Monday, September 29, 2014

A message to coaches and fitness trainers and the people they work with


If you work with a personal trainer, fitness instructor, physical therapist or sports coach, please take the time to read and then forward it over to your coach.   

If you are in the fitness industry, this one’s for you....

There are many ways to “skin a cat”.  Meaning, there are many varieties of fitness.  One size does not fit all.  I am not going to sit here and tell you that one program is better than the other.  But, here is an important point to consider: Coaching fitness goes so much deeper than supplying just some workout.  I do my best to educate my clients and athletes on real world training and nutrition principles.  Supplying these principles can aide me in individualizing the program to fit each unique person.  I understand that what may work for one person, might not work for another.   

Always coaching and caring for your students is key.

A good coach creates an environment that molds the training session around the unique abilities of the students.  Poor coaches are constantly “shoving square pegs into round holes”.  This design sets people up to be unsuccessful in the training plan.    

This atmosphere is about "getting work done" more so than quality work.  
  
As a coach, it is so critical to educate each individual on how his or her body works and responds to movement and exercise.  Understanding each individual’s unique physiology (body structure) is critical to be successful.  By recognizing these parameters, now you can start pushing their limits.  Having the aptitude to scale workouts to each individual is very important to allow proper progression and improvement to happen. 

The worse thing I can do is put a client into a dangerous situation that will increase the chance of injury.  My job is to first, build a safe environment.  Fitness training should not cause injury, or at least the chances are very minimal.  If you are constantly getting hurt in the gym, you are doing something wrong.  I am always asking this question, “What are the risks versus rewards of this specific exercise?”  I then make a smart decision as to what is implemented into my program.  

What are the risks versus rewards of this exercise?
  

Risk vs. Reward?  Is there a better option?

Secondly, fitness coaches and personal trainers are put into a position to guide and encourage smart fitness training.  Coaches need to understand that just because a specific workout makes someone sore and tired, doesn’t mean the workout was beneficial.  Vomiting, extreme soreness and passing out are not positive affects to training.   

Not a good workout affect.

Are we randomly choosing exercises?  Do we have a planned training system?  Do we just find exercises that crush people?  Are we teaching the exercises correctly?  Is every workout extremely hard?  These are just a few questions to ask yourself regarding programming.  

Once we have created a safe training atmosphere, now the fun part begins.  Adding in motivational strategies to the training session is icing on the cake.  If the individual you are coaching is not motivated, odds are they will end up leaving your program.  Supplying motivational tools should be ongoing and a major part of the job.  Motivation is what assists people reach their goals.  Without motivation, progress gets halted.  

Motivational talk at the end of EVERY workout!  Inspire them to be better!

All in all, the fitness coach is put into a pretty important position.  We are fortunate to have an avenue to truly help people find their ultimate self.  But we must look at a training session more thoroughly than just giving a good workout.  The workout is the “nuts and bolts” but without the right tools, the coach will not complete the job.  Create a high-energy environment.  Be passionate every workout.  Listen to your members.  Always communicate.  Supply motivation.  Work on yourself.  These skills and characteristics will truly help you change peoples’ lives.  


No comments:

Past writings