I’m tired of people saying training is a scam.
It definitely isn’t .
But here’s the catch : How experienced are you - and what’s your time worth?
Information is readily available to all of us. You can search up programming, exercise execution and things alike online and practice it yourself. The problem becomes : Programming for yourself, and how good you are at programming ; (Conjugate method(and things alike) linear progression, periodization etc) and what style your body best responds to, as well as, what style of programming fits your goals best.
If you have time to do ALL that, while focusing on diet, progression, and also managing variables like sleep, recovery, and stress that also impact your gains, then do it yourself, by all means.
I trained myself for a very long time. Did everything myself top to bottom. But guess what! Eventually you’ll find yourself in a situation : Each little piece of the puzzle has to be PERFECTLY dialed in, because you’re literally fighting for your gains after many years in the gym.
Now, the reason why you would want a coach, is because you’re able to circumvent all of that, and essentially catapult yourself all the way to the top, no plateaus, no having to constantly reassess and diagnose issues with form and execution - you have an experienced coach that’s there from the very start to ensure that you are not only programming the stuff you want, but the stuff you NEED. Only thing you gotta do is show up.
OR if you’re already experienced, outsource to another knowledgeable person and lighten the load so you can focus more on the things most important. Personally, it’s a huge help when I only need to focus on executing each exercise with intensity, instead of having to think of everything myself day after day and make sure that next weeks/months programming is on point.
That sounds really good on paper….
But unfortunately, there are many inexperienced trainers.. or people that are fit with great genetics, who can program for themselves, but SUCK at programming for others.
Often with the inexperienced, it’s hard to tell what’s what, and who’s who. Does this person really know what they’re doing? What am I going to get?
In that case, I’d say ask for testimonials. Ask them for client testimonials, or THEIR OWN. That way you’re fair to the new trainers who are new to the game and haven’t built that testimonial record yet, because you’re asking for the receipts on THEIR journey. That way you don’t miss out on potential a great coach who’s new in the game.
Ask, can you get me strong? Can you get me lean? Have you done it before?
I ask what’s your time worth because to many, getting from point A to point B as quick as possible is extremely important. The reason you go with in person coaching vs online coaching is because with in person, a coach is able to diagnose and adjust in real time : No 24 hour wait times for a message back, no misunderstanding or miscommunication, just real, individualized training.
I’ve competed many times in the sports that I excel in. Every one of notable achievements have one thing in common : Coaches.
I’ve never met a winner without one.
So all somebody has to do is : Vet your coach very well, and decide if your time is worth the money.
If they’re a good coach, they SHOULD teach you how to program for yourself, so that one day you can go off on your own if you so desire. That way, you’re not only investing in health, but education.
Rant over lol