7 Signs You Should Fire Your Trainer or Online Coach
Personal training and online coaching is the hot new occupation.
Nearly every other fitness account throwing up mirror selfies or gym tips has “online coach” or “personal trainer” in their bio (hey, mine included), and lots of people out there are actually dropping their hard-earned cash on them hoping to get some solid fitness results.
But should you really be paying these people to coach you?
From what I’ve seen, probably not.
Looking good is not the same as being a knowledgeable, effective coach, so look out for these biggest warning signs I’ve seen out there that should prompt you to fire your coach and what to look for in a good physique coach or trainer.
1. Not evidence-based
Come on, y’all. It’s 2018.
If you’re not using scientific research to ground your training practices, you’re doing yourself and your clients a huge disservice.
Gimmicks and myths run wild in the fitness industry, and the last thing you need is to pay good money for a bro-scientist to put you on a program with no sound basis in truth.
Sure, lot’s of things work, but that’s the problem. Lots of things work.
You want what works the best for your given situation.
Seek coaches that are passionate about evidence-based fitness, are committed to continually expanding their knowledge base, and are open to questioning and challenging their beliefs and biases continually in a constant search for the truth.
Not sure what evidence based fitness is? Check out my evidence based fitness article here.
2. Doesn’t have their own results
I’m gonna get some heat for this one, but it’s all good ‘cuz I’ll stand by this unrepetantly.
If your coach is not currently or has not in the past had excellent results themselves over a sustained period, go look for another trainer.
There are limits to this, of course, but the fact remains: having gone through that process will teach you things you simply can’t understand otherwise.
We all go through things on a personal level and experience is the best teacher there is. Client results and testimonials are all well and good, but you know you’re dealing with the real deal when you’ve got a coach who walks the walk themselves and isn’t just an armchair theorist.
3. Doesn’t bring professionalism to the table
Yeah, in a certain sense the gym is always going to have a bit of a casual atmosphere, but it’s astounding how informal and haphazard many coaches and trainers approach their craft.
Coaching is serious business, not a side hustle to make some change on the side to buy more useless supplements to Snapchat.
- Programs handed out to their clients on screenshotted Notes apps
- Tardiness and missing deadlines or appointments (in person, Skype, or otherwise)
- Non-responsiveness or flaky behavior
- Sloppy attire (even on Skype) and overall brand/self presentation
…are all signs I’ve seen amongst other coaches that are only “half-in” with their clients.
You could argue that all you’re after is results so the delivery doesn’t matter, but who do you want to place your trust in at the end of the day for your #1 asset – your body: the sloppy screenshotter or the sharp, proactive professional who puts in the extra effort to showcase their craft in the best light?
4. Doesn’t treat you as an individual
An effective fitness program must be individualized.
If your coach just dishes out random workout splits and meal plans, then you don’t have a coach. You’d be just as well off ripping a generic cookie-cutter template out of a magazine. Anyone can do that.
The whole point of effective coaching is to give the client an individualized program based on their unique goals, needs, and situation that can then morph and change depending on the results and feedback.
Yet many coaches do not do this.
Instead, they offer blanket advice for a price that doesn’t truly take your individuality into account, and if there’s one sure-fire way to get suboptimal results, that’s it right there.
5. Doesn’t teach you the whys and hows
The coaching process is every bit as educational as it is authoritative.
Many coaches choose to hide behind their secret sauce or position of authority rather than be transparent as to what they’re doing and why.
This is a major red flag.
While many clients enjoy taking the mental burden of all the whys and hows off their plate so that they can focus on simply executing and going about their business, it is a major point for clients to be able to understand and internalize what they are doing so that they achieve – and MAINTAIN – that success.
We all know the person bouncing around on yo-yo diets or who gets in excellent shape only to lose it later or flounder about as soon as the coaching umbilical cord is cut. That’s a tragedy. Great coaching is about giving your clients the tools for success so they’re still out there killin’ it years after you work together (and that’ll lead to more repeat customers, too)
Lots of coaches simply don’t know what they’re doing well enough to explain it and accept it being challenged (see point 1), and financially, it makes a lot of sense to keep your clients dependent on you so that they keep padding your wallet, but if you’re in the market for a good coach, get yourself one who teaches you what’s going on and is open to communication.
6. Ignores your mental health and life balance
Results are the name of the game. No argument there. Sometimes achieving stellar results requires sacrifice trade-offs, but when it comes to being an effective coach, you’ve got to have your clients’ well-being at heart. And that extends far beyond the physical.
I can’t tell you how many clients I’ve heard express how they were broken physically and emotionally by bad coaches.
Eating disorders, injury, and life disruption are all very real things that can sprout up when you’re on the quest of sculpting your physique. Especially if that’s aimed towards a bodybuilding show or other physique competition where your goal is get your physique as great as possible.
A good coach understands this and will ensure that things are kept in perspective and that the methods employed are appropriate for the situation and the client. Proper communication is key and it’s important that the program takes the mental health and life balance into account. This must be checked on regularly.
I discussed this in the 3P Fitness Program Approach, and I can’t stress it enough.
7. Sticks to rigid dogmas and routines
Many coaches are known and praised for being the leaders of a particular method or school of thought.
The coach you need should only have one allegiance: Getting the best results for you as an individual.
Systems and particular methods are great, but only insofar as they deliver the results.
Be wary of coaches who have one style and are rigid and unopen to alternative methods regardless of what the evidence demonstrates. They want more validation for their methods, not your best interests.
So…hire or fire?
So what’s the deal – are you going to pay your hard earned cash on a dud or on a coach who has their act together and is dedicated to delivering results with class?
Just a few things for you to think about before you sign up with your coach.
Tired of lackluster physique coaching and want to make me your coach to elevate your life? Contact me here.
Want to learn the evidence-based, practical steps to transform your physique? Check out my book, Architect of Aesthetics. Click here.
Leave a Reply