Since we have already discussed what to look for in a strength and conditioning coach or personal trainer, now marks the time to talk about why this individual can be crucial towards your fitness and athletic goals. In this article I will discuss three of the reasons why working with an educated and experienced coach can benefit you (even if you already know your way around the weight room).
MOTIVATION
In order to get the most out of a strength and conditioning program, an individual typically needs to step out of his or her comfort zone. When working out by yourself, you may not step out of your comfort zone and try extra weight or repetitions because you do not have a spotter or the motivation to push yourself. The best way to step out of your comfort zone is to have an educated and experienced individual leading you out of that area of comfort. This coach will know when to push you for that extra rep or when to put five more pounds on the bar. On the other end of the spectrum, this individual will also recognize when to back off and end a set due to technique breakdown or fatigue.
A strength coach can set realistic goals and push you towards them in a methodical fashion. By setting short-term as well as long-term goals, you can ensure your training is working in the intended fashion, whether you measure that by weight loss/body composition, strength assessments, speed timing, or by overall feeling of well-being. An educated coach will know how to challenge your body to achieve the goals that you set out for.
ACCOUNTABILITY
Accountability works in tandem with motivation. If you struggle to muster the motivation to integrate your workouts into your schedule, an appointment with a coach or trainer will hold you more accountable in keeping a regular workout routine. This may seem like a hassle or inconvenience as you first adjust to it, but I have witnessed the difference that it makes. After about a month or so of training, many of the clients that I have worked with have admitted that having the appointments scheduled was tough at first but now they feel guilty to themselves if they miss a workout. The accountability has helped them to adopt consistent (weekly, biweekly, tri-weekly, etc.) workouts so that they fit their regular weekly schedules, thus achieving a healthier lifestyle by making the commitment to themselves and to me.
When your work or school schedule goes through an unforeseen change, the idea of accountability with a coach shines brightest. Typically when this happens, one of the first things that may get cut from the to-do list is your workout. If you’re on your own without a reliable workout partner, this can happen in a split second. A scheduled appointment increases the odds that if you must miss the session you will reschedule in the future.
Accountability also factors into the specifics of the workout. If a workout program is written for you or is provided to you by a coach, in most cases I believe that you’re more inclined to follow it. A program that is written for you is more of a requirement when it comes to sets, repetitions, and exercise selection. Compared to a program that you have created or one that you make up as you wander around the gym, an outside program does not feel as flexible or as easily changed because you know that the person who wrote it thought out each step (don’t be afraid to ask why a set, rep, exercise, or load is written as it is, a professional coach should be able to explain every aspect of his/her workout). This difficulty in changing or modifying the program will ensure that you complete a full workout as prescribed. As a novice to moderately experienced lifter, your body can be put at an increased risk of injury by haphazardly making up a workout on the fly.
TECHNIQUE
Another benefit to working with a strength and conditioning coach is that every repetition (or close to every rep) will be under scrutiny. The most experienced, competitive lifters constantly tweak their technique to improve, so don’t be naïve and think that your exercise execution is perfect. Having an educated set of eyes can help to point out details that you may not notice. These details can help to improve your lifts and the health of your joints through proper use of body mechanics.
A coach can also ensure that you learn new movements properly from the start. It is much easier to learn proper technique from the start than it is trying to fix a practiced bad habit. Once again by learning the movement correctly to start you will reduce the risk of injury through faulty technique.
CONCLUSION
In order to reach your training goals, it is important that you put the work in, work in a consistent manner, and perform the work in a proper manner. These three facets are presented when working with a responsible strength and conditioning professional. The combination of these skills and a resumé that shows experience and education can really enhance your level of fitness and sports performance.