Is Your Coach Asking These Questions?
If you’ve made the decision to hire a coach, it’s important that you ask the right questions to ensure it's a good fit.
And, likewise, any good coach should be asking YOU important questions to help tailor your workout to your needs and limitations.
This gives them all the information they need to design the best workout possible for you -- and ensure they are giving you the right motivation to drive success.
This is why our coaches always ask the hard questions, so we know we are serving you in the best way possible.
Some of the big questions we ask include:
1. Do You Have Any Medical Conditions?
Before we even start, we need to know more about your medical history. Do you have limitations? Are you suffering from heart disease or diabetes? Is there anything medically going on that we should know about? Any current injuries or injury history? If a coach believes that he or she can help anyone, that's a red flag. Sometimes, there’s an underlying medical condition or injury that would preclude us from working with you because it’s outside our scope of practice or expertise. Part of me worries that as gyms open back up again, less scrupulous gym owners will be desperate to sign everyone up that they can without regard for whether they are actually equipped to help that person. So if the coach or trainer you’re looking to hire asks for your credit card before asking about your medical and injury history, that’s a sign that you should keep looking.
2. What Are Your Short- and Long-Term Goals?
We need to know where you want to go before we can come up with a plan for how you’re going to get there. When we ask about your short- and long-term goals, we are keeping this information in mind so we can build a program that will help you reach them. This information helps us pick the right exercises and frequency so you can reach them in a timely and efficient manner and not waste your time. We also find that when clients have specific goals and timelines for achieving them, it improves motivation and consistency.
3. What Is Your Daily Nutrition Plan Like?
An effective coach needs to know how you eat. This way, he or she can recommend simple changes to your diet to help you get you closer to your goals. We have clients track their body composition every month, as well as important daily habits (water intake, sleep and nutrition) in our custom coaching app. This paints a picture for the trainer, so if there is no progress or progress is slow, it's easy to identify what needs to change to get your moving in the right direction. Bear in mind, not all coaches or trainers are qualified to offer nutrition coaching. Be sure to ask about their education and certifications before you take their advice.
4. What Do You Do For A Living?
What you do for a living is important. This detail allows your coach to know how active you are throughout the day, and how best to approach your training session. If you sit for long periods of time, then your program should include some corrective exercises (to reverse the negative effects of sitting on your posture and mobility). It should also focus on intensity, so you get better results in less time. A nurse, for example, may spend a lot of time walking or lifting at work, and your coach should take this into account when designing your program.
Hiring a coach and developing a relationship that’s beneficial to both is a two-way street. Once you’ve asked all of your questions, make sure the coach you’re looking to hire is asking the right ones, too.
Coach Aaron
P.S.: Whenever you're ready... here are 2 ways I can help you:
Train With Me...For FREE. If you'd like to come in for a free training session...1 on 1 or small group...I'd love to have you in as my guest. Training somewhere new can be out of someone's comfort zone, so I want to make it as easy as possible for you to see if this is the best place for you to reach your goals. Just reply with 'Train' in the subject line and we'll figure out what type of session you'd enjoy most and when coming in would be convenient for you.
Join our Small Group Training Program for 50% OFF Your First Month Are you starting to fall behind on your goals? If you stay on track or get on track our small group training program can help you. In our program, you will receive workouts for 2x or 3x week, meal plan blueprint, recipe guide, nutrition guide, and 1:1 coaching weekly. If you'd be interested in our small group training, simply hit reply and put 'Small Group’ in the subject line and I'll get you all the details.