Trainers

I said in my last blog post that I wanted to talk about trainers... so that is exactly what I am going to do.  More specifically I want to talk TO all the trainers or aspiring trainers out there and see if I can possibly help some of you out.  I figured I could try and use my experience and my platform to reach out and potentially help future trainers and coaches from going down the "wrong" path.

This will also help you athletes to determine "Is my coach right for me?"
** I will use the word trainer / coach interchangeably throughout this post**

There are so many misconceptions about what a trainer IS... and is NOT.  I hear all too often "Man you have the easiest job... you are so lucky."  ONE - if you think this job is easy than you are incredibly ignorant and I am glad you aren't a coach because you would be TERRIBLE.  TWO - luck implies I haven't worked my ass off to get where I am and that would be a flat out lie so wrong again buddy.

This job is as demanding as any I have come across.  From the perspective of safety, training exercises, programming, and the requirement to make sure every client is seeing the results they demand is enough to make the job an extremely difficult one.  But that, my friends, is just the tip of the iceberg.

Let me break down what a trainer needs to be... and needs NOT to be (at least in my opinion).  Aspiring trainers PAY ATTENTION.  And if you are a coach now and these things don't ring true with you, then perhaps you need to find a new profession.

A few thoughts:

- A trainer/coach needs to be motivated by the success of OTHERS and not himself.  Whether its personal gains in the gym or cash money in the bank account, a trainer/coach needs to put his athletes ahead of EVERYTHING.  Their success is your success and you would gladly exchange ALL of your PRs so that they could have one.
- A trainer/coach needs to understand that he/she does NOT know everything.  There is no room for arrogance or complacency.  A quality trainer/coach will constantly be exploring, experimenting, studying, researching, discussing new ideas.  He/she will make it a point to surround themselves with trainers and people better than them, smarter than them, and more experienced then them so that they can continuously learn and grow.
   In this same category is a need for accruing as much experience as possible!  Train friends, program for yourself and observe the results, observe AS MUCH HUMAN MOVEMENT AS POSSIBLE!!!!  Studying is vital but without application they are just words on a page and thoughts in your head.  
- A trainer/coach needs to be invested in their athletes lives IN and OUT of the gym.  This is where I think the CrossFit community has really gotten it right.  In order to be able to train someone and get the utmost out of that training, a trainer must really get to know their athlete.  Theories and methodologies in training all must take into account psychology, history, sociology, and the extenuating circumstances impacting your athletes life.  This, in itself, makes the job very demanding but is 100% necessary.
- A trainer/coach needs to be totally unselfish.  This is extremely important in respects to leaving your personal problems OUTSIDE of the gym.  Each class, each training session, you are obligated to bring it... all of it.  Its not the athletes fault that your girlfriend just left you for your best friend, your dog died and someone just ruined your life by revealing Santa is actually not real.  Athletes depend on their coach, and with that comes a level of trust that when called upon their coach will provide the same quality guidance they have become so dependent on.  Are we allowed bad days?  No.  We aren't.  One bad day is all it takes for someone to get injured or a new member to become extremely turned off and leave the gym.  The gym, the members, they are MORE IMPORTANT than your problems.  Do your job and do it to the best of your abilities.  When the day is over, your problems will all still be right there waiting for you... I promise.
- A trainer / coach must know when to concede and when to stand firm.  We are, at the end of the day, in a service based industry.  People pay money for a service.  In essence, they are the paying customer and as the saying goes "The customer is always right."  Well, not exactly.
   Coaches must understand when to listen and make changes based on athletes feedback and when to stand firm on a particular issue.  You are the expert and you are responsible for knowing what is best for your members.  For instance, if an athlete tells you that they do not want to get bulky so they will skip ALL strength and weightlifting exercises, you need to remain firm, produce an educated answer as to why strength training is vital to the individuals health and how becoming "bulky" is not likely to be an issue unless there are copious amounts of steroids involved.  However, if an athlete comes to you and says that they have been following your programming for months and have seen no gains, you need to be humble enough to sit down and find out where things are going wrong.  And that may mean, perhaps, changing your approach towards this individuals programming and altering your thought process.  Making athletes satisfied and happy through effective training methods is our priority, but not at the expense of potentially injuring someone just to appease them and their sometimes outlandish demands.  ("But I like rounding my back in the deadlift... can't I just do it??")

Oh how easily I could go on... but I will stop for now.  I think we have covered a decent enough amount of information to really help aspiring trainers as well as let you athletes know what to look for in a coach.  Make sure as a coach you are constantly striving to be your best, and as an athlete always give your coaches 100%.  Neither coach nor athlete should ever settle: both should expect nothing but the best from each other.

Have to throw this in there:  Charlotte Sports Talk radio was talking about changing the basketball teams name back to the Hornets.  Really... that is your biggest concern?  You were 45 games OUT OF FIRST PLACE!  Being called the Hornets instead of the Bobcats probably wont change that.  Sheeesh.

TIP OF THE WEEK:
Are you drinking enough water?  Sleeping enough?  Stressed out?  According to Kelly Starrett in his book "Becoming a Supple Leopard", "...being dehydrated by even 2% can cause a decrease in V02 output of 5-10% (what is VO2?  http://www.brianmac.co.uk/vo2max.htm).  Less than six hours of sleep [can cause] elevated blood glucose levels (prediabetes yuck! http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/prediabetes/DS00624).  Stressed out?  Forget about getting a healthy adaptation response to that crushingly difficult workout- you will simply get crushed."

I have repeated these things - especially the last part! - countless times to my athletes.  Hydration, rest, and removing stress from your life (as best we can) is paramount to effective training and seeing results.