Why is it Important to Have a Coach?
Written by TJ O’Brien
Say it’s been a long day, you don’t have energy to do whatever grueling workout that has been programmed, but you’ll feel like a failure if you don’t d something.
But what to do?
Ask your coach.
You’ve been out of the gym for a minute, and now you’re looking to make your way back. You don’t want to be so sore that you avoid subsequent days of training after too-tough of a session.
What to do?
Ask your coach.
You’ve been working on your pull-ups for months now, and it seems like they’ll never materialize. You simply want to give up.
What to do?
Ask your coach.
In the first two examples, a coach can help to adjust the intensity of the work so that you get the goldilocks (”just right”) amount of work done. We know you’re going to experience challenges along the way, so our job is to adjust how difficult things are so that you don’t get clobbered by too much work or so that you don’t walk away feeling unchallenged. In short, we help you get what you came for.
In the example of the pull-up, and I know this example all too well, the coach provides a reference point and assuredness about the process. When you, the athlete, are in the dumps and can’t see a way forward, we can. And that’s because we’ve seen it before. Programming the right workouts is important, but it’s sort of the easy part. Getting you to buy-in and to keep going when you would have given up on your own? That’s where we are truly valuable.
So maybe you’re saying “I’ve got pull-ups, I don’t need help adjusting workouts, I just like to come in, throw down, and go home.”
I sure do love me an independent athlete! Someone who I can ask to “warm-up to your starting weight” and they understand what to do. These are the athletes who move well, are decently fit, and “get it,” so to speak.
For these athletes, having a coach can help to:
a. Provide a framework for continuing to challenge. “So you’ve got a bunch of muscle-ups, how about a strict one?”
-or-
b. Provide a framework for a good time aka making training fun! Since we’ve effectively got our prerequisites out of the way (this athlete moves well, is driven, overall health/lifestyle intact), we can focus on having some fun and getting creative in the workouts. If I found out they surf on the weekend, we might sub a linear movement for one focused on rotation. Oh, they play volleyball? Maybe we add some plyometrics into a Metcon.
You get the idea. In both cases, we are helping the athlete bring additional challenge or additional fun to the workout.
I might also add that coaches need coaches, too. There have been transitional periods in my training where I haven’t had a coach, or where I’ve told myself I can do it on my own.
Plain and simple, it just isn’t the same as when someone has an eye on you. I’m the one writing this article; I know how to program and how to have fun in my training. But even as expert as I am, I still get “stuck” in my training at times and need my coaches’ perspective on how best to move forward.
Coaches. They adjust the intensity knob, reassure you that you are on the right path, and they make training fun. Whether you’re inside the walls of one of our locations or following one of our online programs, you have the benefit of having your own coach to help personalize your training on a clear path towards your goals while making sure you’re getting exactly what you need from a programming standpoint and support system. If you’re a coach, we mentor in that area too! Check out our various programs and reach out with any questions!
