At the gym we have a very specific process for new athletes. The short version looks like this:
- No Sweat Intro (NSI)
- Foundations Program
- Client’s First Rx
- 90 Day Goal Review
This is the path we take with all new folks. Some athletes come into their NSI knowing exactly what they want and what will work best for them. Others need some coaching and conversation around their habits and goals. From experience, I can tell you it’s pretty important that we get the athlete placed in the correction situation for them. The Rx and goal review portions of the list above just loop after the first 90 days, so we’re always meeting with clients to see how things are going. A typical goal review session will cover:
- their progress (strength, composition, habits built)
- their consistency
- their wins (bright spots)
- what they want to do in the next 90 days
Getting the Rx Wrong & Being Coachable
Sometimes, folks with come in and immediately look for the cheapest option. To recap, the client Rx options we offer include:
- private strength coaching
- group strength coaching
- hybrid strength coaching (a combination of group/private)
The problem with going the “cheapest” route is that it’s often done by the exact person that needs the opposite depth of help. What do I mean? When someone comes in and says they aren’t exactly sure about their goals, their schedule, and what nutrition changes their willing to make, I start to get a sense that they haven’t put much thought into this. Consequently, they are very likely to view coaching as an cost rather than the investment it is. This disposition often doesn’t improve over time.
Until a person is ready for help, specific help… accomplishing a particular goal, they’ll always look at coaching as a cost rather than investment.
So… Who is Group Strength Coaching For?
We like to make sure that any athlete, of pretty much any ability or skill level can utilize any of the Rx options we have. The factors for one vs. the other have little to nothing to do with how well someone moves, lifts, or what their body fat percent is. It just doesn’t matter. What does matter is that they are about to embark on a difficult journey and having the type of coaching that best suits their needs will be incredibly important in determining their outcome(s).
So, group strength coaching works best for those that like to handle a good portion of their journey. They don’t need much encouragement to get to the gym. They understand the commute and putting the shoes on is the hardest part. The put their gym bag next to the front door each night. They probably sit down every Sunday to book their classes because they understand how calendars and appointments work. They routinely control what they can control in the collaborative process. Because they have done so much of the leg work, the coaching staff can expect them to show up, ready to train and learn. This relationships works great when it works like this.
What If I’m Not That Guy?
Most people need more accountability than the athlete I was discussing above. And that is totally fine! You don’t get extra points for not needing as much help and you can still achieve great results when/if you need more help!
Most people are actually pretty overwhelmed with life stuff like work, kids, dinners, carpools, school functions, sporting events, and a million other things. The reality is they don’t need more freedom, they actually need less!
Leaving your performance open ended is a recipe for disaster for the vast majority of folks. You have to be very specific about:
- your schedule
- your habit changes
- your short/long term KPIs
- when you’ll evaluate your performance
Open ended approaches don’t work very well for the vast majority of folks because they need a date and a time when they have to show up and be held accountable for their actions. Accountability is a huge part of why we do goal reviews.
So if you’re busy with all of life’s other things, go ahead a sign up for the private strength coaching. You’ll actually show up and if you actually show up, you’ll actually get results. Those results will motivate you to keep going. If you keep going, you will have built the habits necessary to be successful in the long run. It’s this long run success and healthy habit building that we’re all in this for.
My personal experience has been that more intensive coaching is better than less intensive coaching if you’re not sure. It’s easy to walk yourself down the accountability ladder after you’ve had some success.
A lot of barbell gyms just assume that everyone is fully self sufficient when it comes to strength training, consistency, and progress but it just isn’t that way for the vast majority of folks. Most folks need help, so that’s why we do it the way we do it. When you’re ready, go ahead and Book a Call with one of our coaches to learn more about how we can help you.
Talk soon,
James