I know, taking on a coach is a big commitment. It's not just something you wake up one morning and decide to do, so I wanted to write up a detailed post on some of the benefits of coaching, so you can gain a better understanding into whether coaching is right for you, even if it's not with me personally.
Every single coach around the globe is going to offer something different. Some focus on physique transformations, some work with sports specific athletes, and some work with rehabilitation post injury. However, regardless of what client population they work with, I believe the following always need to be considered when picking out a coach.
Knowledge
If you wanted work doing on your car, you'd take it to a professional. If you wanted work doing to your house, you'd call in qualified tradesmen. Your body should be no different (in fact, it's even more important, because you only get one). If you find yourself a coach with a strong base of knowledge behind them (that they are continuing to add to month on month), then the rewards you will reap from your training and nutrition will be endless.
Over the past few years, I've had the honour of working with some of the best educators and minds in the field. This includes Michael Goulden of Intergra, Paul Standell and Luke Hoffman from, what was at the time, the Muscle Mentors, and Dr Jordan Shallow D.C. of Pre-Script. Learning is a constant part of my career, and I enjoy nothing more than passing this on to clients in easy to understand formats.
Don't be afraid to ask your coach about their qualifications, experience, and passions.
Personal Experience
Coaches don't just have professional experience, but also personal. I started training in gyms when I was 14 years old, and haven't stopped since. That's 8 years of trial and error, learning, and experience. The early years of working out are the reason I'm doing what I do now. A passion that was forged as a teenager, and a journey that not only helped me physically, but also mentally.
Coaching a team of clients who are also all Transgender means I'm able to relate to them on a different level as well. I understand the struggles that can be faced, sometimes daily, as a Trans person. But I also know how much the gym can help. I've been able to take control of my body, and use my workouts as a chance to switch off when the world gets too tough. Being able to help others experience this is a real honour.
When looking for a coach, it's never a bad idea to find someone who can relate well to you.
Scheduling
One of the biggest issues I see when people first start working with me is poor scheduling. It might sound daft, but actually just taking a bit of time with people to help them plan out their weekly schedule increases their success tenfold. Alongside of this, we are able to map out their timeline. This includes what phases we expect them to be in over the coming months (cut, bulk, maintain, etc.), what we expect their training to look like, and what food we expect them to be needing.
Goals are made achievable with the use of timelines. Being able to map things out and visualise how we want things to go leads to success.
Accountability
Each week every single one of my clients checks in with me, telling me all about how their week has been, what's worked, and what hasn't. Not only does this allow me to make any necessary adjustments to their plan, but it also keeps them accountable.
Online Coaching does not work without communication. This applies to both sides, as well.
Support
Physique transformations are journeys full of highs and lows, and doing this alone can be daunting, especially if you aren't always 100% sure what you're doing. I encourage all of my clients to reach out to me whenever they need help with something. This doesn't just include with their plan, either. It's very important I don't over step any boundaries, and if I need to refer out then I always will, but I'm also always more than prepared to be an ear to my clients when they need to talk about a problem.
Stress management plays a major role in physique transformations, being able to be honest with your coach when you're having a sh*t day is important.
Relationship
The longer I work with a client, the stronger the relationship between us becomes. Not only does this make my job a hell of a lot easier, but it also gives you the confidence to step away and work on your own when you need to, let me explain. Sometimes, I'll work with a client for ~6-12 months on, for example, a dieting phase. After this, they might be ready to go alone into a bulk. However, after another 6-12 months of bulking, they might decide they want to diet again, and trim back some of the layers they've put on. At this point, they might come back to me for further coaching. The door is always open, and this is all because we initially created a strong and lasting relationship.
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