting people OFF the table is more valuable to me.
The Pseudo Training Session
The poking and prodding part takes, maybe, 15 minutes to complete. 20 minutes tops. Sometimes less.
I don’t want people feeling like a patient and I’d much rather get them on the gym floor doing stuff. I get more information this way anyways.
Here’s where I’ll take a look at their hip hinge, squat, and single leg (front plane) stability. If need be, I’ll regress or progress accordingly. For some a hip hinge is showing them a cable pull-through.
For others it’s an actual deadlift.
Remember: SHOWING THEM SUCCESS is crucial.
Show people what they can do, and don’t perseverate on what they can’t.
At this juncture I’ll also begin to showcase some of the “correctives” I may want them to do. Some may need to prioritize their T-spine mobility or maybe we need to spend some time activating their glutes. Or, maybe we need to show them a good movie, like The Royal Tenenbaums.
I’ll also break down why (and how) I want them to foam roll and do their soft-tissue work, and then I’ll basically take them through a quick training circuit. This may come down to a short-n-sweet A1-A2 circuit for a few sets. Or, I don’t know, maybe we’ll take our shirts off and perform bicep curls for ten minutes.
Either way I’ve done all I can to have (hopefully) given them a positive experience and a better idea of my coaching style, what a typical training session would look like, and how I’m going to help them increase their general level of badassery.
Buy in = they give me their credit card number….;o)
PS: If you’re really interested into diving into my assessment process check out mine (and Dean Somerset’s) resource Complete Shoulder and Hip Blueprint.
It’s a question I’m asked often. And I can’t say I have a definitive answer. I’ve had coaches who were laid back and patient and coaches who were not that, and made a tornado look like a gentle Spring breeze.
In health/fitness circles, much like athletics, there’s a gamut of coaching personalities. On one end you have those coaches who are more observant and calculated with their feedback, seamingly Obi-Wan’esque with their cues and commentary.
And on the other end you have those who, for lack of a better phrase, come across as bat-shit crazy.
To their credit (“their” = celebrity/tv trainers): they do motivate people, and they do get results. Kinda. And they’re on tv, so they clearly know what they’re doing. (<— note sarcasm).
Who am I to say which “version” of a coach is better than the other? There are success stories on each side of the spectrum. However, I find the most successful coaches/personal trainers, and the ones I respect the most, are those who get results, but are also empathetic towards their clients.
There’s a time and place to be the drill sergeant. But it’s a time that’s few and far between. And, just to toss it out there: if these so called “celebrity/tv trainers” many people look up to as the creme of the crop were so good and so effective, why then do a large percentage of their “clients” tend to regain their weight back?
But then the counterpoint can be made that many of these shows – like The Biggest Loser – only exist because the objective is to see who can lose the most amount of weight in “x amount of time.” In that sense, the coaches are doing their job. Very, very well mind you.
It’s a massive catch-22 of Hellerian proportions.
However, if you ask me…it’s less coaching and more a crash course in clusterfuckery. But I’m getting off on too much of a tangent. Shane McLean did me a solid and put together this excellent guest post today on the idea of what entails “good coaching?”
Enjoy.
What Does Good Coaching Look Like?
Recently, I was watching my 10-year-old son play his rec-league soccer game. To say they were getting beaten was an understatement, and everyone on our sideline was getting frustrated.
The coach was screaming at the kids, the refs and pretty much anything else that moved. In the second half, with the result absolutely in no doubt, one of our kids misplayed a ball and the coach snapped.
“SHIT,” he screamed, loud enough that everyone could hear. My oldest son thought this was hilarious, and I had to explain to him why this was not good coaching.
Swearing in front of children to get your point across is an example of poor coaching in my humble opinion.
However, people who haven’t been exposed to a lot of quality coaching in their lifetime may think all coaches behave like
Middle school P.E teacher.
Swearing soccer coach.
Weight loss coaches on reality TV.
Lou Gossett Jr in an Officer and a Gentlemen.
Or
All the above
Warning- Colorful language alert.
Since becoming a coach, I have witnessed the good, the bad and the ugly side of coaching. I’m inspired by great coaching. However, I wanted to beat my head repeatedly on a brick wall when I witnessed this incident back in 2013.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=MmD_KbwX8IE
No coach who draws a paycheck should ever behave like this. Intidation and fear is not the way to get the best out of people, and it’s coaching at its worst.
Good coaching, on the other hand, mostly happens behind the scenes. It is out of the spotlight where a coach motivates, inspires and pushes the athletes or clients to become the best they can be.
With that in mind, I reached out to some experienced coaches and asked them to give their thoughts on what good coaching is and what it should look like. You may be surprised that it’s nothing like drill sergeant Lou.
1) Tony Gentilcore (The man needs no introduction)
Good coaching should like coaching. How’s that for playing the Captain Obvious card?
What I mean is: good coaching is ACTIVE. It’s about being engaged and present. When I coach, I coach at 90 degree angles; I’m moving, I’m like shark. If someone’s squatting I’ll take a peek from the front, from the side, and from the back.
I’m not just standing there passively counting out reps like a drone.
Also, to speak candidly, I think a lot of shitty coaches’ mask how shitty they are by playing the rah-rah, excessively boisterous card. You know the type: always yelling and being way too loud.
There’s a time and place for that kind of behavior or course, but I find the “good” coaches tend to be more mild-mannered, meticulous, and reserved in their style.
They’ll watch a set, let the client/athlete marinate in their thoughts for a few seconds, and then offer feedback. Less is better often than not.
What’s the best pieces of coaching advice you’ve received?
“You have two ears, two eyes, and one mouth, use them in that order.”
Good coaching is making and building a connection with the athletes or clients you train. It’s not just counting reps and throwing some exercises together and calling it a program. It’s training people with an intent to make an impact on their lives.
What’s the best piece of coaching advice you’ve received?
Clients don’t know how much you know until they know how much you care. This is something that I’ve heard from several others and I think it took a while before I realized how true it was.
You can have all the certifications and education in the world but if you don’t know how to treat those you work with, they won’t stick around for long.
3) Pat Rigsby – Father. Husband. Entrepreneur. Coach. Author
Good coaching looks a bit like good parenting. It’s a combination of everything from teaching and motivation to providing boundaries and developing habits…all with a focus on helping the client become a better version of themselves and ultimately achieve their potential. So, coaching is no one thing…it’s a combination of many things.
The best piece of coaching advice you’ve ever received?
That it’s not about what you know, say or do. It’s about what the client or athlete gets from the interaction. Did they improve? Did they move closer to their goals?
As a coach, your role is to facilitate the improvement of those you serve, not simply to collect information.
Good coaching isn’t just about crunching the numbers. Appropriate exercise prescription and nutritional counselling are just a small part of a successful coach-client relationship – “Good Coaching” also considers client education, appreciates the value of effective communication and looks to empower the client in as many ways as possible.
The best piece of coaching advice you’ve ever received?
It’s very hard for me to pinpoint one single piece of advice – I’m fairly sponge-like when it comes to soaking up advice and information. However, I can honestly say that the tutelage I received from Dr. Mike Zourdos as a part of the SBS Academy completely revolutionized the way I write training programs.
I’ve also been incredibly lucky to spend time with the 3DMJ team, the Lift The Bar team and the other coaches who make up Shredded By Science – I’ve learnt countless things from all of them.
5) Nick Tumminello – CPT, author of Strength for Fat Loss and Building Muscle and Performance.
Coaching is about communication of your knowledge of the X’s and O’s of training and programming. So, “good coaching” looks like a good relationship between the trainer and the people they’re currently working with.
A good coach isn’t just someone who has great technical knowledge, but is also someone who recognizes how best to communicate with each individual in a way that they’ll buy into and get the cited about they’re training direction.
What’s the best pieces of coaching advice you’ve received?
The best piece of coaching advice I’ve received is from Bruce Lee. Although he was talking about different styles of martial arts, his advice to not be married to one style applies perfectly to the training and conditioning arena.
All training styles have different benefits and limitations, so taking a mixed approach to training – an approach that looks at different reasoning styles as mutually complimentary instead of as mutually exclusive – is ultimately a smarter approach.
As someone who has had some outstanding trainers guide me toward my goals, and now as a trainer myself, it is my belief that a good trainer is someone who avoids cookie cutter programs where they are doing the same exact workout with each and every one of their clients.
Each client has different goals and different needs based on those goals. Each client also has other personal considerations (including exercise background) and personal exercise preferences that should also be addressed when designing their client’s program.
To me a good trainer/coach will take all these factors into account and develop an exercise program individualized to the client, starting the client where they are and guiding them towards their goals in a safe, efficient and effective manner that will help the client successfully reach their goals.
What’s the best piece of coaching advice you’ve received?
One of the best pieces of coaching advice I have received is from my mentor Nick Tumminello: When working with a client, instead of trying to fit individuals to certain exercises, you should instead fit the exercises to the individual.
What Do YOU Think?
Share your comments, opinions, stories in the comments section.
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just counting reps and throwing some exercises together and calling it a program. It’s training people with an intent to make an impact on their lives.
Good coaching looks a bit like good parenting. It’s a combination of everything from teaching and motivation to providing boundaries and developing habits…all with a focus on helping the client become a better version of themselves and ultimately achieve their potential. So, coaching is no one thing…it’s a combination of many things.
nutritional counselling are just a small part of a successful coach-client relationship – “Good Coaching” also considers client education, appreciates the value of effective communication and looks to empower the client in as many ways as possible.
Coaching is about communication of your knowledge of the X’s and O’s of training and programming. So, “good coaching” looks like a good relationship between the trainer and the people they’re currently working with.
