It seems that the closer we are getting to making fitness a part of every American’s lifestyle, the further we are getting from understanding the importance of leveraging a certain profession’s ability to get us from Point A to Point B. That profession being a Coach.
You see, there is a divide in the fitness industry. Maybe you've experienced it. Orrrr maybe your friend Pam (more on Pam later*) has and told you about it. Regardless, there’s a divide, and it goes something like this: In shape humans who want to tell/train you on how they got in shape and how you can do it to AND (here is where the divide comes in so pay extra attention) people who want to make truly helping OTHER people their profession. We call these outstanding humans Coaches.
A for-real pro Coach will have no problem in helping you get from Point A (your current sitch**) to Point B (your desired sitch) regardless of what those points are. Maybe Point A is: “I feel terrible about my lack of activity or eating habits and can’t even fathom how I’d be able to walk into a gym right now.” Or “I actually hurt my back playing extreme bocce ball (think about it) and am too embarrassed to admit it.” Maybe your Point B is: “Hella muscles everywhere” or “Feel better in every single thing that I do”...Coaches. Are. Trained. Professionals. That. Can. Help. You.
They are able to help because they are equipped with a lot more than a motivational hat and sweet biceps and/or juicy glutes. They know how to make it about you, how to make you feel genuinely important, how to prepare you for what is to come, how to make sure that you’re in a good position to push it SAFELY in a workout, and how to answer some VERY challenging questions where the responses are unique to you. Those being: “What’s going to make you quit?”, “What’s actually going to motivate you to crave the celebration of your Point B”, “What does it feel like to have health and wellness be a part of your day that you look forward to?”
We're going to planet earth.
This is the part where I can make the analogy that 1984569 (+/- 28) other people have made: It’s...like...would you repair your own car or hire a mechanic? -or- and this is my favorite because of how much sense it makes: Would you do your own surgery or have a surgeon do it? If someone wearing a shirt that is 4-sizes too small with protein powder somewhere on their face, and their client’s digits in their pocket says anything like the above to you and asks you to buy training from them. Don’t. Do. It.
We have a hard time making those analogies, and no disrespect to mechanics or Dr.’s here, but how can you classify what is in a class of one?
* Sure Pam had a bad experience with a trainer, but maybe she didn’t read this article like you did either?
** Sitch: millennial-speak for “situation”
Author
Sean De Wispelaere; Exec VP #1 Foam Roller-er @ Thrive
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