EFL Blog

My profession is pretty simple in that essentially I assist people in aspects of health and fitness using a base of knowledge, strategies, and experience that helps them attain their goals more efficiently then they could do on their own.  Sure, everyone knows that fast food is unhealthy, but that doesn’t seem to be slowing down the rise in obesity.  Everyone knows exercise is good for you, but how many people get lost in waves of contradictory information on what to do, and how much is enough.It’s pretty obvious a lot of people need help with adjusting their nutrition and lifestyle.

Some of those people find their way to Elemental Fitness Lab, or other good professionals in the area.  Some may find their way to health clubs or gyms that might not have people with the right skills to help them, or worse yet injure them. I just got a note from a local doctor concerning a patient that came to him right after being injured at a gym franchise notorious for hurting people. Hint: It rhymes with losspit.

So what separates a good trainer or coach from the bad?

In my experience training trainers at Equinox it is the individual practitioner’s willingness to seek out and absorb knowledge, and the attitude that one should never stop learning. Trainers I trained that had that attitude went on to help a lot o people and do well for themselves. Those that didn’t care so much, or who latch onto dubious fitness trends and trainer’s that herald “secret information”…not so much.

If you are a person looking for a trainer the first question you should ask is “What continuing education conferences or workshops do you regularly attend?”

If you are a trainer then what are you currently doing to improve your skills? I know that even though I go to at least six conferences a year I always feel like there is so much more to learn. And not only in terms of anatomy or physiology, but about coaching skills.  I’ve seen plenty of trainers with exercise physiology degrees that couldn’t coach someone to do a decent pushup. They may be able to name all of the joint actions and muscles involved, but that is different than knowing how to get someone to accomplish a pushup.

Your workout is running away from this guy as fast as possible

The October 3rd issue of the New Yorker has a great article on the topic of coaching for professions that normally don’t employ them, but probably should. The author is a surgeon that had an aha moment when he took a tennis lesson from someone 20 years younger who instantly helped him in ways he didn’t think possible. It occurred to him that since becoming a surgeon nobody had ever coached him in the operating room.  I know I would feel more confident knowing my surgeon is up to date on technique and has had someone help refine his or her skills!

Good coaches know how to break down performance into its critical individual components. In sports, coaches focus on mechanics, conditioning, and strategy, and have ways to break each of those down, in turn.

We all have our weak points, the issue is can you admit to them, and will you seek out ways to improve?

I previously wrote about the recent Perform Better Summit and aspects that I need to improve upon, one of those being nutritional strategies.  Dr. John Berardi who gave a very informative talk on practical strategies for creating behavioral change when it comes to eating just published a great article on thinking big picture in terms of the effects of lifestyle as opposed to just eating.  Most of John’s talk was not about what foods are bad and what is good.  Anyone can determine that without too much trouble, but the real question is how to effectively get clients to change their eating behaviors, which is a crucial piece of the results puzzle, and something I have certainly struggled with.

John’s latest article,  Side Effects Include Lean-ness is a great quick read, and looks at the big picture when it comes to creating lasting change.