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TableofContents
Preface ................................................................................................................................................ 5
Chapter1:Introduction....................................................................................................................... 8
PersonalUnrelatedRelevantBackground ............................................................................................. 10
TheBigPicture ....................................................................................................................................... 11
NotesforMentoringStudents............................................................................................................... 12
Chapter2:TheCertificationDilemmaandtheGapofRelevance ....................................................... 14
TruckloadsandTeaspoons..................................................................................................................... 17
NotesforMentoringStudents............................................................................................................... 20
Chapter3:SomeBasicsontheNittyGrittyoftheCoach/ClientRelationship..................................... 21
ElementsoftheCoach/ClientRelationship ........................................................................................... 22
CoachingClientAwareness.................................................................................................................... 24
TheTriangleofAwareness:ThePhysical,TheEmotional,andtheMental ........................................... 25
RidingaBike .......................................................................................................................................... 28
GuidanceCounsellor.............................................................................................................................. 32
NotesforMentoringStudents............................................................................................................... 33
Chapter4:CharacteristicsofGoodCoaches:TheCoachingPie:SlicebySlice..................................... 34
Positive .................................................................................................................................................. 35
Enthusiasm ............................................................................................................................................ 36
Supportive ............................................................................................................................................. 36
Trusting.................................................................................................................................................. 37
Modeling................................................................................................................................................ 38
Focused.................................................................................................................................................. 39
CommunicationSkills:GoalOriented .................................................................................................... 40
Knowledgeable ...................................................................................................................................... 41
ObservationSkills................................................................................................................................... 43
Respectful .............................................................................................................................................. 44
Patience ................................................................................................................................................. 45
BeClear.................................................................................................................................................. 46
Assertiveness ......................................................................................................................................... 47
TooManyCooks .................................................................................................................................... 48
NotesforMentoringStudents............................................................................................................... 48
Chapter5:TheCoachandClientEntity.............................................................................................. 51
PraiseandCriticism ............................................................................................................................... 58
NotesforMentoringStudents............................................................................................................... 60
Chapter6:CoachasTeacher ............................................................................................................. 62
TheHomeworkAnalogy......................................................................................................................... 64
NotesforMentoringStudents............................................................................................................... 69
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Chapter7:Howto:CommunicatingEffectivelyAsaCoachandOnlineCoach ................................ 71
NotesforMentoringStudents............................................................................................................... 78
Chapter8:StrategiesandTacticsforCommunicatingCoachingInstruction ....................................... 80
1)Factual ............................................................................................................................................... 80
2)Explanatory........................................................................................................................................ 81
3)Justifying ............................................................................................................................................ 82
4)Leading .............................................................................................................................................. 83
5)Hypothetical ...................................................................................................................................... 83
6)AlternativeChoices............................................................................................................................ 84
7)Summarizing: ..................................................................................................................................... 86
NotesforMentoringStudents............................................................................................................... 89
Chapter9:DevelopingCoachingCommunicationSkillsandAwareness ............................................. 91
UnderstandingtheExchangeValueofCoachingCommunication ........................................................ 94
CommunicationBoundaries .................................................................................................................. 98
NotesforMentoringStudents............................................................................................................... 99
Chapter10:AdvancingCoachingAwareness ................................................................................... 101
TheScienceofthenonScience:DevelopingCoachingIntuition......................................................... 104
Attention/Intention ............................................................................................................................. 104
UndividedClientAttentionLeadstoEnhancedObservationSkills...................................................... 106
EmpowermentinProcess .................................................................................................................... 108
NotesforMentoringStudents............................................................................................................. 112
Chapter11:CommonCoachingMistakes ........................................................................................ 114
1)TheCoachingBiases ........................................................................................................................ 114
2)TheCarrotandStickTactic .............................................................................................................. 115
3)OverCoaching ................................................................................................................................. 116
4)Vogueing.......................................................................................................................................... 118
5)Jargonizing ....................................................................................................................................... 120
6)ParalysisbyAnalysis ........................................................................................................................ 121
7)EmotionalReactions ........................................................................................................................ 122
8)WalktheTalk ................................................................................................................................... 123
NotesforMentoringStudents............................................................................................................. 124
Chapter12:WheretoStart?............................................................................................................ 126
UnderstandingMotivation .................................................................................................................. 129
ReasonableExpectationsinCorrectiveSituations............................................................................... 131
ClientAccountabilityandResponsibility.............................................................................................. 137
CharacterTypesandPersonalityTraits ............................................................................................... 140
NotesforMentoringStudents:............................................................................................................ 143
Chapter13:ClientInteraction ......................................................................................................... 147
ClientFeedback ................................................................................................................................... 150
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NotesforMentoringStudents............................................................................................................. 153
Chapter14:SummaryofConceptsandConclusion .......................................................................... 154
TheJobofCoachorOnLineCoachintheFitnessIndustry................................................................. 156
CoachingBias....................................................................................................................................... 158
Conclusion ........................................................................................................................................... 162
GroomingandMentoring .................................................................................................................... 163
NotesforMentoringStudents............................................................................................................. 164

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Preface

Letmebeginwithsomebasichousecleaningnotes.Likeallmybooks,thisbookisself
publishedandselfedited.Thismeansitmayhavesomegrammaticalinconsistenciesandflaws.
Thereisnopublishingcompanybehindthisefforttooverseeandpolishthefinalproduct
beyondmyowntweaking.Imjustputtingthatoutthereinallhonesty:Havingsaidthat,this
bookiscontentdriven.Andtomymind,thecontentofthisbookhasyettobeaddressedinany
meaningfulwaywithintheFitnessIndustry.Andforme,thisrepresentsasadreality.Ithinkif
thetrueexpertsinthisindustrytakeupthecauseofreadingthisbook,thenovertime,
additionalworkscouldgoalongwaytoeliminatingtheinternethuckstersandmarketers
masqueradingasexpertswithinthefield.Sothisbookcouldreallybeacalltoarmsofsorts.
Itrepresentsabeginning.Myhopeisthatotherindustryexpertsandcoachesandconsumers
willusethisbookasareference.Andwithbothcritiqueandacknowledgement,moveforward
fromthebasicpremiseandideascontainedherein.
OvertheyearsIvebeenconsistentlybombardedwiththequestionWhatcertificationisthe
best?Theanswerisfrankly,allofthem,andnoneofthem.Thequestionisinfactthewrong
question.Thereforetheanswertendstobemisleading.Chapter2ofthisprojectaddresses
whatIrefertoasTheCertificationDilemmaandtheGapofRelevance.Likemanyother
industries,theFitnessIndustryhasbecomeonedimensionalinitsfocus.Thisisknownnowas
theinformationmyth.Andthismythispredominantindomainmediaanditsfieldofstudy.Itis
afundamentalproblemofrelevance.Andcertainlyaccreditationcanbeimportant.Butindustry
accreditationislimitedinfocusandscope.Itaddresses,andnotverywellatthat,whatto
knowtobeaprofessionalintheFitnessIndustry.However,itignoresthefundamentalreality
ofthejob.TherealquestionpeopleareaskingishowtobeaprofessionalintheFitness
Industry?Theyareaskinghowtheysustainoccupationalviabilityandcareeradvancementin
theIndustry.Andthesequestionsaresimplynotansweredorevenaddressedwithin
certificationaccreditation.Infact,thefocusonwhatcertificationtoacquiretakestheinquiry
intheexactoppositedirectionintermsofwhatskillsandtalentsarenecessarytodothejob.
AndIwouldaddtothis,theskillsandtalentstodothejobadequatelyandefficiently.Asa
matteroffact,thequestionofcertificationdoesnotanswerthefundamentalquestionforthe
fitnessindustry.Thisisaddressedinmyfirstchapter.Andthisquestionshouldbe,whatisthe
natureofthejoboffitnessprofessional?Theanswerwillsurpriseyou!
Byexample,learningabouttheaboutthebodyisentirelydistinctfromlearningaboutthe
client:Anddistinct,yetagain,fromlearningabouttheclientsbody.ThisiswhatImeanwhenI
saytheinformationmythleadspeopleinthewrongdirectioninpursuitofknowledge.

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Everybookshouldsolveonefundamentalquestionorproblem.Thisbookattemptstodoso.
Thefundamentalproblemseekingsolution;andwhatpeoplearereallyaskingishowdoesa
personestablishandsustaincareerviabilityintheFitnessIndustry?Theanswerswillsurprise
you.Andtheskillsetinvolved,willtakeyouinanentirelydifferentdirectionthanyouwould
expect.Thisprojectgoesoutofitswaytomakefundamentaldistinctionsofconceptssowidely
usedintheindustry;oftenincorrectly.
ThisbookaddressescoachingandonlinecoachingintheFitnessIndustry,whatitis,andwhat
itisnot.Tothatend,Chapter5addressesthedistinctdifferencesbetweentheCoachandthe
Trainer.ThesetermsareoftenusedinterchangeablyintheFitnessIndustry,yetasother
industriesillustrate,thedifferencesarequalitativelydistinctandobvious:Funnyhowthis
industryofallmissesthisdifferenceonaregularbasis.
TheFitnessIndustrysuffersitsownparadigmblindnessinthesematters.Assuchitfailsto
providetherealinformationforstudyonhowtosucceedlongtermwithintheIndustry.
Coachingyousee,isatwosidedcoin.Ontheonesideiswhatisknownasdomainknowledge.
Thisconsistsofthewhattostudy,aswellasinformationandexperience.Thisisthesole
focusontheindustryanditsaccreditationasitcurrentlyexists.Andthisleadstosomeblind
spotsintermsofthevariousrealitiesofactuallydoingthejobofFitnessexpert.Theindustry
focusleadstoablindspotofawarenessonlyontheimmediateaspectsofapplication.Butlike
anyendeavour,fitnessgoalsareaprocessofacquisitionandafocusononlytheimmediate
elementsofapplicationisnearsighted,toputitkindly.Moreover,thisonedimensionalfocus
onknowinginformationtendstoneglectandobjectifytheactualclientthefitnessprofessional
issupposedtobecertifiedandqualifiedtohelp.Howdoesthateverwork?Currentindustry
standardshaveaverykindergartenequationofknowthis,andthenslotclientinhere.This
projectwillshowindetailjusthowlimitedinscopesuchthinkingtendstobe.Italsowill
illustratehowandwhysomanypeoplefailtomakeitasprofessionalsintheindustry.Inshort,
theyhavenotbeendirectedtostudyingtheactualjoboffitnessprofessional.
Thisistheothersideofthatcoinmentionedabove.Andthisisthesubjectofthisproject.After
readingthisbook,andafterdoingtheexercisesattheendofeachchapter,youwillbeexposed
toafundamentallydifferentwayoflookingatthejobofFitnessprofessional.Thisprojectis
meanttoempowerboththewannabeFitnessprofessionalaswellastheFitnessconsumeras
well.Expertisecanbemoreclearlydefinedbyexaminingindetailbothsidesofitscoin.
Ihavealsomadesuretoemphasizekeypoints,acronyms,andphrasesbyputtingtheminbold
fontorunderliningthem.Tocreateyourownworkbookforthejob,merelycopyandpaste
whateveryouseeinboldorunderlinedandyouwillhaveaReadersDigestversionofthisbook
forquickreference.TheeraoftheFitnessCoachandtheOnLineFitnessCoachhasbeenupon

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usforsometime.Itstimesomeoneaddressedinrealterms,whatitis,whatitisnt,whatit
shouldbe,andhowtodoit!
ReadandfindoutthatknowingaboutFitnessismuchdifferentthanbeinganddoingthejobof
fitnessprofessional.

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Chapter1
Introduction

ThisventureismoreimportantandsubstantivenowinourindustrythanatanyprevioustimeI
havelivedthroughordiscussedwithmycompatriots;presentandpast.Therealityofthe
internet,internetmarketersandinfomercialsuccessthatinvadesthisindustryisatestamentto
ahugegapthatexistsinthefitnessindustryandalwayshas.Itisinfactasadtestamenttothis
industrythattheseoutsideforcesareactuallymoresuccessfulinrecruitingandmarketing
peopletotheirfitnessproductsthantheactualexpertbasethatcontinueslamecertification
processesthatareincompleteandmisleadingatbest.Iwillbeexploringthisingreaterdepth.
Throughoutthisdissertation,therewillbeanemphasisonthedifferencesbetweentrainerand
coach.Therewillbeanemphasisaswellonkeywordsthatmarkwhatthisindustryistruly
about.Iwillhighlightthesewordsthroughoutthetext.Thereareelementsofthefitness
industryevenatthehighestlevelsthatrepresentfailureandnotsuccess.Theindustryeither
consciouslyavoidstheserealitiesorunderestimatestheirownfailureinperpetuatingthem.
Regardlessofthewhy,careersuccessintheFitnessIndustryhasalotmoretodowithtraitsof
characterthatlieoutsidetheknowledgeumbrellaofFitnessandwhatpeopleunderstand
expertisetoactuallybe.Iwillbeaddressingtheserealitieswithinthefollowingpages.Hopefully
attheendofthisproject,manyofyouwillbeabletoclearlyseewhereemphasisneedstobe
placedforongoingsuccessintheindustryofFitness.Anditwillnotbewhereyouthink.This
projectrequires,youthereader,tobemoreopenmindedthaneverbeforeregardingwhatyou
thinkyourskillsaretobeingabletosucceedinthisbusiness.Andtobeclear,knowledgeisNOT
askill.AndathemeIwillrepeatthroughouttheremainderofthisprojectisthatknowledge
itselfisoflimitedvaluetolongtermsuccessinthefitnessindustry.Andthisisonerealitythe
expertsseemblindto.Andtobefair,thisneglectispartoftheirownindustryparadigm
blindness.Itsablindnessthatseekstoreinventitself,yearinandyearout.Andwhile
perpetuatingtheinformationmythallowsexpertslikemetofurtherourreputations,others
whoseektoestablishthemselvesintheindustryareleftbythewaysideanddonotmakeit.
Theyrigorouslyapplythemselvesineverythingtheindustrydictatestothemisimportant,and
yetanoverwhelmingmajoritydonotlastordonotprogressintheircareersinthisindustry.
Withsomuchexpertisesowidelyavailableinthisindustrynow,howcanthisbe?Theanswers
maysurpriseyou.
ThisismyversionofwhatittrulytakestosucceedatthehighestlevelsintheFitnessIndustry.
AnditsnotonlyaboutfinancialsuccessthatIrefer,buttocareerlongevitymoreimportantly.
AndthefactisthatwhatIseeascleartruthputsmeatoddsagainstmostofmycolleagues.Yet
onceIexplainthisthesisindetail,itmayhaveyoureconsideringyourcareerintheFitness
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Industrybasedontheactualskillsetsrequiredofyou.Orattheveryleast,thisprojectwilllead
youtolightbulbmomentsofhowandwhereyoucanbetteryourselfforcareerdurabilityin
theFitnessIndustry.
IstartedthisprojectbyaskingmyselftwoquestionsthatIhavebeenponderingforafewyears
now.ThesequestionsareHowdidIgethere?andWhyamIstillhere?Theanswerto
thesequestionsisoverwhelminglyonesided.TheanswertothesequestionsisCoaching.I
gottowhereIamintheFitnessIndustrynotsomuchviamyknowledgebase,butthroughan
acquiredandappliedcoachingskillset.Moreover,Ihavebeenabletostayviableinthis
industryfortheexactsamereason.Yet,whenIperusetheindexoflecturematerialatallthese
variousconventionsandsymposiums,thetopicofcoachinthefitnessindustryseems
woefullymissing.TheseprofessionalsymposiumsandCEUcoursesaregettingmoreandmore
carriedawaywithaneverendinglitanyofuselessinformationandpseudoscienceatthe
expenseofteachingandcreatinginsightfulandoriginalleaderswhotrulyhelptheconsumer
basetoreachandsustaintheirgoals.
Lookingbackoverthelastfewdecades,whatisconsideredknowledgeintheindustryhas
changedinboththedietandtrainingrealms.Andyeteacheraassumewitharrogancethat
theirnewwayistherightway.Afterwatchingrightwayscomeandgooverdecades,whatI
knownowisthatevenwhenknowledgechangesconsiderably,coachingandleadershipskills
donot.Andyet,anyaddressoftheindustryintocoachingoronlinecoachingseemsto
remaininavacuum.AsofJanuary2010,Iamenteringmyfourthdecadeofearningalivingin
thefitnessindustry.Icansaywholeheartedlythattheskillsettocareerviabilityliesoutsidethe
knowledgerealmofFitnessandismoredeeplyconnectedtopeopleskills.Itisnotwhatyou
knowthatmakesyouviableforacareerinfitness.Thisisjustmarketingofknowledge.Career
successintheFitnessIndustryismarkedinsteadbywhatyoudoandhowyoudoit.
Mygoalinthisprojectistosharewithallwannabecoachesandtrainerstheelementsof
coachingandleadershipapplicationwhichtrulymeritsuccessandsustainabilityintheFitness
Industry.Theapplicationofcoachingskillspresentedherebridgesahugegapwhichexistsin
theFitnessIndustry.Thisbridgegoesbeyondtheillusionofknowledgebase,theinformation
myth,andscientismandinsteadaddressesafundamentalskillsetthatcannotadequatelybe
studiedinordertobeacquired.Coachingandleadershipareatalent;anabilityifyouwill.
Knowledgeisusuallycontainedinabox.Talentandabilityseldomcanhavesuchlidsto
containment.Thetruthis,coachingskillisallaboutunderstandingnuance.Andbecause
nuanceissocomplicatedittendstobeignoredasafocusofstudyinanindustrywhichclearly
needsit.
Ithasoftenbeensaid,andIagreethatsuccessleavesclues.Soeventhoughtheskillsetof
coachinghasatalentcomponenttoit,whichcannotbestudiedtobeacquired;thereare
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specificelementstothecoachingskillsetwhichcanbeaddressedandshared.Ifthese
componentpartsarestudiedenoughtobeunderstood,thentheymayleavefootprintsfor
otherstofollowforbridgingthegapbetweenknowledgeandapplication.Thetruthis,evena
tablespoonofknowledgeisenoughtotrulysucceedintheFitnessIndustry;aslongasitis
matchedwithanequaltablespoonofapplicationskills.Addressingthisrealityisthefocusof
thisproject.

PersonalUnrelatedRelevantBackground
TobeginwithmyownjourneyofhowdidIgethere,andwhyamIstillhere;letmesharewith
youthefollowingrelevantfactsthathaveeverythingtodowithmysuccessintheindustry;but
verylittletodowithmyknowledgebasewithintheindustry:Theexperiencesthatledmeto
beingagreatcoachwerethevarietyofexposuresIhadtodifferentpeoplefromdifferent
realmsthroughmypast.Myactiveandongoingfascinationbackthenwithhowandwhy
differentpeopleperceivedtheworld,allowedmetodevelopaveryspecificskillset.LittledidI
realizeatthetimeitwasthisveryuniqueskillsetthatlentitselftomebecomingavery
successfulcoachintheFitnessIndustry.
First,Iamfromaverybluecollarbackground.Iputmyselfthroughschoolworkinginafactory
byday,andasadoormaninanightclubbynight.Yet,atthesameIwasminglingintheseblue
collarworldsIwasalsostudyingMarx,Freud,Shakespeare,Hume,etc.Thedivergenceofthese
twoworldswasnotlostonme.YoucouldsayIwaspayingattentiontotheobservationsof
theworldaroundme,bothintellectuallyandculturally.Ilearnedthenecessityofbecoming
adeptatintellectuallyconversingonthesubjectmatterofthesewriters,philosophers,and
scientistswithotherstudentsandfacultymembers.Moreover,Ihadtodefendand
undergraduatethesisgroundedintheoryandtheoreticalapplicationoftheory.Imentionthis
becauseitistheoppositeofthecurrentvoguetrendintheFitnessIndustrywherepeople
graduateasempiricists,nottheorists.Sowhatwouldseemlikeadisadvantageinmycurriculum
ofstudyactuallybecamemystrengthforbeingagreatcoach.Why?Becausethecoachingskill
setisaboutpeople,notaboutalimiteddomainofknowledge.Iwillcomebacktothisaswell
throughoutthevariouschaptersbelow.Theimportantpointisnottoindulgeyouwithmypast,
buttopointoutaveryrelevantdifferenceofthispastwhichforgedmyabilitiesandtalentsfor
beingacoachintheFitnessIndustry.
Atthesametimemystudiestookmeinonementaldirection,myworkingrealityhadlittleto
dowithintellectualjargonorvocabulary.Oneofmyfirstcareerjobsaftermyundergraduate
degreewasworkingwithyoungoffenders.NextIassumedajobwithinCommunity
Corrections.Thepremiseofthisjobwastohelplongtermoffenderswhoweregetting
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releasedfromprisonreintegrateintotherealworld.Mymandatewastofindthemjobsand
engagetheminlifeskillstrainingforreintegrationintosocietyinahealthyfunctionalmanner.
Thisjobrequiredofmeonceagaintomovebackandforthbetweenverydivergentrealities.I
hadtospeaktotheexconsfromtheirvantagepoint;notonlytobeunderstoodbutrespected
aswell.Atthesametime,Ihadtoestablishtiesbothwithinthecommunityandwithinthe
bureaucracyofofficialsIworkedfor.Thecommunityandthebosseshadtobeconfidentinmy
socialworkskillsetandmycommunicationskills.Iwasonceagainmovingbackandforthin
differentworldswhosemembersperceivedtheworldindifferenttermsandmentalimages.
Thisexperienceestablishedmycapacityforcommunicatinginvaryingdegreesandvocabularies
thatservemewellasacoach.Thekeywordherewhichkeepspoppingupiscommunication.
Andtherelevantpointisthecontextofcommunication.Youcommunicatewithpeople,not
atthem;oronthem.Thisistheoperatingdifferencebetweenastudyofadomainof
knowledge,andtherequiredskillsetofapplication.Thispeopleorientedskillsetisnot
somethingthatcanbegainedbygraduatingasanempiricistnomatterhowdeepthat
knowledgebasemaygo.

TheBigPicture
Haveyoueverdonealargepuzzle?Individualswhograduatewithsciencedegreesrelevant
totheFitnessIndustryseethefocusofstudymuchdifferentlythantheoristslikeme.Current
expertswouldhaveyoubelievethatanemphasisonthesmallerpiecesiswhateffectively
putsthepuzzletogethertoformthebigpicture.Myexperiencehasbeentheopposite.Asa
theorist,Iseeatotallydistinctandrelevantskillsetthanwhattheseempiricistswouldeven
acknowledge.Ilabelthislackofinsighttheyshareasparadigmblindness.Tomymindthe
morecompletemethodologyistoaddressthebigpictureofthepuzzlefirst;whatthepuzzle
willresembleuponcompletion,andworkfromthere.Thenyouworkthepuzzlefromthat
conceptualbeginning;onlythenlookingintothesmallerpieces,startingfromtheborderetc
andworkingin.Whatiseasier,takingalookatthepictureontheboxtoseehowthepuzzlewill
lookuponcompletion;andhavingavisualideaofitwhileworkingthepieces;orpayingno
attentiontothepictureonthebox,andworkingonpuzzlerulesforputtingthepieces
together?Oneapproachseesthewhole,theotheronlypieces.Ifthepuzzleinquestionisa
client,thenthebigpictureshouldbethemandateofapplication;yettheFitnessIndustrystill
takethepiecebypieceapproach.
AsIvesaidofteninmyseminarsdiscussingparadigmblindness,Ivenevermetaneffective
coachinmyindustrywhowearsalabcoat.InfactIveforgottenmorescienceofmyindustry
thanmostexpertswilleveraccess.Why?BecauseIvelearnedthatmoreandmorescientific
knowledgehaslittletodowithbeinganeffectivecoach.Clientsuccessisnotaboutallyou
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know,butaboutallyoudo.Clientcomplianceisthegoalifyouhaveeventhattablespoonof
knowledgereferredtoabove.Andwhenagoodcoachconsidersclientcompliance,he
considerstheimmediate,thelingering,andthelongtermaspectsofthiscompliance.Thisis
anotherlessonItookawayfrommysocialworkexperience.Shorttermsuccessissimple.
Anyonecanstarveawillingparticipantandtesttheirwillpowerfor12weeks,andhavea
successfulphysiquetransformation.InfactthisseemstobetheemphasisintheFitness
Industry.Butiftheweightlossortransformationisnotsustained,thenthisrepresentsfailureto
mymindforthecoach.WhyisthisnotbeingaddressedintheFitnessIndustry?Justlikein
socialwork,ifmyclientendsupgoingbacktojailregardlessofshorttermcompliancetorules,
thentheresultisnotasuccess,butafailure.Itstimetheindustryaddressedthesefalse
successesforwhattheyare:Failure.
Acoachhasinsteadadifferentmandatethanshorttermsuccesswithitsfalseindicators.
Changingaclientforlongtermbenefitisallaboutprocess,motivation,consistency.Inthis
sense,domainknowledgetakesabackseattopeopleskills.Youcanteachsomeonetoactivate
theirglutes;youcanteachsomeonetosquatcorrectly;youcanteachsomeonetocount
caloriesandchoosefoodsmoreintelligentlytosuittheirgoals.Theseareallthingsthatcanbe
studiedinabook.Buttoengagesomeonetomaintainapassionfordoingallthesethings,anda
motivationtosustainthemwithoutentertainingobsession,guilt,oroutcome;thisrequireson
goingpeopleandcommunicationskills.ThecommunicationskillsIunwittinglydevelopedby
participatingindifferentworldscombinedwithmyearlypassionforbodybuildingledmeto
becominganaturalleaderandcoach.TheknowledgeandinformationedgeIacquiredinthe
industrywasjustanaturalcomponentpartoftheprocess.Youcouldsaymyknowledgebasein
theFitnessIndustrywasthesmallerpiecesofthelargerpuzzle.Currentexpertisebasedin
empiricismwouldhaveyoubelievetheopposite.
Coachingisaboutgoingfromthewhatandhow,tothemoreimportantWHY?Thefocuson
shorttermsresultsintheFitnessIndustryonlycreatesaturnstiletypeofbusinessforthecoach
ortrainer.Butimbuingaclientwithlongtermpurposeanddesiretosucceedandsustaintheir
progressservesbothyouasthecoachandtheclientfortheshorttermandthelongterm.Long
termsuccessintheFitnessIndustryismoreinsuredbybeingagoodcoach,moresothana
competenttrainer.

NotesforMentoringStudents

Isthereaskillsetforlongtermsuccessinthefitnessindustrythattheindustryitself
maybeignorantof,ornegligentinexploringindepth?

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Howmuchdomainknowledgeisreallyneededtogainandsustainlongtermsuccessin
theFitnessIndustry?

Explorethequestions,HowdidIgethere?WhyamIstillhere?Inotherwords,what
specificaspectsofyourowncharacterandenvironmentdriveyouandsustainyou.How
canyouusetheminyourfitnesscareergoals?

ExaminewhatScottreferstoasnuance,andwhatitpertainsto.

Primarily,whatisthecoachingskillsetabout?Addressthisquestionconsistently
throughtheremainingchapters.

Whatisthebenefittothebigpictureanalogy?

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Chapter2
TheCertificationDilemmaandtheGapofRelevance

OneoftheworkingfalsehoodsoftheFitnessIndustryisanundertoneofwhatdrivesit.Andthis
iscontentovercontext.Thisisafundamentalmistake.Thetruthisthisisaclientcentred
industry.CertificationinitsmanycurrentformswouldhaveyoubelievethatFitnessisan
informationbasedindustry.Itstimeexpertsaddressedthisfalsehoodinitstruestsenseand
whatitmeansinactuality;notpracticality.Tobeclear,theFitnessIndustryisarelationship
orientedserviceindustry.Thistruthislostintodaysdogmaofmicroanalysisanddogmatic
pursuitofchasingscientificrepresentation.Theactualpeopleyouaretrainingtolearntoguide
arelostinthepursuitofmoreandmoreinformationandresearch.
Letsbeginwithabasicpremisethatwillbeexaminedingreaterdetailinsubsequentchapters.
Indeedthiscomparisonwillbeaconstantthroughoutthistext.TrainerandCoachare
vastlydifferentterms.Thisdistinctionseemstobeblurredinthefitnessindustryandthetwo
termsareoftenusedinterchangeably.Yetletslookattheprofessionalsportsworldforsome
distinction.IfweobservetheNFL,theNBA,theNHLetconeobviousobservationcanbemade
withouterror.Intheseprofessionalbrackets,trainerandcoacharefarandawayseparate
entities.Theyareseparatetitles,separateimportance,separateemphasis,separateimpact,
andseparatecontext.InprofessionalathleticscoachisEVERYTHING.Traineriscorrectly
subordinatetothecoach.Howandwhydoesthefitnessindustryconfusethesetwotermsand
usetheminterchangeablywheneverywhereelsetheymeancompletelydifferentthings?
Thelessonstobegainedhereareobvious.IntheFitnessIndustryletsbeclearandputtingall
politicalcorrectnessaside;thefactisanymoroncanbeatrainer.Anymoroncangetcertified
asatrainer.Certificationatvariouslevelsexiststobasicallyinsurethisunfortunatereality.Any
certificationthatcanbeachievedwithaslittleinvolvementandrequirementasiscurrentinthe
FitnessIndustryisnotworththepaperitswrittenon.Andinrealitythesecertificationsoften
evenattheadvancedleveldonotmeanmuch.AsIalwayssaycertified,doesnotmean
qualified!Moreover,trainingissomethingyoudototheclient,whilecoachingissomething
youdowiththeclient.Withcertificationbeingearnedmerelyfromstudyingspecific
informationandthenbeingtestedonit,whatispracticaloftenstrainswhatisactual.Online
certificationsandCEUscanbedoneathomefromyourcomputer.Ifcoachingaclientisindeed
arelationshipcentredserviceorientation,thenhowcanthisskillsetpossiblybeevaluatedin
anobjectivehomestudyprocess?Iknowseveralqualifiedtrainerswhohavetakenthehome
examsandCEUsforsomeoneelse,tosavethemtime.Thecurrentcertificationdilemmaleaves
fartoomanywannabecoachesandtrainersintheFitnessIndustrylackinginthemostbasic
elementsofacoachingskillset.Regardingtrainers,JCSantanasaidsometimeago,any
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monkeycanslapabunchofexercisestogetherandcallitaprogram.Andregardlessof
certification,thisistherealitywhichrepresentsthefitnessindustryrightnow.
Alltoooftenandmoreandmorefrequentlypeoplearegetting(butnotearning)the
reputationofcoachwhichisvastlyoverstated.Andtherealityofthisisthatsuch
overstatementsarepossiblebecauseofalackofunderstandingofthetermstrainerand
coachwithintheIndustryitself.AsIvesaidandwillsayagain,testingsomeoneswillpower
intheshorttermwithdeprivationdietsandhoursoftraining;andoftentheadditionof
performanceenhancingdrugs,towinacontestortransformaphysique,haslittletodowith
actualcoachingoreventrainerknowledge.Thefactthisactualitycanbeconfusedinthe
FitnessIndustryisproofagainofatruelackofunderstandingofthesekeytermsandtheir
representations.

Successleavesclues.MostclientsintheFitnessIndustryareseekingcosmeticphysique
enhancement.Ifwegobacktotheprofessionalsportsworldandobservehighlevelathletes,
andespeciallythosewithimpressivephysiquedevelopment;thereareclueswhichsuggest
somethingismissingintheFitnessworldofstudyandcertification.Wefindacrossvarious
sportsandactivitiesacrosstheglobeNOTasimilarityinexerciseorientationorpractice.And
wealsofindthereisNOTasimilarityinafieldofstudy.(i.e.certificationprogramsorstrength
andconditioningjournals)YettheFitnessIndustryhasanarrowfocusonstudyingmaterial
regardlessofrelevance.Thetruthofthecommonthreadofhighlevelathletesacrosstheglobe
isnotafieldofstudyoramodeoftraining.Whattrulylinkstheseathletesisalonghistoryof
doingtheirselectedactivitywithaconcomitantlonghistoryofbeingwellcoachedwithinit.
Observationally,coachingseemstobethecommonthread.Coachingisthelanguageof
success.Acrosstheglobeathleteswithgreatphysiquesseldomspendtimeonfocusing
studyinghowtoachievethem.
Tobesure,whatisobservedisnotwhichcertificationismostvalued;itsnotwhatareaof
studyyieldsthemostbenefits;anditsdefinitelynotwhohadthemostcherishedsecret
exercisesanddiets.Yetallthesenotsarethecurrentpursuitstoexpertiseinthefitness
industry.Somethingisamiss.Andcoachingrelevanceiswhatismissinginthefitnessindustry.
Coachingandunderstandinghighperformanceleavesclues.ActionandcoachingAREthe
secrets.Yet,coachingisseldomaddressedintherealmofprofessionalaccreditationand
certificationforpeopleintheFitnessIndustry.Highperformanceisnotaboutequalresults,but
aboutattainingapersonshighestlevelofperformanceanddesiretodoso.Inthefitnessarena
itsaboutbeingcontentwiththeresultsofdoingso.Coachinganditsrequisiteskillsetshould
beimplicitwithinthiscontext.

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Becausethestudyofcoachingrepresentsmorethanonedimensionandconfoundingelements
ofpeopleandcommunicationskills,itseemstobesimplyignoredinthearenaofcertificationin
theFitnessIndustry.Andastudyofcomprehensivecourseworkfortheskillsetforcoaching
maymoreadequatelysuitadegreeprograminUniversity.Iwouldnotarguethispoint,andI
agreewithit.PerhapsmentoringisbettersuitedfortheroleofbecomingcoachintheFitness
Industry.Andonceagainweseethisrealityreflectedinprofessionalsportsaswell.Nearlyall
respectedcoachesatonetimewerementoredassubordinatesunderothercareercoaches.
MentoringmaybethewellspringfortruesuccessforlongevityintheFitnessIndustry.
Butmerelyignoringthecoachingcomponentjustleavesavoidintheareaofaccreditationand
certificationintheFitnessIndustrywhichismisleading.Ihaveseveralclientswhothemselves
haveseveralcertifications.Theyattendthevarioussymposiumsandconventionsofferedbythe
industry.AfewofthemalsotakeeveryCEUtheymustinordertomaintaintheirstandingin
thefieldandtheircertificationupdatesandupgrades.Buttheinsideinformationhereis
importanttoreveal.Everysingleoneofmyclientsunderthiscertificationumbrellawhich
representsknowledgehasreportedtometheyveneverusedasinglebitofinformationtheyve
acquiredasaresultofupgradesbypayingfornewCEUs.Onceagaintheactualandthe
practicalaredifferentworlds.Andinformationheldoutasknowledge,whenignored,is
anythingbutknowledge.Sothebusinessoffitnessandcertificationisrepresentingonething,
butinactualityisanother.Sothisbegsthequestion,whatarewereallyteaching?Isit
relevant,ormerelynew,andcreatedtogenerateincome?Andworseyet,ifthesmartest
peopleareignoringwhattheyvesupposedlygainedinthesecourseupgrades,thenwhatisthe
realbenefittothepotentialclient?
TheuglytruthisthattheFitnessIndustryreliesonthehighturnoverratesofclientsand
trainerswithinit,inordertosustainitself.Inotherwords,80%ofcertifiedtrainersleavethe
industrywithin5years.Theaveragetrainerlastsmerely18monthsinthevocation.Andwithin
thissametimeframethereisalotofhorizontalmobilityoftrainersjumpingfromonefacilityto
another.Thisshowsalackofstabilityaswellaslittleopportunityforadvancement.There
seemstobeverylittlejoborcareersecurityfrombeingcertifiedbyvariousfitnessinstitutions
ororganizations.Thefitnessindustrycorrectlywantstoinsurecompetenceoftrainers.Butthe
trainersaremisledtobelievingtheircertificationsomehowrepresentsrequisiteskillsforlasting
intheindustryandmovingupwithinit.Thesearefalsehoods.Andthisalsohasatremendous
impactonclientsintheindustry.Thereexistsalmostatotal100%recidivismrateforclientsin
theFitnessIndustrywhohaveachievedtheirgoals.Whetheritsfatlossorphysique
transformationthetruthisevenifmostpeopleactuallyachievetheirgoals,theydonotsustain
themevenintheshortterm.Evenconsumerclientsthemselvesarelikelytomoveonfromthe
FitnessIndustrywithinafiveyearperiod.Tomymind,thishighturnoverrateoftrainersand
clientsdoesnotrepresentsuccessofhigherlearning,accreditationandcertificationinthe
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industry.Itactuallyrepresentsitsfailure.Thisrepresentsthesamemistakeplayedoutinpublic
educationfacilities.Thisuglytruthisakintolearningcalculusingradesfourandfiveonlyto
growuptobealifeskillscounsellorinagroupsettingsomewhere.Trulythereexistsagapof
relevancewithinthecertificationprocess.
Andbecauseofthis,unscrupulousmarketerscanswoopinandtrumpknowledgewithget
resultsquickschemesandformulationswhichrakeinmillions.Inotherindustrieswherethe
proofisinthepudding,thiswouldnotbepossible.Sobecausethisindustryreliessomuchon
shorttermemphasisandturnover,itisactuallyfailing,notsucceedinginprovidingcareer
opportunitiesforitsstudents.
Byanalogy,imaginegoingtobarbercollegeorhairdressingschoolandgettingcertified.You
openupashop.Andwithallthelatestgadgetsandtechniquesyouvebeen,yougivean
absolutelywonderfulhairstyletoyourfirstfewcustomers.Thenimaginewithinthenextfew
monthsalltheirhairfallsout.Whatisthelikelihoodyouwouldmaintainandsustainyournew
business?ButthisistheexactscenarioplayedoutsosubtlyintheFitnessIndustry.Now,going
intomyfourthdecadeofcoachingintheFitnessIndustry,thisgapofrelevanceiswhatIcall
thecertificationdilemma.

TruckloadsandTeaspoons
Withinthisgapofrelevance,theFitnessIndustryhasbecomesoonedimensionalastobe
almostunrecognizable.Creativityhastakenabackseattopseudoscienceandparadigm
blindnesswithintheexpertbase.OrganizationsarecreatingCEUsthatyearafteryeararejust
moreofthesameofrepresentingcomplicatedmethodologyasrelevantmaterialtostudy.Asa
businessnow,theFitnessIndustryinsistsoncreatingabubbleofcomplicationonlyforthesake
ofhavingitsmembershipstudyit,regardlessofitsrelevanceforFitnessexperts.TheFitness
IndustryisstuckinthesameideologyWarrenBuffetwarnedagainstwhenhestatedthat
professionalorganizationsareaconspiracyagainstthelaity.Theseorganizationsinsiston
complicatingwhatissimple,merelysotheycancreatebothasourceofincomeandarbitrary
criteriatotestandevaluate.Yet,whatisactuallycomplicatedbutaccessibleandrelevant,such
astheskillsetofcoachingwithintheindustry,remainsignoredasanongoingsourceofstudy
andupgrade.
Tobeclear,pilingupinformationlikeonebrickstackeduponanothermerelycreatesawall.
Withtheindustryreinforcingthisdogma,itendsupwiththeFitnessexpertononesideofthe
wall,andthepotentialclientontheother.Theweaknessinthisshouldbeobvious.Whatis
neededisadoorwaybetweenfitnessexpertandpotentialclient.Thishaseverythingtodowith
teachingskillsofapplication,overbricksofinformation.
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ByexamplejustwithinthelastfewsymposiumsintheFitnessIndustry,theseweresomeofthe
lecturesoffered:
1)LeanBodyMassandWeightBearingActivityinthePredictionofBoneMineralDensityin
PhysicallyActiveMen.
2)QuadrennialPlanningfortheAthlete

3)ThePostWorkoutProteinPuzzle:WhichProteinPackstheMostPunch?

4)TheoryandPracticeofVibrationTraining

5)NeuromuscularControlTrainingProgramstoReduceLowerExtremityInjuryRisk

6)ChangesinSweatMineralConcentrationsAfterHeatAcclimatization

7)RelationshipBetweenMaximalSquatStrengthandFive,Ten,andFortyYardSprintTimes

8)NutritionalSupplementationBEFORE,DURING&AFTER,ResistanceTraining:
Recommendations

9)TimeCourseofPostactivationPotentiationDuringIntermittentSubmaximalFatiguing
ContractionsinEnduranceandPowerTrainedAthletes.

10)EffectsofLoadandContractionVelocityDuringThreeWeekBicepsCurlsTrainingon
IsometricandIsokineticPerformance.

Aswecanseeintheseaboveexamplesthereisanemphasisoninformation;orworseafinding
ofinformation.Noneoftheabovelecturematerialsuggestsaskillsetofapplication
techniquestoaidtheFitnessExperttobebetterathisactualjobofbeingafitnessexpert.This
seemstobeleftuptotheindividual.Thisneglectassumesalot.Itassumesthatattendeesat
suchconventionsalreadyhaveandunderstandanunderlyingbaseofinformationthatwerefer
toasthebasicprinciplesofFitness.Yet,onceagainmyreallifeexperienceintheindustryis
thatmanyoftheexpertsthemselveslackaclearanddeepunderstandingoftheunderlying
principlesinvolved.

Thislackofacommonknowledge,callittheconsonantsandvowelsofFitness,makesuch
abovelecturematerialevenlessviableasusefultoolsintheFitnessexpertsupgradeofactual
skillsforworkingwithhisclients.

Whatwewitnessisthestaggeringoveremphasisofspeakersandexpertsbreakingdownand
compartmentalizingmoreandmoreuselessdetailattheneglectoftheactualskillsetinvolved
withinanyindustrylikethisone,whichisactuallyserviceoriented.Lecturesliketheoneslisted
abovearethenewsmokeandmirrorsshowwhichrepresentsknowledgeyetareanythingbut
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knowledge.Theapplicationofknowledgeasabasicskillsetisbeingignoredandknowledgeis
beingmisrepresentedasacquiringmoreandmoreinformationregardlessofapplicability.

Tolookattheabovethequestionbecomes,howwouldthislecturehelpmeasafitness
expert,helpmyclientreachhisgoals?Implicitwithintheanswertothisquestionisthe
mistakenconceptthattheinformationprovidedsomehowlendstothisanswer.Yetnoneof
theseabovelecturesimplythehowtoofbeingabetterfitnessprofessionalarmedwitha
moreusefulskillsetforclientimplementation.Informationisnotknowledgeasisobvious
above.Insteadasinmostindustries,informationitselfisbecomingthenewdogma.Thefailure
oftheFitnessIndustryasabusinessisthatitreinforcesthismythattheexpenseofaddressing
whattrulywouldleadtolongevityforacareerintheFitnessIndustry.

Asarelationshiporiented,clientcentred,serviceindustry,theFitnessIndustryneedstomore
clearlyanddeeplyaddressapplicationratherthanmerelyreinforcingpilingupinformation.
Itsobvioustoanyonethatclientcomplianceonlywillleadtogoalachievement.Allthe
informationadvancedorbasicisuselessifitcannotbeutilizedproperlywithintheapplication
ofprotocol.Thisbegsthequestion,howmuchinformationisenough?Thereneedstobe
somekindoffilteraswellastowhatinformationisactuallyapplicableasskillupgradesvs.what
informationisbettersuitedtomorescientificenvironments.

Mypointisallabouttheindustryblindnesstowardknowledgeacquisitionwithinthevacuumof
applicationskills.AFitnessExpertcanhaveatruckloadofinformationstoredinhisbrain
regardingindustryknowledge.AndwhatIveseenmywholecareerinthisindustryisthatthis
truckloadofinformationisuselesswhenthelinkstoapplicationandcontextarenevertaught.
Sothecertifiedfitnesstrainer,evenonewithadvancedornumerousaccreditations,endsup
withatruckloadofinformation;yetonlyateaspoonofknowledgeofapplicationand/or
practicality.

Coachinganditsrequisiteskillsetaddressthisproblemoftruckloadsandteaspoons.Coaching
isbroaderbasedandisnotrootedinempiricism.(Ifyoudonotknowthewordempiricismlook
itupnow.)Thisisitsstrength,notitsweakness.Coachingisallabouttheartofapplication.
Thereisnoscienceroottoit.Thisistheblindnesswithintheindustrytryingtotrainandcreate
expertise.Thesesymposiumswhichrepresentperformingbetterforthefitnessexpertstill
createsachasmbetweenus(thefitnessexpert)andthem(thefitnessclient)Thismentality
continuestoreinforcethemistakethatexpertiseissomethingyouapplytodoonortothe
client;insteadofexpertisebeingaresourcewithintherelationshipofbeingimplementedas
somethingyoudowiththeclient.Andwhilemanypursuethefitnessindustrywithapassion
tolearnasmuchaspossible,themistakeisinthinkingthismakesthepersonabettercoachor
trainer.

Gainingthattruckloadofinformationmaybeinterestingtothepursuantbutifittranslatesinto
onlyateaspoonofapplicabilityoractualvaluetothepotentialclient;thenmoreislostthan
gained.AndtheemphasisoftheFitnessIndustryatthehighestlevelsreinforcesthismentality.
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Thisisafailure,notasuccessofunderstandingthevalueofwhattherequisiteskillstrulyarein
thefitnessindustry.

Tobridgethisgapofrelevanceasitcurrentlyexistsintheindustry,applicationskillsneedto
bemoredeeplyconsideredaspartofrequiredstudyandpreparation.Asustainableexistence
forafitnessexpertmandatesthisreality.Coachingandleadershipskillstrumptheknowledge
baseasfarastruefacetstolongtermcareersuccessareconcerned.Domainknowledgeisbuta
merecomponentofthisskillset.Peopleskills,emotionalmaturity,andemotionalintelligence
arefarmorevitalaspectsforcareersuccessinthisclientcentred,relationshipfocused,
serviceindustry.Itstimesomeonewhohasstudiedandsuccessfullydemonstratedtheseskills
withintheindustrystartedspeakingthislanguageofcontextandapplication:itstime
someonestartedteachingtheelementsofcoachingandleadership.Thisisthecontextwithin
whichtruedomainknowledgeisapplied.

Toignorethecontextunderwhichdomainknowledgecontentisappliedwouldbelikehaving
someonestudytextbooksonbasketballandthenhavethemtrytocoachhockey.Withouta
backgroundofcontextandrelevance,theknowledgecontentofanydomainlacksthecommon
senseandreasonnecessaryfortheskillsetofapplication.

ThetopFitnessIndustryexpertsallacknowledgetherealityofthescienceandtheartof
expertise.WhatIwitnessisatotalemphasisonthescience,andatotalneglectoftheart.The
coachingskillsetisatthecentreofthisart.Andthecoachingskillsetisthefocusoftherestof
thisproject.

NotesforMentoringStudents

WhatisthetruenatureoftheFitnessindustry?Howisitbestsuitedtocoaching?

Whatisthemoderncertificationdilemma,andhowdoesitplayoutintheindustry?

Examineafewcommonelementsofacoachingskillset.

Discusstheuglytruthandthegapofrelevanceofthecertificationprocess.Examine
whatismissingandwhatislost?

Whatisthecurrentindustrybias,andwithinit,whichessentialskillsetisbeing
ignored?

Discusstheanalogyoftruckloadsandteaspoons.Examineyourowngapofrelevanceor
focusinthisregard.

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Chapter3
SomeBasicsontheNittyGrittyoftheCoach/ClientRelationship

Whetheryouworkinagymasatrainer;orwhetheryouareanonlinecoachlikemyselfthere
aresimilaritieswithintheclientbase.Clientsarecomingtoyoubecausethey1)assumeyou
havealevelofexpertisethattheydonotpossess,and2)theywanttoemployyoutousethis
expertisetohelpthemachievesomespecificendorgoal.Althoughthesegoalsandabilitiesof
clientswillvary,theseunderlyingpointsillustratethenatureoftherelationshipbetweenclient
andentrustedexpert.Butwhatiscertainlyimpliedinallinstancesisaleveloftrustand
commitmentontheclientspart.Thisisillustratedbythemoneyandtimeclientshaveinvested
intheprocessofhiringtheFitnessexpert.ThisfactunderliesallthatIhavebeensaying.The
natureoftheFitnessIndustryisarelationshipcentred,clientfocused,servicebase.The
generalnatureofthisrelationshipisthefocusofthischapter.Butitwillbeexploredingreat
depthbeyondthischapteraswell.(sokeepthisinmind)
MyrealizationthatcoachingtalentisthetruenatureofhowIhavesustainedmyselfinthis
industry,hasledmetoanareaofstudyignoredwithintheFitnessIndustryitself.Ihavespenta
greatdealoftimestudyingbiographiesofgreatcoachesinbothsportandindustry.Ihavealso
undertakenanindepthstudyofworldleadersaswell.Bystudyingtheseworldsindetail,some
commondenominatorsrelevanttotheFitnessIndustryrevealthemselves.However,some
distinctionsarealsotrue.
Ingeneral,therearerelevantdifferenceswiththecoachingenvironmentinlargeindustrieslike
corporationsandprofessionalsports.Coachesintheseindustriesaresubordinatetoatight
managementandbureaucraticstructurewhichdoesnotexistinthecoach/clientworldof
Fitness.Thisrealityallowsforawiderpotentialofopenendedenvironmentsofinteractionand
coachingstyles.Foreffectivecoacheswhotrulyunderstandthenatureofcoaching,thiscanbe
ahugeliberation.However,theflipsideisthatthisrealityalsoallowsfortotalimpostersand
poserstoenterthemixwithoutanybackgroundstructureformeasuringrealworldsuccess.
Thishasledtotheenormouspiratingofexpertisebyinternetandinfomercialhucksterswho
capitalizeontheconsumersdesiresforattainingandsustainingrealfitnessresults.
ThereareconsumersintheFitnessIndustrywhowillcontinuetopurchaseproductsonthe
internetorviatheinfomercialsell,totrytoreachtheirgoals.However,thereareotherswho
seekpersontopersonguidanceforreachingtheirgoals,andtheseconsumersareoftenseeking
coachingovertrainingalthoughtheythemselvesmaynotevenrealizeit.Ontheexpertside,
therearemanypotentialcoachesouttherewhounwittinglythinkofthemselvesastrainers
andbydoingsoundersellwhatisatremendoustalentwhichoftengoesunrecognized.By
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focusingononeselfasatrainer,thecoachingtalentsofpotentialdonotgetproperandregular
attention.Forpeoplewhohavetheinherentabilityandtalenttobecoachesintheindustry,
thislackofrecognitionwithinthemselvesisatremendousloss.Oftenthisisduetoasimplebut
incorrectuseofthetermtrainerandcoachintheFitnessIndustryasbeingsomehow
interchangeable.Andasstatedpreviously,thisisamistake.Byexposingthedifferenceof
trainerandcoachinthisproject,somepotentialcoacheswhoreadthismayactuallyshedtheir
ownperceivedidentityasatrainerandlaunchthemselvesintothemoredemandingbut
rewardingroleofcoach.Thefirststepintheprocessformanyistojustbemadeawareofthe
differences,bothsubtleanddivergent.
Thus,therearehugeandimportantqualitativedistinctionsbetweentheroleoftrainerandthat
ofcoach,withintheclientfocusedrelationship.Thetrainermanages,influences,inspires,and
evaluatesWORKOUTS.Thecoachontheotherhandmanages,influences,inspires,and
evaluatesPEOPLE.Ifweexaminetheserolesasacomponentpartofarelationship,itis
obviouswhichrolewillhavegreaterimpactandcreatemoremomentumandproduction
towardreachingacommongoalontheclientsbehalf.Whatwillbecomeobviousisthatthis
roleofcoachisfarmoreimpactfulthantheroleoftrainerintheFitnessIndustry;yettheskill
setrequiredforbeingacapableandqualifiedcoachwithintheindustryremainsrelatively
ignored.Thescienceoftrainingbecomesanindustrydogmawhichunfortunatelyneglectsthe
artofcoaching.Itstimethetwobecamemutuallyinclusive.Moreover,itspossibletobean
effectivetrainerbutaterriblecoach.Butthereverseisnottrue.Theeffectivecoachwillalso,
alwaysbeaskilledtraineraswell.

ElementsoftheCoach/ClientRelationship
Thenumberoneelementforeffectivecoachingissorudimentaryitisalmostmissed.Because
ofthebusinesssideoftherelationshipintheclient/coachcontext,thiselementcanoftenbe
overlookedormisrepresented.Honestyandsincerityarethebackboneelementsinthe
coachingrelationship.Andhonestymeanstruth.Whenacoachhastoforsakethiselement
becauseoffinancialneedorsecurity,moreislostthanisgained.Ihavelearnedthatan
importantexplanationformyfourdecadesofexistenceinthisindustryisthisbackboneof
honestywithinthecoach/clientrelationship:Beingrealandtruthfulwithclients,meansbeing
abletorisklosingthemaswell.Thisindustrythrivesonthequickfixmentalityofits
consumers.Steppingupandnotpromisingaclientguaranteedresultsorabsolutegoal
achievementsisallaboutbeinghonestandspeakingthetruth.Manyclientsmayhavegoals
whichareincompatiblewiththeirlifestyles:Or,theymaylackthecurrentcommitmentforan
existingloftygoalaswell.Thisiswheretherubbermeetstheroadintheessenceofcoaching:
Honesty.Thisissomethingmosttrainerscannotordonotevenaddress.
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Clientswhoseeksecretsorquickfixesarenotwellsuitedtoacoachingenvironment.And
itisstrongforacoachtotellthemsoinadvance.Oftenclueingpeopleintorealityisagreat
steppingstoneinforgingarelationship.Andrealcoachingisarelationship.
Asindicatedabove,honestymaybethebackboneoftherelationship,butthenatureofthe
relationshipitselfimpliesthatthecoachingprocessisaninteractiveone.Coachingisnot
somethingthecoachdoestotheclientintermsoftraining,butsomethinghedoeswith
theclientintermsofprocess.Theinteractivenatureofthecoach/clientrelationshipmustbe
emphasizedandwewillbeexploringthisinmuchgreaterdetail.Thisisnottoimplythatthe
prescriptionofprotocolfromthecoachissomekindofnegotiation.No.Thecoachdoesindeed
prescribetrainingand/ordietingprotocoltotheclientinaonewaystreetapplication.But
theprocessoftheundertakingofthecoachingisanongoingandinteractiveexperience.This
meansthateffectivelisteningisanimportantskillforacoachtodevelop.Andlisteningmeans
beingabletounderstandnotonlydescriptiveandexplicativeelementsofclientfeedbackand
communication;butallpotentialnuancesinvolvedthereaswell.Soitsnotalwaysjustthe
messagewhichisimportant,butthecontextofthemessagethatacoachneedstodevelopa
soundskillsetforaswell.Manyoftheseskillscannotbetaught,merelypointedoutsothata
willingcoachcanworkonthem.But,foranindustrytoentirelyneglectsuchrequisiteskillsets,
failstopreparepotentialcoachesfortheiractualworkingenvironment.(Wewillbeexploring
thesecoachingskillsdeeperinsubsequentchapters.)
Thecoachingprocess,then,isonewhichencouragesandevaluatesaclientthroughbuildingan
interactiverelationship.Thecombinationofhonestyrightfromthebeginning,andanacute
listeningskillforthecoachisaspecificwaytofasttrackbuildingtrustwithintherelationship.
Acoachencouragesaclientfromonegoaltothenext,asafocusontheperson,notthegoal.
Thisway,theclientslearningisprogressive.Thisservesmanyends,particularlybuildingclient
competenceandconfidence.Andaworthycoachcanbuildontheseelementsofprocess,from
oneapplicationtothenext.Thefocusforthecoachisaboutadvancingtheperson,notjustthe
goal,orthephysicalskillsetoftheclient.Thesearesecondaryinreality;eventhoughthey
underlinetherelationship.Thisattentiontoclientfocusendsupservingthecoachinthelong
runbecausetheclientstaysintherelationshiplongerasthereisalwaysmoretolearnandbuild
on.Thisrealityaloneexplainswhymyclientsonaverage,staywithmeforafiveyearperiod;
somethingunheardofintheFitnessIndustry.Therefore,theabovebearsrereadingseveral
timesover.Moreover,thecontentaboverepresentsobviousdistinctionsbetweenacoachand
atrainer.Andthisisonlythebeginning.
AsIaddressedinmybook,TheAbelApproach,acoachtrulyinvestedinhisclientputsan
emphasisontheclientsexperienceofprotocol.Usingappropriatebiofeedbackcueswhichgive
acoachinsightintotheclientsexperienceanddevotiontoapplicationandprocess;thecoach
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isarmedwithassessmentsandevaluationswhichcanbepouredbackintothecoach/client
interaction.Thecoachcanthenposequestionsorfeedbackinamannerthatfurtherenhances
theclientsknowledge;notjustoftheprocessbutofthemselveswithintheprocess.The
coachsfeedbackenhancestheclientsexperience.Ratherthanjusttweakingtechnicalchanges
ofdietortrainingthecoachactivelyseeksteachingopportunitieswithinthecommunication.
Forinstance,thecoachmayimploretohimselfortheclient,whatisgoodormeaningfulabout
thisfeedbackrelativetopreviousfeedback?Howcouldyouimproveitfurther?
Becausethefocusisessentiallyandcorrectlyontheclientandtheprocess,teaching
opportunitiesextendthemselveswellbeyondcountingrepsandsets,caloriesorgrams.When
thecoachingquestionofhowcouldIimprovethisfurther?issharedwiththeclient;the
potentialsolutionsbecomesuggestionstobeworkedoutfortheclientbytheclient.Theclient
subtlytakesonworkingonhisownsolutionsorenhancementofhistrainingexperience.Thisis
ahugeelementmissingfromthecontextoftrainer/trainee.Toprepareclientstowork
solutionsthemselves,engagesthemtobemoreinvestedintheprocessandexperienceof
application.PeoplefamiliarwithmycoachingknowoneelementofthisIcall,keepingitalive.
Astheclientisgiventheindependenceforowningtheirownprocess,theyaremorelikelyto
investmoredeeplyinit.Theyremaincommittedandproudoftheirownapplicationand
experiencewithinit.Thedifferenceforthecoachincreatinganenvironmentofcreativityand
independenceisfarandawaydistinctfromthetrainer/traineeenvironment.Thisisone
elementthatafocusonquantifyingresultscanneveroffer.

CoachingClientAwareness
Irefertotheinclusionoftheclientinfindinghisownsolutionstoproblemsorimprovement,as
encouragingclientawareness.Thisisfarmoreempoweringthanmerelyencouragingclient
complianceandleavingitatthat.Sothecoachisnotjustdictatingprotocolbutencouraging
creativityandinitiativewithintheprocessofapplication.Bycontrast,thesecurrentvogue
trendsintheindustryofcomplicatedtempos,complicatedformulas,andcomplicatedworkouts
tendtoeliminatetheindividualfromtheirownexperienceofprotocolapplication.These
scenariosofcomplication;ratherthanafocusonfundamentals,onlycreatesclient
dependence;notindependence,withintheexperienceandlearning.Anawarecoachinstead,
advisesandinstructsinamannerwhichgivestheclienttheamountoflatitudetheycanhandle
withintheapplicationofprotocol.Thisservesaclientsneedforautonomy,andprovidesthe
buildingblocksforclientcompetenceandconfidencemovingforward.Creatingclient
dependence,asisthetrendinthemodernFitnessIndustry,movesintheexactopposite
direction.

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Thisqualitativedifferenceinatruecoachingfocusachieveshigherperformanceviaenhancing
clientcommitmentratherthanclientcontrol.Andthiscommitmentistothecoachandthen
backontotheclient.Inotherwords,theclientbecomesmorecommittedtohisownhigher
performanceandawareness.Inatruecoachingenvironment;unlessthereisacompetition
involved,theclientsphysicalgoalissecondarytoengaginghimwithintheprocessof
achievingit.
Thissuggestsacoachingskillsetwellbeyondconsiderationoftraininganddietprotocol.Ifa
coachistoindeedengageclientawarenessthenthecoachhastobeaware,himself,ofthe
clientsactualworkingattitudesandcapacities.Thecoachhastobeabletointeractand
acknowledgemultipledimensionsoftheclientsaptitudesandpotential.Thecoachhastobe
awareonallthreelevelsofphysical,mental,andemotionalabilitiesandawarenessofthe
client.Theneglectoftheinterplayofhowaclientthinks,theirlevelofunderstandingand
processingrelevantinformation,(mental)aswellastheirattitudesofemployingthestrategy
towardgoalattainment(emotional)isamajorproblemintheFitnessIndustry.Andthis
coachingcompetenceisyetanotherintangiblewhichseparatesacoachandatrainerbywide
margins.

TheTriangleofAwareness:ThePhysical,TheEmotional,andtheMental
Thegoalforeffectivecoachingistoacknowledgetheinterplaywithinthistrinity.Thiswillbe
thefocusofmostofthisprojectwhenallissaidanddone.Foracoachlearningtodevelopthis
skillset,ithelpstoseethetrinityasatriangle.Itwouldbeniceifthetriangleofthephysical,
mental,andemotionalhadallequalsidesofawarenessandability;butsimpleassessmentofa
clientwillleadacoachtonoticecertainsidesofthistrianglemayweighmoreheavilyinclient
interaction.Bymentallyemployingthetrianglemodel,thecoachisbetterequippedwith
dealingwithclientobstaclesorclientstrengthswhichwillcoincidemoreheavilyononepartof
thistriangle.Butofcourse,thetrianglemodelitselfimpliesthatallthreesidesareconnected.
Acknowledgingthistrinitywithinthecoach/clientrelationshipgivesthecoachseveraloptions
forengagingtheclientearlyon.Theimperativefirststepisforthecoachtoreiteratehis
investmentintheclientandtheclientsgoals.Itsanimportantcommunicationforaclientto
knowsomeoneelsetakesboththemandtheirgoalsseriously.Thisisjustestablishingaworking
baseforinteractionwithintherelationshipformovingforward.Andthegoalearlyonistoset
theoldadageofT.E.A.M.(TogetherEveryoneAchievesMore)inmotion.
Thecoach,firstandforemost,shouldcare.Thegoalfromthisstartingplaceisclient
improvementandprogression.Winningorabsoluteresultsaretomissthemark.Seldomwill
clientsjustproceeddownastraightlineofprocessofgoalsettingtogoalacquisition.Thisisbut
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anothermythoftheFitnessIndustrywithitsdogmaticrepresentationofprocess.Whendealing
withpeopleinreallifewhohavereallives,theprocessisanythingbutastraightline.Thegoal
forthecoachearlyonistogetaclientexcitedabouthis/herworkandapplicationinthe
ongoingprocess.Thisiswhatleadstohigherperformanceandhigherperformanceiswhat
leadstogoalachievement.ThecurrentparadigmblindnessoftheFitnessIndustryleadspeople
tobelievethataspecialanduniquerecipeistheanswertotheirphysicalgoals.Thisisso
misleadingastoalmostbealie.Andyetthisfalsehoodhasbeenplayedoutfordecadesinthe
fitnessindustry.Thecurrentmarkettrendofexpertsandwannabeexpertsistocreateclient
dependencebyformulatingverycomplicatedworkoutanddietprocessesandstructuresto
follow.Itcreatestheillusionofcontrol,whichIhavediscussedmanytimes.Tomicromanage
physicalapplicationcompletelymissesthepointthatcoachescoachpeoplenotprograms.
Moreoftenthannot,areturntofundamentalsisfarmoreefficientforbuildingclient
competenceandconfidenceintheprocess,thanisfancyorcomplicatedtrainingordiet
protocols.Whenitcomestosuchrecipes,simpleisbetter.
Clientprotocolshouldbesetoutinassimpletermsandformulasaspossible.Clientapplication
ofprotocolandwhatistobeaccomplishedwithinitshouldbeclearlysetoutbythecoachin
plainandconciseexplanations.Itfallsonthecoachtotakethetimetooutlinewhatisexpected
withintheapplicationofprotocol,bothintheimmediateandtheforthcomingprocess.Client
biofeedbackwillserveasanongoingcoachingtoolforassessingandevaluatingrelevantclient
experienceofprotocolasitunfolds.Thisisfardifferentandmuchsuperiortoprogram
prescriptionswhicharbitrarilychangejustbecauseacertainamountoftimehaspassed.
Again,prescribingprotocolbasedoncalendarweeks,notclientexperience,doesnotinclude,
butnegatestheactualclient.Howcansomethingsoobviousgosoobviouslymissedforall
thesedecadesinthefitnessbusiness?Theeffectivecoach,coachestheperson,notthe
program.Moreaccurately,theeffectivecoach,coachesthepersonthroughtheprogram.
Whatisentirelymissedbythemyopicfocusofslottingpeopleintoprogramsistherealitythat
althoughtwopeoplemayactuallyundertakethesameprogram;notwopeoplewillsharethe
sameexperienceofthatprogram.Notwopeopleadaptorrecoveratthesamerate.Notwo
peoplesharethesamelifestressors,andhandlethemthesame.Moreimportantly,twopeople
mayvarywidelyontheirunderstandingofthequalitativeaspectsofapplyingandexperiencing
protocol.
Assumingapplicationasanabsoluteisthebiggestandmostcommonmistakeinthefitness
industry.Forexample,apersonwith10yearsofcompetitiveexperiencewillneedlessguidance
ondietandtrainingdiscipline,commitment,anddiligence,thansayaclientwhohasnever
beenactiveandhaslittlerealworldunderstandingorpreparationfortheregimentation
requiredtoreachlongtermcosmeticgoals.Theexperienceofbothclientswithinprotocol
applicationwillmandateadifferentcoachingawarenessandskillset.Theaboveexplainsthe
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potentialvariationsofthecoachingtriangleofawarenessastowherecoachingattention
needstobemostheavilyemphasized.(i.e.physical,mental,emotional)
Inregardstoinstructionsandclientapplicationofprotocol,clientsarenotmindreadersand
neitherarecoaches.Interactionshouldbeencouragedastheprocessteachesbothclientand
coachhowtoimprovethequalitativeapplicationofanyprogrammovingforward.Thisishow
progresstrulyunfolds.Itisnotbymerelyfollowingsets/repsprescriptionsetc.Often,aclients
questionscanseemlikeaninterruptionorworse,anirritationtothecoach,whoisfocusedon
movingtheclientforward.Aneffectivecoachdoeshisbesttoeliminatethisemotionalreaction
withinhimself.
Theassumptionofinterruptionorirritationistrulyinthecoach,alackofpatience.Thisisfor
thecoachtoown.Ithelpstoputtheclientintosomekindofframeworksothecoachcandeal
withtheclientfromtheperspectiveofwhotheclientisnotwhothecoachis.Quickfile
notesandreferencescanservethecoachtothisend.Aclientmaybeinexperienced,naive,
young,insecure,educatedbutnotsmart,experiencedbutnotknowledgeable,
passionatebutimpulsiveetc.Quickreferencenotesremindsthecoachofwhothatclientis
asanindividual,andwheretheyshouldfocustheirattentioninthetriangleofawareness.
Ratherthanperceivingquestionsasanexhaustingirritation,questionsactuallyprovidethe
coachwithanongoingassessmenttoolregardingtheiractualclientandtheirownworking
experienceonlevelsofknowledge,comprehension,commitment,andawareness.Thecoach
needstoestablishpatienceasaviableworkingtoolforgaininginsightintotheclient:howthey
processinformation,whattheyknow,howtheylearn,theirlevelofcommitmentetc.Fora
coachtofocusentirelyonworkoutprotocolandapplication,andonlyacceptfeedbackaboutit,
isalimitedskillwhichwillnotservetheclientintheshorttermandespeciallynotinthelong
term.Becauseofthefocusofthevolumeapproachtoclientsforfinancialgaininthisindustry,
patience,themostimportantcoachingskilltodevelop,isusuallythefirstskilltobe
surrenderedasfiscalneedstrumpqualitativeconcernsfortheclient.Yetpatienceleadsto
trust,andbotharetwokeyelementstocoachingifcoachingistolastbeyondanimmediate
hereandnowfocus.
Andthisisnotonlyaninteractivemandatebutanintrospectiveoneaswell.Acoachneedsto
developpatienceinhisclientsmodeoflearningandspeedoflearningyes;butagoodcoach
alsoneedstotrustinhisownlevelofexpertise,awareness,andleadershipduringthecoaching
processandapplication.Acoachssinceretrustandconfidenceinhisownabilitieseventually
leadstoadeepertrustfromtheclienttothecoachingrelationshipaswell.

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RidingaBike
Byanalogytheroleofcoachvs.trainercanbeexplainedwithinthecontextofaparentteaching
achildtorideabike.Theparentdoesnotgoonandonabouttheworkingpartsofthebicycle
butfocusesonthechildonthebicycle.Thisisthedifferencebetweenacoachandatrainer.
Toreiterate:thetrainerfocusesonthebike(theworkout);thecoachfocusesontheperson
(thechildlearningtoride).Ifyouwatchaparentteachingachildtorideabikeyouwitnessan
interactive,qualitativeexperience.Thisisobviousyetthisisalsomissinginthefitnessindustry.
Onechildmaybeafraidtofalloff,anothermayhaveamoredaredevilmentality;onechildmay
havebetterbalanceandlearningskillsthananotheretc.Howlongtheparentstrollsalongside
thebikeandholdsontoitforthechildwillvaryintimeandsupport.Howeverthegoalis
alwaystocreateindependence.Thegoalistogetthechildtobeabletoridethebikewithout
parentalsupport.Oncetheycanride,thechildnolongerneedstheparentoversight.Thislast
sentenceiswhatscaresthemodernfitnessexpert.Sotheyfocusoncreatingclientdependence
sotheyneverlearntoindependentlyridethebike.Thisiscounterintuitive.
Arealcoachkeepsfocusingoncreatingonescenarioafteranothertobemasteredtothepoint
wherethecoachisnolongerneededforemployingthatparticularskill.Soaccordingtothe
triangleofawareness,theskilltobemasteredmaybeaphysicalonelikeactuallyridingthe
bikewithoutparentalsupport.Or,theskillmaybeanemotionalonelikeconsistentlybeing
abletogetbackuponthebikeafteraninevitablefall.(i.e.likeclientswhocheatontheir
diets)Therelevantpointisthatbycoachingaclienttomasteroneskill,thecoachcanthenbuild
onthattoengagingaclienttomasteranother.Thecoachshouldalwaysbeworkingtoward
clientmasterytoapointwherethecoachisnolongerneededforguidanceinthatparticular
skillset.Forexample,thetrustcreatedfortheparent,bythechildlearningtoridethebike,
leadstothatchildtrustingtheparenttoteachhimhowtodriveacar.Encouragingaclientto
masteraskilldoesntmeantheendofthecoachingrelationshipbutaprogressionofit!
Likelearningtorideabike,smallsuccessesbuildonthemselves.Thecoachneedstoseepast
theimmediatephysicalgoal.Thebikeismerelyoneelementofabiggerpicture.Howmany
childrenwouldevercontinuetolearntorideabikeiftheydidnothavecoachingwhichfocused
onbuildingtheirconfidenceandcompetenceindoingso?Thesmallinitialgoalshouldbe
employedasameanstoimproveperformanceandcompliancewhichbuildsgreatertrustand
effectivenesswiththecoach/clientrelationship.Andlikelearningtorideabike,theclient
absorbsandmastersaskillwhichprovestothemtheyarecapableofhigherperformance.(e.g.
havingormasteringaskilltheydidnotpreviouslyposses)Successisselfmotivating.Aclient
shouldbeledinaprocessofexperience,andanexperienceofprocesswheresuccesscanbe
accumulatedandexperiencedlikeaPacManofprocessgobblingupmomentumashegoes.

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However,theclientmaybeledtosuccessesthatweredifferentthantheinitialgoalshesetout
toaccomplish.Agoodcoachcanbeatoolfortheclientdiscoveringskillsetsthatcantakethem
inanentirelydifferentdirection.
Acaseinpointismyfirstmentoringstudent.Initially,shehadgoalsandaspirationsfor
competingintheFitnessIndustry.Overtimeitbecameobviousshedidnothavetherequisite
physicalgeneticsfordoingwell.Hercommitmenttotasksanddisciplineanddedicationwere
wayaboveaverage,buttheyweremisdirectedtowardthisgoal.Thenthepursuitofthisgoal
wascausingphysicalissuescountertohergoals.Ascoach,thetriangleofawarenessofthis
particularclientwasthatmentallyandemotionallyshehadrequisiteskillsetsforsucceedingin
anynumberofarenas.Hercommitmenttothisparticulargoalwasnotonlycausingphysical
deteriorationbutemotionalissuesaswell.(somethingIseeallthetime)Asacoach,Icouldnot
justsubstitutemyjudgmentforaclientsgoals.Mostclientswillrejectsuchanintrusion.
However,becauseofthetriangleofawareness,IknewifIledthisclientappropriately,her
mentalacuityandassociatedskillsoforganization,process,direction,commitmentetcwould
leadhertodiscoverforherselfthathercurrentphysicalgoalwasincompatiblewithherother
tremendousskillsets.Itwastheleadingthehorsetowateranalogy.Overtime,thisclientafter
somebackandforthregressionsandprogressions,foundforherselfanewcalling,basedon
masteryofridingthebike.
InsteadofpursuingadeadendstreetofmediocreresultsinFitnesscompetition,shehassince
openedherownpersonaltrainingstudioandisthrivingfiscallyandmentally/emotionallyfor
doingso.Thepointisthatanawarecoachshouldnotbesomyopicastoacknowledgeonlythe
immediatecosmeticorphysicalgoalsofanygivenclient.Withinanyclientandtheprocess
engagedofteachingthemtorideabikeaskillsetofobviousclientstrengthswillreveal
themselvestothecoach.Anawarecoachwillpaydueattentiontotheseskillsandcoachthe
clientinamannerthatstrengthenstheseskillsfurtherregardlessoftheimmediategoals.Too
ofteninthefitnessindustryaclientsimmediategoalsarereached,onlybysacrificingskillsthey
haveinotherareas.Asacoach,thisisalossofpotential,regardlessofimmediategain.
Partofteachingtowardmasteryofaskillisalsoacquiringappropriatefeedbackeffectiveness.A
wordofcautionforanycoachistherealityofcritique.Criticismandrealitychecksareoften
requiredofagoodcoach.Thiscannotandshouldnotbeavoided.However,critiqueneedsto
serveitspurposeofmovingaclientforward,notpresentingthemwithissuesofself
consciousnesswhichcancrushsuchforwardmomentum.Theworkingadageofpraisein
public,criticizeinprivateapplies.Publiccritiqueonlyleadstodefensiveness,anger,or
paralyzingselfconsciousness.Byexample,imaginetheparentteachingthechildtorideabike
atabusyplaygroundorschoolyard.Imaginewhenthechildfallsoffthebikeorcrashesitthat
theparentyellsandscreamscritiqueinfrontofotherchildrenandparents.Publiccritique
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createsareactivemindset,ratherthanacooperativeone.Obviouslythecoachseeksa
consistentcooperativemindset.Thisisnottonegatecriticism,onlytoinstructtohandleit
wiselyandmaturely.Criticismisoftenanintegralpartofclientinteractionanditmustbe
delivereddecisively,butalsorespectfully.Toooftenonvariouswebforumsitseasytowitness
publiccriticismwhichwaswellintendedspiralintopersonalattacksandpersonalagendas.So
unlessunavoidable,praiseinpublic,butcriticizeinprivate.
Oneofthemodesacoachcanemployforgivingclearinstructionsistoaskclientsspecific
questions.Clearinstructionscanleadtospecificquestionswhichcaninturnleadbacktomore
specificinstructions.Onceagain,interactionisthekey.Butunlikesponsoringclient
dependence,clearinstructionsandtheirpurposearetoinsteadfosterindependenceand
initiativetospuraclienttohigherperformancestandards.Coachingisnotaboutsupplyinga
safeplaceforclientstolandorretreatto.
Thisisnottosaythatperformanceorapplicationproblemswillnotarise.Theywillandthey
shouldbeexpected.Itspartofbeinghuman.Thefitnessindustrylikestopresentgoal
achievementassomemagicallinearprocessofapplicationfrompointAtopointB.Itsnotonly
misleadingbutuntrue.Processisalwaysnonlinearinbothexperienceandresults.For
example,eachyearproathleteshaveatrainingcamptopreparethemfortheconditioning
requiredfortheupcomingseason.Theydonotmaintaintheirconditioningintheoffseason.
Thesameistrueforanyfitnessclient.Proathletesareoftensidelinedwithinjuryorillnessand
thesameistrueofthegeneralfitnessclient.Nonlinearprogressandapplicationofprocessis
tobeexpected.Lifehappens.Theeffectivecoachusesclientfeedbackforcluesastohelp
remedyanysuchsetbacks,expectedorunexpected.However,thecoachdoesnotseektojump
inandsolvetheissuefortheclient.Instead,theworthycoachleadstheclienttowaysand
meanstosolveissuesforthemselves.ThisiswhatImeanwhenIsaythecreditablecoachdoes
notsupplyasafeplacetolandorretreatfortheclient.Toleadtheclienttowaysandmeansfor
solvingissuesofprocessorapplicationthemselvesempowersclientsonadeeperlevel.
Thecoachwithanegoproblem,ofwhichtherearefartoomanyinthisindustry,wantsto
alwaysbethesolutionandcreateclientdependency.Icallthisglorifiedbabysitting.The
effectivecoach,instead,leadstheclienttofindtheirownsolutions,andbuildtheconfidenceto
becomingindependentofthecoachintermsoffutureproblemsolving.Thegoalwhenpossible
isalwaystoempowertheclientandnotdiminishthem.Moreoftenthannot,ifgiventhe
chanceandthemeans,clientsaretheirownbestsourceforproblemsolving.Thecoachshould
notbeseekingtobeaclientseverythingbutratherthecoachservesasacatalystforthe
clientbecomingthisthemselves.
Theresponsibilityforgoalachievementistheclients,notthecoachs.Thesethingstendtoget
clouded,especiallywhencoachingisineffectiveorimmature.Thecoachsstake,ifitistruly
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genuine,isintheclient,notintheresultsachieved.Afurtherbonustothisroleofcoachisthat
themoreaclientinitiatessolvinghisownissuesfromhisownexperiencealongtheway,the
lessvaluetheywillplaceinindustrysubterfugepresentedasmarketingtechniquesand
buzzwords,suchassecretoradvancedorfast.Asaclientmaturesinthismanner,he
beginstoseelessvalueinindustrytrendsetc.
Soacoachwillfactorintherealityofplateausandoccasionalregressions.Yesthecoachisthe
requisiteexpertintherelationshipbutpartofthisexpertisehastobeaflexibilityofskillsthat
canvacillatebetweenneedingtoberightinapplication,andwantingtodorightfortheclient.
Acoachmustbeabletogiveupthatneedtoberight,whenrelevantcommunicationwiththe
clientmaybemoreimportanttothesituation.Thisisreflectiveoftheinteractive,relationship
elementofcoachingandthecoachingprocessanditsnature,whichisnonlinear.The
relationshipisnotalwaysaonewaypowerstructurefromthecoachtotheclient.Theindustry
ismisleadinginbothregardsastothecoach/clientrelationshipandthenonlinearprocess
involvedwithit.
Byexample,theindustrysfocusonallthingsphysicalattheneglectofthetriangleof
awarenessgivesclientsfaultymindsetswhenundertakingaprotocol.Currently,theindustry
hasoverindulgedthephysicalapplicationattheexpenseofclientreality.Alltheseformulas
whichdictatethatspecimenAshouldbeabletoliftthismuchpercentagemoreofmax1RM
perweek,orthateveryoneshouldrestaspecifiedintervalaccordingtotheclock,negatesthe
factthatallpeoplearedifferent.ThereisnospecimenA.Eachindividualwillexperience
applicationofprotocolintheirownuniqueway.Tryingtoquantifyeverythingisamindsetofa
trainer,notacoach.
Directionsfromacoachspeaktothenonlinearrealityofprocessandapplication.Thecoach
instructstheperson,nottheprogram.Directionswithinaprogramthereforemustbe
appropriatetoboththeclientandtheirsituation.Quantifyingeverythingorattemptingtois
misleading.Infactanoveremphasisonnumbers,asisnowcommoninthefitnessindustry,can
beanaddedsourceofperceivedpressurefortheclient.Anoveremphasisonquantifying
everythingwilldiluteanddissolveanindividualsqualitativedifferences.Thisisnotacoaching
strength,butaweaknessbilledasstrength.Againwithouttheacknowledgementfromthe
coachofthetriangleofawareness,toomuchquantificationkillstheprogram;itdoesnot
enhanceit.Itstheclientsexperienceofprotocolthatmattersmost.Andresultsand
achievements,circumstancesandlifestressorsmeanthisexperiencewillalwaysbenonlinear
inprocess.

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GuidanceCounsellor
Aswecansee,theroleofcoachrequiresbeingabletowearmanyhatsatonetime.Effective
coachingisaboutincreasingtheclientslearningcurveandadaptabilitytobecomingmore
competent.Andcompetenceisanindividualskillsetwhichisrelative,notabsolute.Most
clientsareundertakingfitnessasanindulgence,notanoccupation;andtheindustryisgetting
entirelytoocarriedawaywithitselfbyforgettingthisfact.Coachingaclientthroughanissue
andhelpingthemfigureitoutforthemselves,givesthemarecipetofollowfordealingwith
similarissuesorstagnationinthefuture.Clientsarenotautomatons.Buildingalevelofclient
competencealsoservestobuildclientconfidence.Ifthecoachispayingattentiontothe
triangleofawareness,hiscoachingwillalwaysproviderealopportunitiestopraisegoodwork
andvaliantconsistenteffortregardlessofoutcome.Itisnotalwaysabouttheresults.Tothink
soisthedifferencebetweenamediocretrainerandacompetentcoach.However,cheerleading
theprocessofclientinteractionisalsoineffectiveandlame.
TruecoachingisthereforebeingpartGuidanceCounsellor.Unlikebeingatrainer,dealing
withpeoplemeanstheyarenotmerecomponentpiecesintheapplicationofaprocess.Life
happenstothemandaroundthem.Sothetwonecessaryelementsofacoachasguidance
counsellorcanbebrokendownasfollows:
Guidance:thecoachgivestheclientampledirectionforthemtomovethemselvesforwardat
theirownspeed.
Counselling:becausethecoachpaysattentiontothetriangleofawareness,heisabletohelp
clientsbemoreawareoftheirbehaviourandattitudesandthoughtprocess.Thiscanberelated
backtotheclienttoassimilateintermsofhowthesemental,emotional,orphysicalevaluations
areinfluencingtheirexperienceofprotocolforgoodorbad.
Thecoachisstilltheleaderintherelationshipofcoachandclient.Butforthisrelationshipto
haveanylastingintegritytheleadershipmusthaveboundariesandmusthaveestablished
avenuesoftrustandrespect.Foracoach,thismeanswalkingyourtalk.Iseefartoomany
wannabecoachesinthisindustrywhoaretrulyneedypeoplewantingattentionandvalidation.
Theyseekcoachingasanavenuetoreceiveit.Mostlacktherequisiteskillsetforeven
elementarylevelcoaching.Ihearfromfartoomanywannabecoacheswhotellmetheywantto
inspirepeopleandbearolemodel;yettheirownlivesareamess.Goodcoachingrequiresa
strongbackbone.Itrequiressomepersonalstrengthearnedinthetrenchesoflife,notthe
comfortoftextbooks.Andagoodcoachmustalsobecapableofevaluatingandassessingthe
triangleofawareness,andbecomfortablyabletomovebackandforthamongitsthreesides.
Plainandsimple,thiseliminatesmanypotentialcoachesfromtherealityofthedemandsofthe
job.Peoplewhowanttobeleadersseldommakegoodones,becausethatdesiremakesthe
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goalaselfish,egocentricone.Truecoachingisabouttheotherperson.Thecoachmust,tomy
mind,livetheexampleheexpectsfromhisclients.Thereisnobetterformofinstruction.Sofor
arealcoachtobetrulyeffective,asGhandiputit,bethechangeyouwanttosee.

NotesforMentoringStudents

AddressanddiscusswhatthetruenatureoftheFitnessIndustryis.

Doyoudefineyourselfascoachortrainer?Doyouhaveanycoachingskillsbasedon
whatyouvereadthusfar?Doyouhaveanyclientswithwhomyoudomorecoaching
thantraining?Makesomenoteshowtomakeyourselfmoreefficienttoexercisingsome
coachingskills.Whatareyoustrengths?Wherecouldyouimprove?

Examinethetruenatureoftheroleofcoach.Haveyoubeenstudyinganyoftheseskills
inyourpreparationasaprofessionalinthefitnessindustry?Ifso,whereandhow?If
not,whatdoyouneedtodofirst?

Whatisthecentralfocusforthecoach?

Whatisclientawareness?Isyourcurrentstrategyoneofemphasizingclient
competence,orclientcompliance?Howcouldyoubettermarrythesetwoelements?

Thinkof3ofyourcurrentclients.Doanassessmentofeachanddrawatriangleof
awarenessforeachclient.Wheredoesmostoftheemphasislay?Whatdothesidesof
thetrianglelooklikeforeachclient?(physical,mental,emotional)Youcanevenmake
oneortwosidesofthetriangleinboldtextforemphasis.Doesthishelpyoubetter
understandyourclientasanindividual?Howcanyouusethisnewknowledgeto
enhanceclientexperienceandclientawareness?

Thinkofacoupleofyourclients,andemploytheridingthebikeanalogy.Whereand
howcouldyouimprove?Whereandhowcouldyoubetterfocusontheexperienceof
process,andtheprocessofexperience?Makenotes.

Realitycheck:Examinewhyyouwanttobeaprofessionalintheindustry.Doyouhavea
trueservicebasedmentality?Areyourmotivesgenuine?Makealistofskillsyouhave
orinteractionsyouvehadwhichenhanceaclientsexperienceandmoveshimforward?
Doyoulivebyexample?Ifnot,howcouldyouimproveinthisarea?

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Chapter4
CharacteristicsofGoodCoaches:TheCoachingPie:SlicebySlice

Thecharacteristicsofagoodcoacharemarkedbyoneword:Context.Theframeworkand
milieusofcoach/clientinteractionisalwaysasubjectiveandpersonal,qualitativecontext.I
havebeenalludingtowhatmakesagoodcoachthroughoutthetextthusfar.Thischaptergoes
alittlemoreindepthatdelvingintospecificsofnecessaryrequisitecharacteristicsofagood
coach.Andthewordcharacteristicsischosenonpurpose:Whilethetalentandabilityof
effectivecoachingcannotbetaught,thesecomponentcharacteristicsmarkthestartingpoint
ofattributeswhichanygoodcoachmustpossessand/orworkontoimprove.Someofthese
characteristicsmayseemobviousastheyexistinmostworkingrelationships.However,the
talentofcoachisonewherethewholeisgreaterthanthesumofitsparts.Most
professionalsdonottakethetimetoconsiderwhatthiswholeevenconsistsof,letalone,do
theytaketimetoconsiderwheretheymaybelackingwithinit.
Onceagain,Ineedtoreiterate,themodernFitnessIndustryisaGlobalreality.However,the
currentfocusfromthetopdowncontinuestofocusonthewhatandthehow.Onelookat
YouTubeandanyonecanfindanendlessarrayofprovocativeexercisesandcomplex
instruction.Andtherearethousandsofwebsitewhichreinforcethesame.Thiswholeemphasis
reducesthetraineetoanobjectwithinthedescriptionofwhatandhow.Yet,ifFitness
goalswerethiseasytoaccomplish,thentheFitnessprofessionalwouldnothaveajob.By
completelynegatingtheactualindividual,theindustrycontinuestoignoreitsgreatestasset.
Anditalsocontinuestoignoreitsmostbasicreality.Withonlineinternationalcoaching,
whethersomeonecallshimselftrainerorcoach,thenatureofthisprofessionalrelationshipis
thatitisindeedanongoing,interactiveone.Thefactthisrealityiscompletelyignoredin
symposiumsandcertificationstudiesneedstobeaddressedandrectified.Clearly,thereare
manypeoplemasqueradingascoachesintheFitnessIndustrywhodomoreharmthangood.
Theemphasisonthischapteristoproperlyaddressincontextthecharacteristicsinvolvedin
goodcoaching.Forthemostpart,thischapterisfashionedfromachapterinMarshallCooks
book,EffectiveCoaching.(1999)
Beforeaddressingeachcharacteristiconebyone,letmeexplainthepieanalogy.Iliketouse
thepiegraphicwheneveraddressinganycomplexintertwinedideawherethecomponent
slicesarerequisiteelementstotheconceptofthewhole.Byusingthepieanalogy,the
readercanproperlyaddresswhatslicesoftheirownwholepiemaybesmallerormissingfrom
thewhole.Itsagreatandeffectivemodeltouseasateachingtool.Moreover,thepieanalogy
reinforcesthatallslicesarecomposedofthesecharacteristicingredientswhichmakeupthe
whole.Thewholeisalwaysgreaterthanthesumofitsparts.Thisiswherethedifferencelies.
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Inotherwords,thecharacteristicsofagoodcoachdiscussedinthischapterarehereforstudy.
However,thetalentofagoodcoachcannotbeattainedmerelybystudyingthese
characteristics.Hencethewholepieisbeyonditsrecipe.OrasIsayinthisbusiness,itsnot
therecipethatmatters;itsthechef.
Sobeforeexaminingthesecharacteristicsslicebyslice,letsacknowledgethatthecoaching
relationshipshouldbeginwiththekeyingredientofhonesty;oratleastwillingnesstowardit.
Buthonestywithinaprofessionalrelationshipalwaysneedstopayattentiontobothcontext
andnuance.Allrelationshipswillbedifferent.Allshouldstriveforhonestywithinthem.The
oneconstantwithinthiscontextforprofessionalhonestyisthatitshouldbeattachedtobeing
positiveasconsistentlyaspossible.Thisdoesnotmeancreatingfalsepretenceforpositive
interaction.Itmeansbeingadeptatdiplomacyininterpersonalskillsandinteraction.Andthe
requisitecharacteristicsinvolvedarethecharacteristicsofagoodcoach.Thecharacteristics
involvedrequirebeingenthusiastic,supportive,trusting,modelling,focused,knowledgeable,
observant,respectful,patient,clear,andassertive.Theserepresentthekeycharacteristicsofa
goodcoachinalmostanyindustryordomain.TheFitnessIndustrysneglectofthiscontextis
oneofitsmostpronouncedfailuresofrecognizingtheneweraofitsownreality.Wewill
addressthesecharacteristicsonebyonebelow.

Positive
Everyonecomingintothecoach/clientrelationshipwillhavedifferentskillsandabilitiesand
varyingrealitiesandlifestressors.Onesizecertainlydoesnotfitall.Thegoalofthecoachfrom
theonsetisforfindingmeaning,andcreatingmomentumonbehalfoftheclientmoving
forward.Thegoalofthecoachistoenhancetheexperienceoftheclientsapplicationof
protocol.Creatinganenvironmentofpositiveenergyandbeingabletosustainitduringthe
nonlinearprocessofcoachingisakeycharacteristicofagoodcoach.Effectivecoachingisall
aboutbeingabletobepositive(notpatronizinglyso)whilestillbeingabletocorrectmistakes,
evaluateclientweaknessinapplication,andsometimesevenbeingcritical.Butmoving
betweentheseaspectsofcoachingrequiresthattheclientknowsandfeelstheoverallenergyis
inapositivestructureandframework.Sowhetherthecoachsfeedbackiscriticalorcorrective,
theclientalwaysreceivesthisinformationwithinaframeworkofknowingthecoachisalways
ontheirside.Thisreflectstheparent/childelementofcoachingreferredtoearlier.Therefore,
initialclientassessmentandevaluationshouldalwaystakethisintoaccount.AndyetIknow
veryfewcoacheswhoevenconsiderthis.
Ifuponinitialevaluationthecoachfeelsthatabackgroundofpositiveenergycannotbe
established;itsoftenbesttopassonestablishingtherelationshiptobeginwith.Therehave
beenmanytimesinmycareerwhenIfeltitbesttonotengageapotentialnewclientbeyond
theinitialinquiry.Peoplearenotalwaysgoingtobecompatiblewithaspecificcoachingstyleor
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worldview.ThisiswhatImeanwhenIsaythecoachhastoberealbothregardinghimselfand
hispotentialinfluencewithaparticularclient.Thecoachsinitialassessmentandevaluationis
notonlytodeterminewhotheclientis;butalsotoascertainandconsiderthevariablesof
personalityinvolvedwhichcanhelpthecoachrealisticallydetermineifhecanstaypositivefor
thedurationoftherelationship.Weseethisallthetimeinprofessionalsportswhereaplayeris
justnotagoodfitwithonecoach;butmovestoanotherteamwithoutincidentorissues.We
oftenhearthephraseinprofessionalsportsofwhethertheplayerbuysintothecoachs
system.Thisisaverytellingstatement.
ThesameappliesevenintheFitnesscoachingenvironmentaswell.Optimalperformance
cannotbenurtured,achieved,orsustainedifapositiveworkingenvironmentcannotbe
establishedandassured.Fosteringacooperativeattitudeisatthenucleusofthepositive
environmentwhichthecoachmustcreateandbeabletosustain.Agoodcoachneedsto
recognizethiscanoftenrequirealotofworkandeffortbeyondjustpresentingapositive
attitude.

Enthusiasm
Thecoachmustestablishhisleadershiproleintherelationshiprightfromtheonset.The
coachsfirstfewinteractionswithanygivenclientorpotentialclientsetsthetoneforthe
relationshipmovingforward.Ifacoachsinteractionreflectsnegativityorevenapathy;the
resultswillreflectthatenergybacktohim.Thecoachneedstobeenthusiasticregardingthe
relationshipandtheclientsexperienceoftheapplicationofprotocolandthefeedback
provided.Itsnotaboutbeingenthusiasticregardingtheclientsgoal;butabouttheclientand
therelationshipitself.Butthisenthusiasmneedstobegenuine;anditneedstobetenderedby
thecoachinhisleadershiprole.Thecoachistheleaderintherelationship.Heisnotafan,nota
cheerleader,andnotasycophant.Agoodcoachmustbecapableofinflectingenthusiasmboth
fortheshorttermprocessandthelongtermpossibilitiesofdealingwithanygivenclient.The
enthusiasmwhichmustbesustainedisfortherelationshipmovingforward,NOTforthe
establishmentoftheclientsgoals.(Thosearefortheclienttoclaim.)

Supportive
Beingsupportivemeansbuildingonthiscoachingenthusiasmandthepositivecontextwithin
therelationship.Beingsupportiveisaconsiderationofnurturingtheinteractivecoaching
environmentandexperienceitself.Thismaygobeyondtheapplicationofprotocolforthe
client.Beingsupportivemeansunderstandingtheapplicationofthecoachingexperienceas
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well.Thiscoachingexperienceshouldbeabletogrowfromheretothereandthiscanonlybe
fosteredwithinthecoachingcontextwhichissupportive;bothoftheclient,andtheclients
purposeandexperienceofapplicationofprotocol.Theinteractivecoachingenvironmentneeds
toservethepurposeforsupportingtheclientastheprocessunfolds.Todoso,thecoachmust
beabletomaketheprotocolaseasyandsuitablefortheclienttounderstandaspossible.The
coachprovidestheinformation,devoteshistimeandenergytoclientinteraction,hesupplies
theappropriatetoolsfortheclientsunderstandingofprotocol(videoclipsetc),andheanswers
questionsortroubleshootsinamannerwhichpromotesmovingcoachandclientforwardinthe
process.Thisistherequisiteskillsetregardingbeingappropriatelysupportive.Thiscanoften
includeguidancefortheclientsintermsofcounsellingregardingexternalnegativeinfluences.
Ioftenhavenclientswhoarebewilderedbyotherswhodeliberatelytrytosabotagetheirdiets
ortrainingprotocolbyofferingtheiropinionorevenenticementsorcriticalcommentary.And
whilethisexampleshowsthatsuchstressorsarebeyondtheapplicationoftrainingordiet
protocol;theycancertainlyhaveanimpactonit.Thereforeacoachbeingsupportivecangoa
longwaytoguidingclientsbeyondexternalsourcesofsabotageetc.Acoachmayalsoneedto
serveasasourceforcounteringconflictinginformation,dispellingfaultyinformation,and
addressinginconsistentfeedback.
Partofbeingsupportiveforagoodcoachistheabilitytoemploylifeexperiencetoanticipate
clientsneedsanduseinteractionasasourceofpreventionintermsofproblemsolvingand
foreseeingpotentialobstaclestoaclientspositiveexperienceorapplication.Thesethingsmay
havenothingtodowiththeactualphysicalprescriptionofdietortraining;butinstead,have
everythingtodowithwhotheclientisasaperson.

Trusting
Thefirstbasicabouttrustingistoagainacceptandacknowledgethenonlinearaspectsof
performanceandreallife.Consistencymaybemoredifficultforsomeclientsthanothers;
eitherlogisticallyorbecauseofmental/emotionalblockstohigherperformance.Ivecoached
corporateleadersandotherswhotravelforaliving.LikemygoodfriendTrevorTimminswhois
ascoutfortheN.H.L.sMontrealCanadiansfranchise;Trevormayoftenspendthemajorityofa
dayortwodayinanairport.Hecanoftenbeinseveraltimeszonesinacoupledaysspan.He
mayonlyhaveaccesstohotelgymsandlimitedequipment.Combinedwiththeselogistical
problems,peoplewhohaveagreatdealofresponsibilitycanalsobecalledonatamoments
notice;andthereforebecalledawayfromtheirownpursuitofpersonalgoals.
Ontheotherhand,therearepeoplewhoknowinglyorunknowinglysabotagethemselves
frequently;ortheyarejustunrealisticaboutstructureandregimentationrequiredtoreach
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personalgoals.Oftenpeoplewanttoachievepersonalphysicalgoalsonlysolongasthesegoals
donotrequirealifestylechange.Therealityoftheprocessofstructureandregimentationmay
besomethingtheclienthasunderestimated.
Soforbothgroupsofclient,andallothersinbetween,thefirstcircumstancetotrustisthat
theprocessfromstarttofinishinacoach/clientrelationshipisneveralinearone.Itisneveras
simpleasPointAtoPointB;dothis,andtheresultswillbethis.Eventhoughthisfalsehood
continuestobetheimpressiontheFitnessIndustryleavesonbothprofessionalandconsumer;
thefirstrealitytotrustinforthecoachisthattheprocessandtherelationshipwillbe
qualitativelynonlinear.
Trustisalsoatwowaystreetwithinthecoach/clientrelationshipitself.Acoachneedstobe
abletotrustaclientwillcommunicatetruthfullyandhonestlywithinthesetupofclient
feedback.Acoachneedstoalsobeabletotrustthataclientwillindeedapplyprescribed
protocolingoodfaith.Thisisespeciallytrueforonlinecoaching.Ifthiskindoftrustcannotbe
establisheduponinitialassessment,itsbesttoletthepotentialclientgo,andadvisehimto
seekotherarrangements.Acoachmustbeabletotrustaclientwillimplementadviceingood
faith.Acoachshouldnothavetoseekconfirmationthataclientisimplementinginstructionto
thebestoftheirabilities.Coachingisnotglorifiedbabysitting.Thereisnotasinglecoachin
professionalsportswhoconcernshimselfintheoffseasonwithchasingathletesorcheckingup
onathletestomakesuretheyarestayinginshape,anddoingtheirrequisitepreparationand
conditioning.ThesametypeoftrustisnecessaryintheFitnessclientrelationshipaswell.
Clientswillforcertainvaryintheirabilitytofollowandimplementinstruction.Theywillalso
varyrelativelyintermsofmotivationandconsistency.Everyoneisdifferentandthisistobe
expected.Thetrust,therefore,concernsthewillingnessoftheclienttomoveforwardwiththe
coach.Itsnotaboutaclientsabilityorlevelofunderstanding.Again,thetrusthaseverything
todowithgoodfaithwithinthecoachingstructureandrelationship.

Modeling
Agoodcoachmodelsthecharacteristicsheexpectsfromhisclients.ThedoasIsay,notasIdo
mantraisnoteffectivecoaching.Itwilleventuallyserve,evenunconsciouslyasaroadblock
betweencoachandclient.YetweseethisrealityplayedoutintheFitnessIndustryalltoo
frequently.Trainers,tryingtobuildaclientelewillhavenotimetotrainthemselvesbutwill
preachtimemanagementtotheirtrainees.Andothercoaches,whocoachbasedontheirown
pastachievements,arejustasineffective.Thistypeofmodelingbasedonpastglorydaysonly
servesacoachsego,notaclientsneedforamodelingexample.Tojustdictatedemandsand
commandsfromeitherivorytowernegatestheactualintendedmessage.Bycontrast,whena
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clientcanknowandfeelthatacoachisapplyingthesamehighperformancedemandsto
himself;thismentalexampleisworthamillionwords.Knowingyourstuff,especiallytextbook
knowledge;orworse,havingaccomplishedsomethingalongtimeago,isnotgoodenoughin
therealworldofcoaching.Agreatcoachcangobeyondjustgivingaclientaprogramanddiet
tofollow(thewhat),butishimselfanillustrationofhowtobedisciplinedandresponsiblein
termsofdemandinghigherperformance.(thehowandthewhy)Often,apotentialclient,even
ahighlevelcompetitorisactuallymoreinneedofmodelingthanheisofjustachangeof
protocol.
Thistypeofmodelingisnottobeconfusedwithphysicalprowessorapplication.Wearetalking
hereaboutqualitiesofcharacter.Instudyingmuchrespectedprofessionalcoacheswesee
whattheymodelisapassionforthejobandsincerityinitsapplication.Professionalcoaches
areoftenthefirsttoarriveandthelasttoleave.Theygarnerrespectasthemodelingleavesthe
playeroremployeewantingtoemulatethesamelevelofcommitmentanddiligence.Agood
coachshouldneverunderestimatethathisownactionsspeaklouderthanwords.Iveseenfew
coachesinthefitnessindustrywhoevenmakethisconnectionaspartoftheequationasto
theirowneffectiveness.Talkischeap;evenorespeciallyforcoaches.
Byexample,weseeinparentingthemosteffectivemeansofpreventionforanythingisvia
modelingtheexactbehaviours.Parentswhosmoke;yetwarntheirchildrennottosmokeare
stillmorelikelytohavechildrenwhowilltakeupsmoking.Obeseparentsaremorelikelyto
raiseobeseoroverweightkidsetc,eventhoughnoparentwouldintendtodoso.Modelingisa
tremendouscharacteristictoimpartinthecoach/clientrelationship.However,modelingmust
besincere;itmustbeunconscious,anditmustbereflectiveofalifestyleoflivingonesown
truth.Thisisthedifferencebetweenawannabecoach;andthetrulygreatcoacheswhoare
subjectofstudyinmanydifferentfields.

Focused
Thegoodcoachneedstohavehisfocusintherightplace.Interactionwithaclientmustbe
focusedandmustbespecifictothatclient.Notwoclientswillthinkalike;notwoclientswill
shareexactlythesamelifeexperienceorattitudes.Thisistrue,situationally,intermsofdayto
dayoccurrences,orintermsoftheirattitudetowardconsistencyofapplyingprotocolto
achievespecificends.Thecoachkeepshisfocusprimarilyontheclientandtherelationship
andonlysecondarilyontheprescribedprotocol.Thisisespeciallytruewhenproblemsariseor
circumstancesinterferewiththeclientsmotivationorapplicationofprotocol.Thecoaching
focusshouldalwaysbeaboutkeepingadvicespecificandclear.Theapplicationofthisadvice,
fortheclient,mustbemanageable,measureable,andparticular.Theelementsof
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manageable,measurable,andparticulardonotmeanalwaysbeingsubjecttothecoachs
evaluationandassessment.Thefocusedadviceinsuchanexampleistogivetheclient
somethingtangiblewheretheythemselves,canevaluateandassesshowwelltheymanageand
measureuptotheadvicegiven.Asoftenaspossible,focusedclientattentioncanandshould
givetheclientthemeansforselfassessment.Focusedattentionontheclientdoesnttake
responsibilityfromthem,butrechannelsit,tothem.
Forinstance,Ihadaclientwhowasterriblewithconsistency.Itwasalwaysonestepforward
andtwostepsback.Theclienthadnoteverputtogetheraconsistenteffortoveratwotothree
weekperiod.Theexcusesvaried,somewerelegitimate,mostwerejustrationalizations.SoI
gaveparticularinstructionthatwouldhaveadaytodayjournalingofprotocoland
accountabilitytomefora6weekperiod.Thisway,wehadamutualshorttermemphasisof
daytodayjournaling,andalongertermemphasiswhichwasmeasureable,the6week
commitment.Itwasjustenoughemphasistobemanageableandnonthreatening.Ithadjust
enoughsupportfrommetoengagetheclienttoahigherperformancestandard,andthe
accountabilitywasspecific(particular)totheclientsissueofconsistency.
Focusedattentionontheclientmeansnotexpectinganymorethanagivenclientiscapable
of.Forsomeclientscommitmenttoprotocolandconsistencyisagiven.Forothersthismaybe
theexactproblematicissue.Again,thefocusisclientcentred;andwithinthisfocus,acoach
doesnotexpectanymorethantheclientscurrentcapacitiesandabilitiesallow.Clientswill
progress,ornot,attheirownrate;notaccordingtosomearbitraryexpectationsofacoach.

CommunicationSkills:GoalOriented
Thischaracteristicofagoodcoachbuildsonthepreviousfewdiscussedabove.Unfortunately,
advancedcommunicationskillisatalentwhichiscomposedofmanyotherelementsof
communicationabilityandexperience.Inshort,thiscapacityreallycannotbetaughtorstudied
tobeacquired.Thisisaskillacquiredanddevelopedfromexperience.
Thebestcoachescancommunicateasmuchfromtheclientsperspectiveandattitudeasfrom
theirown.IfIamcoachinganoffensivelinemanfromtheNFL,mylanguagewillbemuch
differentandthereforemytacticsofcommunication,thanifIamtrainingashy12yearold
figureskaterwhohasacontrollingparent.Obviouslyinbothexamples,tofocusontheprogram
andnottheclientistofailasacoach.Agoodcoachcaneffectivelyputhimselfintheshoesof
hisclient;nottosympathize,buttocommunicatemoreeffectively.Acoachcaneasilyand
effectivelyplacehimselfinhisclientsworkingenvironment,whateverthatmaybe.

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Thecoachmustbeabletorelatetothetremendousdisparityofknowledge,ability,skill,and
environmentofanygivenclient.Toomanycoaches,especiallyintheFitnessIndustrymake
themistakeofcoachingonlyfromtheirownvantagepoint.Obviously,ifIhaveastayathome
momwhohasgainedunwantedweightandfeelsinadequateandselfconsciousenoughtoseek
onlinecoaching,herrealworldofexperienceisqualitativelymuchdifferentthanthe
competitorIcoach,whohasalreadybeencompetingforseveralyears.Formetocoach
effectivelyforbothclients,Ihavetobeabletocommunicatetothemfromtheirlevelofreality,
notjustmyown.Communicationskillsneedtobebotheffectiveandclear.Communication
skillsneedtoalsoconveyarespectfulattitudeevenwhendeliveringcriticism.Thisgoesright
backtowhatIconsiderthefundamentalmandateofrealandtruecoaching:andthisisthe
desiretodorightovertheneedtoberight.Ittrulybeginshere.Agoodeffective
communicatorcanexempthisownprideforthesakeofeffectivecommunicationwithaclient.
Intermsofgoalorientation,specificcommunicationskillsoftenrequirebeinghonestand
realisticwithclients.Manygoalspresentedbyaclientwillnotberealisticandacoachdoesa
personnofavoursbyindulgingthesegoalswithoutcomment.Clientlifestyleoranthropometric
assessmentsmakessomegoalsunrealisticforclients.Forexample,a53,35yearoldman,
whohasneverplayedbasketball,isnotgoingtomakeittotheNBAjustbecauseheacquires
mycoachingexpertise.Andwhilethisexampleseemsobvious,thecoachintheFitnessIndustry
shouldacknowledgethatthesetypesofpromisesaremadeandmarketedonadailybasis
withintheindustryanditsfringes.Thisweekalone,asIwritethis,Ivehadinquiriesfromthree
differentpeople,fromthreedifferentwalksoflife,whoallwanttogain20lbsofmuscle,and
drop20lbsoffat.BeforeIcanevenengageanyoneofthesepeopleasapotentialclient;Ifirst
havetostepoutsidemyexpertiseandexplaintoeachofthem,whythesegoalsareunrealistic
forthem,atleastintheshortterm.
Atthesametime,tocommunicatethiseffectivelyalsomeansnotcrushingtheirselfesteem,
andnotdeflatingtheirmotivationtoundertaketheprocessofcoachinginordertogainwhat
theythinkthe20lbsofmusclegainandfatlosswouldaddtotheirlives.Andtobeabletodo
thiseffectively,Ihavetobeabletorelatetoeachofthem,fromnotonlymyownexperienced
vantagepoint,butfromtheirlessworldlyoneaswell.

Knowledgeable
Obviouslyagreatcoachhastobeknowledgeableabouthisfieldofendeavour.Mostcoaches
spenddecadesacquiringrealworlddomainknowledgeinagivenarena.ItsonlytheFitness
Industrywhichseemstoleadpeopletobelievetheycanbecomeexpertsbystudyingtextbooks

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orreadingindustryperiodicals;orworseyet,theindustrygivestheimpressionthatcertified=
qualified.
Football,hockey,basketball,trackcoaches,etc,allhavespentmostoftheirlivesinthetrenches
ofthespecificdomainwheretheynowcoach.Andbyexample,youneverseecoacheswho
spenttheirlivesinbasketballsuddenlybecomingprofessionalhockeycoaches.Thereisindeed
alevelofspecificityinvolvedintruecoachingprowess.Seldomhaveanyofthesecoaches
spenttimeinstudyofacquiringknowledgetobegoodcoaches.Coachingisaspecificand
uniquetalentandability.Domainknowledgeisbutamerecomponentpart.TheFitness
Industrymisleadsconsumersandwannabeexpertswiththeimpressionthatdomainknowledge
isallthatisrequiredforexpertisemovingforward.AgoodFitnessCoachofcourseshouldhave
adequateworkingknowledgeofthefield;however,hedoesnotneedtobearocketscientist
withinit.
Moreover,thecoachsknowledgebaseshouldnotbeasourceofprideorarroganceusedinthe
coach/clientrelationship.Iwitnessfartoomuchofthisintheneweraofcoachinginthefitness
industry.Domainknowledgeforacoachshouldmerelybeanotherresourceforthemtotap
intoduringthecoachingprocess.Theeffectivecoachagain,workswithpeople,notonthem.
Yes,clientsneedtobeconfidentofthecoachslevelofcompetenceandthatheknowsthejob
aswellasanyoneelse.However,theelusiveaspectforthecoachisthatthisjobisclient
centredandnotinformationbased.Thisisablindspotfortheindustrywhichcontinuesa
myopicfocusonspecializedknowledgeattheexpenseofanyfocusatallontherealworking
environmentofthefitnessprofessional.Agoodcoachreceivesgreaterrespectandloyalty
whenclientsfeelandknowtheyareingoodhands;bothintermsofapplicationofprotocol;
andmoreimportantly,intermsofthecoachsrelationshipwiththemduringtheprocess.This
relationshipelementoffocusmustbeoneofprofessionalismandskill.Domainknowledgefits
comfortablywithinthisframe;butitdoesnotencompassit.Theconfidenceaclienthasina
coachisdirectlyproportionaltoacoachscommunicationskills;nothisdomainknowledge.Ive
witnessedsomeofthesmartestandmostrespectedexpertsintheFitnessIndustrygive
lectureswheremostpeopleeitherwalkedout,ordemonstratedtremendousfrustrationtoa
levelofspeakingwhichwasentirelyovertheirheads.Theseexpertsmaybeinterestingto
followinalectureformat;buttheywouldmaketerriblecoachesonthefrontlines,realworld
ofworkingwiththewillingfitnessclient.
Mostofthequestionsthatclientswillhavearemattersforqualitativededuction,notdeeper
scientificexplanations.Forinstance,Iwilloftengetclientsinquiringastotheviabilityofsome
latestexercise,supplementorhealthgimmick.(cleansingpopsintomymindasanexample)
Asacoach,Idonothavetoknowtheneverendingpseudoscienceorrealsciencebehinda
cleansetounderstandthemotivationalfactorsbehindaclientsinquiryaboutit.Theeffective
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coachaddressestherelevantwhyforthesourceoftheinquiry;notjustthewhat.
Therefore,whileitsimperativeforacoachtostudyandattainacertainlevelofdomain
knowledge;itisonlyacomponentpartofthejobofcoachingwhichismorerelationshipbased.
Knowingyourclients,understandingtheirstrengthsandweaknesses,mentally,emotionally,
physically,isatougherskillsettodevelop;butfarmoreimperativetoeffectivecoaching.
Domainknowledgeissubservienttothetriangleofawarenesstoeffectivecoachingskilland
ability.Themoreefficientacoachisatcoachingindividualsasindividuals,thebetterhewill
coachthem.Thisistrueevenofavastmajorityofpeoplewhomaysharesimilarneeds.Yet
becausetheindustrytirelesslyandendlesslynarrowsitsfocusonexerciseandphysicalaffects
andeffects;theactualinteractionwithindividualsbecomesincreasinglynegated.Indeed,the
individualhimselfisnegated.Plainandsimple,gatheringmorescientificinformationis
eventuallyalosingbattleinrealworldcoaching.Thisisespeciallytrueforlongtermcareer
sustainability.Psychologically,thecoachwhocontinuestofocusattentionongathering
informationtoimpressanddazzleclientswithhisknowledgebaseisactuallymakinga
statementthatheisfocusedonhimselfmorethanhisclient.Thispsychologicalreality
translatestothecoachbeinglesseffectiveratherthanmoreeffectivewithinhisrelationship
withclients.Knowledgeandinformationshouldbesharedanddeliveredastheclientscapacity
andawarenessdictates.Therefore,beingknowledgeableisimportant,butofrelativevalue
withinthecoach/clientrelationship.

ObservationSkills
Thisisanotheraspectofthequalitativetalentofcoachingwhichisseldomaddressed.The
FitnessIndustrycontinuestofocusanemphasisonameasureandtestmentality,while
effectivecoachinghasmoretodowithamentalityofobserveandevaluate.Foronline
coaches,observationskillsareparticularlyrelevant.Assessingclientfeedbacknecessitates
advancedcommunicationskillswhichcanintuitivelyinvolveobservationandevaluationnot
onlyofwhatisbeingsaid,butalsowhatmaynotbebeingsaidaswell.Observationskills,
becausetheyarebasedonactualindividualsratherthanprograms,cangiveacoach
assessmentstrategieswhicheffectivelyandpurposelyallowhimtoreadbetweenthelines.
Ongoingcommunicationwithaclientcanfosteropportunitiesforthecoachtoforeseepatterns
thatareeitherdesiredorundesired.Thecoachcanthenactpromptlyandpreemptivelyto
reinforcegoodpatterns,ornippotentialproblemsinthebud.Thecoachsjobonceagainisto
beguidinglightandmirrortohisclients.Thisnecessitatesobservationskillswhichindividualize
clientfeedbacktoseerealitiestheclientmaybeignorantto,bothforpositiveornegative.

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Forexample,Ioncehadaclientwhowasalsoatrainer.Heconsideredhimselfahighend
trainerandcompetitor.Yet,incoachingthisclient,itwasobvioushewasdelusionalinhisself
perception.Regularfeedbackfromthisclientwasfilledwithinconsistenciesandexcusesfor
missedworkoutsandlackofdietadherence.Infact,thisclientlackedrealworldcommitment
onalmosteveryfront.Hemissedandcancelledappointmentswithhisclients;hehadntput
togetherevenonesolidweekofconsistentandcommitteddietingandtraining.Thisclientwas
allaboutappearanceandposing.Afterafewmonthstheclientaskedforanewprogram.
Yettheclienthadnotputarealweeksworthoftrainingintothecurrentprogram.Iusedthis
asastatementpointforarealitycheck.Ihadtotellthisclient,innouncertainterms,thathe
wasnotwhohepresentedhimselftobe;andnotwhohethinkshimselftobe.Ihadtolayout
forthisclienttherealitythatbycomparisontothehundredsofotherpeopleItrainandcoach,
hewastheleastconsistentandcommittedpersonIhadseentodate.Hedidnotneed,norwas
heworthyofanewprogram.Hehadnotworkedinawaywherehecouldhavepossibly
adaptedtothecurrentprogram.Ialsopointedouttohimthatasatrainerandleaderforhis
ownclients,hewasdroppingtheball.Peoplewouldnotlistentohimforlongifhedidntmodel
hisowninstructionandadvicetoclients.Inthisexample,observationskillsfaroutweighthe
needtomeasureandtestanyparticularphysicalskillsoranthropometricmeasurement.

Respectful
Acoachlikemedealsandengagespeoplefromallwalksoflife.Currently,Icoachdoctors,
captainsofindustry,universityprofessors,highlevelcompetitors,bothproandamateur;as
wellasoverweighthousewives,allthewaytobartenders,doormen,students,andthe
emotionallyarrested.Allhavevariedintellectual,emotional,andmentalcapacitiesaswellas
variedphysicalcapabilities.Theeffectivecoachisrespectfulalwaysofwheretheclientis
comingfrom,andtowhatspecificareastheymaylackintermsofreachingtheirgoals.(the
coachstriangleofawarenessagain)Moreoftenthannotagivenclientsgoalsmayhavetobe
reexaminedandreframedinordertoberealisticandworkable.Therespectfulcoachcanand
shouldavoidmakingassumptionsofwhataclientcanorcannotdo,orcanorcannothandlein
termsoffeedbackandcritique.
Thetruecoachbeginsfromapositionofselfrespect,whichisearned,andthenenvelopsthe
coachingrelationshipwithinit.Forthecoach,thereisnopridetohurtoroffencetotake
becauserespectfortherelationshipisagivenfromtheonset.Toooften,socalledcoachescan
onlybeeffectivewhencoachingclientswhothinkexactlyastheydo.Wewitnessthis
divisivenessthroughoutthefitnessindustry.Forinstance,bodybuilderstrainbodybuilders,
competitorstraincompetitors;theegghead,labcoatexpertscatersonlytothosetowhom
bookknowledgemakessenseetc.Thisisntsomuchbecauseofsharedinterest,butbecauseof
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limitedcommunicationskillsandclosedminds.ForthoseseekingacareerinFitness,this
acceptanceforthelikemindedonly,islimitingforlongtermprospects,andlimitingtothe
coachsownpersonalgrowthaswell.
Thisstuntsthecoachseffectiveness;itdoesnotenhanceit.Andthislackofrespectfora
clientsalternativeperspectiveweakensthecoachspotentialimpactonclientsaswell.Sothe
coachingrelationshipbeginsfirst,withacoachswellroundedattitudeforhisownselfrespect.
Thisisnottobeconfusedwitharrogance.Selfrespectforacoachisactuallymoreabout
humilitythanarrogance.Itisonceagain,aboutunderstandingtheimportanceofdoingrightfor
theclient;ratherthanbeingrightforvalidationpurposes.Withahealthybackboneofself
respect,notarrogance,thecoachcancorrectlyberespectfulofthecoach/clientrelationshipas
well.Thisisaverymatureandadvancedcoachingcharacteristic,butitisoneguaranteedto
sustainthecoachinaworkingenvironmentinthis,oranyotherindustry.

Patience
Absolutelypartandparcelofbeingrespectfulresultsinatoneandattitudeofpatienceinthe
coach/clientrelationship.Asalreadydiscussedinchapter3,patienceneedsexercisetobecome
anongoingskillandtraitofadvancedcoaching.Patiencemeansthecoachisconsistently
acknowledgingtheclientsownperspective,relativetohisownwithintheongoingcoach/client
interactionandprocess.
Aspecificclientmaybeaskingthecoachaquestionthecoachhasfieldedonemilliontimes
already.However,itisstillanecessaryquestionfromtheclientsperspectiveorhewouldnt
askit.Patiencemeansgivingthisquestionandthisclientdueenergyandenthusiasmin
response.Itspartofthecontextofbeingrespectfuldiscussedabove.Aclientmayindeedbe
ignorantofinformationorknowledgeacoachmayconsidermundaneorrudimentary.This
doesnotevermeanaclientisstupid.Thecoachneedstobeabletounderstandtheclient,from
theclientslevelofperceptionandknowledge.Anyonewhoundertakesinstructioninafield
foreignorunfamiliartothemwillbetrustingtheinstructortonotonlyteachbuttomeetthem
withacertainattitudeofdecorum.Imagineifquestionsaremetwithanattitudeofdisdain,
disregard,orevenportrayedasbeingsomekindofnuisance.
Theeffectivecoachworksdirectlyfromtheperspectivethatignoranceiscurable.Andthiscure
isindeedpartofthecoachsmandate.Leadershipandguidancerequirespatienceaboveall
else,nomatterhowbusyoroccupiedthecoachmaybe.Anattitudeofpatiencepreventsthe
coach,aswell,fromengagingclientswithapatronizingorarrogantattitudewhenaddressing
clientinquiries,nomatterhowsimplesuchinquiriesmayseemtothecoach.
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Byexample,IvewitnessedthismanytimesnotonlyintheFitnessIndustryfromcoachesor
trainerswholackpatience,butinretailattentionaswell.SeveraltimeswhenIhavebeento
giantstores,wheretheysupposedlyaretheretohelpIvebeenmetwithattitudesof
arrogance,impatience,andpatronizingmylackofknowledge.InparticularIveseenthisat
HomeDepotwherepeopleseemtobeinconveniencedbyinquirieswhichillustratea
consumersignorance;onlytobemetbytheexpertwhoconvertstheignorancetoa
perceptionofstupidity.AtthesametimeIveseenexpertsintheseplacesonlytooeagerto
helporengageconsumersinafriendly,respectful,andpatientmanner.Itsallabout
professionaletiquette.WheneverIwitnesssuchaninteractionitremindsandreinforcestome
theimportanceofpatienceinmyownroleinaclientcentredbusiness.
Theobviousrealizationofhumilityforagoodcoachisthatifaclientdidindeedhavethesame
levelofknowledgeandimplementationandskillsetofthecoach;thenthecoachwouldbeout
ofbusiness.Sothecoachshouldberespectfulandpatienttoallclientinquiryandinteraction,
becauseitreinforceshisownviability.Onceagain,servingothersappropriately,servesthe
coachvocationallyaswell.Moreover,whileaquestionorinquirymaybeoldtothecoach;
becauseheaddressesthisquestionfromthecontextofeachclientasanindividual,thecoach
mayanswerthisquestionseveraldifferentwaysovertime.Thisonlyenhancesthecoachs
communicationskills.Whenemployingtheelementofpatiencetoansweringeventhemost
mundanequestions,thecoachreinforceshisownskillsfromtheoldworkingadagethat
teachingislikelearningtwiceover.Thereisnodownsidetounwaveringpatienceasa
coachingcharacteristic.Thereisonlytremendousupside,bothforthecoachintheimmediate
relationshipandserviceofhisclient;andintermsofgrowinghisowncoachingskillsaswell.

BeClear
Havingtorepeatyourselflouderandmoreslowly(eveninregardstoattitudeandtoneonly)is
anapplicationofarrogance.Thisispatronizingtoadults;andnoadultwilltoleratethisforlong.
Talkingdownto,ortalkingabovetheheadsofclientsbothtendtotreatclientsasstupid
ratherthanunaware.Moreover,ifaclientisntgettingthecoachsmessagethenrepeatingit
severaltimesserveslittlepurpose.Iftheclientdoesnotunderstandthecoachsintended
messageorinstruction,thenthisisonthecoachtobeclearer.Thecoachneedstobeableto
communicatetheinstructionorfeedbackfromtheclientsperspective,especiallyifthereis
confusionorlackofunderstanding.
Ifrealcoachingisindeedaboutcoachingthepersonandnottheprogram,thenitnecessitates
acoachbeingclearandconcisewhileengagingtheclient.Communicationprecisionisa
requisiteskillforacompetentcoachtoacquire.Therearemanywaysofaccomplishingthis.
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Oneofthesurestwaysforbeingabletoreachaclientisbyuseofanalogy.Sincethetruecoach
coachesthepersonnottheprogram;heshouldalreadyhaveacertainunderstandingofthat
individual.Tomakeamessagemoremeaningfulandclearforaclient,agoodcoachwillthinkof
anexampleofananalogytoemploythatspeakstotheclientfromtheirownsphereof
influence.Butitdoesntendhere,becausethisisstillaonewaycommunicationfromcoachto
client.Toinsureclarity,thecoachshouldengagetheclienttoreiteratethemessagebacktohim
insomeform.Astheclientrepeatsthemessageortheanalogybacktothecoach,thecoach
canascertainifclarityissatisfiedornot.Thisisanimportantelementofclientinteractiontoo
oftenoverlooked.Beingclearalsoimpliesensuringthisclaritybyengagingtheclientsown
feedback.Onceagainthisreinforcesthepointtoasmuchaspossibletalkwiththeclient,and
notjusttotheclient,orattheclient.
Yetthiscommonsensenecessityissooftenoverlookedandunderplayed,thatitbecomesan
actualcharacteristicofgoodcoaching;sinceitissooftenignored.Therearetonsofexamples
offakecoachesouttherewhodeliberatelytalkoverclientsheadsasameanstotryto
intimidatethemintofollowinginstructionandleadership.Butthisisfalseleadership,and
ineffectivecoaching.Overtime,thisapproachwillonlycreatecontinuedfrustrationand
resentmentfromthisstyleofonewaycommunication.Eventually,onewaystylesof
communicationfromcoachtoclientonlymovesthetwofurtherapart;notmutuallyengaged
towardtheclientsgoals.Thepointaboutclarityisinestablishingandcontinuallyreiteratingan
understandingofthecoachsagendaontheclientsbehalf.
IveseenthisaswellevenonmyownwebForumsandotherwebforums.Peoplecometo
certainForumstomakepoststhatareallabouttheWOWfactorofintellect.Yetthesepeople
donotseemtorealizetheyfailtohaveverymuchimpactintherealworldofresultsand
application.So,beingclearincommunicationisallaboutcreatingamindsetofcooperation,
withandfor,theclient.Talkingdownto,ortalkingabovetheheadsofclientsisinsteadabout
tryingtocoopttheclienttoobedience.

Assertiveness
Aneffectivecoachmustbeassertive.Theproblemhereisamisinterpretationofwhatthisterm
actuallymeansandimpliesasacoachingcharacteristic.Falseconfidenceisnotassertiveness.
Moreover,trueassertivenessisastrengthwhichshouldnotbeconfusedwithaggressiveness,
whichisaweakness.Acoachisaleaderandleadersmustlead.Todosowithanythingshortof
anassertiveattitudeistolosethepositionasaperceivedstrongandcapableleader.Being
assertiveisaboutmaintainingastrongpresencewithoutdemandingsubordination.Inother
words,agoodcoachwillbethebosswithoutnecessarilybeingbossy.Furthermore,assertive
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leadershipwhichisclientandrelationshipbasednotprogrambasedwillgarnerloyaltyand
respect.Butassertivenessmustbesincere,notsomekindofactorroleplaying.
Beingproperlyassertiveistoonceagainreaddresstheroleofcoach.Peopleengagethecoach
forhelpintheprocessofachievingtheirgoals.Byanalogy,thejobofcoachisnottomakethe
horsedrinkthewater.Thecoachsjobis1)engagethehorsesthirst,and2)leadhimtothe
waterappropriately.Assertivenessisabouttheclientengagement,nottheprotocol.This
analogyshouldbereexaminedonaregularbasisfortheeffectivecoachtomaintainproper
perspectiveregardingassertinghimselfwithintherelationship.

TooManyCooks
Alltheabovecharacteristicsimplythecoachkeepsanopenmindparticularlyintermsof
ongoingclientinteraction.However,thisshouldnotbemistakenforinvitingotherexpert
opinionintotherelationshiponaregularbasis.Thepersonhashiredthecoachforaspecific
reason.Atsomepointthereshouldexistamutualunderstandingofthecoachsknowledgeand
leadershipasthefocusedstructureoftherelationship.Arguingdifferencesofphilosophyor
methodologyleadawayfromtherelationshipinrealterms.Thisshouldnotbeacentraloreven
fringeelementofclientinteraction.Trustinthecoachshouldalreadyhavebeenconsistently
builtupon;itshouldnothavetobeconsistentlyprovenwithinclientinteraction.Todosotakes
boththecoachandtheclientawayfromtheclientfocusedelementofprocess,andreducesit
insteadtoclassroomtypepontificating.
Inessence,thisleadstothatonewaytypeofcommunicationwhichisdestinedtobreakdown,
notbuildup.WhenIsaytonewclients,Icallalltheshots,ornoneofthem,itdoesnotclose
thedoortoinquiry.Insteaditservesasanassertivestatementastothestructureoftheclient
focus,whichisrelationshipbased;notprotocolbased.Inthissense,therelationshipelementof
coachingnecessitatestherealityfortheFitnessclient,thattoomanycooksspoilthebroth.So
whiletherearemanywaysofdoingthingsoraccomplishinggoals,engagingconsistent
interactionoverthismethodorthatmethodeventuallyleadstoaconsistentfocusofwhatis
missingratherthananemphasisonmeaningfulapplicationofwhatisactuallythere.

NotesforMentoringStudents

Notethatalltheabovecharacteristicsofagoodcoacharequalitativeinnature.They
havelittletodowithsharpeningspecificskillsforquantifying,measuringortesting,
clientphysicalimprovements.Howthenarethesecharacteristicsviableandessential?
Towhataspectofcoachingdotheyactuallyaddress?
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Makeapiegraphforeachsliceofcharacteristicsofthecoachingpie.Placeit
somewherevisibleforyoutoseeconsistently.

Fromyourownexperience,examinetwotothreerecentclientinteractions,andusethe
pieslicesasareference.Wherewereyouweak?Wherewereyoustrong?Howcould
youimprove?

Honestlysitbackandevaluatethepiegraphslicebyslice.Regraphthepie,everyso
often,andgiveeachsliceanappropriatesizeintermsofwhichofthesecharacteristics
youexercisethemost(thelargestslices)andwhichoftheseyouseemtoexercisethe
least.(thesmallestslices)Theperfectpiegraphhaseachslicethesamesize.Inreal
life,thisisqualitativelyimpossible.Soemployyourownhonestpiegraph,withthe
standardofeachsliceofequalsize.Putthetwosidebysidesoyoucanconstantlyand
consistentlyexercisethecharacteristicsofwhateverseemstobeyourownsmaller
slices.

Alsobeawareandobservethateachclientasanindividualwillalsorequireadifferent
emphasisofinteractionatanygiventime.Allthesecharacteristicsofagoodcoachexist
inunisonbutnotinconcertatanyparticulartime.Thesecharacteristicsmustbeflexible
torecognizingtheclient,andtheongoingnatureofinteractiveapplicationofany
particularemphasisabove.Inotherwords,thispiegraphisalive,andconsistently
changingandflexibleaccordingtoboththeindividualclient,andthecurrentsituationor
discourse.

ExaminehowthetriangleofawarenessfromChapter3isaffectedbythe
characteristicsofagoodcoach.Andhowdothesecharacteristicsfurtherenhancethe
triangleofawareness?

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SECTION2
DevelopingAdvancedCoachingSkills

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Chapter5
TheCoachandClientEntity

Therestofthisbookwillbeaboutdelvingmuchdeeperintoconceptspreviouslymentioned.
Theroleofcoachandtherelationshipofcoachandclientwillbedulyexploredfromseveral
angles.Thusseveralthemeswillberepeatedbecauseoftheirrelevancewithinanygiven
context.Andthemostbasicapproachtodevelopingadvancedcoachingskillsistoacknowledge
firstandforemostthecoachandclientasaninteractiveentity.Todoso,letsjustquickly
reviewthestatedandobviousdifferencesbetweencoachandtrainer.
Trainer

Focusisonprogramapplication

Coach

Focusisonclient

Focusisonedimensional:physical

Focusismultidimensional:physical,
emotional,mental,environmental
etc(thetriangleofawareness)

Autocraticinapplication

Democraticininteraction

Talksalot

Listensalot

Dictates

Inquires

PreventsandInstructs

PresumesandAssumes

ExploresandInteracts

SeeksControl

SeeksCommitment

DemandsandCommands

ChallengesandEvaluates

Worksontheclient

Workswiththeclient

Putsimmediateresultsfirst

FocusesontheProcess

FixesandSolves

SeeksReasonsandLinearCauseandEffect

SeeksongoingResultsinmany
formsandallowsforplateaus,
stagnation,andevenregressions
(nonlinearacknowledgment)

Assignsblame

Takeresponsibility
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Focusisonwhatandhow

Focusincludeswhatandhow
butwithmoreemphasisonwho
whyandwhere.Theclientisthe
context!

Thislistisnotexhaustive.Itsincludedinthecolumnformatspecificallyforquickaccessto
addresstheobviousandsubtledifferencesbetweencoachandtrainer.Noticethedifferences
betweenthetrainerandthecoach.Specificallyaddressthedifferencesbetweencoachinga
programandcoachingaperson.Andwhilethecoachalsoassumestheroleoftrainer,as
discussedpreviously;thereverseisnotnecessarilytrue.

Fromtheaboveitsclearthatcoachingisaspecialanduniqueindividualrelationshipbetween
leaderandfollower.Theroleofcoachhaslittletodowithinformationonceacertainlevelof
knowledgehasbeenacquiredandpracticed.Acoachcannotachieveresultswithoutgood
clients.Usuallytheperceptionhereisthatitistheclientwhoseeksachievingresults.Yetthe
coachhimselfalsoseeksresults,althoughproperlystated,thecoachsresultsliewithinthe
clientsapplicationandprogress.Sothecirclebeginswhereaclientseekscoachinginorderto
achievesomekindofgoal.Thecoachcanonlyhelptheclientprogresstoandbeyondthegoalif
theclientisindeedagoodclient.Forthecoach,makingtheclientbecomeagoodclient
shouldbeaconsciousandconcertedprojectofthecoach.Thisisachievedbyfosteringthe
coachingrelationshipastheprioritywithemphasisonprotocol,yes.Butmakingaclientintoa
goodclientlieswellbeyondtheapplicationsofprogramsanddiets.Consistencyand
compliancearenecessaryforanymeasureofachievement,forbothcoachandclient.Thisis
theentitytowhichIreferredabove.Ensuringthese,consistencyandcomplianceisthenumber
onepriorityintermsofbeginningaprocessofcoachingevaluationandassessment:aswellas
continuingandevolvingthecoachandcliententity.

CoachGambettasaidthatthecoachingroleprogressesfromguidinglighttomoreofamirror.
Ivefoundthatagreatcoachcandobothforthedurationofthecoachingrelationship.Inorder
tobeginthis,thecoachmustbeobservant,articulate,andconfidentenoughtobehonest.
However,toproperlyengageandchallengeaclientrequiresbothtactanddiplomacy.Each
clientcomesfromhis/herownlevelofunderstandingofprocessdemands.Thecoachmust
properlyengageaclientwithastylewheretheclienttakesovertheresponsibilityforachieving
theirowngoals.Thereisneitherownershipnorcreditforthecoachintheclientsachievements
ornonachievements.Thecoachistheguide;nothingmore.Agreatcoachpreparestheclient
toalwaysbeabletohearthetruth,(reflectionandmirrorcomponent)goodorbad,asfaras
evaluationandassessmentsareconcerned.Thisguidinghandshouldcompeltheclienttobe
ableandwillingtoactonthecoachsfeedback.So,havingagoodclientisnotagiven.Itsthe
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coachwhosestyleandtechniqueformthecoachandcliententitysothattheclientisagood
client.

Realcoachingisindividualizedonmanylevelsandeachparticularcoachingrelationshipwillbe
uniqueintermsofelementsofcoachingfocusandguidanceandinstruction.Theemphasisof
thecoachandcliententityisoninteraction,aswellastheongoingphysicalprocessand
application.Inthissense,thecoachcoachesoneclientatatime:Hence,thedetermination
aboveofthecoachandcliententity.Effectivecoachingisbasedonclientinteraction.By
comparison,thecurrentindustryonewaystreetemphasisofcoachingdictationisnotonly
incompletebutpracticallyincompetent,regardlessofknowledgebase.Instructionsuchas,do
thisprogramforthismanyweeks,andthendothisnegatesthequalitativedifferencesamong
individuals.Italsonegatestherelationshipelementuponwhichthecoachandcliententityis
founded.Thisisaprofoundareaofneglectinthefitnessindustry.Itsweakanditsincomplete.
Instead,bytakingpartwiththeclientinandduringtheirprocessofapplication,allkindsof
opportunitiesforcoachingpresentthemselves;bothforthephysicalprotocolandtheactual
client.Thisisnotpossibleifthecoachisnotpresenttotakenoticeandofferfeedback.What
seemsglaringlyobvious;fortruecoachingandguidanceiscompletelyignoredintheindustry
whichfocusesoninstructionoverguidance.

Asmentionedinchapter4,awarenesscoachingisthemostnaturalandeffectivekindof
coachingsinceitcomesfromasharedcontextorfield.(thecoachandcliententity)However,it
shouldbenotedthatintheFitnessIndustrythiskindofrealcoachingislesscommonbecauseit
requiresgreaterskillsandattentiononthecoachspart.Thenatureoftheemphasisofclient
interactionisoftenstatedintheFitnessIndustry,especiallyamongtheinternetmarketers;yet
veryfewhaveanyideawhatclientinteractionandengagementactuallymeans.

Listeningandrespondinghonestlytoaclientfromabaseofknowledgeandskilled
communicationisfarandawaymoreeffectivecoachingthantheindustrymythofjust
providingprotocolandadvancedinformation.Aclienthasexpertiseoftremendousvaluetoa
worthycoach.Theclientisanexpertonhimself!Eventheselfdeludedclientgivesthecoach
pertinentinformationandinsightintohowthatspecificclientthinksandfeelsabouthisgoals
andtheongoingprocessofachievingthem.Learningandacknowledgingaclientsaptitudes
andattitudesisabsolutelyessentialforeffectivecoaching;andabsolutelyessentialwithinthe
coachandcliententity.Noonecancoachaclienttheydonotknow.Yet,theindustry
continuestoperpetuatethismythateverylevelofaccreditation.Theindustrycontinuesto
nullifythecoachandcliententity,byemphasizingthatprogrammingandapplicationare
somethingyoudototheclient,insteadofwiththeclient.Onewaydictationofapplication
isnotdialogueandnotinteraction.Itsveryweakinstructionatbest.Anditsafacadethe
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industrycurrentlyhidesbehindasitcontinuestocertifypeopleatalllevelswithoutany
acknowledgementoftheinteractivenecessityofprocessandapplication.

Therefore,protocolmustbematchedtoaclientscapabilities,notnecessarilytheirgoals.The
awarecoachknowsthesetwoelementsareoftennotmutuallyinclusiveandmoreoftenthan
notarecentredonindustrydogmaandinternet/infomercialgimmicksandpromises.End
resultsareoftenanillusioncreatedbythecommercialandcosmeticsideoftheindustry.For
example,beforeandafterpictureswherethepersonnevermaintainstheafterstatusis
misleadingtomanyconsumersinthisindustry,yetbecomesthemarketingabsolutefor
perceivedgoalsettingandattainment.Thisisfaultythinking,andclientsneedtobedutifully
engagedtounderstandthisdeception.Instead,thecoachandcliententityisaboutafocuson
thejourney.Itsafocusontheclientsperceptionsandexperienceofhimselfwithinthat
journey.Thiswillhavetheendresulttakecareofitself.Thecoachsgoalisontheprocessand
moreimportantlyclientmasteryofprocess.Thiswaythegoalpostskeepmovingasthe
sayinggoes.

So,properlyengagingthefullentityofcoachandclientmeansgettingtheclienttofocusand
emphasizeontheprocessathand,notthegoal.Motivationcannotbesustainedlongterm,for
dietortraining,ifthefocusisprimarilyplacedonresultsandnottheprocessofgettingthere.
Thisrepresentsanotheroftheonedimensionalmistakesmadeintheindustry.Immediate
applicationonlyleadstoabsoluteresultsinthelongterm.Forexample,noTEAMin
professionalsportsgetstothefinalchampionshipsbyemphasizingthefinalchampionships
fromthestartoftrainingcamp.Insteadtheyknowandworktowardthisgoalwithanemphasis
ontheprocessofgettingthere.Theemphasisatthislevelisallaboutonegameatatime
andthepreparationinvolvedforeachandeverygameathand.Thesameshouldapplyin
coachingafitnessclienttoalongtermgoal.Immediateapplicationonlyleadstoabsolute
resultsinthelongterm.

Incontrasttotheprofessionalsportsexampleabove,weseetheoppositeinsuchexamplesas
NewYearsResolutions.Thereisareason98%ofsuchresolutionsfail.Itiseasyforanyclient
orpersontoreporttoacoachofbeingmoremotivatedandinspiredthaneverbefore.Im
willingtodoanythingorthistimenothingwillstopme,areverycommonthreadsof
expressionwhenclientsundertakephysicaltransformationgoalsofdietandtraining.Such
statementsareusuallymadeintheimmediatewithoutanycontemplationorregardforthe
longtermprocessofactuallyachievingthesegoals.Thegoodcoachcannottakesuchclaimsat
facevalue.Everyoneisdulymotivatedbeforeanundertaking.Butoncethedietingandtraining
demandsensue;withtheirconcurrentemphasisonsacrificeanddiscipline,aclientfocuswhich
isonlyonthelongtermgoal(likeaNewYearsresolution)willnotlikelysustainmotivationand
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inspirationforthecourseoftimegoalacquisitionwilldemand.Thereforethecoachandclient
entityisaboutinstructionandguidancethroughthecourseoftheprocessundertaking.

Manyclientswithphysicaltransformationgoalsmayalsonotunderstandthatevenifthey
achievetheseloftygoals,theymaynotbelikelytobesustainedlongterm.Therefore,engaging
theclienttofocusontheactualprocessofapplicationservestheimmediate,theresidual,and
thelongtermrequirementsforcontinuedsuccess.Thiscoachingrealityiswhatseparatesthe
NewYearsresolutiontypesofgoalsettersfromtheprofessionalsportschampionsmentioned
above.Thedifferenceisinthequalityandstyleofcoachingpeople,notprograms.Andthis
coachingtakesplacemoreinthementalsphereofthetriangleofawarenessthanitdoesin
thephysicalsphereofprogramsanddiets.Itsabouttheprocessofapplicationyes;butalso
aboutaclientsindividualongoingexperiencewithintheprocessaswell.Thecoachandclient
entitymustacknowledgeboththenonlinearaspectsofperformanceaswellascreating
opportunitiesforclientstogainpositivemomentumbyreachingevenverysmallgoalsduring
theprocessofapplication,andtheapplicationofprocess.So,theeffectivecoachknowsa
clientissucceedingwhentheyarefocusedandstayingontherightpathwithintheprocess.
Thisemphasisisnotonsetsandreps,caloriesandgrams,butfocusedattentionontheprocess
ofdoing.Goalsareabsolutes;theexperiencewithinreachingthemisalwaysrelative.And
thisistheessentialacknowledgementinthecoachandcliententity.Thisisalsowhat
necessitatesfollowupandinteractionwithinthecoachingrelationship.Merelydictating
protocolforaspecifiedtimeperiodisarbitrary(actuallyevenlazy)anditdoesnotproperly
considerorengagetheclient.Iftruegoalattainmentwasonlyabouttheprotocol,thenbynow,
themoderndigitalenvironmentwouldhavesolvedeveryonesproblemsforachievingand
sustainingcosmeticresults.

AnyonecangoonYouTubeandgetthousandsofvariationsofexercisesandtechniques.Major
Websitesadvertiseandpromotesystemsoftrainingallthetime,monthtomonth,sometimes
evenweektoweek.Yettraineescontinuetofailtoreachtargetedresultsandmostquitand
giveupentirelywithinafixedperiodoftime.Programsanddietsarenotaboutpeople;
thereforetheywillalwaysbeahitandmissproposition.Coachingistherelevantpeople
orientedconnectionofclienttoprogram.Evenwitheffectiveandproperinstructionsowidely
available;ifthetraininganddietexperienceisnotmatchedwithsomekindoffollowup,then
thereisnomeasureofrelevantqualitativeassessmentandevaluation.Byexample,thisisakin
toleavinggrade3studentsontheirowntodecideiftheyarereadyforgrade4.Capitalizingon
learningopportunitiesandteachingopportunitiesisnegatedifconsistentfollowupisnota
viableoutletfortheclientinthecoachandclientrelationshipentity.Itsthisrealitythatleads
towhatIcallpinballing.Themoderntraineeendsupbouncingaroundfromoneprogramor
workouttothenextwithoutarelevantcontexttoabideinandlearnfrom.Thisevenhappens
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enmassewherewewitnessvariousForumsgroupsmemberspontificatingandcommentingon
systemsoftrainingordiet,thatdonotelicittrueevaluationandassessmentforatrainees
progress,butmerelyinstead,ongoingopinionandeditorialdressedupasexpertise.

Thenonphysicalrealmremainscompletelyignoredbytheindustryintermsofrelevance.Yet
thetriangleofawarenessisthespecificstrengthofthecoachandcliententity.Clientsmay
needtobeconsistentlyremindedovertimeaboutthebiggerpictureaspectoftheirgoals.This
haseverythingtodowithdisciplineinprocess,andtheprocessofdiscipline.Beyondthe
physicalprotocolitselfisthenecessityoflifestylefocusfortruelongtermgoalacquisitionand
continuedprogressandsustainability.Aclientmustlearntounderstand,inqualitativeterms,
thereasonbehindtheirworkandeffortsiftheyaregoingtotrulyvalueandembracethe
resultsofboth.Toreiterate,thiselementofcoaching,whatIrefertoasthecoachandclient
entityisvirtuallyignoredinthisindustry.Coachesinsteadarereinforcedtotheillusionofa
verynarrowandmyopicfocusandvisionthatonlyentertainsthephysicalrealmandend
results.Thisisnotcoaching.Atbest,itismediocretraining.Andthisapproachiscompletely
limitedinscope.Thisiswhytheconceptofthecoachandcliententityissuchanimportant
consideration.Thereareelementsoflifestylewhichwillalwaysfactorintotheclientstraining
anddietregimen.Andthereareelementsofpersonalitywhicheffecttheclientcommitment
justasequally.

Forexample,whenclientsareatthehighestlevelsofchallenge(say,strictdietingforweeks
andweeks,andbodyfatisnowlowtothepointwhereithasconsistentlyaffectedhungerand
energy),thereisoftenatendencytomoveawayfromthecommittedgoal.Thishappens
frequentlyanditsuptothecoachtoreengagetheclienttofocusontheprocess,notjustthe
attainmentofthespecificgoal.However,coacheswhomerelyfocusonthephysicalrealmalso
tendtolosetrackofthefocusontheclientsprocessofmovingforward.Insodoing,asthegoal
acquisitionisimmediatelypending,insteadofasenseofachievementandcelebration,the
negligentcoachisactuallyonlyaddinganincreasedsenseofpressuretotheprocess.The
coachandcliententityshouldalwaysbeproperlyfocusedontheprocessoftheapplicationof
protocol.Thismusttakeplaceatthepaceaclientslifestyle,capability,andunderstanding
allow.Assigningarbitrarytimeperiods,andlineartimetablesarenotonlyunrealistic,butthey
addpressuretopeoplewhopursuefitnessasalifestylecommitment,notacareer.

Anotherdifferencewithinthecoachandcliententityisthenatureofthefocusofprocess.
Realistically,ifaclientisnotprogressingtowardtheirpersonalgoals,ormoreimportantly,if
theyarenotexperiencinggrowthandchallengeandenjoymentwithintheprocess,theyarenot
likelytostayoncourse.(Theyarealsonotlikelytostaywiththepresentcoachortrainer
either!)Whattheindustrymissesalltoooftenisthatcoachesneedtounderstandaclientfrom
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thepositionoftheclient.Thecoachandcliententityworkswiththeclientfromhere.In
contrast,theFitnessIndustryhascoachesandtrainersmistakenlyembracingthenotionthat
theyworkwithclientsfromsomeadvancedknowledgebase.Tounderstandthejobbeyondthe
job,thetruecoachingfocusisaboutguidingtheclienttomoveon,wellbeyondtheircurrent
positionorgoals.Thishaslittletodowiththeclientsphysicalgoalsandmoretodowith
appropriatelyengagingtheclientduringtheprocessofapplicationofprotocol.Thegoalisto
enhancetheclientssubjectiveexperienceandlevelofpersonalawareness.Thistakes
tremendousskillandcompetenceintheroleofcoach.Butitalso,onceagain,illustratesthe
differencebetweenhighendcoachingcomparedtomediocretrainerapplication.Sincethe
coachandcliententityengagestheclientfromtheclientsownlevelofunderstanding,thereis
astarkdifferenceinthenatureoftheprocess.Whiletheindustrycontinuestoreinforce
assessingclientsandworkingontheirweaknesses;thecoachwhoisengagingtheclientfrom
theclientsownlevelofawareness,knowsthistobecounterintuitive.Thecoachmore
appropriatelyworkstoaclientsstrengthswhilemanaginghisweaknesses.Onceagainthis
servestomaketheprocessmorechallengingandenjoyable.Foranyclientinanyrealm,this
typeofengagementismorelikelytosecureongoingcommitmentandapositiveexperience.It
begsthequestionhowthisfactofhumaninteractioncanbesowidelymissedandnegatedin
thefitnessindustry.Andtheanswerisbecausetheroleofcoachisneverproperlyaddressed.

Sinceeffectivecoachingisallaboutdealingwiththeclient,fromtheclientslevelofawareness
italsomeansthecoachnotassumetoomuchregardingthatawareness.Aneffectivecoach
needstofollowthestepsofalwayscrawlbeforeyouwalk,andwalkbeforeyourunwithin
thecoachandclientinteraction.Clientinteractionandmoreimportantlyclientinstruction
shouldproceedinaonestepatatimeteachingenvironment.Itsbetteralwaystogotooslow,
andrepeatyourselfasacoach,thantothrowtoomuchataclientatonetime.Thisisespecially
trueintheearlystagesofthecoach/clientrelationship.Whatisoldhat,commonknowledge
forthecoachmaybebrandnewandintimidatingtotheclient.Sincethegoalistobuildclient
confidenceandcompetence,acoachingmentalityofcrawlbeforeyouwalk,babysteps
application,makesgoodsense.Thisalsoreinforcesthattherelationshipfocusmustbe
properlycentredontheclientslevelofawareness,andnotsolelyonthecoachsknowledge
base.Oneofthemosteffectivemeansofimplementingadviceandinstructioninthiswayisvia
example.Ifthecoachcanaptlytakeaconceptaclientdoesnotunderstand,butpresentitina
formorstoryorexamplefromtheclientsownsphereofinfluence,thenclarityandlearningis
morelikely.Analogyandmetaphor,consideringtheclientsperspectiveandnotthecoachs
knowledgebase,serveasfantasticcoachingtoolswithinthecoachandcliententity.However,
thisalsobegetsadiscussionofpraiseandcriticismwithinthecoachandcliententity.

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PraiseandCriticism
Praiseandcriticismarepartofanyrealcoachingenvironment.Andbothwillvaryinevery
singleclientrelationship.Allclientsaredifferent.Oftenhowclientsacceptandhandlepraise
andcriticismwillgivethecoachagreatdealofpertinentinformationabouttheclient.
However,onthecoachspart,howandwhenpraiseandcriticismaredeliveredcanmeanthe
differenceinclientprogressorclientstagnationandfailure.Myownearlybackgroundinhigh
levelperformancecompetitivesportsledmetobelieveatayoungagethathighpraiseand
harshcriticismwerepartandparcelofperformancecoaching.Thisiscertainlytruein
competitivesports.However,itisnottrueinothercoaching,teaching,andguidance
environments.Onceagain,deliveringclientpraiseorcriticismisallaboutunderstandingand
beingadeptatnuance.

Forexample,goodathletesdonotseekconsistentpraise,andtheywillbescepticalofreceiving
itaswell.Thiswillalsobetrueofanyclientwhohasrealisticgoalsandarealisticunderstanding
ofwhatwillberequiredtoachievethem.Notallclientswillhavethislevelofcomprehension.
Thecaveathereisthatifpraiseisaconsistentapplicationorgivenjustforfollowinginstruction,
thenovertimesaidpraisewillhavefarlessimpactandmeaningtoitsrecipient.Rewarding
someonemerelyforfollowinginstructionsendsthewrongmessage.Rewardsmustvary
accordingtothelevelsofperformancecapabilitiesofaclient.Praisecannotbeastructured
considerationtoapproachingclientfeedback.Itmusthavemeaningandcontext.Toinstitute
praiseasastructuredcomponenttoclientfeedbackisafakeandphoneyimplementation.A
goodcoachmustconsiderthelongtermconsequencesforclientreceivingpraisethatis
unearned.Andclientsfollowinginstructionshouldbeexpectedfromacoach.Itshouldnotelicit
praise.

Howeverthisisdifferentfromclientencouragementandempowerment.(Wewilladdress
clientempowermentlater)Aclientshouldalwaysbeencouragedtowardasenseofmasteryof
performanceandprotocol.Inthissense,encouragementispraise.Forexample,aparent
shouldalwaysencourageachildtodotheirhomework;butnotoffermaterialrewardsorpats
onthebackfordoingso.Thelongtermrequirementofachildtodohomeworkmeansthe
childmustinternalizethenecessitytodoso,andwanttodoso,andseetheneedtodoso,on
hisown.Encouragement,allowsthechildtofindhiswaytothisexpectation.Butrewardinga
childforperformingarequirementofbeingastudentwillnotleadtothechildinternalizingthe
necessityandvalueofitspursuit.Thesamerealityexistsinthecoachandcliententity.Aclient
shouldalwaysbeencouragedtowardthatsensemasteryofdefinedtasksanddisciplines
requiredforgoalacquisition.Butencouragementintheprocessshouldnotbeconfusedwith
praisingaclientmerelyforfollowinginstruction.Thispartofapplicationshouldbeexpected.

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Thisexpectationfromthecoachtotheclientneedstobeacknowledgedrightfromthe
beginning,eitherimplicitlyordelicately.

Thisencouragementtowardperformancemasterycanbedestroyedbytoomuchcoaching
interferenceandinstruction.Onceagain,thisisacurrentvoguemistakeintheFitnessIndustry.
Toomuchinstruction,likeweseeonalltheseindustrywebsitessendsthewrongmessageto
trainees.
Crazytrainingtempos,mathematicalformulas;fancyexercisesandcomplicatedequipmentcan
beoverwhelming.Whenputintoaclientprotocolapplication,itallleadstoselfdoubt,the
oppositeofperformancemastery.Alltheseexternalcueemphasisofdogmaticapplicationand
prescriptionofprotocolonlyinciteaperceptionofrightandwrongforthetrainee.Thisleadsto
aresultofapressuretoperformratherthananunderstandingandmasteryoftheprescribed
protocolanditsexperience.Toomuchinstructionisfaultyandunnecessary,andonceagain
concentratestoomuchemphasisinthephysicalrealmattheexpenseofthetriangleof
awarenessincoaching.Overtime,suchanemphasismakestheprocesscoldandmeaningless,
ratherthanaliveandinteractiveinconsiderationofaclientsownperformanceawareness.A
coachingemphasisbasedondemandsandcommandsengenderasenseofobsessionand
oftenevendesperationamongclients.Thisisusuallyattheexpenseofpassion,commitment
andselfexpression.Thesearethethingsthecoachshouldbeencouraging.Overinstruction
andpresentationofprotocolassomekindofabsolutealienateaclientfromevenbeingableto
feelorsensetheirownlevelofimprovementorperformance.Thentheyendupseeking
coachingconfirmationforwhetherwhattheyaredoingisrightornot.Becauseofthe
confusionandunnecessarycomplicationofprotocol,clientsendupseekingvalidationorpraise
ratherthanbeingencouragedtotestthemselveswithintheapplication.So,toomuchemphasis
ontheprotocolratherthantheclient,leadstosituationswherepraiseexempts
encouragement.Andyetthishasbeenthestatusquooftheindustryfordecades.

Yetpraiseandcriticismarealsonotmutuallyexclusiveeither.Theycanbenecessarybothat
thesametime.Butpraiseandcritiqueneedalsobebalancedaswellinordertobe
constructive.Aclientmaywarrantcritiquebutbeinneedofpraiseatcriticaltimesduringthe
applicationofprocessandwithintheinteractivelearningenvironment.Onesuchsituation
whichtendstofrequentlypresentitselfisinthedietapplication.Aclientcanoftenbecoasting
alongswimminglywellatdietingandthenfalloffthewagon,sotospeak.Sowhileinteraction
needstoaddressandcritiquehowandwhythesliphappened,interactionalsoneedstobe
supportiveofhowwellaclienthasdoneuptothatpoint.Forinstance,inthiscasetheclient
canbeengagedtorecognizeforallactionsthereareresultsandconsequences,andthediet
indulgencehasdefinitelysabotagedtheendgoal.Atthesametimetheclientcanbepraised
forhowfartheyvecomebycommittingsofartothedietinanuncompromisingmanner.The
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clientcanberemindedtheyareindeedhuman,notarobot.Soasenseofpraiseand
encouragementinthiscaseisalsobalancedwitharationalelementofcritique.Andnoticein
thisexample,therequisiteinteractionhaslittletodowiththephysicalrealmotherthanthe
behaviouritself.Whencoachingisproperlyanddutifullyplacedwithinthecoachandclient
entityasitshouldbe,thenthediplomacyforproperbalanceofcritiqueandpraiseiseasierto
comeby.Ashintedatpreviouslyregardingpraise:itsimportanttobuildclientconfidence,yes;
butnotfalseconfidence.Toreiteratethelessonintheaboveexample:Thecoachingclientmay
requirecritiqueformistakesormisapplicationattheexactsametimehemayrequirepraiseor
encouragementtohaveapropersenseofcompetenceandconfidencetocontinueevenwhile
addressingwhatevermistakeisbeingaddressed.Thereisnopunishmentorembarrassmentto
assume.

Oftenwhencritiqueiscalledfor,thereisatendencyforsomecoachtodevelopandexercise
whatareknownasavoidancetactics.Foracoachtoavoidorrefusedealingwithadifficult
issuerequiringcritique,onlydelaysasituationwhichwillcertainlybemorepronouncedbythe
timeitisaddressed.Notcorrecting,advising,commenting,oraddressingpoorperformanceor
otherelementsofclientselfsabotagenotonlyallowstheseissuestofesterandgrow,butthey
canbecomepatternsaswell.Theexpressioninlegalparlanceissilenceconstruesconsent.
Thisisanimportantaxiomforacoachtoembracewithinthecoachandcliententity.Anything
lessthandealingheadonwithdifficultissuesthatnecessitatecritiqueisineffectiveand
impotentcoaching.Again,acoachssilenceonsuchmattersmeansheeitherdoesntcareor
heendorsestheactualcircumstancesbynotaddressingthem.Acoachneedstobeastrong
enoughleadertobeabletodealwithsuchissuesassoonastheypresentthemselves.
Popularityorlikeabilityislessimportantthanrespectandleadershipwithinthecoachand
cliententity.

NotesforMentoringStudents

Addressthetwocolumnsregardingthedifferencebetweentrainerandcoachatthe
beginningofthischapter.Ifyouhadtoscoreyourselfsomewherebetweeneach
category,wherewouldyoufall?Drawalineconnectingeachpointacrossoftrainerto
coach.Thenmarkwherealongthislineyourcurrentfocusandabilitieslie.Howand
wherecouldyoumoreeffectivelyimproveyourcoachingfocus?Comebacktothis
columnespeciallywhenevaluatingyourownperformanceandemphasiswithspecific
clients.

Addressanddiscussthecoachandcliententity.Specificallyforyourself,whatpoints
aremostrelevantasteachingtools?
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Whatelementofexpertisedoeseverysingleclientbringintothecoachandclient
relationship,regardlessofknowledgeorability?Explorehowthishelpsyouasacoach.

Whyismasteryofprocesssoimportantforthecoachintermsofcoachinghisclients?
Whatlessonsarelearnedfromtheprosportsarenasinthisregard?

ExploreandcomparethecoachingexampleoftheNewYearsResolutiontypeof
client,totheprosportsexample.Discussthedifferenceregardingtheelementsof
focus.Whatcommonmistakesaremadebythosewhofittheformercategory?What
lessonsdoesthisofferyouasacoachintermsofclientevaluationandinstruction?

Thinkofanactualexamplewhereyoucouldemploytheuseofmetaphororanalogyor
storytellingtohelpaclientrelatetoarelevantteachingpoint.

Whyisitmoreimportanttoworktoaclientsstrengthsintermsofcoachingfocusand
process?Whatistheaddedvaluefortheclient?

Considerthedifferencesbetweenpraiseandencouragement.Thinkofareallife
examplewhereyoucoulddemonstratethedifference.

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Chapter6
CoachasTeacher

AsIvestatedthroughoutthetextthusfarthemostimportantfactorforacoachtoaddressis
thatthenatureofhisjobisonethatisrelationshiporientedandclientfocused.Withinthis
context,theroleofcoachisacompositeofmanydifferentrelationshipscomingtogether.
SometimesIusetheanalogyofparentandchildtoillustratethecoach/clientrelationship.Yet,
evenwithintheparentandchildcontext,theparentalsoplaysanobviousroleasteacher.So,
whileImakecomparisonsbyanalogyofthecoachingrelationship;thesecomparisonsarenot
literal,butratherinstructive.Thecoachisacomponentelementofmanyrelationships,which
wemayusetobetterunderstandthejobofcoach.However,thejobofcoachisonewhichis
alsouniqueuntoitself;sothesecomparisonsareillustrativeforsure.Examiningthevarious
rolesorobviouscomparisonstootherleadershiprolesisaveryusefultoolforunderstanding
notonlytheroleofacoach,butthepersonwhoiscoach.Andthisisextremelyimportantfor
effectivecoaching.
So,whiletheparent/childrelationshipyieldssomeusefulmeansofunderstandingthe
coach/clientrelationship,theteacher/studentrelationshipisamoreaptrepresentationof
context.Wecanallrecallgoodorbad,excitingorboringteachersfromourpast.Whenwedo
so,werealizethatitwasntsomuchthematerialbeingtaughtthatmadethelearning
experiencewhatitwas.No,whatlenttoourlearningexperiencebeingeitherexcitingor
boring,meaningfulormeaningless,wasmoreoftenthannotentirelyabouttheteacher.
Teacherswhoconnecttotheirstudentshavemoreimpactonthemandenhancethelearning
environmentforthestudent.Thetakehomemessagehere,regardingeffectiveteachingisthat
ithasfarlesstodowithdomainknowledgethanitdoeswithteachingskillsandelementsof
personality.Teachinggoesbeyondinstruction.Allteachersinstruct.Thedifferencebetweena
trulyeffectiveteacherandanoneffectiveteacher,then,haslittletodowiththecurriculum
andeverythingtodowiththeteacherhimself.Ironicallymostofuswillalsorecall,notby
coincidence,thatourfavouriteteacherswerealsotheonesfromwhomwelearnedthemost
material.ForthepotentialcoachintheFitnessIndustry,theselessonsneedtobeexplored.
Coachesneedtorealizethatasimpleordeepknowledgeofthejobhaslittletodowithan
expertisetobeingabletoteachiteffectively.Whiletrainersrunaroundlookingforwhats
new,andseekingmoreinformation,thecoachfocusesonwhatisrelevant.Andforthecoach
asteacher,themostrelevantquestiontoask,iswhoismyclient?Teachingbeginsfromthis
pointofrelevance.Oncethecoachanswersthequestionwhoismystudent,thenatureof
therelationshipisdifferent.Effectiveteachingisaboutfullyembracingandunderstandingthat
thecoachisnotteachingawhathere;heisteachingawho.Thisdoesntnegatetheneed
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foraworkingmasteryofthesubjectmatter.Butitdoesputitinitsproperperspective.Ifthe
goalistobeagreatcoach/teacher,thensubjectmatterissecondarytoestablishinganeffective
relationshipwiththeclient/student.Thetruthtoembracehereisthatthecoachasateacher
teachesCLIENTS,notMATERIAL.Thisisafundamentaldifferencefromthetrainermentality
soheavilyendorsedintheFitnessIndustry.
ThefirstconsiderationformostcoachesintheFitnessIndustryisthatcoachingpeoplehas
everythingtodowithrespect.Effectiveteachersneverconsidertheirstudentsstupidjust
becausetheymaybeignorantofthesubjectmatter.Topatronizeadultswithanattitudeof
superiorityisnotcoaching.Lecturing,ifyouwill,isasnoneffectiveforthecoach/clientasitis
fortheparent/childrelationship.Itisseldomeffectivebecauseitisonewaydiscourse.And
whencoachingadultsasmostcoachesintheFitnessIndustrywillbedoing;lecturingthemfrom
apositionofelitismportraysdisrespect.Mostpotentialstudentswillturnoffandtuneoutto
thisapproachtoteaching.Wehearofthisexamplealotaswellinthemedicalfield.Allofus
knowsomeonewhowasfrustratedbyaDoctortalkingwayovertheirheadswithapatronizing
attitudetowardtheirownmedicalcare.Thesamemistakeexistsinthecoachingrelationshipin
thefitnessindustryaswell.
Themostelementarymistakemadeintheroleofteacherisforgettingitisthestudentwhois
thefocusandnottheteacher.Incompetenceisoftendisplayedbycoacheswhofocusontheir
ownintellectualprowess,theirownmasteryofthesubjectmatter,andtheirown
implementationofindustryjargonandbuzzwords.Whenteachersdothis,theysimplybuilda
walltounderstanding.Moreoftenthannottheydothisdeliberatelytointimidatestudentsin
ordertoavoidconfrontationandcreatedependence.Speakinginjargonandbuzzwordsdoes
notillustratemastery.Masteryisnotsomethingthatisshownoffbutisinsteadillustratedin
thecapacityforthestudenttolearnandmakeconsistentprogress.Thismistakeisoneofthe
hallmarkfaultsofthecoachesintheFitnessIndustry.Thismistakeonlyservestodelaytrue
learningandcompetenceofthestudent.Incompetentcoachescontinuetofocusonthe
minutiaofstuffattheexpenseofunderstandingtheimportanceofmakingclientwillingness
andcompliancefitwellintotheirownpersonallifestyleandsenseofwellbeing.Fartoomany
coachesintheFitnessIndustrycontinuallymemorizedogmawithoutanunderstandingof
nuanceorcontext.Theyneveraskthequestionwhoismyclient?
ForexampleIhaveacolleague,wholikemanyisaseminarjunkie.Heisoffgettingcertifiedat
somethingwithintheindustryalmosteveryweekend.Hisgoalforsome20yearsnowistobe
aninfluentialandproductivecoachintheFitnessIndustry.Yet,hehasfailed.Hehasfewclients,
andveryfewwhostaywithhimforanylengthoftime.Hecontinuestogatherinformationat
theexpenseofneveraskingwhoismyclient?Heemploysindustrybuzzwordsandvogue
trainingtrends,withouteversharpeninghisteachingandcoachingskills.Theresulthasbeen
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failure,notsuccess.LikemanyintheFitnessIndustry,mycolleaguehasbeenmisledtothink
informationisknowledge.Notonlyisinformationnotknowledge,butnotbeingableto
effectivelyteachacquiredknowledgeisthedifferencebetweensuccessfulcoachesinthis
business,likemyself,vs.thecaseofmyfrustratedcolleague.Becausemycolleagueisso
focusedoncontinuallygatheringinformation,healsomakesthemistakeoftryingtoteachtoo
muchatoncetohisstudents/clients.Clients,likeanystudent,gettoooverwhelmedwhen
presentedwitheithertoomuchinformationorinformationwhichisovertheirheads.Atthe
sametimethesestudentsendupbeingtoointimidatedtoaskformorecompleteexplanations
fromtheteacher,ortoadmitinformationoverload.Intheendthecoachisactuallyfrustrating
hisclientsbytryingtoimpressuponthemwhatheknows.Heforgetsthecentralfocusofthe
relationshipistheclient,nottheknowledgebase.TheanalogyIuseinseminarsisthatagood
teachercertainlywouldntgiveagrade6studentagrade9mathtext.Yetthisisexactlywhat
keepsplayingoutinthemodernFitnessarena.Thecrucialmistakeofmywannabecolleague
andsomanyothersintheFitnessIndustryistheyarefocusedonthemselvesandwhatthey
know,ratherthanfocusingonthatindividualclient,andwhatthisclientneedstoknowright
nowtomoveforward.Fromthere,thenextstepistoguidetheclienttobothabsorbandapply
thisguidancequicklyandeffectively.Byfocusinginsteadongatheringinformation,the
wannabeteacher/coachactuallynullifieshisowneffectiveness.Thecoachmustacknowledge
andembracethatlearningandpersonalprogressvariesforeachclient/student.Progresstakes
placeatthepaceofwhatthestudentcanunderstandandapplynotwhatacoachknowsand
dictates.Thisfundamentalmistake,soheavilyreinforcedintheFitnessIndustryviacertification
andaccreditation,isoneofthemainreasonssofewpeoplewithgoodskillsanddomain
knowledge,actuallymakeitandsurviveintheindustry.

TheHomeworkAnalogy
Sointherelationshipaspectofbeingateacherwithinthecoachingrelationship,thecoach
neverpretendsoractstobeanybetterorsmarterormoreimportantthantheirclient.The
coachisnotsuperior,onlyhisroleofteacherisso.Thecoachmustunderstandthathisroleis
essentiallytobeacatalystintheprocessofgrowthandapplicationoftheclient.Thisis
coachingsuccess.Clientgoalacquisitionisactuallysecondaryforthecoachasateacher.Asa
teacher,theessentialquestionforthecoachtoanswerafterwhoismyclient?iswhatisthe
appropriatecurriculumforthisindividual.Initspropercontext,thecurriculumforanygiven
clientgoesbeyondjusttheprescriptionoftraininganddietprotocol.Howaclientwillapply
andcanapplyprotocolwithintheirownlifestyledemandsandenvironmentmustbe
adequatelyassessedbythecoach.Realworldapplicabilityandclientexpectationsareusually
notsimplycompatiblewithtextbookknowledgeortheimplementationofvoguetrainingand
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dietingtrends.Tothisend,acoachindeedhasvaluedknowledgeandinstructiontoshare
withinthecoachingrelationship.Andthisroleofleadershipcanexistbeyondmereprotocol.An
effectivecoachasateacherhastobewillingtoinvesttimeandenergyandsavvyintothe
coachingrelationship,ANDtheclient.Butthisisnotthemannerofcoachingcurrentlytaughtin
theFitnessIndustry.
Forexample,yesterdayIhadapersonorderaOneTimeCustomDietfromme.Thepersonis
alsoapersonaltrainerandanoverweightoneatthat.Inherinitialassessment,sheincluded
commentarythatshehasaragingsweettooth,andthatherhusbandlivesonjunkfood.She
furtherrationalizedthatwithyoungkidsinthehouse,therewasalwaysjunkfoodaround.For
measateacher,IneededtofocusonnotonlytheOneTimeCustomDietandhercurrent
dietingmistakes,butherenvironmentandrationalizationsshemakesregardinghercurrent
circumstances.Iwasquicktopointoutthatadietregimenfrommedoesnotchangethatshe
willalwaysbearoundjunkfood.Adietfrommedoesnotalterthecircumstanceswhichshe
currentlylivesunderandcannotsolve.(Again,thetriangleofawareness)Iinstructedthather
consistentrationalizingofwhysheeatsjunkonlydefendsthatbehaviourwhichmakesitmore
likelytocontinue.Isuggested,instead,thatsheputthemoneypaidfortheOneTimeCustom
Diettowardcoaching;becausewhatshereallyneededwasoversight.Herassessmentand
evaluationledmetoadviseherastowhattheappropriatecurriculumwouldbeforher.And
adietprescriptionwasnotlikelytochangeherbehaviourlongterm.
Whenaclienthiresacoach,notatrainer,inthefitnessindustrytheprocessoftheteaching
rolebecomesqualitativelydifferent.Whenafitnesscoachassignsaclientatrainingprogram
andadiet,theyareessentiallygivingthemhomeworktodoandaccomplish.Andthisiswhere
effectivecoachingmustbeemphasizedforitsqualitativedistinctionandeffectiveness.EarlierI
referredtotheparentasalsobeinginateachingrole.Thisservesasagreatexample.Thinkofa
parentraisingachild.Foraparenttosaydoyourhomeworktoachildbuttotallyleavethem
aloneforasemesterandjustreviewtheirgradesattheendofthatsemesterisanentirely
differentqualitativeexperienceforthechild/student,thantheparentwhoactivelyoversees
theprocessofthechildbeingastudent!Theparentwhohelpsthechildwithhomework,
interactswiththechildwhenthereareproblems,issues,orfrustration:theparentwho
engagesthechildfullyintheprocessofdoingtheirhomework,isinfactcoaching/teaching
andcreatingaqualitativelydifferentexperienceforthechild/student.Therearevastnumbers
ofstudiesthatshowthatparentswhotakeanactiveroleintheirchildrenslearning,have
childrenwhoachievehigherlevelsofeducationandacademicperformance.Coachinginthe
fitnessindustryshouldworkthesame,butdoesnot.
Indeed,whatpassesforcoachingcurrentlyintheFitnessIndustryisthewishywashyequivalent
commandofjustdoyourhomework.Toomanycoachesassign12weekprogramswithno
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activeengagementoftheclientoffered.Infactthemoderninternetmarketercountsonthis
lackofinteractionforearninglotsofincome.Theyoffer,trymyguaranteedprogramknowing
fullwellthatmostconsumerswillnotseetheprocessthroughtotheend.Coachesbecometoo
concernedwithvolumeofclientelebecauseitrepresentsincome.Clients,consumers,and
potentialclientssufferacrosstheboardastheindustrycontinuallyreinforcesthisattitudeof
justdoyourhomeworkwithoutanyconsiderationfortheclient/studentbeingenhancedand
supportedduringtheactualprocess.Itsafundamentallyandprofoundblackholeofthis
industrytomisstheimportanceoftheroleofcoachasteacherinregardstoactivelyengaging
andsupportingclientsduringtheclientsundertakingoftheprocess.
Whetherpurposelyorsubtly,theindustryreinforcesadictatorialattitudeforassigningprotocol
toclients.Fitnesscoachestendtotalkatclientsandtalkdowntoclients.Theysimplyfailto
dialoguewithclients.Effectivecoachingrequiresthecoachtonotonlyqualitativelyengage
theclientduringtheprocessofdietandtraining;buttoconsciouslyengagetheclientasa
studentaswell.Fortherealcoachthismeanstheclientistheelementoffocus.Andwithinthe
coachasteacherrole,theclientsphysicalgoalsaresecondarytothecoachenhancingthe
clientsqualitativeexperienceduringtheprocess.
Whenthecoachtakesontheresponsibilityofsupportandguidanceofaclientsundertaking,
teachingopportunitiesrevealthemselvesmoreapparently.Asthecoachengagestheclientas
theydotheirhomework,clientsspecificaptitudes,attitudes,strengthsandweaknesses
revealthemselvestothecoachtocapitalizeon.Justasaparentwouldnoticecertainaptitudes
ofachildiftheyactivelyparticipatedwiththechilddoingtheirhomework,thesameistrueof
thecoachinthefitnessindustry.Elementsofindividualpersonalitywillrevealthemselvesto
thecoach.Hecanactaccordinglyandmoreappropriatelyassessandevaluatehowtoproceed
withtheclient/student,andatwhatspeed,withwhatexpectations,andwithwhatstyleof
communication.Allofthiscoachingattentionforaclientduringtheprocessqualitatively
enhancestheclientsownexperience.Thisalsoservestobuildthoseareasofconfidenceand
competencefortheclient;especiallytowardovercomingareasofweaknessordoubt.The
coachwhomerelyassignshomeworkcannotpossiblybethiseffectivefortheclient,no
matterhowappropriatethedietortrainingmaybeforthatclient.Thisiswherethe
curriculumfarexceedstheprotocol.
Astheprocessunfolds,thegoodcoachcontinuestolearnmoreandmoreabouttheindividual
client.Thisgivesthecoachtheaddedawarenesstonotonlyconsidertheclientsgoals,butbe
abletolookbeyondthosegoalsontheclientsbehalfatthesametime.Andthiscanonlycome
fromactivelyengagingandinteractingwiththeclientduringtheirapplicationofassigned
protocol:Justlikegoodteachersandparentswhoactivelyengagestudentsduringtheir
learningprocesscancometoseeastudentsaptitudeslongbeforethestudent/childcaneven
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embracethemontheirown.Forexample,manytimesclientshiremewithaninitialgoalto
competeinthecosmeticworldofphysiquedisplay.Upontheirinitialevaluationand
assessmentIoftenconcludethatsuchagoalisdeleteriousforthem;especiallyintheshort
term.SoIemploythesameprocesssuchagoalwouldrequire,butIimplementdifferent
teachingoptionsalongtheway.(Hence,thecurriculumexceedstheprotocol)Theclientends
updeterminingforthemselvesthatthegoaltocompeteiseitherunrealisticornottrulywhat
theywant.Byengagingclientaptitudesandattitudesduringtheundertaking,theclient
becomesempoweredasastudenttotheirownselfawareness.Andthisistrueforstudents
inanyundertakingorindustry.
Thiskindofcoachingintheteacherandstudentcontextrepresentsteachingmorethanjust
instructionofprotocol.Anditneednotbesomeconcertedefforttodoso.Justbyconsistent
andawareinteractionwithclients,clientsbecometheirownteachersaswell.Coach,asteacher
then,isalsoaverbandnotanoun.Masteryforacoachisnotonlyregardinghisownrole,but
instillingandteachingthestudenttoacquirethismasteryaswell.Thecoachmerelyhasto
acknowledgethatthislevelofteachingtowardmasterytakesplacefromwheretheclient
currentlyisat,andatthepacetheclientcancurrentlyhandle.Andthiscanonlyoccurby
engaging,instructing,andobservingtheclient,astheydotheirhomework.Andalthoughthis
levelofmasterymaytakeyears;fosteringthiskindofcoachingenvironmentisfarmore
efficientthanafocusmerelyonprotocolinstructionandphysicalgoals.Thinkaboutit.Ifthere
isateacher/studentelementtothecoachingrelationship,thentherealityisthathavinga
studenthavethesamelevelofunderstandingyearafteryearrepresentsfailure,notsuccess.In
therealworldofteaching,ifastudentstaysingrade6forthreeyears,thisNOTsuccessfora
teachernomatterhowlovedandpopularhemaybe.Thegoalforateacherandforacoachis
thesame.Thegoalistoteachandinstructtowardastudentscompetence,confidence,and
masteryofthematerialathand.
ToooftencompetencyintheFitnessindustryismeasuredbysomesortofpopularitybase.This
isespeciallytruenowofthemodernmediaandinternet.Thismayormaynotbewarrantedbut
itisnotameasuringstickforcoachingorteachingcompetence.Thegoalisalwaysclient
progressionintherealsenseoftheterm.Ascounterintuitiveasthismaysound,thegoalfora
sincerecoachistoputhimselfoutofajobwithanygivenclient.Thegoalistograduatethe
clientfromonesenseofmasterytoagreaterone.Andwhilethisseemscounterintuitiveto
sustainingacoachslivelihood,itisnot.Learningmasterycantakeyears.Andclientswhotruly
valuethisaspectofcoachingwillstaywithacoachaslongastheycontinuetolearnandgrow.
Thisexplainswhyeventhoughinformationbecomesmorewidelyavailable,myowncoaching
businessisnowenteringitsfourthdecade.AndthisalsoexplainswhymostcoachingclientsI
procureaveragea5yearbusinessrelationshipwithme.Sothecoachwhotrulyunderstands
theteacher/studentrelationshipisalwaysonegiantleapaheadofthecoachortrainerwho
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insistsonbelievingthatexpertiseisallaboutinformationgatheringanddomainknowledge.
Therealtruthofthecoachasteacherrelationshipisthatcoachingisaskill,anddomain
knowledgeismerelybutonecomponentpartofthatskillset.
However,thereisonepiercingobstacleforthecoachasteacherrole.Thisroleisoften
complicatedbymyths,halftruths,misinformation,anddisinformationamongconsumersinthe
FitnessIndustry.AsEinsteinonceputit,unlearningisoftenthemostessentialforceoflearning.
ThisisadisappointingtruthespeciallyinthemodernFitnessIndustry.Andthistruth
perpetuatesitselfbecauseofamistakenfocusondogmaanddetailwithinthefocusofstudy
material.Thenumbingtruthhereisthatthedevilisinthedetails,indeed.Withamore
concertedstudyfocusonmethodsoverprinciples,theactualprinciplesaregettinglostinthe
shuffle.Onceagaintheindustryfocusisupsidedownintermsofmaterialandinstruction.
Thereisnowafocusonindoctrinationtowardstudymaterialattheexpenseoftruemasteryof
understandingbasicprinciples.Itisfarmoredifficultforastudentorevenawannabeteacher
tolearnsomethingright,iftheycontinuallyhavetounlearnsomethingwrong.Andthesetypes
ofmistakesarenotmistakesofapplication;theyaremistakesofinformation.Mistakesof
applicationareexpected.Theyaregoodandefficientlearningandteachingtools.Butmistakes
ofinformationaretrulyhardtobreak.Weseethisinthemodernfearofcarbsdogma;and
othertraininganddietingnuancesthatendupbeingmisrepresentedasprinciplesandrules
whichareanythingbutthese.Mistakesbasedonfaultyintelligencearehardtobreak,
especiallywhenthedogmaticinterpretationofthisinformationbecomeswidelyperceivedas
beingtrue.
Andtheindustryispartlytoblameforthis.Becausetheindustryfocusesoninformationas
studymaterial,nuanceandcontextareneglected.Whatoccursiswhatweseebeingplayed
outasexpertiseontheinternetandpopularmarketingstrategiesrepresentingthemselvesas
knowledgeandinformation.Infacttheyaretactical.Becausetheindustryfocuseson
informationratherthancompetence,andbecauseofthecompetitiveonlinenatureofthe
internetbusiness;informationbecomesrepackagedaspartofanidentityemphasisforso
calledexperts.Theygettheconsumer/studenttotaketheireyeofftheball,sotospeak,to
readsomeonespersonalbentofinformationthatseemsimportantbuthasnointegralvalue.
Theactualpotentialstudentbecomessecondarytothepursuitofinformation.Evenmore
egregioustothisend,thecoachhastospendagreatdealofenergyoffocusforengaginga
clienttounlearnwhattheythinktheyknowtobetrue.
Andthiscanofcourseleadtoteacher/studentdebateaswidelyheldbeliefsbecomesacrosanct
anddefended.Itistremendouslydifficulttoengagepeoplethattheydonotknow,whatthey
thinktheyknow.However,withintheteacherandstudentcoachingrelationship,creatingan
atmosphereofdebateisalosingpropositionforthecoach,andsubsequentlyforthe
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client/studentaswell.Thecoachalwaysneedstorefocusonanattitudetodoright,even
whentheenvironmentofdebatesteersitselftoafocusonbeingright.Inregardsto
information,beingrightissecondarytothatallimportantelementoftheteachercreatingan
atmosphereofclientengagement.Ifthecoachdoesfindhimselfinanatmosphereofhavingto
provehimselfright,evenshouldhewintheargument,thefacttherewasanargumentatallisa
lossforthecoachasfarastheteacherandstudentrelationshipgoes.Byexample,recentlyI
hadtogoontoaverypopularwebboardtointeractregardingoneofmyarticles.Butthe
environmenttherewasoverwhelminglyconfrontational;nottome,butjustingeneral.
Everyonewantedtoarguewitheachotherandberight.Theenvironmentthiscreatedwas
conducivetoneitherteachingnorlearning.OnceIrealizedthis,Iknewasacoachitwasbest
toremovemyselffromtheenvironment.Otherwise,myengagementinthissortofatmosphere
wouldhavedeliveredandcontributedtothewrongmessage.
Engagingclientcomplianceisnotdonefromdefensiveposturingorpolicingtactics.Ifa
teacher/studentrelationshiptakesonthislevelofinteraction,itcreatesasenseofpressureto
performforbothclientandcoach.Beacoach,notacop.Situationswhichrequireaclients
unlearningstillmustfallwithinamutuallyacceptedandcooperative,notconfrontational
interaction.Thereisnoblametoassignoneitherend;especiallyifacoachseekstodoright
overanecessityofbeingright.Leadership,eveninthecontextofteaching,pointsadirectionto
follow,andsuppliestheclientwithoptionsforvariouscorrectiveapplicationsforunlearning.
Thecoachasateacherneedsonlyengagewillingstudents.Butthecoachalsomustalways
accepttheirownroleasmerelyacatalystforstudentstouseandemploytowardtheirown
progression.Obviously,thishasnothingtodowithacoachingneedingtoberightinregardsto
thecoach/client,teacher/studentinteraction.Theeffectivecoachneedstoperceivehimselfas
atoolfortheclientformovingforward.Theclientisnotatoolforthecoachsexpertiseor
bottomline.Sotoreiteratethemessageofthischapter:evenwithinthecontextofteachinga
studenttounlearnwhattheythinktheyknow:ifthecoachembracesthequestion,whoismy
clientthentheprocessofhelpingthemlearnandachieveunfoldsappropriately.Whenandif
acoachforgetsthisorneverevenconsidersthequestion,thiscanbringupallkindsof
scenariosfornegativeinteraction,confrontation,anddigressionintherelationshipetc.Coach,
asteacher,isanintegralelementoffocusforeffectivecoaching.

NotesforMentoringStudents

Recallaninfluentialteacherfromyourownpastorpresent.Examinewhatwas/isso
uniqueaboutthisteacherthatinfluencesyouinsuchapositiveway.Whatqualitiesof
characterportraythisteacher?Forexample,isitleadership?Humour?Personal
attention?Storytelling?Whatmakesthisteacherstandoutforyouistheconnection
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theteachercreated.Examinewhatyoucanlearnfromthistoenhanceyourown
teachingawareness.Makenotes.

Point:thecoachteachesclients,notmaterial.Thinkofanexampleoftwodifferent
clientswhoneedtolearntheexactsamelessonorprinciple.Basedonthequestion,
whoismyclient?howwouldyouapproachinstructiondifferentlyforeachofthem.
Makenotes.

Nowthinkoftwodifferentclientswithtwodifferentlevelsofabilitywhohavethesame
goals.Asateacher,howwouldyourcurriculumdifferforeachone?Rememberthat
protocolprescriptionisonlypartofthecurriculum.Maketwocolumns,oneforeach
clientsidebysideandexaminejusthowdifferentthiscanbe,pointbypoint.

Makenotesonwhattheaboverevealstoyouinregardstothestatementthe
curriculumexceedstheprotocol.Asateacher,whatdoyoulearnyourself,intermsof
style,implementationetc?

Tobeagoodteacheryoumustfirstbeagoodstudent.Beyondinformationgathering,
howcouldhoneyourownskillsasastudenttohelpyouasateacher?

Summary:Contemplatealltheabovewithinthecontextofcoachasteacher.Whatare
yourownstrengthsandweaknesses?Howcouldyoufurtherdevelopyourcapacityof
yourroleasteacher?

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Chapter7
Howto:CommunicatingEffectivelyAsaCoachand
OnlineCoach

Therearecertainelementstocoachingwhichareendemicregardlessofindustryandcommon
toallformsofcoaching.Wehavealreadyexploredsomeoftheseingeneral.Howeverthereare
otheraspectsofeffectivecoachingwhichareuniquetothefitnessindustryinparticular.And
specifically,thenewonlineelementforcoachesinthefitnessindustrypresentsparticular
challengesandthesemustbemetwithrelevantskillsandtalentswhencommunicatingwith
clients.Themeldingofthemoregeneralelementsofcoachingtalentwiththespecific
characteristicsoftheFitnessarenaneedstobeaddressedinfurtherdetail.Howto
communicatewithclientsextendsfromcommonsensetospecificstrategiesandtacticsrelated
todictatingprotocolandinteractingeffectivelywithclients.
Beforeproceedingfurther,thismeritsanotherlookattheexpertbasewithinthecurrent
fitnessindustry.Certificationcoursesandaccreditationworkshopsandseminarswithinthe
fitnessindustryarecurrentlybasedonbusinessmodels.Thegoaltogenerateincome
supersedesthetimeandenergyavailableforeffectingchangeatthegrassrootslevel.
However,thismustchange.Theindustrymodelisnolongermarketingexpertisesomuch,but
theappearanceofexpertise.Asaccreditationcontinuestobemarriedtothemarketingof
information,therealexpertiseexhibitedbyatalentforbeingabletodeliverthisinformationto
theclientisignored.Whatwehavenow,industrywide,areexpertscompetingamongeach
otherwithversionsofmywayvs.theirway,oronemethodologyoranother.Asthismarket
expandstotheinternetandrealexpertisecontinuestobeconfusedwithmarketinghype,true
expertiseismoredilutedthaneverbefore.Thisismadeevenworsebytheaffiliatemarketing
ofprogramsanddietsnowsocommonontheinternet.Thepointis,becauseofallthis
confusionandhypethereismoreneedforcoachingnowthaneverbefore:andthereisawider
consumerbasewillingtoembraceit.Buttheeasyrouteformarketingandaccreditationisto
teachtheappearanceofscience.Thetruthissomecoachingskillssimplycannotbetaught.
Theycanbestudied.Theycanbeemulated.Theycanbepracticed.Buttheycannotbetaught.
Andeithertheindustryknowsthisandchoosestoignoreit,oritissimplymissedunderthe
facadethatthescientificprinciplesinvolvedaresomehowalwayschanging.
Tobeaneffectivecoachinthefitnessindustryandtohaveasustainedcareerisallabout
coachingskills,talent,andinteraction.Howtocommunicateeffectivelyasacoachisfarmore
importantthanmoreandmoredetailedscientificinformationandstudy.Toknowthe
principlesthatwillbenefit90%ofthepotentialclients,90%ofthetime;andthenbeableto
coachwithinthatframeworkofknowledge,isfarmorerelevantthanmereexposuretothe
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ideasofonethousandinternetexperts.Thisindustrycurrentlysuffersfromthedogmaof
specialization.Remember,aspecialistissomeonewhoknowsmoreandmoreaboutlessand
less.Soundeffectivecoachingworksfromtheoppositeofthispremise.Itworksfroma
communicationwhereinformationissecondarytotheclientcentredrelationshipreality.
Thereforehowtocommunicateforeffectivecoachingshouldbethenextwaveof
accreditationandcertificationinthefitnessindustry.Thesequalitativeanddeeperelementsof
coachingneedtobeaddressed.Asstatedearlier,theyhavenotyethadtobebecauseofthe
highturnoverrateofcoaches/trainers/andconsumersinthefitnessindustry.Andtoreiterate,
thisrepresentsthefailureoftheindustryandnotitssuccess.
Aknowledgeofhowtocommunicateasacoachrequiresashiftinthinkingbeyond
informationandknowledgetotheactualinteractionbetweencoachandclient.Thestarting
pointtoeffectivecommunicationbetweencoachandclientneedstoalwayskeepfourrelevant
pointsofcontextinmind:
1)Addresstheclientsperspectiveandknowledgebase(Answerthequestionwhoismy
client?);2)Definetheissue(Answerthequestionofwhyistheclientinteractingwithme
intermsofsituationandcircumstance?Asinthetriangleofawareness);3)Keepthesubject
matterinrelevantcontext,(Answerthequestion,whatisthecentralfocusofthisinteraction?);
4)Discussandadviseinwaysandmeansthataremanageable,meaningful,andapplicablefor
theclient.(Answerthequestion,howdoImosteffectivelyrespondtothisinteraction?)
Asanexample,Ihaveanewclientwhoisanoverweight,busy,workingmotheroftwoyoung
tots,andhasagoaltohavemoreenergyandtoloseabout30lbsofexcessweight.Sheis
confusedaboutalltheadviceshereadsontheinternetandhasworkedwithpersonaltrainers
withlittletonosuccess.Shehasquestionsastowhattimeofdaysheshouldtrainandwhat
supplementssheshouldtake.Shehasheardsheshouldtrainearlyinthemorningandthatshe
needsproteinpowderafterherworkouts.(keepingthisreferenceexampleverygeneral.)Somy
interactionintermsofhowtorespondistoconsidermyclienthaslittleunderstandingofthe
principlesortheknowledgebase,expressedbyherstatedconfusion.Inaddressingthewho
ismyclient,thefirstgoalistonotconfusehermorebuttoinitiateasenseofconfidencefor
boththeinteractionandtheapplicationofprescribedprotocol.Explainingabunchofscienceto
herdoesnotservethatend.Next,theissuerelatedtoherquestionisoneofminutia.To
properlydefinetheissue,myresponseneedstokeepinmindthatconsistencyismore
importantforthisclientinlosingweightthaneitherofthesespecificssheisconcernedabout.
Sheisaskingaboutthephysicalnotthementaloremotional.Furthermore,thecentralfocus
oftheinteractionisoneofmistakenassumption,answeringthequestion.Theoptimumtimeof
dayforthisclienttotrainisthetimeshecandosoregularlybecauseofherschedule:Thus,
addressingkeepingthesubjectmatterinrelevantcontext.Thereisnooptimumtimeinher
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case.Whatisoptimumforheriswhatisrealisticforher.SoonceIengageherforinformation
regardingthestructureofherdayaswellashercurrenteatingregimen,Imake
recommendationsforawindowoftimetotrainsothattrainingcanberegular,consistent,and
manageableandgethertoconfirmandsignoffonthat.Iexplaintohertherelevanceof
supplementsandthatforher,theproteinpowderislessanissuethanagoodmultivitaminand
awholefoodapproachtowellness.ThisisnotacompetitorIamdealingwith.Igivehersome
choicesastopostworkoutfoodsthatareeasyandconvenientandserveherparticularneeds.
Therefore,myinteractiondiscussesandadvisesinwaysandmeansthataremanageable,
meaningful,andapplicable.
OfcourseIusedaverysimpleonedimensionalexampleabove.Buthowtocommunicate
effectivecoachingisallaboutaddressingthesefourpointsuntilitbecomeshabitual,natural,
andautomaticforthecoach,regardlessoftheclient.Andthesefourpointsbecomeevenmore
imperativewithmoreproblematicclientele.
Theexampleaboveissimpletoillustratetheapplicationofthe4pointsofhowto
communicateeffectivelywithanyclient.Thecoachprovidestheinitialaccurateinformation,
guidanceandstructureregardingprotocolapplication(i.e.dietandtraining).Thecoachkeeps
inmindtheclientsphysicalgoalswhilealsonudgingandhintingandinstructingastothe
coachsexpectationsfortheclientwhilemovingforwardintheprocess.Thejobwithinthejob
forcoachlieshere.Tobeclear,thatjobistoestablishanenvironmentofinteractionforthe
progressivedevelopmentofthecoach/clientrelationshipastheprocessunfolds.Withinthis
contextthecoachmusttakecareofspecificprioritiestomakethathappen.Theseprioritiesfor
interactionareasfollows:1)Thecoachingmustbepersonal;2)Thecoachingmustbepractical
andpurposeful;3)Thecoachingmustbeprofessional;and4)thecoachingmustbeproactive.
Itwouldbeagoodideaforanycoachtopostthese4pointssomewherevisibleforaquick
referencechecktoemployasachecklistwheninteractingwithclients.All4ofthesepoints
mayoftenbeeithermutuallyinclusiveormutuallyexclusiveorweighheavilytowardonepoint
overanother.Butwithinthese4pointsofrelevanceliesthekeytoenhancingtheprogression
ofthecoachandclientrelationship.Andanygoodcoachseekingtotrulyhelpaclientreach
theirgoals,firstseekstoestablishsuchaproductivecoachingenvironment.
Uponexaminingthesepoints,acommonquestionoftenemerges:Howcanthecoachingbe
personalandprofessionalatthesametime?Firstofall,effectivecoachingmustalwaysbe
personalbecauseacoachcoachespeople,notprograms.Theeffectivecoachinstructs,guides,
andinfluencesindividualsonaonetoonebasis.Therefore,thewholeelementofthe
relationshipshouldbepersonaltobeeffective.Otherwise,itsamereregressiontothefall
backpositionoftheindustrytobeatrainerandslotpeopleintoprogramsanddiets,and
instituteaonesizefitsallapproachtointeraction.Aspreviouslydiscussed,realcoachingiswell
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beyondthisonedimensionalapproachandapplication.Truecoachingmustbepersonal
becauseitisindividuallybasedandclientcentered.ThisisonedifferenceintheFitnessIndustry
fromsay,thecorporateworldorTeamapproachinprofessionalandamateurathletics.And
becausecoachingisclientcentredandnotprotocolbased,ittendsbeyondthephysicalrealm.
Thecoachingmustbepersonalbecauseitisinteractive,andeachclientwillbeuniquetowhat
elementsofprotocolneedmostattention,aswellaswhatstyleofcommunicationbestsuits
thisclient.Alltheseelementsandmoredictatehowcoachingmustbepersonal.
However,thecoachingisalwaysprofessionalwhenthecommunicationofthecoachisalways
properlyfocusedontheclientprocessanddevelopment.Whenthecoachembracesand
internalizesthejobtobeguidinglight,mirror,instructor,andcompass;thenthecoachwill
alwaysbeprofessionalwithinapersonalapplicationandinteraction.Thecoachembracesthat
heistheauthorityfigureintherelationship.Thenatureoftherelationshipimpliesthecoach
possessesahigherlevelofknowledgeorcompetencethantheclient.Butitisnotapower
relationshiplikeaboss/employer.ThecoachintheFitnessIndustryisemployedbytheclient.
Theclientistheactualbosseventhoughthecoachistheleaderandauthorityfigureinthe
relationship.Thecoachworksfortheclient,nottheotherwayaround.
Theservicenatureoftherelationshipmeansthecoachunderstandsalevelofresponsibilityto
theclient.ThisisacommonmistakemadebycoachesintheFitnessIndustry.Thecoachisthe
authorityfigureinregardstotheclientsfitnessgoals.Thecoachisnotbetter,smarter,ormore
importantthantheclient.Acknowledgingthislevelofservicewithintheauthorityofthe
coachingrelationshipisanotherwaytoinsurethecoachingalwaysmaintainsalevelof
professionalism.
Keepingtheservicenatureoftherelationshipinmindishelpfulforestablishingaprofessional
levelofdecorumaswell.Theattitudeofthecoachshouldalwaysbesomethingakintowhat
canIdoforyou?orHowcanIhelpyou?Thisattitudekeepsthecoachproperlyfocusedon
hisactualroleinprovidingaservicetoclients.Andwithinthiselementofserviceandthe
professionalismitdemands,allcoachinginteractionnecessitatesamutuallyunderstoodset
ofgroundrules.
Clientsarenotfriendsandtheyarenotfamily.Acoachneedstocommunicateaccordingly.A
goodcoachiscapableofsympathizingandempathizingwithaclientandhiscircumstances;but
agoodcoachisneverinvolvedinaclientspersonalaffairs.Thislineiscrossedalltoooftenin
thefitnessindustry,especiallyamongcoachesandclientsinthecompetitivearena
(BodybuildingandFigure).Toomanycoachesseektobeaclientspersonalhero.Whenever
anyaspectofthecoachingrelationshipbecomesaboutthecoachsegoinsteadoftheclients
progression,moreislostthangained.ItisaclassicmistakeofcoachesintheFitnessIndustry.
Aneffectiveandworthycoachstaysuninvolvedandunattachedtoaclientspersonallife.
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Communicationandinteractionfromthisunderstoodlevelofprofessionaldecorumisthe
responsibilityofthecoach.Overtime,remainingunattachedtoaclientspersonal
circumstancesestablishesadeeplevelofrespectfortheongoingrelationship.Purposeful
communicationandinteractioniseasiertofacilitatefromthisestablishedlevelof
professionalism.Oncethecoachsegoiseffectivelyremovedfromtheequation,thepurposeof
anyinteractioniseasiertofindandmaintain.Thereshouldbeapurposebehindallclient
feedbackandinteraction.Effectivecoachingisallaboutcommunicationofbothmeaningand
message.Beingclientcentred,insteadofegocentredensuresagoodcoachstaysfocusedon
thetopicathandduringcommunication.Communicatingbothmessageandmeaningrequires
thecoachtobeclearandconcise.Communicationneedstostayonpoint,andbeasbriefas
possiblewhilestillbeingexplanatoryandprovidingvaluablefeedback.Thepurposefulpartof
communicationisthebenefitfortheclient,notthecoach.Againtheparent/childexample
comestomindintermsofpurpose.Nogoodparentapproachescommunicatingmessageand
meaningwiththeirchildfromtheirownstandpointofselfishpurpose.Andthisbecomes
automatic.Greatcoachesalsoshoulddevelopthesameautomaticsenseofpurposeof
interactionwithclientsaswell,albeitwithouttheemotionalattachments.
Partofthecoachsskillandtactictowardcommunication,interaction,andfeedbackthenis
unattachedsincerity.Thereisfartoomuchscientificandpersonalphoninesswithinthe
coachingarenaofthemodernFitnessIndustry.Settingthetoneofthegroundrulesmentioned
aboveshouldalwayshavehonestyandsincerityasfirstpriorities.Partoftruehonestyforany
coachistojustbewhotheyarewhendealingwithclientinteractionandfeedback.Thereisno
needforpretention.Themosteffectiveleaders,teachers,andcoachesaretheoneswhoare
justbeingthemselvesintheleadershipenvironment.Thereisnobetterandmoreefficientway
tomodelappropriatefeedbackthanbybeingrealandsincere.Thecoachsetsthetoneforthis
fromthebeginning.Theeffectivecoachcommunicatesclearly;sayswhathemeans,means
whathesays,anddoessosincerelyandhonestlyfromhisownstyleofcoaching.Yes,acoach
needstounderstandtheclient,fromtheclientsperspective.Butthebestandmosteffective
modeofinteractionandcommunicationforthecoachistorelatefromhisownrealandhonest
personalityandcommunicationstructure.Wewilldiscussthisfurtherinlaterchapters.By
example,imagineasituationlikewehaveinprofessionalsports.Professionalcoachesare
usuallyatleasttwotothreedecadesolderthantheirathletes.ImagineanNFL,NHL,orNBA
coachtryingtotalkwithhisplayersbyemployingtheirownurbanspeakandvoguelevelsof
discourseorpopularslang.Beingpretentiousthiswayiseasytoseethrough,anditcreatesan
airofcharadewhichisneverastrongbaseforpositiveandmeaningfulinteraction.Words
shouldbewellchosenbycoachestocreatebridges,notbarriers.Weseethecharadeof
communicationalsointheindustrybythosewhohidebehindpseudoscience.Effective
coachesneednotcommunicateinindustryorscientificjargoneither.Agoodcoachdoesnot
usefivedollarwordswhenatencentphrasewillsuffice.Thisistheothersideofineffective
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coachingintheFitnessIndustrywherecoachesclearlydonotevenunderstandtheiractualrole;
letalonecantheyembracejustbeingthemselveswithinit.Beingpurposefulwithinclient
communicationmeansfocusingonsubstance;notonstyleorform.Asmuchaseffective
communicationisinknowingandunderstandingyourclient;itisjustasimperativetodevelop
interactioninamannerthatdevelopstheclientsunderstandingofyou,ascoach,aswell.This
isnotservedbyactingassomeoneyouarenot;whetherthatisrepresentedbytryingto
communicateinindustryspeaknorbytryingtofitintomodernstylesofslang.
Sowhileeffectivecommunicationispersonal,theprofessionalemphasispreventsthepersonal
attentionfrombecominginterpersonalstimulation.Althoughcoachingispersonal,effective
coachingavoidsanyandalljustbetweenyouandmetypeofinteractionorinnuendo.Again,
thistypeofinteractionservesnopurposeandeffectivehowtocoachingisallabout
purposefulcommunicationforthebenefitoftheclient.
Andeventhoughacoachshouldcommunicateandinteractinanaturalstyle,heshouldalways
evaluatefeedbackbeforeofferingit.Thisisespeciallytrueofinternetnonfacetoface
interaction.AsIdomyself,Iadviseallonlinecoachestodigestonlinecorrespondenceatleast
twicebeforeresponding.Moreoftenthannot,andespeciallywhencommunicatingonlineor
longdistance,effectivefeedbackshouldbeprepared.Acoachwhoreactstoclientfeedback
orinteractioncanmissalotofpertinentinformationoropportunityforteachingand
instruction.Again,oneofthefocusedelementsofhowtocommunicatewithclients,isthat
theinteractionmustbeproactive.(Notreactive.)Acoachwhoreactstoclientfeedbackisnot
beingunattached.Whendecidinghowtorespondtoaclientcommunication,beingproactive
means,asacoach,youarenottryingtoproveapointtoaclient,somuchasleadingtheway.
Thedifferencemaybeamatterofnuance.
Butnuanceincommunicationandinteractionisaparticularlyadvancedcoaching
communicationskill.Thecoachsetsatonefromthebeginningoftherelationshipthat,whether
hisfeedbackisconsideredpositive,negative,instructionaloradvisory,thefeedbackisalways
forthebenefitoftheclient;henceitisproactiveinintent.Iftheclientunderstandsfromearly
inthecoachingrelationshipthatcoachingisalwaysmeanttobepurposefulandproactive,heis
morelikelytoembraceeventhemostdifficultcriticism.Themandateofeffectivecoachingisto
alwaysbeabletocommunicatefeedbacktheclientneedstoembrace;nottheeasyroadof
whattheclientmaywanttohear.Forinstance,Iwilloftengetclientswhoareuninitiatedto
therelevantscopeofcommitmentanddisciplineinvolvedinreachingacosmeticfitnessgoal.
Excitedclientswilloftenreportinthattheyhavestucktotheirdietandtrainingforalmosta
wholeweeknow.Fromtheirperspective,thismayindeedseemlikeaworthy
accomplishment.Butacoachwhorewardswhatshouldbeexpectedbehaviourisnotbeing
sincerelyproactiveinhisinteraction.Fromthebeginning,itisacoachsresponsibilityto
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prepareaclienttobeabletoassimilatecoachsfeedbackwithoutintimidation,fear,or
judgment.Simply,thecoachmustleadtheclienttounderstandthatthecoachcommunicates
whatneedstobestated:nothingmore,nothingless.Thiscanoftenentailwordsof
encouragementforajobwelldone,butitcanalsoentailadvisement,thattheclientapplication
isincompleteornotgoodenough.Iftheclientisproperlypreparedastotheongoingnatureof
interaction,thenallcoachingcommunicationwillbereceivedwithsimilarimpact.Effective,
proactivecommunicationisaboutproperlypreparingaclientforthemosteffectivewayof
gettingthemtobeabletodealwithallformsofrelevantcommunicationfromthecoach.The
coachsgoalforcommunicationistocreateaninteractiveenvironmentofmomentumand
resultsinprocess;notanenvironmentthatcoddlesandentertainsexcuses.Butthecoachmust
alsoacknowledgethiswillnotbealinearprocess.Thisishowtocommunicateeffectively.To
reiterate,proactivecommunicationdoesntjusthappen.Theeffectivecoachpreparesaclient
astohowtheongoinginteractionmaytakeplace.Thisismuchakintohowateacherwouldset
uphisstyleofteachingearlyintheschoolyear,sothattheteacherandstudentunderstand
howtheappropriateprocessofinteractionwillunfold.
Towardtheendofestablishinganongoingpositiveinteractionexperience,thecoachneedsto
encourageopenendedcorrespondence.Itisfarmoreimportant,especiallyovertime,forthe
coachandclienttoestablishanunderstandingoftheirmutualinteraction;ratherthanmere
literalinterpretations.Effectivecommunicationwillseldombeonedimensional,evenwhen
seeminglyso,asinonlinewritteninteraction.Thismeansthatagoodcoachencouragesa
clienttobeexpressive.Openendedcommunicationandinteractionrequireschoosingwords
morecarefullytobesure.Again,thepurposeistobeunderstood,moresothanliterally
interpreted.Thisismostimportantwhenacoachknowshisfeedbackwillhavesomesortof
emotionalimpact,whetherpraiseorcritique.Toencourageopenendedcommunication
requiresthecoachtoinvitethesame.Forinstance,thereisadifferenceinthelevelof
interpretationforthefollowingcoachinginteraction:Askingaclient,doyoulikethedietIgave
you?isacloseendedquestionthatdangerouslyinvitesopinionandevaluationfromtheclient.
Italsohasalimitedresponsevariance,asinyesornoetc.Andtheclientsopinionofwhether
ornothelikesthedietmayhavelittletodowiththenecessityoftheimplementationofthe
diet.Sothestructureofcorrespondenceisimportant.Abetterwaytoelicitopenended
perspectivefromtheclientwouldbetoposethequestionthisway;howisthedietgoingthat
youareon?Thisquestionallowsformorepossibilitiesfortheclienttoexpandandexplainthe
dietapplicationinmanymodes;levelofcompliance,degreeofdifficulty,hungerandappetite,
etc.Whatthequestiondoesntdoisinvitetheclienttocommentonanevaluationoftheactual
dietprotocol.Anevenbetterwaytoposethequestionwouldbeforthecoachtoinjecthimself
intotheprocess.Sothequestionwouldnowbemorelike,tellmemoreaboutthedietprocess
weareundertaking?Thisleavesthequestionopenendedformoresincereandhonestclient
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response.Andbythecoachposingthequestionthisway,theclientassumesagreaterlevelof
thecoachsinvolvementaswellasthecoachsdesiretoexploretheanswer.
Havingexploredinaverygeneralsensetheideaofhowtocommunicateeffectivelyasacoach
intheonlineFitnessarenadoesnotmeanallcoachingrelationshipswillwork.Evenwith
sustainedeffortstherewillbeclientsandcoacheswhoarejustnotagoodfitforeachother.
Weseethisexampleinprofessionalsportsallthetime.Therehavebeennumerousexamples
whereaplayerononeteamisdisgruntledandhisperformancewaslessthanitcouldbe.He
wasnotagoodfitfortheorganization.Yet,whentheplayermovestoanotherteamhefits
rightinandhisperformanceimprovessubstantially.Ihavebeenfortunateenoughtobe
involvedinformulatingquestionsforevaluationofplayersenteringtheprofessionaldraft.
Teamsspendagreatdealoftimeandenergyintheinterviewprocessevenafterhavingscouted
aplayerstalentformonths,ormaybeevenyears.Howisthisrelevant?Welltheinterview
processhastheorganizationassessingandevaluatinghowaplayermayormaynotfittheir
systemorbeabletohandletheorganizationscoachingandmanagementstyle.Chemistryis
animportantwordinassessingprofessionaltalentbeyondphysicalskills.
Thesameexistswithonlinecoaching.Imyself,haveanopenendedstylebasedon
biofeedbackandqualitativeinteraction.Manywhocometomefromadeepinfluenceof
internetexpertiseoftenhaveadifficulttimerelatingtosuchopenendedemphasiswhere
shadesofgreyaremoreemphasizedthanablackandwhiteapplicationandanalysis.More
oftenthannot,bybeingproactiveandpreparingclientstohowtheprocessunfolds,thiscanbe
overcome.Butsometimeitmaynot.Manyclientswilllookforanswerswhereanswersdonot
existinthisindustry;onlyperspectivedoes.Whilethecoachhastomakerelevantwhothe
clientisandwhattheclientsperspectivemaybe;thecoachalsomustmaintainhisownstyle
andemphasisofhowtocommunicateandinteractduringthecoachingprocess.Thewidera
coachsperspectiveandexposurecanbe,themorelikelyhewillbeabletoassimilateand
communicateandinteracteffectivelywithawidevarietyclientbase.Tothisend,wellexplore
howtointeractandcommunicatemoreeffectivelyinthenextchapter.

NotesforMentoringStudents

Withintheindustryscurrentemphasisoninformationortheappearanceof
knowledgehowdoesthedefinitionofspecialisthelpyoutoreframeyourperspective
intermsofhowtoeffectivelycommunicateasacoach?

UseScotts4pointsofrelevantcommunicationandaddressthisscenario.Joe,a
personaltrainersignsonwithyou.Headmitsheseemstobeabletohelpothers
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accomplishgoals,butnothimself.HisgoalistobeaFitnessmodelandappearin
magazinesoratleastlooklikehecoulddoso.Heis5ft10inches;25yearsold,and
lookslikehehasneverbeeninagyminhislife.Heisheavilyinfluencedbyonline
websitesforhisinformationandknowledge.Hecantrain34daysperweek.Heworks
1012hoursperday,andeatsontherun.Hewantstoknowwhatyoucandoforhimin
regardstohisgoals.Usethe4ptsofeffectivecommunicationtoanswertheinformation
presentedtoyou.Writeit,likeanactualemailtoJoe.

Usingtheabovescenario,examinethemannerofcommunicationandhowyoumakeit
personalandyetprofessionalatthesametime.

Examinehowyouinterpretthetermpurposefulclientcommunication.Howdoesthis
influenceyourstyleofhowtocommunicatewithclients.

Whatdoesbeingproactiveandnotreactivemeantoyouforcommunicatingasa
coach?

Discusstheresponsibilityofthecoachtopreparetheclientforpurposefulfeedback.
Examinehowanemphasisoninformationmayfailtodothis.Examinewhatthismeans
foryouintermsofhowtobettercommunicatemessageandmeaningwithclients.

ThinkofaFitnessgoalyouhadsay5yearsago.Instructyourselfinawritten
communicationastohowtoaccomplishit.Thisexerciseshouldhelprevealtoyouyour
ownstyleforeffectivecommunicationaswellashowtocommunicatefromyourown
perspective.Thisisastrength;notaweakness.

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Chapter8
StrategiesandTacticsforCommunicatingCoachingInstruction

Manycoachesreadingthisdonotrealizethattheyarecurrentlylittlemorethanadvanced
exerciseinstructors.Realcoachingandtheconsiderationofthetriangleofawareness
necessitatesdevelopingcommunicationskillsfarbeyondmereinstruction.Andevenwithinthe
realmofinstruction,manycoachesarelimitedbecausetheydonotunderstandthis
fundamentalcoachingprerequisite.Manywannabecoachesarelimited,notbecausetheylack
aworkingknowledgeofthesubjectmatter,butbecausetheycannotdeliveritinahelpfuland
meaningfulwaytotheclient.Onceagain,Ipointtodozensofqualifiedinstructorswhono
longerareabletoearnalivingintheFitnessIndustry.Ihaveknownmanywhosewallsarelined
withonecertificationafteranotherframedontheirwalls.Manylackedneitherknowledgenor
officialqualifications.Yettheyarenownolongerintheindustryafterinvestingthousandsof
dollarsandanumberoflabourintensiveyearsbecomingcertifiedandqualifiedasafitness
professional.AsIwillstateoften,Iseethisasafailureoftheindustrythatfalselyweighs
informationattheexpenseofthetalentinvolvedinbeingabletodeliverandapplyit.
Asthelastchapteroutlinedathinkingprocessforhowtocommunicateandinteractwith
clients,thischapterwillillustratesomewidelyknownstrategiesandtacticsfordelivering
instruction,changingbehaviourandengagingclientstobeactivelyinvolvedintheirown
processofgoalacquisition.Thischaptergivesthewannabecoachsometacticstouseandapply
whenengagingclientinstructionandadvice.Althoughmanycoachingbooksemployvariations
ofthesetacticsandstrategiesunderdifferentnames;Ipreferthecategoriessetoutby
MarshallCook,inEffectiveCoaching,1999.Sothestrategiesandtacticsdiscussedbeloware
takendirectlyfromtherelatedchapterinhisbook.Tomymind,almostalleffectivecoaching
communicationforinstructioncanbebrokendowntooneofthese7elementsbelow.And
thesetacticsneednotbemutuallyexclusive.Asinglecorrespondencewithaclientmay
necessitateusingoneormoreofthesetacticsforinstructionalpurposeswhenengaginga
coachingclient.The7categoriesforeffectivecoachingcommunicationandinteractionfor
instructionareasfollows:1)factual,2)explanatory,3)justifying,4)leading,5)Hypothetical,6)
Alternativechoices,7)Summarizing.

1)Factual
Inthefitnessindustryfactandopinionareexchangedasbeingthesameonafrequentbasis.
Thisisyetanotherofthelimitationsofanindustrywhichcontinuestofosterthedogmaof
information=knowledge.Astheindustrycontinuestocertifyandqualifyindividualswith
minimalstudy,thelinebetweenopinionandfactiscontinuallyblurred.Withinacoaching
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contextthiscanbeparticularlyproblematic.Foracoach,arguingwithclientsregarding
opinionsrepresentedasfactsisawasteoftimeandenergy.Anditcanalsoleadtodisrupting
aneffectiveauthoritybasedcommunicationstylewithintherelationship.Whatisimportantfor
thecoachtokeepinmindisthetruththatfactscanbeverifiedwhileopinionscannot.For
certifiedtrainers(insteadofqualifiedcoaches)notbeingabletodistinguishbetweenthetwo
canpresentongoingdifficultieswithinthecoach/clientrelationship.
IlluseanexampleofcommonfeedbackIreceivefromclients.Thereisaqualitativedifference
betweenaclientsreportingafactfromhistrainingvs.anopiniondrawnbasedonthisfact.
Forinstance,aclientmayreportanoveralldropinstrengthduringhiscurrentprogram
undertaking.Thismaybeafactthatisverifiable.However,thisdoesnotleadtoafact
regardingaprogramseffectiveness.Foraclienttoreport,mystrengthhasdecreasedonthis
programisameasureableandobservablefact.However,toconcludetherefore,this
programisnotworkingformeismerelyanopinionbasedonthisfact.Thisopinionrequires
evaluationfromthequalifiedcoach.Manytimesfactualindicatorsleadclientstodraw
conclusionsthatarenottrue,misleading,andunsubstantiated.Worseyet,coachesalsooften
makethesamemistakesaswell,replacingopinionwithfact.Tobeabletooffereffective
instruction,acoachmustbeabletodifferentiatebetweenthetwo.Thecoachneedstobe
clear.Ifyouwantfactualfeedback,thenyouneedtoaskfactualquestions.(Questionsthatare
verifiable.)Forinstance,askingaclient,howlongareyourworkoutstakingyouisaquestion
whichelicitsfactualandverifiableinformation.Confusingopinionandfactwithinassessingand
evaluatingclientfeedbackisacoachkiller.Agoodcoachmakesclearinhismindthedifference
betweenfact,andrelevantopinion.Thisistrueofbothpartsofthetwowayinteractivenature
ofthecoach/clientrelationship.

2)Explanatory
Itisveryhelpfulforclientsifcoachinginstructionalsohassomekindofexplanatoryelementto
it.Thisisespeciallytrueofadvisingaclientbasedontheirbiofeedback.Iwilloftenreceivea
questionposedtomethiswayregardingfeedback:Isthisnormal?Specificclientfeedback
canoftenleadtothistypeofassessmentquestion.Infact,thequestionisirrelevant.Thereis
nonormalorabnormal,thereisonlygeneralandspecific.Ifweaddresstheexampleused
abovewheretheclientreportsmystrengthhasdecreasedonthisprogram,thecoachs
explanatoryfeedbackbasedonthisservesasagreattooltousetonotonlybuildclient
competenceandconfidencebuttoexplaintothemthewiderpurposebeyondthereported
factForinstance,myexplanatoryresponsetothisclientsfeedbackofdecreasedstrength
wouldbesomethingakintothefollowing:Becauseyouhaveneverdonethiskindofvolumeof
trainingbefore,itisnotsurprisingthatyourliftingloadshavedecreased.However,this
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programisnotdesignedtoincreaseloadstrength;itisdesignedtodevelopyourphysique.How
muchyouareliftingisrelativelyunimportantatthispoint.
Thecoachinginstructionemployedexplainstoaclienthisbiofeedbackinarelevantand
importantcontext.Andtheexplanationservestheclientinfurtherunderstandingtherationale
fortheprogramimplementation.Notethattheinstructionandexplanatoryfeedbackoffered
hereisaimedattheclientsunderstanding,andnotsomescientificrationale.Explanatory
feedbackonceagainmustconsidercoachingtheclient,nottheprogram.Oneofthemost
commonmistakescoachesmakewhentryingtocommunicateexplanatoryinstruction,isthat
theyreduceinstructiontosomescientificjargonofprogramdesignratherthanusingthe
interactionasanopportunitytoemployexplanatoryfeedbacktofurtherengagetheclientin
themotivationofapplicationofprotocol.Byeffectivelyarmingtheclientwithexplanatory
instruction,theclienthasabetterunderstandingforutilizingandengagingtheprotocolwith
moreconfidenceintheprocess.Explanatoryfeedbackshouldbeaimedatservingtheclient
withintheapplicationoftheprocess.Itshouldnotserveasameredefenceforthe
prescriptionofprotocol.

3)Justifying
Thejustifyingtacticcanbeatwoedgedsword.Ontheonehanditcanbeaviablebackboneof
theexplanatorytacticusedabove.Ontheotherhanditcansometimesbereducedtonothing
morethananadvancedrationalization.BecauseIsaidso,isatypeofquickbutineffective
justifyingwhenengaginginstructionoradvice.Itisincompleteandpoweroriented.However,
asabackbonefortacticalinteractionwithclients,sometimesjustifyingisimperative,evenifa
littletooblackandwhiteandabsolute.Justifyingcanbeusedappropriatelywhenacoachcan
effectivelychoosewordsthatarelessprovocativeandmoreexplanatoryinpurpose.Justifying
tacticsshouldnotbeconfusedwithnegotiating.Negotiatinginstructionwithclientsisalosing
propositionforcoaches.Instructionandadvicemaysometimesrequirejustifyingsotheclient
caneitherrethinkacommonlyheldbelief,ortheclientcanresethisconfidenceinthecoach.
Byexample,Ioftenhavefemalenewclientswhobalkatmeincludingcarbsintheirdiets.It
becomesanemotionalissueforthembeyondrationality.Byemployingthetriangleof
awareness,Ihavetomeetthemattheemotionallevelaswell.Thiscansometimesentaila
justifyingengagementoffeedbackonmypart.Itmaylooksomethinglikethis:Youhiredme
formyexpertise.Myexpertisetellsmetotellyouthatyourfearofcarbsisunfounded.My
expertisealsotellsmethatifyourcarbfreedietwasactuallyworkinglongterm,thenyou
wouldntneedmetofindadietsolutionforyou.So,thenatureofthefeedbackhereisnot
explanatoryintermsofwhyshehascarbsinherdiet.Insteadtheexplanatorynatureofthe
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communicationisasubtext.Instead,whatIamreallydoinginthisinteractionisjustifyingmy
expertise.Thereasonthismaybeanecessarytacticforadviceisthatsometimesdoubtis
createdinaclientsheadspacewhichhasnothingtodowithfacts.Insuchacaseexplanatory
tacticalcommunicationcanoftenfallondeafears.Althoughjustifyingmaybeanabsolute,it
canoftenbeanecessityoftacticalinteraction.Ifusedtoooftenhowever,itcanrepresenta
coachinginsecurity.

4)Leading
Theelementofleadingintheinstructionofaclientisnotaboutleadershipperse.Thetacticof
leadingisamoregeneralapproachandstrategytoeffectiveclientinteractionandinstruction.
Inlegalparlance,oftenwehearlawyersobjectonthegroundsofleadingthewitness.And
whilethismaybeanonoinlegalcases,leadingaclientasatacticandstrategyforcoaching
interactionisveryeffective.Thegoalforthestrategyofleadingistonotonlyengagetheclient
intheirownershipofprotocolapplication,butalsotofurtherdeepenthecoach/client
relationshipandinteractionpotential.LeadingisallaboutcreatingwhatIliketocallthe
arrowheadofawarenessfortheclient.Anarrowheadpointsaspecificdirectionandhastwo
sideswithstraightlineswhichcreateandembracethedesireddirection.Thestrategyof
leadingaclientintermsofadvisementandinstruction,servesasameanstonudgetheminthe
directiontowardtheirownconsistencyofapplicationofprotocol.Itnegatespotentialoutside
interferenceandconfusionaswell.Thetacticsmentionedabovecanbeusedinthisoverall
strategyofleadingclientsincreatingtheirownarrowheadofdirectionandpurpose.Leading
caneitherbeadirectsituationaltacticofinstruction,oritcanbeanoverallstrategyof
effectivecoachinginteractionaswell.Othertacticsofcommunicationandinstructionwill
showanoverallstrategyofleadingaclientwithininteractionandadvisement.

5)Hypothetical
Hypotheticalexamplesandsituationsarefantasticcommunicationandinteractivetactics.Iuse
hypotheticalexamplesallthetimewhentryingtoengageclients.Andsomehypothetical
examplesareactuallyrealworldexamples.Theyareonlyhypotheticaltotheclient.Oftena
hypotheticalexampleisreallyjustthecoachengagingtheclienttolookfurtherdowntheroad.
Engagingaspecificpathhasbothresultsandconsequences.Mostenthusiasticpeoplewillfocus
onresultsandchoosetolookawayfromtheconsequences.Agoodcoachwillweighthe
cost/benefitofthespecificpathanyclientmaybetakingandthenemployahypothetical
situationtoillustratetheforeseeableconsequences.Onceagain,thetacticofahypothetical
exampleservestheoverallstrategyofleadingmentionedabove.Inthecaseofnegative
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consequences,hypotheticalsituationsmerelypointtotherealityofasituationinmoreclear
terms.Itstheoldadageofpointingout,thatifyoualwaysdo,whatyouvealwaysdone,then
youwillalwaysgetwhatyouvealwaysgot.Insanityisrepeatingthesamebehaviourand
expectingadifferentresult.Clichsaside,oftenclientsareblindtothecreationoftheirown
negativeconsequencestoselectedbehaviouralpaths.
Byexample,eachyearIgetmanyfemaleFigurecompetitorssufferingfrommetabolicburnout
ormetabolicdamage.Theyemploymetohelpremedythesituation,yetthefirstgoaltheyhave
isthat,Istillwanttocompete.Eventhoughseveralcompetitionshaveresultedinfurtherand
furtheroffseasonweightgain,theychoosetoremainblindthattheircompetitiondietand
trainingstrategyhasbeentherealcontributortotheirundesiredweightgain.Employing
hypotheticalsituationsandconsequenceswhichcanfuturizetheexpectedconsequencescan
goalongwaytoleadingclientsfromrepeatingthesamemistakesagain,bychoosinginstead,
nottocompete.(Choosingadifferentpath.)
Thinkofthetacticofemployinghypotheticalsituationsasministorytelling.Mosteffective
coachesintheprofessionalsportsindustryusehypotheticalsituationsasameansofgetting
theirplayerstoprognosticatecurrentstrategytodesiredendsorconsequencesofactions.
Manycoachesalsousepastexperienceasarealworldexampleofemployinghypothetical
situationstoleadtheirathletestowarddesiredresults,andawayfromundesired
consequences.Ministorytellingintheformofpresentinghypotheticalsituationsisoneofthe
greatestinstructionalinteractivetacticsacoachcanuse.Irecentlyheardoneprofessional
coachputitthisway:Tellsomeoneafactandtheywilllearnit.Tellsomeonethetruthand
theywillbelieveit.Buttellsomeonebothinthecontextofastory,andtheywillrememberit
forever!Thetacticofthehypotheticalministorytellingmodelofinstructionhaspotential
profoundimpactforclientswhotrulydesireresultsandwhoactivelyembracecoaching.
Hypotheticalexamplesaregreattacticstoemploytogetclientstothinkindifferenttermsthan
theyareusedto.Andthetacticofthehypotheticalexamplealsoallowsforthecoachtoremain
unattachedtowhatmayotherwisebesensitiveinteraction.Thehypotheticaltactictendsto
objectifytheinteractioninamannerthatreducespotentialnegativeordefensivereactionsin
theclientaswell.Wheneverpossibleinemployingthetacticofthehypothetical,Iliketousea
clientsownwordsorscenariowithintheactualexample.

6)AlternativeChoices
Asdiscussed,themainemphasisforthecoachvs.atraineristheongoingnatureofthe
process.Situationsandcircumstanceschange.Peoplesattitudesandemotionsarealso
influencedbytheireverydayenvironmentandreallifeoutsidethegymandawayfromthe
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dinnertable.Situationsandcircumstancesarisethatmaydictateachangeinprotocoloran
alternativetocurrentprotocol.Thecoachconsidersalsothetriangleofawarenessinclient
interaction.Sometimesmental,emotional,orattitudinaladjustmentsneedtobesuggestedin
termsofalternatechoicesforthoughtorbehaviour.Suggestingalternativechoicesiseasyon
thephysicalfront.Forexample,ifaclientdevelopspainintheshouldergirdlefromdoing
overheadpresses,itseasyenoughforacoachtoremovethesemovementsfromtheprogram
andintroducesomerehaborprehabworkforthearea.
Butthisismuchtrickierwhenconsideringthementalandemotionalelementsofcoaching
peopleandnotprograms,whichiswhateffectivecoachingisallabout.Attitudeadjustmentor
changecanbeadifficultandtrickyareaforcoachinginteraction.Ioftengetclientswithvarious
foodaddictionsandeatingdisordersetc,aswellasmanyclientswithsomeearlydegreeof
these.Clearlyassigningadietwillnotremedytheissue.Infactanotherdietmayjusttrigger
theunwantedbehavioursandthoughtpatterns.Advisingsomeonehowtothinkcanbevery
problematic.However,reflectingbackontothemthattheircurrentthinkingpatternsarefaulty
ordestructivecanserveasareasonableseguetoaffectingnecessarychange.Forcingopinions
onclientsusuallyonlyheightenstheirdefensiveness.Thebettertacticforcommunicationisto
nudgeclientstowardcomingtotheirownconclusionsaboutnegativeordestructivehabitsand
behaviours.Providingalternativechoicesforclientsmustbecommunicatedintheformof
suggestionsandnotdictation.Onceagain,thetalentfornuanceisimperativeinthemore
difficultcases.Theclientshouldalwaysbeinvolved,oratleastperceivethattheyare,when
makingandchoosingalternativestocurrentcircumstancesorbehaviours.
Oneofthemosteffectivetacticsforaccomplishingthisistoputtheonusandownershipand
responsibilitybackontheclientwhereitrightfullybelongs.TheoldDr.Philline,howsthat
workinforya?canbeausefulintroductionforgettingaclienttotrulyexamine,ratherthan
rationalize,howandwhycertainthoughtpatternsandemotionalcuesmaybedestructiveto
theirowngoals.Itsabeginningtowardamutualapproachtosuggestingalternativechoices
forclientconsideration.Toengageanyonetorethinkorreadjustcurrentthinkingpatternsonly
worksinacooperativeinteractivecommunicationenvironment.Anyinteractivesituationwhich
insteadsuggests,mywayvs.yourway,whenitcomestoalternativethinkingstrategiesonly
invitesmoreproblemsthanitsolves.
Suggestingalternativechoicesmeanstheimplementationisuptotheclient.Thisiswhyitisso
importantforthecoachtomakesuggestionsandnotdictateimperativesorsolutions.Ifthe
coachmerelygivesalternativesassolutionseachtimeaproblempresentsitself,theclientis
neverchallengedtochangetheirowndestructiveorfaultythinkingpatternsandbehaviours.A
goodcoachiscapableofpresentingoptionsbutthecoachalsoknowstheseoptionsarelimited
withinthecoachsrealmofadvice.Adviceforalternativeoptionsisuselessiftheclientis
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nevergoingtoembraceorimplementthesuggestedoptions.Helpingaclienttocontinueto
growandprogresswithinthecoachingenvironmentmeansengagingtheclienttobeanactive
participantinfindingtheirownsolutions.Onceagain,thecoachisacatalystintheprocess.The
coachisnottheanswer.Thegoodcoachalwayskeepsinmindthattheclientsprocessismore
importantthantheactualgoal.Thegoalissecondarytotheawarenessgainedwithinthe
processofsecuringit.Unfortunatelythetrainermentalityreinforcedbytheindustry
concentratesonphysicalgoalsattheexpenseofanytrueawarenessduringtheprocessof
achievingthem.ThisiswhyaftersomanyyearsintheFitnessIndustry;mostconsumersarestill
outtheretryingtofindtherighttrainingandrightdietprogramtofittheirgoals.Yet,their
pursuitactuallyillustratesalackofdevelopedawarenesswithintheirownprocessfordoingso.
Thisiswhythecoachingpresenceissoimportant.Itgetstheclienttoactivelyengageandlearn
duringtheirprocessoftheapplicationofassignedprotocol.Engagingtheclienttobeapartof
theirownjourneytouncoveringalternativechoicesisanothermajordifferencebetweena
coachandatrainer.Toprodtheclienttoactivelyseektheirownsolutionswithinpresent
alternativesisaninteractivecommunicationtacticbeyondadictationofdietandprogram.It
takeswork.Thisworkisallaboutcommunication.Inregardstopresentingalternativechoices
toaclientregardingchangingnegativesituationsorcircumstances,theinitialquestion,hows
thatworkinforya?canleadthemtoconnectthedotsoftheirowncreationofnegative
situations.Duringinteractionifacoachcanleadaclientthiswayandalsoemploytheclients
ownwordsintheinteractionaswellaspresentahypotheticalsituationbyexample,theclient
ismorelikelytobewillingtoembraceanysuggestionsforalternativechoices.Whatis
importantisthatthedecisionandactionisonetheclientmakes,notsomethingacoachmerely
dictates.

7)Summarizing:
Oftenaclientmayinteractwithacoachinamyriadofwaysreflectingalltheelementsofthe
triangleofawareness.Aclientmaycheckinwiththebiofeedbackfromtrainingprotocol,but
alsosharepersonalemotionalissuesorstrugglesaswell.Theremaybeaddedinsomemental
stressorstothefeedback.Thiskindoftrustinacoachshouldnotbeignored.Toomanycoaches
justcantbebotheredwiththisextrafeedback.Thisiscoachinglaziness.Lifehappens.To
ignorethiskindoffeedbackistoimplyitisirrelevant.Agoodcoachcandifferentiatebetween
excuses,rationalization,andreallifecircumstancesthatnecessitatecommentary.Andaclient
maylackeffectivecommunicationskillsthemselves.Thisisacoachingproblemforinteraction,
notaclientproblem.
Forinstance,someclientsmayreportandcommunicatewithlongtextthatseemscatteredand
disconnected.Itcanbeagreathelpforthecoachtomerely,simply,andskilfullyjustreiterate
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backtotheclient,whattheyjustreported.Itisthecoachsresponsibilitytorephraseand
categorizethoughtsandideasfromtheclientintoacoherentwhole.Thetactictodosocanbe
assimpleasjuststatingbacktotheclient,Sowhatyouseemtobesayingis...orevenbetter,
Overall,whatIgatherfromyourfeedbackisthefollowing...Moreoftenthannot,just
summarizingaclientcommunicationandpresentingitbacktothemcanserveasameansfor
clarityfortheclient,thecoach,andmoreimportantlythesharedinteractiveprocess.Thiscan
helptheclientmakeconnectionstothemeaninghewastryingtoconvey.Aswell,itexpresses
totheclientthatthecoachisactivelyengagedandtakestheclientscommunicationseriously.
Thisalsofurtherdevelopsthecoach/clientrelationshiponadeeperlevel.
Unfortunately,toomanycoachesareillequippedtodealwithsuchfeedbacksotheyleaveit
alone.Instead,thesetypesofcoacheswhofocusonlyinthephysicalrealmdismissthesetypes
ofrelevantfeedback.Moreoftenthannotthesetypesofcoachesdoamentalsummaryofsuch
communication.Butbecausetheyareillequippedtodealwithit,theyusuallysummatetheir
ownconclusionsalongthelinesofWow,JoeisreallyscatteredorwhatamIsupposedtosay
tothat?Bynegatingthefeedbackoftheclientthisway,thiskindofcoachviolatessomethe
prescriptsofhowtointeractaddressedinthepreviouschapter.Coachingcommunication
shouldbepurposefulandproactive.Thegoodcoachisfocusedontheclientandtheawareness
oftheinteractionathand.Asummaryofdialogueisasimplebutoftenignoredtacticfor
effectivecoachingcommunicationstrategy.Usuallythisisamistakeofcontextthatcoaches
make.Coachestoooftenperceivetheirroleasprovidingtheanswerstoclientcommunication
anddialogue.Butifthecoachisproperlyfocusedontheclientandtheprocess,thenanswers
areprovidedintheroleofcoachbeingacatalystfortheclienttoengagemoreandgreater
accountabilityandresponsibilityinthecoachingrelationship.Thecoachisnottheanswer.He
isonlypartofit.
Theideaofsummarizingclientcommunicationasastrategyforinteractionalsoserves
elementsofhowtocommunicatediscussedinthepreviouschapter.Summarizingaclients
communicationisagreatwaytoconsideraresponsebeforehand.Thisleadstomore
purposefulandproactivecommunicationfromthecoach.Itleadstoproperinteractive
preparation.Itleadsawayfromthetendencyofreactionfromthecoach.Summarizingclient
communicationhelpsthecoachonacontinualbasistoanswerthatquestion,whoismy
client?Ithelpsthecoachtoconsiderhowtheclientthinks,howtheyprocessinformation,
whatkindoflifestressorsareaffectingthemetc.Summarizingclientcommunicationtakesthe
coachwellbeyondthemereconsiderationofwhatphysicalprotocolaclientisundertaking.As
acommunicationstrategy,summarizingalsohelpsthecoachdefinetherelevantcontextofthe
communication.Andinsodoing,thesummarystrategyleadsthecoachtomoreeffectivelybe
abletodelivermessageandmeaningtotheclient.Thestrategyandtacticofsummarizingclient
communicationisespeciallyeffectivefornewcoaches.
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Thetacticsandstrategiesforeffectivecoachingcommunicationareforseriouscoaches.With
alltheabovetacticsandstrategiesforcoaching,itcanbeanexhaustingrealitythatengaging
clientinteractionthiswaycancreateevenmoredemandforcommunicationandinteraction
withclients.Thistypeofqualitativeinteractioncanengageclientsinawaywhichleadstomore
questionsthananswers.Agreatcoachunderstandstheengagementinvolvedinthisprocess.It
isqualitativelydistinctanddeeperthanthemeretrainermentalityofmostcoachesand
expertsinthefitnessindustry.Itshouldnotsurpriseacoachifhisengagementofqualitative
interactionbringsmoredialogueandquestionsinresponse.Thisisagoodsignactually.It
indicatestheclientispayingattentionandtakingcoachingfeedbackseriously.
Coachingcommunicationandinteractionisallaboutengagingtheclientandleadingthemto
themeanstoseekandfindtheirownsolutionstoworkableissues.Engagingandentertaining
theclientduringthisprocessalsoservestoinformthecoachwitheverythingheneedstoknow
toguidetheclientmovingforward.Itsamutuallyprofitableandpurposefulengagement.This
isthemostproductivemodeforeffectivecoaching.Thisstyleofcommunicationmayoften
seemcounterintuitivetoclients.Theyassumetheyhirethecoachtogivethemtheanswers.In
truth,thecoachmerelyassignsprotocolandservesasaguideandmirroralongtheway.But
whenacoachcanunveilaclientsworkingaptitudesandattitudesduringtheapplicationof
process,thisservestheclientinbeingabletohandleandabsorbmoreinthelongtermprocess
ofcoaching.Moreover,engagingtheclientwitheffectiveinteractionalsoservesthegrander
purposeofbuildingclientconfidenceandcompetencemovingforwardaswell.Andthisistrue
intermsoftheclientsowngoalsaswellasthecompetenceandconfidencewithinthe
coachingrelationship.Toengagetheclienttoforgetheresolvetosolvetheirownissuesand
clearlybeingthereforthemduringthatprocessexpressesrespectfortheclient.Italso
expressesanengagementinthetwowaycommunicationprocessforbuildingtheclientfrom
wheretheyare.Thisisfarmoreeffectivethanjusthandingthemanswerstoeveryperceived
dilemma.Thecoachwinsshorttermandlongtermbyinvitingclientinteraction.Perceiving
clientinteractionasaburdennegatestheactualpurposeofacoach.Onewaystylesof
communicationanddictationofcoachtoclientaremoreappropriateforthetrainermentality.
Thetacticsandstrategiesforeffectivequalitativecoachingareallaboutreceivinguseful
informationfromyourclientandaboutyourclient.Thisiswhythecentralelementoffocusfor
realcoachingisthatitisclientcentred.Thiskindofopenendedexchangebuildsrapportwith
theclientaswell.Andthistypeofrapportleadstotrustwhichissoessentialforongoing
coachingeffectivenessandimpact.Thefocusforinteractionisnotonlyanexchangeof
information,butproperandpurposefulinstructionaswell.Andthisinstructionisclient
centred,notprotocolbased.

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However,whenaclientisseekinganswersintheformofinformationwhichtheycouldeasily
accessthemselves,thenthecoachshouldinstructthemtodoso.Oftenclientswillwritemeto
askmehowmanycaloriesareinthisorthatfooditem.Idonotanswersuchquestions.
However,Iwillleadthemtowheretheycandosoforthemselves.Purposefulinstructionfora
coachshouldknowthedifferencebetweenshowingoffknowledgeandleadingaclientto
findingtheirownanswerswhensituationsallow.This,onceagain,illustratedthedifference
betweenthetrainerandthecoach.Andthisdistinctionisreflectivealsooftheoldadage,
catchamanafishandheeatsforaday,teachamantofishandheeatsforalifetime.The
goodcoachknowsthedifferenceininstructionandcommunication.Andthemosteffective
coachesalsoknowthatengagingclientinteractionisthemosteffectivemeansforcoaches
themselvestolearn.Teachingandinstructiononanindividualbasisbyengagingclient
interactionisthemostviablehandsonformoflearningacoachcanbeinvolvedin.These
strategiesandtacticsforcommunicationaresomeofthebesttoolstoemploytowardthisend.

NotesforMentoringStudents

Earlyinthechapterthephraseeffectivecoachingforcommunicationofinstructionis
used.Whatdoesitmean?Howwoulditvaryfromclienttoclient?

RealWorldExample1:
Apotentialnewclientwritestoinquireaboutyourservices.Thisisthecommunication
provided:Hi,mynameisJoeSmith.Ivebeentrainingforabout5yearsnow.Mygoalis
tolooklikeIcouldcompetesomeday.Iam26yrsold,5ft9,and170lbs.Iamcurrently
trainingmywholebody3daysperweekandIrunontheweekends.Ihavebeeneating
exactlyright,andonlyhavingcarbsbeforeandaftermyworkouts.ButIhavethat
skinnyfatlook.Iwouldliketogainabout15lbsofmuscleandgetdowntoabout8%
bodyfat.Whatcouldyoudoforme?
Answertheabovescenarioforapotentialnewclient.Inyourresponse,addressasmany
ofthetacticsandstrategiesmentionedabove.Howdoesithelpinformandelevateyour
levelofcommunication?Whereareyoustrong?Whereareyouweak?Howdorespond
differentlyasacoachinsteadofatrainer.Makealist.

RealWorldExample2:
JaneSmithhasbeenaclientofyoursnowfor18months.Shehasbeeninconsistent
withherassigneddietandtrainingfromthebeginning.Shesometimesgoeslong
periodswithoutanyrelevantcontactatall.Sheis34yrsold,5ft2,and135lbswith
about20%bodyfat.ItsthedayafterNewYears.Shewrites:Hey,HappyNewYear.
Ivemadeadecisionovertheholidays.Iwaseithergoingtogivethisupandtrya10k
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raceorIwasgoingtogetreallyserious.IvedecidedtocompeteinaFigurecontest.Ive
putonabout10lbsovertheholidays,butImfinallyseriousaboutgettinginshape.I
knowifIamgoingtogetonstagewherepeoplewillseemeinabikini,thenIwillhave
tosticktoeverythingyougiveme.So,Imreadytogo!IwanttocompeteinApril.
Wheredowestart?Ivebeensearchingonlineforhowtotrainforacompetition,since
Iveneverevenseenonebefore.Imsoexcitedtohearbackfromyou.
Again,answertheabovecommunicationfromthisclientusingasmanyofthestrategies
andtacticsforeffectivecoachingasyoucan.Asyouanswer,whatisyourimpression?
Whatisthegoalofyourcommunication?Whatisthemessageandmeaningyouwant
togetacross?Howdothetacticsandstrategieshelpyoutodoso?

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Chapter9
DevelopingCoachingCommunicationSkillsandAwareness

Chapter8addressedactualstrategiesandtacticsforeffectivecoachingcommunication.But
suchstrategiesandtacticsnecessitatedevelopingkeenawarenessandskilledcommunication
forknowingwhenandhowtoemploythem.Allthedomainknowledgeintheworldisuselessif
acoachcannoteffectivelycommunicateandimpartthisknowledgetoawillingclient.Formany
coaches,justliketeachersandleaders,thiscommunicationskillandawarenessseemstocome
naturally.Formanyothersitiswhatseparatesadequateexpertisefromtheabilitytomakea
livingapplyingit.Makenomistake,communicationskillsandcommunicationawarenesscanbe
thedifferencebetweenearningacomfortablelivingintheFitnessIndustry,orinstead,being
partofthemorecommonstatisticofbeinggonefromtheindustrywithinan1824months
period.Andthisistruewhetheryouareacoachoratrainer.Furthermore,tobeabletobe
occupationallyverticallymobilewithinthisindustryalsodemandsdevelopingacute
communicationskillsandcommunicationawarenessfromcoachtoclient.Themost
unfortunatemistakeoftheinformationmyththisindustryperpetuatesisthatwannabe
coachesandtrainerscontinuetopursuenewinformationorsomeoneelsesinterpretationof
informationattheexpenseofdevelopingandhoningtheirowncoachingcommunicationskills
andawareness.Tomymindthedifferencebetweensuccessandfailureforawannabe
professionalinthisindustryisnothowmuchyouknowbuthowwellyoucommunicate.
Thischapterwillexplorecoachingcommunicationskillsandawarenessingreaterdetail.
Effectivecoachingisallaboutnonlinearinteractivecommunication.Theinteractivenatureof
thisrelationshipmustbeinternalizedasarealentity.Thecoachmustunderstandthe
relationshipasanentityinandofitself.Andthisisentityisalwayschanging.Hencetheentity
ofthecoachingrelationshipshouldbeperceivedasbeingalive.Thisisthefirstrealityto
developintermsofcoachingskillandawareness.Thisisanentitythatwhenproperlynourished
willcontinuetochangeandgrow.Topretend,astheindustrydoes,thatthecoaching
relationshipisonedimensional,wouldbeakintocommunicatingwithachildthesamewayat
age16asyouwouldatage6.Again,counsellingandguidingisqualitativelydifferentthan
dictatingandprescribing.Adequatecoachingcommunicationskillsandawarenessembraces
thenotionthatcoachingcanbeprogressive,regressive,passionate,dispassionate,prescriptive
anddescriptiveaswellasallelementsinbetween.Thecommunicationskillandawarenessisall
aboutknowingwhenandhowtoemployspecificfeedback.Itsabouthavinganintuitive
knowledgeforemployingthestrategiesandtacticsdiscussedinthepreviouschapter.The
effectivecommunicationskillispersonoriented,notprotocolbased.Onceagainthisisa
fundamentalrealitymentionedsoofteninthisproject.Onlywhenthecoachrightfully
understandsthisasthebaseandstructureofhisjobcanheappropriatelydevelophisown
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effectivecommunicationskillsandawareness.Itisonlybyemployingthiscommunicationskill
andawarenessthateffectivecoachingcanprovideclientswithongoingoptionswithinthe
clientsownexperienceofprotocolanditsapplication.Thisisneverasblackandwhiteand
onedimensionalastheindustrylikestoproject.Whatpositiverelationshipeveris?
Therewillbetimeswhencoachingdirectionmustbeemotionallyneutral,andtimeswhen
communicationnecessitatesbeingemotionallyemphatic.Tothinkallcoachingcommunication
isamatterofinstructiononlyisacoachingsetback;notacoachingenhancement.Embracing
thecoachingrelationshipasaliveentitymeansrecognizingtheclientsneedsandtoneof
communicationatanygiventime.Keepingitalivemeansknowingwhenandhowtoguide
andwhenandhowtocritiqueaswell;oftendoingbothatthesametime.Thecommunication
skillsandawarenessarethecoachsresponsibilityforthemostpart.Thecoachsetsthetonefor
interaction.Buttheclientisalivecomponentaswell;andtheirinteractionwillbeaffectedby
theirsituation,theircircumstance,andtheirknowledgebase.Allofthesecomponentsoftheir
communicationmayalsobechangedoralteredatanygiventime.(Hencetheexample
mentionedabove:aparentcommunicatingwitha6yearsoldhavingatantrumismuch
differentthanaparentcommunicatingwitha6yearsoldatpeace.Andstillcommunicatingin
thesamemannerwiththatprevious6yrsold,whentheyare16yrsoldobviouslyrepresentsa
lackofcommunicationskillsandawarenessforanyparent.)Developingcoaching
communicationskillandawarenessworksthesamewayforcoaches.Thecoachmustbeableto
bendbutnotbreakwithinthedeliveryofanycorrespondence.Andwithinthecoachsown
frameofreferenceheneedstobeclearabouthispurposeandhonestabouthismotives.
Developingadequatecoachingcommunicationskillsandawarenessmeanskeeping
communicationonpoint,onthesubjectandwithatargetedandspecificrelevance.This
mandateofcommunicationallowsfortheeffectivecoachtobeflexiblebutstillmaintaina
frameworkofcommunicationconsistencywhichaclientrelatesto.Itallowsforthecoachto
keepitaliveguidancewise.Sometimesacoachingcommunicationmaybeaboutmotivation;
itmaybeaboutconsistency;itmaybeaboutcritiqueorclarification.Alltheseelementsgo
beyondmeredictationandinstructionofappliedknowledge.Thereisnothinglesseffective
thanacoachwhoonlyhasaonedimensionaldogmaticapproachtoanyandallinteractionwith
aclient.Noteveryclientcommunicationandinteractionisreducibletosomephysiological
componentofdietortraining.Foranycoachorexperttothinkinsuchmyopictermsisnotonly
nearsightedandlimited,itsalsomistaken.Coachingcommunicationskillsandawareness
meanentertainingthewholeofaclientinteraction;thetone,thesubject,theclient,the
situation,andthecircumstance.Foranyleadertothinkthatanyinteractionissomehow
reducibletoonlyonerealm(thephysical)istomisstheentitythatisthecoaching
relationship.

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Theestablishmentofcommunicationskillandawarenessforanygivencoachmeansalways
knowingthatacoachsmessageisonlyaseffectiveastheresultitgarners.Itdoeslittlegood
foracoachtoshowoffhisownknowledgebasewithinaninteractionifthecommunication
doesnotsomehowservetheclient.Thisisacommonmistake.Toooftencoachesinteract
basedontheirownlevelofknowledge.Theycommunicateinamannertoimpressmoreso
thantoguidetheclient.Andthisisreinforcedbyanindustrywhichcontinuestodictatethat
knowledgeasinformationisthekeytoadvancementintheindustry.Instead,acoachneedsto
addresstherelationshipentity.Thecoachneedstoestablishwhyandhowtoinvolvetheclient
toactivelyandproperlybeengagedinfeedbackandinteraction.Andthiswillvaryfrom
individualtoindividual.Thisiswhymerecommunicationofinformationorinstructionisso
limitedifitdoesnotconsidertheactualclientandtheatmosphereoftheinteraction.
Communicationcoachingskillandawarenessmeansacoachisclearandconciseintermsof
interactionandpurposeofcommunication.Andhecanonlybeso,ifhisinteractionisbasedon
whotheclientisasanindividual,andnotwhatthespecificinformationmaybeheistryingto
impart.Theawarenesselementinformsthecoachhowtocommunicatewiththisparticular
clientandnotjustwhattocommunicatewithintheinteraction.Andyetthisisbutonemore
aspectoftheinformationbiastheindustryseemstohaveupsidedown.Sometimespurposeful
coachingcommunicationisnotaboutinstruction,information,norclientcompliance.Oftena
communicationmaybetoengagetheclienttoconsideranalternativechoicetotheapplication
oftheirongoingprocess.Coachingcommunicationwithawarenesscanoftenmeannotonly
employingclientfeedbackbutseeingbeyonditaswell.Instructingclientsastovariousoptions
evenwithincoachinginteractioncanalsomeanhavinganawarenesstogiveaclienttimeto
assimilatethisinstruction.Ioftenhavetogiveclientsnewordifferentoptionsforpresenting
theirfeedback.Andthisistomaketheirfeedbackmoreefficientandorganizedsothatmy
responsecanbesoaswell.Coachingskillandawarenesscangowellbeyondthecontentofa
clientinteraction.Andanygiveninteractioncanalsoservethepurposeofjustenhancingor
reinforcingthecoachingrelationshipaswell.Noteverysinglecommunicationwillnecessitate
aninstructionorinformationresponseinthephysicalrealm.Onlybydevelopingcoaching
communicationskillandawarenesscanthecoacheffectivelyusevariousnuanceofinteraction
tofurtherestablishthisentityofthecoachingrelationship.Itisqualitativeandvariant;not
fixedandonedimensional.
Butthisisnottoimplythatcommunicationissomehowconversational.No.Thiswouldnot
reflecttheentityofthecoachingrelationship.Effectivecommunicationmustalwaysbedirect.
Itsbesttogetrighttotheheartofthematterandthetoneofaninteractionalways.
Attemptingsubtletiesandindirectposturingisineffective.Skilledandawarecommunicationis
directandasimmediate(timely)aspossiblealways.Thisisespeciallytruewhen
communicatingcritique.Whetherthecontextofinteractionissupportiveorcritical,
communicationmustbedeliveredwithsimilartimingandconsistency.Toomanycoachesoften
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delayfeedbackwhichmaybecriticalinnatureorpotentiallyprovocative.Thisisamistake.
Skilledandawarecommunicationisalwaysconsistentwithtiminganddeliveryofmessage.
Andnomatterwhattoneofcontextmaybenecessary,theskilledandawarecoachalways
communicatesconstructivemessageandmeaning,evenifthecontextiscriticalor
correctional.Andthetimelinessisimportantwhendeliveringthesetypesofcommunication.
Thecoachwhoalwaysrespondsandinteractsinatimelymannerislesslikelytohavea
messagebetakenoutofcontextwithininteraction.Consistencyofresponseisacoachingskill,
regardlessofmessageorcontext.Andthisisespeciallyrelevantwheninteractionisonline
coaching.
Relayingrelevantinstructionorguidancetotheclientisaboutaction,notdelayedaction.Too
oftencoachesdelaydecisionmakingandthereforeclientinteractionwhiletheyseektogather
moreinformation.Thisisacoachingnemesis.Bothclientandcoachcangetlostinaseaof
informationinthisindustry.Thisdoesnottranslateintothepersonal,practical,professional,
andproactivemandateofeffectivecoachinginteraction.Coachingdelayediscoachingdenied.
Foratrulyqualifiedcoach,seldomisitnecessarytogathermoreinformation.AsIvealready
stated,informationisnotknowledge.Butmoreimportantly,informationisnotknowledge
abouttheclient.Onlytheskilledandawarecoachhasthatparticularinsight.Andthisiswhat
heshouldacton.
Andwhileclientsareresponsiblefortheconsequencesandresultsoftheiractions;thecoachis
responsiblefortheinteractivetoneoftheircommunication.Itisthecoachsroletomanage
andguideinamannerandmeanswhichinstilsanattitudeofclientconsistencyanddisciplinein
theirapplicationofprotocol.Thecoachsinteractionwiththeclientplaysaroleintheclients
actualexperienceandatmosphereofworkingtowardtheirowngoals.Theskilledandaware
coachmeetstheclientathis/herownlevelofabilityandprogression.Theclients
accountabilitytothecoachisinactualityaccountabilitytothemselves.Thecoachmustworkto
insurethatthislevelofinteractionisnurturedandsustained.Andthishaslittletodowith
protocolsofdietsandtraining,andeverythingtodowitheffectiveandaware,skilled
communication.

UnderstandingtheExchangeValueofCoachingCommunication
Thereisanexchangevaluetocoachinginteractionthatisseldomrecognizedorpaiddue
attention.Thisexchangevalueisallaboutmessageandmeaningforthecoach.Butthe
interactionmustbemutualandnotdictatorial.If,asacoach,youfindyourselfdoingmostof
thecommunicating,thenthereisaproblem.Usuallypeoplewhowanttotalkthemost,have
theleasttosay;andthisisespeciallytrueinthecoachingrelationship.Acoachneedsto
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communicatemessageandmeaning,nomore,noless.Thecoachneedstoalsoengage
feedbacktomakesurethemessageisunderstood.Ifacoachexplainstoomuchormicro
analyzeseverydetail,thenoftenwhatistrulyimportantcangetlostinthelengthofthe
communicationexchange.Bysayingtoomuch,thecoachcanactuallydevaluetheimpactofhis
owncommunication.Soundcommunicationstaysonpointandisasbriefaspossible.This
actuallyincreasestheexchangevalueofacoachingcommunication.Targetedcommunication
shouldbeeasilyabsorbedandunderstoodbyaclient.Thisispartoftheprofessionalcoaching
communicationenvironment.Theawarecoachcommunicatesjustenoughthattheclientis
alwaysengagedandinterested.Overtime,theclientunderstandsthecoachwillnotwastetime
withrhetoricorconversation.Thisincreasestheexchangevalueofcoachinginput.Aclientwill
valueandrespectskilledandawarecoachinginteractionbasedintheprofessionalinteractive
environmentcreatedbythecoach,uniquetohimandeachclient.
Goodcoachesknowhowtoeffectivelyanddiplomaticallyreshapeinteractioninanongoing
processtogetonlytheinformationtheyneedandnothingextraneoustothecoaching
relationship.Allowingclientstoalsogivebooksofinformation(toomuchinformation)during
interactionisoverindulgingtheclientsegoneedsaswell.Theskilledandawarecoachwill
realizethatsomeclientsareseekingsomethingbeyondcoachingwithinthecoaching
relationshipentity.Tobeaneffectivecoach,thecoachhastobeabletoshapeandreshape
clientinteractionandfeedback.Thecoachisalwaysmindfulofseekingandaccumulating
appropriateinformationonly.Communicationexchangesmaynecessitatesomelong
interactionattimes.Buttheskilledcoachdoesnotneedtodominatethisinteraction.Themore
acoachfeelstheneedtodominatetheinteractiveexperience,thelesseffectiveheis,andthe
lessexchangevaluethecommunicationwillhave.Usuallycoacheswhofeelaneedto
dominateaninteractionaredoingsobecausetheyaretryingtoconvincetheclientofsome
pointoranother.Thebestcoaches,however,arenotintheconvincingbusiness.Theskilled
andawarecoachfocusesalwaysontheguidanceaspectofcoaching.Communicationisnot
aboutbeingright,butaboutbeingunderstood.Thefitnessindustryseemstohavethis
backwards.Whatbearsrepeatingisthatskilledandawarecoachingisaboutaninteractive,
nonlinear,progressiverelationshipbetweencoachandclient.Thisrelationshipisprocess
based,notprotocolbased.Theexchangevalueoftheinteractionofcoachandclientis
increasedwhenthecoachsetsthetoneforongoinginteractionbasedonthisrelationship
entity.Clientscanfindinformationanywherethesedays.Thecoachismorethanan
informationdispatcher.Andtheexchangevaluebetweencoachandclientappreciateswhena
coachcoachespeopleinsteadofonlyimpartinginformation.
So,aspreviouslymentionedinChapter3,thebestcoachesaretheoneswhonotonlylisten,
butalsohearwhatisbeingcommunicatedfromtheclient.Thecoachconsidersnotonly
content,butcontextofanyclientinteraction.Forinstance,doestheclientcommunicateand
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interactwithclarity,confidence,andcompetence?Skilledandawarecoachingconsidersclients
needs.Skilledandawarecoachingisaboutvaluingandengagingclientfeedback.However,
coachesarehumantoo.(Mostofthem.)Acoachcanoftenhavehisownfeelingsaboutany
givenclient.Skilledandawarecoachingmeansacknowledgingthissubjectiveawareness.The
importantmatterforthecoachsconsiderationisthathisownfeelingregardinganyclientdoes
notturnintoajudgementoftheclient.CoachingintheFitnessIndustryisstilljustajob.And
eventhoughitisaninteractiverelationshipentity,theroleofcoachshouldalwaysbeonethat
isemotionallyunattached.Skilledcoachesdonotpretendtheirfeelingsarenottherewhen
theyare.Andactingorinteractingbasedonthesefeelingsisjustegorunamuck.Thebest
coachesinteractbasedonawareness;theydonotreactbasedonemotion.Soalthoughthe
coachmustconsideraclientsknowledge,ability,attitude,situation,circumstance,and
personality,theskilledcoachcanstillremainemotionallyneutraltothem.Andwellheshould.
Theawarecoachcommunicatesinamannerwherehecanbendbutnotbreakintermsofclient
interaction.Theawarecoachmustbeflexibleandnotroboticforeffectiveandvalued
communicationtocontinue.Atanygiventimethetriangleofawarenesswillweigha
communicationmoreheavilyinoneareathananother.(physical,emotional,mental)Toooften
coachesinthisindustrycanonlycommunicatefromanivorytowerofscientificexpertise.This
islimited.Andsuchaonedimensionalapproachonlydevaluestheinteractiveexchangewith
clients.Asmuchasacoachmustcommunicatemessageandmeaning,itisequallyoftenjustas
importantforaclienttoknowthathiscommunicationhasbeenfeltandnotjustreceivedby
thecoach.Therewillbecriticalperiodsofinteractioninthecoach/clientrelationshipthatmust
bemetwiththewarmthofhumaninteractionandnotthecoldsterileenvironmentofscientific
pretentiousness.
Whenacoachdoesfindhimselfinapredicamentwherehisfirstimpulseistoreacttoaclient
engagement,heneedstostepbackfromtheinteractiveexchange.Aneffectivemeansof
communicationatthispointisforthecoachtojustconsciouslydisconnectthemessagefrom
themessenger.Inotherwords,theawarecoachjustreconsiderstheprovocative
communicationbutwithnonameattachedtoit.Theawarecoachdepersonalizesthe
communicationbeforeresponding.Thishelpstheawarecoachanditpreventshimfrom
presentinganypreconceivedbiasestowardtheclient.Bydisconnectingthemessagefromthe
messenger,theawarecoachsmindcanmorefreelyrenderappropriatecommentary,whether
itneedstobecritical,supportive,advisory,etc.Theimportantthingisthatthecommunication
isreconsideredbythecoachsothatitisrenderedemotionallyneutral.Thiswaythecoachcan
bemoreconfidentinreinitiatingtheongoingexchange.Andtheexchangevalueremainsin
tactfortheclient.Beingemotionallyneutralinacoachingstrategyofcommunicationdoesnot
meanbeinguninterested.Anditdoesnotmeanthecoachcannotbeprovocativeifasituation
dictates.Often,aprovocativemessagecanbeverymotivatingforaclienttoreceive.More
oftenthannot,aclientwillwillinglyreceiveaprovocativecommunicationfromthecoach
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becauseitdoesillustratethecoachsinterestintheclient.Thecounterintuitivepointhereis
thatitmayoftenbenecessarytodepersonalizeamessagetorenderitemotionallyneutralso
thatthecoachcanactuallybepersonalinhisresponse,butpersonalinamannerthatis
professional,practicalandproactive.
Forinstance,Ihadaclientwhoconsideredhimselfahighlevelcompetitor.Buthemadeone
excuseafteranotherfornevereverstickingtodietorprogramapplication.Theclienthadnt
puttogethereventhreeconsistentweeksoftraininganddietingandalwayshadanexcuse.Yet
theclientwasalsoquicktoengageinteractionsregardingeffectivedruguseetc.Afterafew
monthsofthistheclientaskedforanewprogram.Iusedtherequestasawaytoengagethe
clientinarealitybasedinteractionthatjustifiedsomeprovocation.ButfirstIdisconnectedthe
messagefromthemessenger.ThenIjustaskedmyself,howwouldIrespondtoanyother
clientwithasimilarhistorywhomadethisrequest?SoIjustengagedtheclientbysayinginno
uncertaintermsthatalthoughheconsideredhimselfahighlevelcompetitor,hewasactually
probablytheleastconsistentandleastcommittedcompetitorIhadtrainedtodate.Iexplained
tohimwhyhedidntneedanewprogramwhenhehadnotevencompletedthisone,
uninterruptedformorethanaweekortwo.Iwasabletobeemotionallyneutralinmy
responsetotheclientwhilealsobeingprovocativeintermsofdeliveringamuchneededreality
checkforhim.AndIwasabletodosobyfirstdisconnectinghisoriginalrequestfromthe
personhimself.ThenIjustimagineahypotheticalJoeSmith,withthesamehistory,andI
respondedaccordingly.(Seepreviouschapteronthehypotheticaltacticofcommunication.It
canalsoworkforthecoachwithinhisownpreparationforinteractionandclientengagement.)
Theawarecoachmayeffectivelydisconnectthemessagefromthemessenger;butatthesame
timetheawarecoachmaystilllackinskilledcommunicationtechniquesandstrategies.(See
previouschapter.)Ifindithelpfulinsuchsituationsforacoachtoreducewhathewantstosay
tothreekeywords.Andthenthecoachinteractsbasedonthesethreewordshewantsto
conveyintheinteractiveexchange.Bynarrowinghismentalfocusinthisway,theawarecoach
effectivelyremovesanyemotionalinfluenceaswell.Thishelpshimtoreshapehisown
communicationstrategyifcircumstancesdictate.Byresettinghismentalfocusonthreekey
wordsthecoachislesslikelytopresentunwarrantedcommentary.Thistacticalsohelpsto
resetthecommunicationtobeingaboutthemessageandnotabouttheclient.Intheabove
example,IsetmykeythreewordsthatIneededtoconveytotheclienttobeundisciplined,
uncommittedandinconsistent.Byconcentratingonexplaininghowthesethreewords
appliedtohim,themessagewaseffectivelyemotionallyneutral.Andinsteadofreacting
defensively,theclientheededtheprovocativemessageandmeaningwiththepositiveintentof
theinteraction.

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Inessence,coachingawarenessislikeputtingonacoachinghatwhenengagingclient
interaction.Theawarecoachmindsaspecificroleascoach.Andwhileheacknowledgesand
dependsonhisownpersonalitytoinfluencethisrole,coachingisstillmoreabouttherole,and
lessaboutthecoachsownpersonalityandfeelings.Coachingawarenessmeanspaying
attentiontoalwaysbeinginthecoachingrelationship.Thecoachhasaresponsibilityto
interactasacoach,andnotasanindividualseparatefromtherole.Theawarecoachdoesnot
allowhisopinionsoftheclientoutsideofthecoachingrelationshiptoinfluencehisthinkingor
guidanceandinstruction.Thisiswhythewordawareissoimportantwhendiscussingthe
coachingcommunicationfocus.Butbecauseofthetotallysubjectiveelementofthecoaching
relationship;formingopinionsaboutclientsisinevitable,whetherconsciousorsubconscious.
Thisiswhyitissoimportantforthecoachtoformboundarieswithintheongoinginteractive
environmentofexchange.Thisistruefordoctors,lawyers,teachers,andmostother
relationshiporientedprofessions.Andthesameimperativeistrueforawarecoachingaswell.
Yetthiselementofcoachingandboundariesofappropriatecommunicationistotallyignoredin
theindustry.

CommunicationBoundaries
Likemanyoftheseprofessions,coachingisallaboutmakingdecisions,evaluating
performances,troubleshooting,andoftencoachingisevenaboutcounsellingtosomedegree
oranother.Butthisisafinelineforinteractiveexchange.Coachesarenottherapists,anymore
thanareteachersorlawyersetc.Acoachdoesnotfixpersonalitydisorders,variousneuroses,
orotherpsychologicalproblems.Andtobesure,therearemanyclientsintheFitnessIndustry
whosuffermanyindustryrelatedneuroses,suchaseatingdisorders,obsessive/compulsive
tendenciesandthelike.Becausethereissomuchtoconsiderwithclientassessment,there
needstobeevenmoreemphasisplacedonsettingboundaries.Andthisisaserious
responsibilityfortheawarecoach.Developingthecoachingrelationshipwilltakeonitsown
uniquenesswitheachindividualclient.Andwhilethisuniquenessisforsureacoachingasset;it
doesnotreducetheneedforalwayshavingabackgroundsetofboundariesinplaceforthe
durationoftherelationship.Thisisthecoachstaskanddutytosetthetoneforprofessional
interaction.Theseboundariesarerelativeandnotabsolute;astheymustbebecauseofthe
uniqueandindividualrealityofeachcoachingsituation.Andbecausethecoachingisallabouta
nonlinearinteractiveexperience,boundariescanalsofloatbackandforthastherelationship
growsanddevelops.Buttheboundariesarealwaysfirstandforemostaboutmaintaininga
professionalandyetstillpersonalrelationshipwiththeclient;verysimilartotheprofessions
mentionedabove.

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Thecoachingrelationshipisallaboutaccountabilityandresponsibilityonbothsides.Andthe
coachnotonlysetstheexamplebutheistheexamplefortherelationship.Thisiswhyhis
coachingandcommunicationawarenessisanimperativeskilltodevelopandhone.Thegoalis
alwaystofacilitateanongoinginteractioninacontextthatiseffective,understood,practical
andengaging.Thisdoesntmeanthatproblemsneverarise.Whatitdoesmeanisthatacoach
whoisaware,andwhohassetprofessionalboundaries,isthebetterequippedcoachfor
handlingproblemsormiscommunicationswhentheyoccur.(Andtheywill,astheydoinany
strongandeffectiverelationship.)Butanymiscommunicationordisagreementisthe
responsibilityofthecoach.Hemustbewillingtoownthat.Greatcoachesneverseektoassign
blameeveniftheycouldberighttodoso.Awarecoachesknowthatassigningblameona
clientreallyservesnopurpose.Onceagain,theawarecoachemphasizesthequalityof
communicationaheadofthemessageitimparts.Beingright,forthecoach,isnotnearlyas
impactfulasdoingright,ontheclientsbehalf.Allawarecoachesavoidcreatingany
circumstanceorsituationwherethewordblameisevenapplicable.Thisemphasizes,once
again,howcreatingaprofessionalinteractivecommunicationcontext,withboundaries,can
servetopreventproblemsfrommanifestingrightfromthebeginning.Andtheprofessions
mentionedabovealsoflourishintheexactsamemanner.
Developingcoachingcommunicationskillsandawarenessisalotlikepreventativemedicinefor
forgingapotentiallongtermrelationship.Asthischapterdemonstrates,allormostofthishas
littletodowithdomainknowledgeoffitness;andeverythingtodowithenhancedpeopleskills.

NotesforMentoringStudents

Thischapterreferstothecoachingrelationshipasanentity.Whatdoesthismean
exactly?Howdoesthinkingofyourrelationshipwithclientsinthiswayenhanceyour
owncoachingskillsandawareness?Thinkandillustrateanexampleofsucha
relationshipentityinyourownlife.

Whyisconsistencyofresponseandtimelinessofresponsesuchanimportantelementin
thecoach/cliententity?Howisthisanawarenessandaskillforcommunication?

Whatismeantbythephrase,theexchangevalueofcommunication?Whatarethe
relevantpointsofconsiderationhere?Howdoesthinkingaboutyourrelationshipwith
yourclientsintermsofthisexchangevalueenhanceyourcoachingcommunication
skillsandawareness?

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Whyissettingboundariesfortheinteractivecoachingexperiencearesponsibilityfor
thecoachtoactivelyexercise?Whatwouldbeyourownpersonalandprofessional
boundariesforcommunication?

Scenarios:

Afairlynewclientkeepsgivingyoubiofeedbackthathis/hertraininganddietis
continualbeinginterruptedbecauseofrelationshipissues.He/shetellsyouhowmuch
he/shetrustsyouropinionandwantstoknowwhatyouthinkhe/sheshoulddoabout
therelationship.Usetheoutlinesabovetoformulatearesponsetothesituation.

Afairlynewclientkeepscontractingyouaboutwhathehearsonotherwebsites,web
boards,andothersocialmedia.HeevenconsidersT.V.talkshowadviceontrainingand
dietandcomparesitwithyourownguidance.Theconstantaskingofwhataboutthis,
whataboutthat?isinterferingwithyourcoachingprogressandunderminingyour
authorityaswell.Usingthetoolsofthischapter,respondtothisclientinameaningful
way.

Youhavemadeanameforyourselfasanonlinecoach.Anewclienthasfoundyou
aftersurfingthenetandlikingwhatshethinksyouhavetosay.Yetshekeeps
confrontingyouwiththenegativecommentsaboutyouontheweb,andaskingyouto
defendagainstthem.Basedonthischapter,howdoyouhandlethisinteraction?

Afterreviewingthesementoringnotesandaddressingthesescenariosampleinteractions,what
haveyoulearnedaboutyourowncoachingskillsandawarenessforeffectiveinteraction?What
areasdoyouneedtoworkon?Noticehowmuchofrealinteractionwithclientsgoeswell
beyondadiscussionoftraininganddietetc.

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Chapter10
AdvancingCoachingAwareness

Chapter9discussedcommunicationskillsandawarenessforeffectivecoaching.Thischapter
goesalittledeeperintermsofskillsforcoachingawarenessandinteractionwithclients.The
discussioninthischapterisonethatshouldshapeinitialandongoingcoachingpreparationfor
clientinteraction.Toooftentheindustrydogmaofsystems,science,andprograms,replaces
justcommoninteractionbetweenthecoachandpotentialandexistingclients.Thisisahuge
mistake.Evenwithmyownmentoringstudents,thismistakeiscommon.Mostcoacheswantto
quicklyjumptoanagendawhenansweringpotentialnewclientinquiriesorexistingclient
inquiries.Oftenthebackboneofthisagendaisadesiretoillustrateexpertiseandmasteryof
dietortrainingmethodology.Whetherthisiscalledforornot,itisamistakeforanycoachto
respondtoaninquirywithanautomaticandassumedagenda.Andyetthisisexactlythekindif
incorrectcommunicationbiaswhichexistsintheFitnessIndustry.
Icallthekindofeffectiveinitialandongoingclientcommunicationinvolvedincoaching
attentionskills.Andtheseattentionskillstakework.Again,whiletheycannotbetaught,they
canbepracticedconsistentlyuntiltheybecomeamannerforaddressingallcoachingclients
andpotentialclients.Asastartingpoint,wheneverpossible,payattentiontoclientinteraction.
Wewillexplorethisfurtherbelow.Butattheverybeginning,attentionskillsmeanthecoach
addressescommunicationwiththefollowingpriorities:1)dialogueatclientsaslittleas
possible,andneverifpossible;2)dialoguetoclientsbypayingattentiontoeachpointof
engagement,whetherinresponseorinitiatinginteraction;3)asoftenaspossibledialogue
withclientsintermsofongoinginteraction.Ifthecoachsetshisagendafirst,asmostdoin
thisindustry,heisreducinghimselfandreducinghisclient/potentialclientaswell.Interaction
withclientsshouldsettheagenda,andnotbeanagenda!Yet,mostwannabecoachesinthis
industryassumethejobisalwaystoanswerinteractionwithanillustrationofdomain
knowledge.Thisusuallyleadsdirectlytoslottingpeopleintodietsandprogramswithouttrue
attentiontotheinteractionandclientassessmentinvolvedinforgingthecoachingrelationship.
Theproperattentioninvolvedinclientinteractionisalwaysattentivetothetriangleof
awarenessdiscussedinearlierchapters.Toooftencoachesarequicktowanttojustassign
answersandprogramstopotentialclientswithoutmuchattentionpaiddirectlytotheclient
andtheimportanceofinteractionwithhim.Whenaclientorpotentialnewclientinitiatesan
interactionwithacoach,thecoachshouldaddresseachpointtheclient/potentialclient
presents.Ifthecoachisrespondinghonestly,thiscanoftenhavelittletodowithhisexpertise
andeverythingtodowithforginganunderstandingtowardongoingcommunication.Thecoach
invitescorrespondenceasafirstpriority.Butinstead,whenacoachrespondstoinquirywith
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theagendaalwaystowardillustratinghisownexpertise,heriskstalkingattheperson,rather
thanengagingtalkingtoorwiththeperson.
Ifyouareattemptingtobeacoachinthisindustry,especiallyanonlinecoach,youhavetobe
abletodealwithpotentialclientsfromallwalksoflifeandlevelsofunderstanding.Toonlybe
abletocoachclientsyourelatetoisavocationkiller.ButintheFitnessIndustrythistendstobe
thenorm.Andittendstoalsobewhymostwannabeonlinecoachesfindthemselvesoutof
workandoutoftheindustryinshortstay.Butthisisthetruth.Domainknowledge
accumulationinthefitnessindustryhassegmentedexpertiseinamannerthatnegatesthe
coachspotential.Weseethisallthetimeintheindustry:Backgroundtendstodictateclientele.
Sowehavestrongmencoachingstrongmen,bodybuilderscoachingbodybuilders,power
lifterscoachingpowerlifters,functionalcoachestrainingfunctionalathletesetc.Sothe
attentionfactorforclientsandpotentialclientstendstobelostinspecificbiasofcoaches
themselvesandtheirpursuitoftheirowninterests.Thisislimitinginsomanyways.Usually,
onlythoseatthetoporwithaveryspecificreputationwithinsuchnichemarketsmakea
seriousincomeorcanforgealastingcareerinsuchnarrowlydefinedmarkets.Thekeyto
sustainingacareerasanonlinecoachintheFitnessIndustryistonotlimitoneselftoniche
markets.Furthermore,thecoachneedstoproperlydevoteattentionappropriatelytoandon
theclientandnothisowninterestbias.
Thismeansdevelopingeffectivecommunicationskillstobeabletoaddressclientsand
potentialclientsregardingtheirownareaofinterest.Properlydevelopedcommunicationskills
canbeanexhaustingskillacquisition.Butinactualityintermsoflongtermcareersustainability
itistheseskillsforclientattentionthatwillmakeorbreakasustainablecareerasanonline
coach.Industryknowledgewillonlytakeacoachinginternsofar.Andinthemoderninternet
agewewitnesstheopposingtruthaswell.Manymoderninternetexpertslackevena
workingknowledgeoftheprinciples.Theygotosymposiumsdesignedtoshowthemhowto
manipulatetheconsumerintheFitnessIndustry;howtomarkettothem;howtogetthemto
buyaproductorserviceetc.Thisjustreinforcesthatdomainknowledge,especiallyintermsof
accumulatinginformation,isNOTthedeterminingfactorforacareerasacoachintheFitness
Industry.Knowledgeanddomainexpertise,inmyopinion,aresecondarytoknowinghowto
engageclientsandpotentialclientsbydevotingdueattentiononthem.
Nooneisgoingtofindanyoftheseskillsbeingaddressedatcertificationpresentationsorat
industrysymposiums.Theinformationmyth,unfortunately,iscurrentlyblindtotherequisite
skillsneededtobeaneffectiveonlinecoachinthefitnessindustry.Makenotethatitispeople
andcommunicationskillsfirstandspecificdomainknowledgesecondthatwilllendtoa
sustainablecareerasacoachoronlinecoachinthefitnessindustry.

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Thefirstplacetostartisinacknowledgementthateveryoneisbornandraisedwithatleast
someinteractionskillsthatcomenaturally:Apersonalstyle,ifyouwill.Thisisournatureand
ourpersonality.Andthisisastrengthandmarksagoodplacetostart.Apotentialcoachshould
underlinehisownpersonalstyleandworktothesestrengths.Atthesame,timecoacheswill
findthemselveslackinginsomeareaofcommunicationandinteractiveability.Insteadof
ignoringthese,thecoachshouldfindtheseweaknessesandsetouttostrengthenthem.
Previouschaptershavemadeattemptstoidentifyandworkonjustsuchcommunicationskills
andimplementexercisestoaddress,identifyandworkonthesevariousstrategiesand
techniquesforeffectivecoachingcommunication.Withoutenhancingskillsandabilitiesfor
interaction,thefledglingcoachwillfindhimselfonlyabletocommunicateeffectivelywithlike
mindedindividuals.Andthisisacareerkiller.
Sowhatskilldoessomeoneneedtoinitiateanexperiencetowardamasteryofcoaching?The
answeratfirstisverybasic.Effectivecoachingisallaboutbeingyourself,firstandforemost.
Toomanywannabecoachessetoutbytryingtoassumearolethatisnotauthentically
reflectiveofwhotheyare.Beyourself:Coachwithastylethatreflectswhoyouareasa
person.Beinggenuinewilllenditselfgreatlyovertimetobeingcompetent.Butthisalsomeans
beingyourhighergenuineself.Toooften,aspreviouslydiscussed,coachesattachneedless
levelsofpridetotheirrole.Thismakesthemmoreattachedtowantingtoberightabout
everything.Andthishaslittletodowithproperattentionskillswhichareallabouttheclient.
Andwithintheinteractionofjustbeinggenuinelyoneself,thecoachmustalsobeprepared,be
focused,andmakehisattentionclientorientedandnotinformationbasedorknowledge
centred.Eitheroftheselatterpointsofemphasiswilltakethecoachawayfrombeinggenuine
whenitcomestoproperandfocusedclientattention.
Beinggenuinealsoappliestotheactionofcoaching.Acoachhastohavehisattentionproperly
placeaswillbediscussedbelow.Butthestartingpointtothisisthatthecoachhastogenuinely
careabouttheprogress,process,andgoalsoftheclients.Coachingisaserviceindustryand
thisisoftenleftonthefloorinthefitnessindustry.Coachingisaserviceindustry;fitness
knowledgeismerelythevehiclethatdrivesit.Toooftencoachesarestrugglingtomakea
reputationforthemselvesortomakeendsmeetearlyintheircoachingdevelopment.This
leadsthemtobemoreselfinterestedintheirbottomlinethangenuinelygivingdevoted
attentiontoclientele.Thiskindofselfinterestwillalwaysrevealitselfeventually.Thecoach,
whocontinuestomeasureeffectivenessbyhowaclientmakesthemlook,orhowmuch
incomeclientsaregenerating,isacoachpronetoincompetenceovertime.Thereasonis
becausethecoachisnotbeinggenuineabouthisjobasbeingserviceoriented.Whenthe
coachputshisownneedsfirstheincorrectlyassumestheclientistheretoservicehim,and
nottheotherwayaround.Thiswillbefeltwithinthecoachingrelationshipatsomepoint.

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Anotherpartoftheactionofbeinggenuineasacoachalsoregardstheimplementationof
methodology.AgainthemistakeintheFitnessIndustryistoomuchemphasisoninformation=
knowledge.Thisusuallyleadswannabecoachestoadaptinganythingandeverythingthat
comesdownthepike.Onceacertainlevelofexpertiseisacquired,coachesneedtoweigh
informationagainsttheirownmethodologyandapplication.Justbecauseanothercoachuses
thisdietapproachorthattrainingstrategydoesnotmeanacoachadaptsitjustbecauseit
iscurrentorpopular.(Seemydiscussionofthetermvogueing)Beinggenuinemeans
developingaconfidenceintheapplicationofyourownmethodologywithintheindividualityof
clientattention.Justbecauseanotherexpertinterpretssomethingacertainway,doesntmean
ithelpsyouasacoachtodosoforyourownclient.So,beinggenuinemeansattentionforthe
clienttakesprecedence.Masteryofcoachingmeansbeinggenuineinclientinterest,client
application,andaworkingconfidenceinyourownknowledgebasebeyondwhatmaybenew
orvogueintheindustry.

TheScienceofthenonScience:DevelopingCoachingIntuition
Yes,readthisheadingagainafewtimestoletitsinkin.Itsoundscounterintuitiveandalmost
blasphemousbasedonthecurrentindustrystandardofaccreditation.Butwithinmethodology
andapplication;andespeciallywithintheinteractiveroleofcoach,intuitionisanimportant
skilltonurtureandtrust.Butthisintuitionmustgobeyondthecoachsopinionofhisown
conclusions.Agoodcoachusesintuitionasameanstoinformhisdecisionsandhisawareness
withinclientinteractionandcommunication.Howtodevelopeffectiveintuitionand
trustworthyintuitionbeginswithfocusedandappropriateclientattention.

Attention/Intention
ItisamazingtomeaftersomanyyearsthatIevenhavetodiscussthenatureofclient
attention.Yetalsoaftersomanyyears,themandateofclientattentionthatIseemtotake
forgrantedisoneofthemostignoredelementsofcoachingawarenessthatIhavecontinuedto
witnessmywholecareer.Theintentionforanygoodcoachshouldbeclientfocusedfirst.This
meanseachclientisattendedtoindividuallyaccordingtothetriangleofawarenessdiscussedin
earlierchapters.Clientattentionnecessitatesthatinteractionandcommunicationcomefirst,
andprotocoldiscussion,advicetakeplacewithinthiscontext.Coachingintuitioncanonlybe
developedbykeepingcloseattentiononclientinteractionandcommunicationprogressionof
thecoachingrelationship.Thisisnotonlyamandatebutaresponsibilityforgoodcoaching.
Buildingattentionskillstakeswork.Foreffectivecoaching,buildingattentionskillsisa

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preventativerequisitefortroubleshootingastherelationshipprogresses.Attentionskillstake
work,anddevelopingthemgoeswaybeyonddictatingprotocolordeliveringinformation.
Payingattentiontoclientfeedbackandinteractionisimperative,notonlyforwhatissaid,but
whatisnotsaid.Contextiseverythingwithinamessageofcommunicationcontent.Thisiseven
moreimportantforonlinecoaching.Hence,Iliketobreakdownthetermpayingand
attention.Thepayment/costofattentionforcoachesisthetimeinvestedtolearningabouta
clientviaongoinginteraction.Itrequiresthecoachtoberesponsiblebeyondprotocoltoalevel
ofeffectivecoachingstyleuniquetothespecificclient.Allthedomainknowledgeintheworld
cannotbeeffectiveforacoachwhoisnotpayingattentiontothecontextofclientfeedback
andinteraction.Thisattentiongoeswellbeyondthecoachsdomainexpertise.Itisessential
forthecoachtobeabletoputhimselfintheclientsposition,andtorecognizehisownroleof
providingaservicewithinthatcontext.Ifacoachfeelsfromtheonsetthathecannotbepatient
enoughtogiveaspecificclientdueattentionforwhateverreason,heshouldnotenterintothe
coachingrelationshiptobeginwith.Andthesimplestplacetostartisthemostgeneral.Howdo
youputyourselfintheclientsposition?Justbybeinghumanwithinthecontextofinteraction.
Howgooddoyoufeelwhensomeonegivesyoutheirundividedattention?Itseasytorecall
situationswheresomeonewasservingyouwithdividedattention;byexample,talkingonacell
phonewhileservingyouinaretailpurchaseetc.Wemeasurehoweffectiveawaiterorwaitress
isbasedontheundividedattentiontheygive,aswellasthetimelinessofservice.Thisisjustas
trueforcoachingclients.Manynewclientsreporttomehowimpressedtheyarewiththe
lengthofmyresponsesandthespeedwithwhichIrespondtoinquiryorcommunication.Many
reportthishasnotbeentheirexperiencewithotheronlinecoaches.Thislackofattentionrests
squarelyontheshouldersofthecoach.Itusuallyalsosuggeststhatcoachesincorrectlyassume
theirexpertiseisthedrivingnatureoftherelationshipwhichtendstoneglectproductive
clientattention.Andintermsofcoachingadvice,thislackoftimelycommunicationisalsoa
coachingfailure.Anygooddogtrainerwillteachthatthetimetocorrectorreinforcebehaviour
iswhileitisoccurring.Ifadogemptieshisbowelsonyourlivingroomcarpetwhileyouareat
work,thereisnowayyoucaneffectivelycorrectthatbehaviourhourslaterwhenyoureturn
home.Thetimeforproperattentionhascomeandgone.Coaching,becauseitisa
relationship,worksthesameway.Aclientmustbeapriorityintermsofreceivinginteractive
attentionintermsofresponseandtimelinessofresponse.Acoachwhorespondstoaclient
communicationdayslaterisanineffectivecoach.Itsliketellingtheclientheisnotapriority.
Dealingwithclientsinacoachingrelationshipshouldliveoutsidethelinesoftime
management.Timemanagementissomethingyoudowithmaterialtasksandassignments,not
withpeople.Coachingclientspayforyourattention,notjustyourexpertise.Andreally,they
alsopayforyourundividedattentionaswell.Forthecoach,developingintuitionrequiresa

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clientfocusedundividedattentionanyway.Sothecoachserveshisowninterestbyservinghis
clientwithundividedattention.
Eachandeveryclientinteractionrequiresitsownstyleofundividedattention.Thisisa
coachingskilldevelopedovertimebypayingattention.Thecoachsintentionshouldbetwo
fold:itshouldbefocusedonclientattention;anditshouldbefocusedonprocess.Coaching
intuitionisproperlydevelopedwithinthiscontextofclientinteraction.
Byexample,Ihavestudiedandobservedcoachesforyears.Ihaveneverseenasinglecoachon
hiscellphoneduringapracticeoragame.Hisplayersaresubjecttohisundividedattention.
Andthebestcoachesdeveloptheircoachinginstinctsfromthisattentionbase.Forthecoachin
thefitnessindustry,ifaclientispayingyouforyourattention,heshouldhaveit.Coacheswho
thinkclientsonlypaythemfortheirexpertisewillbeineffectivecoachesinthelonghaul.(The
relationshipwillbetoostale,toocold,andtooimpersonal.)Coachesinotherindustriesget
paidalotofmoneybeyondtheirexpertise.Theyalsogetpaidfortheirintuitiveunderstanding
oftheirroleandtheirjob.Coachesinthefitnessindustryneedtoheedthislessonaswell.I
witnesswannabecoachesinthisindustryansweringcellphonesorpersonaltextingwhilealso
answeringclientemail.SomeofthemareevenontheinternetorFacebookorothersocial
mediawhileinteractingoransweringclientcommunication.Thiskindofdividedattentionnot
onlyisunfairtotheclientbuthurtsthecoachinthelongrun.Byinteractingwithclientswitha
dividedattention,acoachwillneverdeveloptheintuitionandcontextualawarnessforgood
coachingthatcansustainacareer.Dividedcoachingattentionisakintothecoachshooting
himselfinthefootcareerwise.

UndividedClientAttentionLeadstoEnhancedObservationSkills
Ifyoucoachinperson,thenclientobservationismucheasiertodevelop.Yetevenhere,I
witnesssocalledcoachesrushingtoanswercellphones,engagingotherpeoplewhile
workingwithclients,andallkindsofothermeansandmannersillustratingdividedattention.
Acuteobservationsskillscannotbedevelopedthisway.Andforonlinecoaches,developing
observationskillsforclientinteractionisevenmoreimportant.Beingobservantofclients
requiresandleadstogreaterandmoreenhancedcommunicationskillsandintuitionforthe
coach.Italsolendsforthecoachtohavegreaterappreciationandunderstandingofnuanceto
everyspecificinteraction.Observationskillsbeyondjustcommunicationcontexthelpscoaches
readbetweenthelinesofcommunicationandoftenhelpclientsmoreclearlyunderstandtheir
ownthinkingaswell.Developingacuteobservationskillsforcommunicationandcoachingcan
onlybeaccomplishedwithanundividedandfocusedclientattention.

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Observationskillsarealsodevelopedbyengagingandencouragingclientinteractionaswell.
Coachestoooftenthinkinonedimensional,clientcommunicationandresponsecontext.This
canoftenbeveryinefficientifacoachistrulypayingattention.Onlythelaziestcoaches
entertainunilateralonewayinteraction.Intermsofdevelopingobservationskills,itsokfor
thecoachtoaskrelevantquestionsaswellasanswerthem.Thisclientengagementletsthe
clientknowhehasthecoachsundividedattentionandinterest.Andwhenaclientanswers
coachingquestions,theobservantcoachgainsinsightanddepthaswell.Hiscoachingskillsare
enhancedbypayingattention.Undividedattentionlendstodevelopingbetterobservation
skills.Betterobservationskillsfurtherenhanceeffectiveclientattentionandfocus.Thetwo
continuetofeedeachotherandinthisway,theawarecoachismuchfurtheraheadthan
coacheswhocontinuetochaseinformationasanenhancedknowledgebase.Thereisjustas
muchknowledgeforeffectivecoachingawarenesstobegainedfromenhancingthecoaching
entity.
Overzealouscoachesoftenanticipateinteraction.Thisisamistake.Whenacoachmakes
assumptionsregardingclientinteractions,hetendstotheninteractwithhisownagenda.One
ofthewaystoavoidthismistake,especiallywithonlinecoachingistopracticecommunication
reflection.Forinstance,inemailcorrespondenceIreadeachclientemailtwicebefore
engagingresponse.Ireadtheclientscommunicationonceconsciouslyfrommyown
perspectiveascoachandexpert.ThenIreadtheclientcommunicationagain,asiffromtheir
positionofinteractionorinquiry.FromthereImakenotesofpointsIneedtoaddressandthe
mosteffectivecontextofthecorrespondenceaswell.(Usingthetriangleofawareness)Only
whenIconsideracommunicationtwicefromthesevantagepointsdoIrespond.Thiscanbe
timeconsuming.Butovertime,andwithmanydifferentclients,thispracticeofreflectionalso
enhancesobservationandawarenessskillsforthecoach.Observationandreflectionare
componentpartsofpayingattentioninaclientfocusedrelationship.Thisisdifficulttodoif
notimpossible,withanindustryknowledgebasedonlyfocus.Developingthecapacityfor
informedintuitionwithinthecoachingrelationshipnecessitatesclientfocusedundivided
attention.Thisthenisbalancedwithindustryknowledgeinthecoachingrelationship.The
individualclientistreatedasanindividual.Theclientisnotjustanextensionofprotocol.Real
coachingwiththistypeofawarenessrequiresrealpatienceaswell.Thecoachlearnstobe
patientwithhimselfandhispreparation.Andmoreimportantly,therealcoachlearnstobe
patientwithclientsandclientinteraction.
Noticealsothattheseelementsofcoachingawarenessareverbs,notnouns.Payingattention,
beingobservant,andbeingreflectiveareallactive,notpassiveelementsofthecoaching
process.Eachandeveryoneelementofcoachingattentionrequirescoachingconsideration.To
thinkoftheseelementsasnounsorsomethingtobestudiedmissesthepoint.These

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elementsmustbepracticedandstrengthened.Coachingisanongoingactiveandchanging
process.Thesetoolsareusedtosharpenthecoachsawarenesswithinthisuniqueprocess.

EmpowermentinProcess
Ifthecoachproperlydevelopstheseskillsofpayingattention,thenhecanalsogrowthe
coachingrelationshipastheprocessunfolds.Agreatcoachgoesbeyondprotocolandinspiresa
clienttotakeonmoreandmoreresponsibilityfortheirowngoalsandawareness.Thebetter
thecoach,themoreeffectivethecoach,thelesscontrolheneedsovertheinteractivenatureof
theprocessofcoaching.Thisisalotlikeparentingaspreviouslydiscussed.Overtime,parents
whohoveronlyexhaustthemselves.Researchalsoshowsthatthissortofhoveringalso
createsdependenceintheirkids,ratherthanfosteringindependence.Wellthesameistruein
coaching.Thisalsorepresentsaqualitativegradationbetweentrainerandcoach.Thetrainer
(mentality)wantsconsistentcontrol.Thegreatcoachknowstheadvantageofbeingabletolet
goofcontrolwhenthetimingisright.However,thegoodcoachcanonlyknowthisbypaying
attention,beingobservant,andpracticingreflection.Coachingwellshouldmeanthatthe
coachdoesnotexperiencethesametypeofclientdependenceasthecoachingprocess
continues.Eventhenatureoftroubleshootingandproblemsolvingshouldchangeovertimeif
thecoachisempoweringtheclientwithresponsibilitytheycanhandle.
Clientmaturationshouldbeagoalfortheawareandeffectivecoach.Thecoachshould
empowerclientstomakecertaindecisionsandanswerspecificquestionsthemselves.The
coachisstillthereforreferenceandsupport.Thisreflectsthecoachsroleofgoingfromguiding
lighttomirrorovertime.(Gambetta)Thiscanonlybeaccomplishedinacoachingrelationship
thatisclientfocusedandclientaware.Asthecoachbuildsclientsconfidenceandcompetence,
hereinforcesthisbyinvitingthemtomakedecisionsandanswerquestionsaswell.Andwhile
theclientwillstillmakemanymistakes,bythispointhehascometolearnhehasaplacetogo
forcorrectionwithoutjudgement.Thisisanotherreasongettingawayfrommeasuringand
testingeverythingcanactuallybeatremendousboonforempoweringclients,beyondnumbers
totheleveloflearningduringtheirexperienceofprocessandapplicationofprotocol.Thisis
whatcoachingshouldbeandismuchdifferentthanthetrainermentalitysooverlyreinforced
intheindustry.
Problemswillalwayspresentthemselvesfortheclienttryingtolearnandaccomplishspecific
goals.Whentheseproblemsdoarise,thedifferencebetweenthecoachandtraineristhatthe
coachthinksintermsofpossibilities,notjustsolutions,andnotpersonalities.Agoodcoachwill
usethepowersofobservationtoknowwhenandhowtoincludetheclientinactivelysolving
theirownissues.Forproblemsthatarelessdifficult,itisempoweringfortheclienttobe
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includedaspartofthesolution.Thisshouldbewhatcoachingisallabout;alwaysmovingthe
clientforwardandadvancingandenhancinghisownunderstanding.Whenacoachcantakea
handsoffapproachtoaclientissue,hemayadviseatrythisortrythatoptionfortheclient.
Thisismuchdifferentthanjustdictatingsolutions,especiallytoissueswherethereisnoone
solution,butamyriadofpossibilities.Iwilloftengetclientsaskingmesimplequestionsthey
cansolvethemselves.Theyjustlacktheconfidencetodoso.Aclientmaywantareasonable
foodsubstitutionforonefoodoveranother.Anotherclientwhoisona5daysprogram,just
hadhisshiftschangedatworkandisstartingnightschool.Hecannolongertrain5Daysper
week.BothaskwhatshouldIdo?Becausethesequestionshaverudimentaryanswers,
insteadofjustdictatingtheanswertotheclient,Iinvitethemtobepartofsolvingthe
question.Iamstillthereforthem.Ipresentthemwithoptions.Iinvitethemtochoose,andI
mayeveninquirewhytheymakethechoicetheymake,justtoinsureitisbasedonsound
rationaleandillustratesaworkingknowledgeforthecircumstanceathand.
Trueandrelevantcoachingismorethanjustprovidinganswers.Thatisbutapartofcoaching.
Coaching,liketeachingandparenting,isaboutengaginganinteractiveprocessforlearning.
Coachingempowersclientstobetheirownproblemsolverastheircapacityandunderstanding
improveintime.Itsnotaboutpassingthebuck,butinvestingtheenergyintheclient,notthe
protocol.Protocolassignmentisjustpartofthisinvestment.
Thisindustryreinforcesthisnotionoflookingfortherightanswerallthetime.Thisislimiting
andconfusing.Andthereasonisbecausemoreoftenthannot,thereisnooneanswer,noone
rightanswer.Thereis,asIstated,amyriadofpossibilitiesbasedonexpertiseandperspective.
Giventhisreality,clientselfexpressionshouldbenurturedwithintheproblemsolving
processofcoaching.Withthisinsight,astheclientscompetence,confidence,and
understandingprogresses,hecanbechallengedandincludedingreaterlevelsofdecision
making.Whenthetimingisright,clientstendtofindthismostinvigorating,anditaddstotheir
coachingexperience.
Toomanywannabecoachesapproachtheirclientrelationshiplikeamathequation.They
alwaysseekrightorwronganswers.Andtheypassthismentalityontotheclientwithless
emphasisonefficientcommunication.Byusingmeasurementsandright/wrongimplications,
thewannabecoachisjustputtingpressureonaclienttoperformandabideinnarrowrangesof
applicationthatsuitsthecoach.Onceagain,thismentalitymakesitallaboutthecoach,and
lessabouttheclient.Forcoaching,thisisamistakeborntheinformation=knowledgemyth.
Thetruthis;anyandallapplicationsandprotocolswithintheFitnessIndustryarealotmore
likescoringmusicratherthansomemathematicalright/wrongequation.Protocoldesign,and
moreimportantly,coachingareartforms,morelikemusicthanmath.Therearelessoften
right/wrong,andmoreoftenthannot,limitlesspossibilitiesjustlikeinmusic.Thinkaboutthat
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forawhilebecauseitisoneofthemostdifficultbiasestobreakinthementalityoftheFitness
Industry.Musiciscollaborationbetweencreatorandreceiver.Coachingworksthesameway.
Byanalogy,thecoachsjob,then,iscollaboration.Thecoachisconductorormaestro.Hekeeps
thebeatinsequenceandinharmonywhiletheclientplaysthenotes,learnsthescales,and
makesthemusicaswell.Withthismentality,theclientlearnsaprogramismuchmorethan
whatiswrittenonit:Justlikemusicismuchmorethanthenotesthatcomposeit.Theclientis
coachedtolearnthatwhattheprogrambringstohimmustbemetequallywithwhathe
bringstotheprogram.Musicissubjecttointerpretation.Andmusiccanbegoodorbad;but
seldomrightorwrong.
Coachingskillsreflectamentalitythatshouldbeprocessbasedandnotcorrectionbased.The
currentindustrybiasassumesthelatterovertheformer.Thisindustrydogmathatrides
researchhasbeeninternalizedbywannabecoachesandtrainerstosuggesttheirjobistofix
clients;andthattheysomehowdothisthroughassignmentofcorrectdietandtraining
strategy.Atbest,thisismisleading.Forcoaching,interactionsuchamentalitycanbeperceived
bytheclientasverypatronizingovertime.Inmyexperience,thismentalityleadscoachesto
beinglesseffectiveintheirtruerole.Thecoachingroleandskillsofpatience,time,client
focusedundividedattention,shouldserveastoolsforcoachestobeleaders.Andthis
leadershipovertimeshouldbetargetedforclientstoeventuallyfixproblemsthemselves.
Theshorttermfixtheclientmentalityisnottherealworldofcoachingexperienceregardless
ofclassroomcertificationdictates.Thefixtheclientmentalityassumesallclientsorpotential
clientsneedfixing.Thisisanemphasisinentirelytheoppositedirectionofclient
empowerment.Thismentalityisalsoonereasonsomanyclientsofthefitnessindustryseldom
evenreachtheirgoals.Or,iftheydoreachtheirgoals,theydonotsustaintheacquisitionlong
termandfallbackintooldhabitslateron.Thiscoachingmentalityismisplaced.Justlike
protocolintheindustryseemsshortsited,soitlendstoshortsightedcoachingaswell.
Allthisemphasisontheimmediateaspectsofassessmentandassignmentnegatestheongoing
process.Justlikewithprotocol,coachingshouldemphasizetheimmediate,theresidual,and
thecumulativeaspectsoftheongoingprocess.Yetseldomisthisaddressedanywhereinthe
industry.Againthecomparisoncanbemadewithteachingandparenting.Iftheclientnever
workstolearnandvaluetheexperienceofproblemsolvingtheirissuesduringtheprocessof
application,theyarelikelytoremaindependant.Thisdependencyleadstotheirown
frustrationovertime.WhatIhavewitnessedisthatcoachingwithoutattentiontothese
residualandcumulativeelementsofprocess,leadstoeasysacrificeofagoalonceitisattained.
Thisisalsoonereason90%ofweightlossclientsregainalltheweight.Withoutthelearningand
valueoftheprocess,themeaningofachievingthegoalcannotberetainedlongterm.
Therefore,neithercanthegoal.Theclientdoesnotbuildupandacquiretherequisite
psychologicalvaluefortheexperienceofachievingthegoal.Thereisnogrowthintheprocess.
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Andthisisasmuchanindustryfaultwhichfocusesonlyonimmediateelementsofevaluation
andassessment.Andthisreinforcesthefaultymindsetmostclientshavetobeginwith.So,
coachingbasedonindustryknowledgemissesthepointofholisticcoachingbasedin
fundamentalcommunicationskillsandpersonalgrowth.Constantlyworkingtofixclients
onlyintheimmediateelementofapplicationjustreinforcesclientdependency.Competence
andconfidencecannotbebuiltupthisway.Tomymind,thisrepresentsafailureofthe
mentalityintheindustry:justasitwouldrepresentfailureforteachersorparentswhodothe
same.
Inthecompetitivesideoftheindustry,Iseethisallthetime.Competitorsarecoachedbyother
competitorswithnoknowledgeofwhatcoachingisorshouldbe.Yearslater,thesesame
competitorsarejustashelplessanddependantastheywereyearsearlier.Theytendtopinball
betweencoaches,adaptingtoeachcoachesdictationofright/wrongrecipes.Buttheydonot
developadeepenoughunderstandingoftheprinciplestoevendifferentiatecommonalitiesor
distinctionsamongcoaches.Soalthoughtheybecomemoreschooledin
calories/grams/set/reps;theyhavenotdevelopedanykindofsystematiccompetenceintheir
experiencealongtheway.Andthisismostperplexingtowitnessamongclientswhohavebeen
investedintheindustryforseveralyears.Coachingatthebareminimumshouldfoster
progress,notstagnateitbycreatingclientdependency.
Sowheredoestheworthycoachbegin?First,dealinreality.Thisindustrypushestheenvelope
ofmarketingtopeopleunrealisticresults.Thisillustratesalackofunderstandingofhowthe
humanbodyreallyworksandadaptsovertime.Moreoftenthannot,acoachwillfindhimself
inthepositionoftryingtogetaclienttounlearnideasthathavebeenmarketedtothemas
truth.Attheotherendofthisscalefrommarketinghypeisthemarketingscience.Scienceis
thenewvoguemarketingstrategytohidebehind.Butthisindustryhaslittlehardscience,
andalotofsoftscience.Researchisgreat,butitshouldinform,notdictateprotocoland
application.Fartoomanyexpertsinthenewmodernagehidebehindscienceasproofof
expertise.Itisnot.Sothecoachbeginswithsoundandrealdiscussionwiththeclientregarding
whatisachievable.
Intermsofcommunication,thecoachneedstointeractwithclientsintheirown
comprehensionzone,whilestillcommunicatinghisownmessage.Clientsshouldbeengaged
rightfromthebeginningastowhatfitnessgoalsareattainableandrealisticforthem.There
shouldbesomediscussionalsoastoshortterm,midterm,andlongtermprobabilities.(Not
promises.)Remember,coachingisguidanceandoversight.Therearenopromisestobe
madeintermsofresults;onlyforthepromisesofoversightandguidance.Clientsneedtobe
abletoacknowledgethefactthatprogressisseldomlinear.Fromthebeginning,this
acknowledgementrelievesperceivedpressurethattheclientthinksheshouldandcanimprove
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inavisibleongoingbasis.Thisisnothowthebodyworksandadapts.Itshowpeopleinthe
industrymarketthemselvesortheirproducts.Worthycoachesneedtostepawayfromthese
tacticsandteach,fromthebeginning,therealityofadaptiveresponse.Theworthycoach
beginswiththeessentialunderstandingthatdealinginrealityisfarmoreeffectiveinthelong
termthanjustshootingforfalsepromisesorgoalsthataresetuptofail.Buildingatrusted
communicativerelationshipwithaclient,willleadthemtopursueandbecontentwiththeir
ownlevelofprogress.Thiskindofempowermentisamandatefortheworthycoach.

NotesforMentoringStudents

Thischapterbeginswithamentionofattentionskills.Whatdoesthismean?Whatis
meantbythephrase,clientinteractionshouldsettheagenda;itshouldnotbean
agenda?Exploreandexpandthisidea.

Howdoesabidinginthetriangleofawarenessservetodevelopyourclientattention
skillsandfocus?

Asanexpertinthefitnessindustryyouwillmorethanlikelyhaveaninterestbias.
Identifyyourinterestbias.Maybeitsbodybuildingandcompetition.Maybeitspure
fitnessandconditioning.Maybeitsadependencyonresearch.Identifyyourinterest
bias,andthenlookatexamplesfromyourowncoaching/trainingrostertoseehowit
influencesyourclientfocusedattention.Howcanyoubetteruseandemployyour
interestbiastoguideyourclientattentioninsteadofdictatingit?Whatisthe
difference?

Whyisintuitionanimportantskilltodevelop?Howdoesitenhancecoaching
awareness?Howdoesitbenefittheclient?

Worthycoachingismoreakintoscoringmusicthanitistosomemathematical
consistency.Whatismeantbythisstatement?Howdoesitinfluenceyourconception
forclientawarenessandinteraction?

Whatiswrongwiththefixtheclientmentalityinthefitnessindustry?Howdoesthe
aboveanalogyofmusichelpdistinguishthedifferences?

Whyisclientempowermentimportant?Howisitseparate,ifatall,fromaclients
cosmeticorfitnessgoals?Whatdoesitservetobuildforcoachingpurposes?

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Exercise:Answerthefollowingemailinquirynotuncommonforcoachestoreceive
Hi,mynameisJaneSmith.IcompeteinFitness,oratleastIwantto.Ihaventbeen
abletogetmybodyingoodenoughshapeinmylastfewattempts.Youcomehighly
recommended.Ihavehadseveralcoachesbefore.Ivebeensatisfiedwiththeirhelpbut
nevermyfinishedphysique.Mylasttwocoacheswouldjustgivemeadietanda
programandtellmetocontactthemagainin4weeks.Andthenthingswouldcomeup
andIwouldwritethemandtheywouldntwritemebackfordays,sometimeevena
coupleweekswouldgoby.ImcurrentlybeingcoachedbyFannieFitnessChampion.
Shepromisestogetmeinshapeforthisshow.Idoeverythingright.Iamfollowingthe
nocarbsdiettoaT.Itrain45daysperweek.Onmydaysoff,IdoYogaorFitness
Classesorgoforarun.Still,Icantseemtogetmybodyfatdown,evenonthelow
caloriesandcarbs.Ihave4monthstillmynextcontest.Iwanttobuyaonetime
programfromyoutohelpmegetinpeakshape.Fannietakescareofmydietand
cardio,soIreallyjustneedakillerprogram.Butifyouhavesomeintervalcardio
programs,Idbeupforpurchasingthemaswell.Sowhatdowedonext?Imexcitedto
hearbackfromyou.

Otherthanchangingthenames,thisisnotanuncommoninquiryinthecoaching
business.Answerthisemailusingthetoolsofthischapter.Startwithfocusedclient
awareness.Remembertoanswerwithoutapreconceivedagenda.Whatwouldyousay
inresponse?Howandwhywouldyousayit?Dothisexercise,once,offthetopofyour
head;thenexamineyourresponse.Doitagain,usingthementoringnotesforthis
chapter.Noteanydifferencesincontentorcontext.Focusspecificallyonthehowand
whyintermsofinteractiveengagement.

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Chapter11
CommonCoachingMistakes

Manyoftheissuesdiscussedinthischapterhavebeenmentionbeforeeitherdirectlyorin
variouscontexts.Thischapterlooksatthemorefundamentalandcommoncoachingmistakes
intermsofapplicationofdomainknowledge,workingwiththeclient,andwithinthecoachand
clientrelationshipasawhole.Thesemistakesexistnotonlyassingleentities,butmoreoften
thannot,oneisalsolinkedtoanother.Sowhatstartsasacoachingtacticalmistakeoftenends
upbecomingastrategicalone.Makingthesemistakesisoftenabouttryingtoforgeacoaching
stylewithintheinformationbiasdiscussedthroughoutthisbookthusfar.Ifmorethanoneof
thesemistakesisemployedatatime,itcreatesanaddoneffectandendsupeithercramping
orcripplingthecoachingenvironment.Aswillbecomeobvious,oneofthesecommonerrors
canbeeasilylinkedtoanother.Theyarelikecousins,ifyouwill.
Iveputthesevariousmistakesunderbriefheadingsalthoughtherearecertainlycrossover
effectsforeach.Fromthischapter,thecoachingstudentshouldbeabletomakebriefnotesof
theirownforthesecommoncoachingmistakes,andpostthemsomewherehandy.Thisway,
theheadingtitlescanserveasquickremindersforthecoachtocheckhimselfwithinhis
interaction,instruction,andapplicationwithhisclients.Thepointtoreinforce,onceagain,is
whatthecentralfocusofcoachingreallyis.Themorethecoachveersawayfromhisclient
focus,themorelikelythesecommonmistakesaretooccur.
Onceagain,innoparticularorder,themostcommoncoachingmistakesintheFitnessIndustry
andforonlinecoaching,inparticular,areasfollows.

1)TheCoachingBiases
IhavediscussedthecoachingbiasesmanytimesinvariousarticlesIvewritten.Acoachalways
hasaspecificbackgroundwhichwillinfluencehismethodology.Thisisnotnecessarilyabad
thingunlessitblindshimtoonedimensionalapproaches.Thetwospecificcommoncoaching
biases,whicharemistakes,arethebiasesofvogueingtrends,andthebiasoftradition.
Adaptingeverythingnewthatcomesoutoftheindustryisamistake.Anddoingthingswiththe
clientmerelybecausethatsthewaytheyvealwaysbeendone,isalsoamistakeofbias.Both
endsofthiscontinuumtendtonegateorobjectifytheactualclient.Thisshouldbecomemore
obviousbelow.Alongtheselines,manycoachesseemtoperceiveclientsasextensionof
themselves.Sowiththisbias,theytendtoassignprotocoltoclientsbasedonwhattheydo

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themselves.Thishasnothingtodowithproperlyaddressingaclientsneedsstate,andas
such,alsonegatesorobjectifiestheactualclient.
Effectivecoachingmeansunderstandingcontextandnuancealways.Thiscannotbe
accomplishedwithapreconceivedbiastowardanytrainingordietmethodology.Thesebiases
leadtoslottingclientsintoprogramsanddiets,ratherthanmoreproperlyformulatingdiets
andprogramsthatfittheclientandhisparticularcircumstances.Thisnecessitates
understandingtheimmediateneedsoftheclient,butalsobeingabletoseebeyondthe
immediateaswell.Thecoachshouldbealwaysproperlyfocusedonprocessandnotresults.
Resultsaremeresnapshotsoftheprocessunfoldingforgoodorbad.Resultsaremerely
informationforthecoach.Thismeansthecoachhasapurposenotonlyforwhatheshoulddo
withtheclient,butforwhathehopestoaccomplishindoingit.Assuch,theeffectivecoach
instructshimselfasmuchashedoesthespecificclientduringtheunfoldingoftheclient
processofapplication.Havingspecificbiasestowardinformationormethodologycankeepthe
coachfromproperlyseeingalltherelevantvariables.Andthisisabigmistake,butacommon
one.
Forexample,mybackgroundiscoachingphysiquecompetitors.Recently,Ihadamorbidly
obesefemalehiremeforcoaching.IcannotletmybiasinfluencehowandwhyIformulateher
traininganddiet.Yetthisiswhatcontinuouslyunfoldsinthecoachingarena.Itisnaivetosay
theleast.Thisclientwouldnotbenefitfrombodyparttrainingwithcardiooracompetition
diet.Similarly,ifthissameladysignedwithanonlinecoachwhoisrenownedfortraining
triathletes,itwouldbejustasbigamistaketoputthissameclientundertherigorsofthat
methodoftraining.Herjointswouldnotbeabletotaketherunningforlong.However,both
coachesshouldhaveasolidbackgroundwhichcaninformtheirapproachforthisclient.Thisis
wherethemyriadofpossibilitiespresentsitself.Theimportantthingistonotletthecoachs
biasovertakehisassessmentofclientsneedsfortheimmediateandlongterm.

2)TheCarrotandStickTactic
AnothercommonmistakeforcoachesintheFitnessIndustryistheneophyteapproachofusing
rewardandpunishmentasproposedmotivatorstoaction.Thisisoftenatacticoftrainers,but
itisaweakapproachforcoaches.Thecoachingrelationshipneedstobefoundedonamuch
morematureinteractiveprocess.Thecarrot/sticktacticseemslikeagreatwaytoconvey
meaning,andmotivateaclient.Nottrue.Ittendstocreateapowerrelationshipwherethe
powerisnotbasedontrustandexpertise,butmoreasequenceofconfrontationsor
judgements.Thiswillneverserveacoachingrelationshipwell.Forthecoachaswellasthe
client,thereneedstobeafoundationtotherelationship.
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Thisfoundationisononesidethecoachsexpertise,andontheothersidetheprocessofclient
focusmovingforward.Betweenthetwo,thecoachandclientestablishapersonalandrelative
andunderstoodlevelofaccountabilityandresponsibility.Rewardandpunishhasnoplaceina
maturerelationshipthatisbasedonhonestinteraction.Todoso,createsscenarioswherethe
clientwilltellthecoachonlywhathethinksthecoachwantstohear.Sothecarrotandstick
tacticcreatesanenvironmentofanticipatingandprovokinginteractionwhichwillinfluenceit
awayfromsincerity.Whetherintentionalornot,thiscannotservetheclientorthecoachfor
verylong.Thecarrotandsticktacticmayhaveuses,hereandthereandverysporadically,but
asaregularapproach,itismoretodowithtryingtocontrolclients.Andthattacticofcontrolis
alwaysdoomedtofail.Moreover,ifclientsarealwaysundersomeexternalsenseofeither
rewardorpunishitcreatesanenvironmentofemotionalwearinessovertime.Thisismuch
differentthanthemandatethatthecoachisalwaysonthesideofhisclientandhisgoals,even
whencritiqueandcorrectionisnecessary.Thecarrotandsticktacticforclientcompliancedoes
notdeliverthismessageofclientsupport.Itconfoundsit.Thecoachiscaptainandcoordinator.
Hispurposeisincreatingclientmomentumtowardtheclientsgoals.Thecarrotandsticktactic
doesnotcommunicatethemutualitysonecessaryforapositiveexperiencefortheclient.The
coachneverwantstosetupareward/punish,approve/disapproveatmospherewithin
interactionwithhisclients.Sothecarrotandsticktacticusedtomotivateclientsusuallywill
havetheoppositeeffectovertime.Anditisaclassicbutcommoncoachingmistake.

3)OverCoaching
ProbablyTHEmostcommoncoachingmistakeisovercoaching.Itisespeciallylikelyamongnew
coachesandthoseexcessivelyinfluencedbyeducationandaccreditationoverrelevant
experience.Thistypeofmentalityleadstoseveralrelatedissues.Thefirstthatcomestomind
isonewherethecoachconfusestheactivitywiththeresults.Thisisanerroneousassumption
ofcausalitywheremerecorrelationexists.Intermsofstatisticalanalysis,thesetypesof
correlationsarelabelledasspurious.(Meaningunauthentic)Andyettheinformationmyth
feedsthesetypesofassumptionsinthecoachingenvironmentonaconsistentbasis.Examples
ofthisareoverwhelminginthefitnessindustryasawhole.Andthistypeofspurious
connectionofvariablesisoftenusedtosellbogusproductsorinaneservices.Forinstance,
supplementcompaniesusespuriousclaimstoconsciouslymanipulateconsumers.Bygetting
peopletobuytheirfatburners,theresultsofcommitteddietingareinterpretedassomehow
beingspeduporenhancedbytheconsumptionofthefatburner.Thisisonpurpose,andlikeI
said,servestoconfusetheactivitywiththeresults.SomeoftheseQuickSlimproducts,for
example,haveultralowcaloriesdietscontainedwithintheirownpackaging,alongwithclaims,
resultsnottypicalwhenmodelsareusedassocialproofofasupplementsefficacy.
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Thissamemistakenmentalityexistsintheapplicationofcardioforfatlossamong
competitors.Ineptcoachesmasktheirlackofknowhowwithafollowtheleadermentalityof
confusingtheactivitywiththeresults.Theapplicationofcardiobecomesconfusedwiththe
actualresultofthewholeprocess.Itistheconsistentapplicationofthedietandtrainingover
timewhichactuallyinducedthespecifiedresult.Thecardiowasinactualitynotinfluential,
butincidentaltothedesiredresult.MyMETworkshopworkbookshowsmanystudiesthat
illustratethefutilityofcardioforfatloss.
Intheactualcoachingenvironment,coachesmakesimilarspuriousconnectionsallthetime.
Thisisoftenrepresentedwithaninsecurecoachsneedtobeconstantlytweakingandaltering
protocol.Andthishaslesstodowiththeactualresultsofthistweakingthanitdoesthecoachs
needtofeelasenseofcontroloverprotocolapplication.Goodcoachesneedtorelaxandlet
theprocessunfold.Doingsowouldleadtoalotlessmistakesofconfusingtheactivitywiththe
result.Constantlyintroducingnewvariablestoaclientsregimengivesthecoachlessreliable
assessmentinformation.Ifthecoachisconstantlychangingtheclientsstimulusandprotocol,
thenitbecomesmuchmoredifficulttoappropriatelyevaluateandassessclientfeedback.So
thecoachwhoconstantlytweaksandchangesclientprotocolusuallyconfuseshisactivityof
thetweakingandchangingwiththeresultoftheprocessitself.Thisismistakenandonly
reinforcesthementalityforovercoaching.
Furthermore,thismistakeofovercoachingleadsnaivecoachestobelievethatbusymeans
productive.Thisisuntrueonbothendsofthecoachingequation.Aclientmaycheckin
tenaciouslywithalltypesandmeansofinformationandfeedback.Butacoachneedstobeable
todistinguishbetweenobsessionandattentiontodetail.Obsessionisnotrepresentativeof
progressandcanoftenbedetrimentaltowardit.Andacoachingobsessionovercontrolling
detailsofclientapplicationisjustasinept.Overcoachinginthissenseisanobsessionof
coacheswhothinkanyleewayinapplicationonthepartoftheclientissomehowacrackor
breakinthefoundationofhisreachinghisgoals.Coacheswhoheavilyobsessovertheir
prescribedprotocoldosoattheclientsexpense.Toomuchpreparationandinterruptionby
thecoachfailstoacknowledgewheretheclientisat,andhowmuchinformationand
instructionistoomuchatanygiventime.Hence,itisnotabouttheprotocol.Thisisthemistake
made.Itisalwaysabouttheclient.Byexample,Ijustwitnessedaprogramdesigncourse
wheretherequirementsdictatedsome1820considerationsinvolvedinclientassessmentfor
programdesign.Onthesurface,thisseemsverydetailedandinformative.Yeteverysingleone
oftheseelementswasfocusedinthephysicalrealm.Thetriangleofawarenesssoimportant
toeffectivecoachingisnotevenremotelyaddressed.Thisoveremphasisonpreparationand
thereforeinstruction,onceagain,tendstoobjectifytheclientasanindividual.Thisdoesnt
servetheclient.Itnegateshim.Andthisassessmentoveremphasisonceagainjustleadsto
slottingclientsintoprogramsinsteadofrelevantlyleadingtoformulatingprotocolwhichfits
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theclient.Itsimperativetohaltthisobvioustrainermentalitywhenworkingwithinthe
contextofthecoachingrelationship.Furthermore,ifthecoachsroleistobethatofreflection
andmirror,thenthecoachwhoobsessesoverdetailswillcreatethatsamesenseand
atmosphereofpressureforhisclientsaswell.
Thepointisastheysay,thedevilisinthedetails.Andthisisacoachkilleronbothsidesof
theequationforclient,coach,andtheeffectivenessoftheirrelationship.Alltheseassessments
andevaluationsarealmostentirelyforanillustrationoftheappearanceofknowledge.Yet,
theycomeattheexpenseoftimeandenergy.Acoachingperspectiveisallaboutmaintaining
priorities.Thismeans,sometimessuchassessmenttoolsarerelevant,sometimesnot.These
thingsareNOTabsolutestocoachingeffectiveness.Noteverylittledetailmatters.Theindustry
initscurrentformofinformation=knowledgehasledtothistrainermentalityofbelieving
thatclientmicromanagementisimperative.Fromthecoachingperspective,thisisanillusion.
Anditusuallyleadstoovercoaching,overanalysis,andoverassuming.
Instead,theoperatingimperativeforcoachingistheintegrityestablishedintheactual
relationshipaswellasthemomentumgainedwithintheapplicationandprocessoftheclient
undertaking.Itistheclientssubjectiveexperienceofprotocolandthecoachsoversightofit
thatproperlysetsthecoachingagenda.Thisrelationshipintegritymustbeseenandfelt.Itisa
presence!Itmaynotbemeasurable,butitisobservable,anditissubjecttoexperience.Too
oftenthisoveremphasisondetailsofassessmentandevaluationinthephysicalrealmreally
testifiestothetruth,thedevilisinthedetails.Moreoftenthannot,overemphasisonsuch
detailsservestofracturethepresencementionedabove,insteadofstrengtheningit,which
shouldbethegoal.Onceagain,thecoachshouldberemindedhisgoalistoworktoestablish
clientconfidenceandcompetenceintheirexperienceofprotocol.Testingandmeasuringall
thetimecandestroythisprocesssinceprogressisseldomlinear.
Overcoachingiscommonandprevalentbecauseoftheoverallapproachoftestingand
measuringandtryingtomicromanagedetails.Thecoachneedstoremindhimself,theclientis
thepriority:nottheagenda,nottheprotocol,andnottheapplication.Thecoachthenneeds
tofocushisrole.Asacoach,youarenotaclassroom,butaserviceprovider.Coachingisover
sight.Itisnottoovercontrol,overwhelm,ormicromanage.

4)Vogueing
Becausethisindustryissoheavilyfocusedonteachinginformationandneglectingcoaching
skill;itcreatesthetendencyforwhatIhavelabelledvogueingamongprofessionals.Inorder
toperpetuateitself,theformalmodelsoftheindustryhavesymposiumsandcertification
upgradesetceverysingleyear.Thisleadstothemistakefornewbiestofocusonwhatsnew
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ratherthanwhatisrelevant.Moreoftenthannot,nothingisreallynewsomuchasitisnewly
interpreted,whichisfine.ButwhatIhavewitnessed,whichisperplexingtosaytheleast,isthat
whatisnewandpresentedasrelevantoftenfadesalmostimmediately.Informationinthe
FitnessIndustryhasbecomealmostfadlike.Unfortunately,evenwhenwhatisnewseemto
havealotofpotential,wannabecoachesareendeavouringtoapplytheconceptswellbefore
theyevenhavearealgraspofthem.Thisbegsthequestionthen,howeffectivewillthisbefor
theclient?Whatisnewwillcomeandgo.Ifwhatisnewistrulyrelevantthenitwillhave
stayingpowerandbearoundforalongtime.Itisafarbetterideaforcoachestousewhatthey
knowwellandapplyitwithconfidence.Itisbettertohaveaworkingknowledgethatisaninch
wideandamiledeep,overthecurrentindustryillusionofacquiringinformationthatisaninch
deepbutamilewide.
Justinthepastthreeyearsalone,Ihavewitnessedthelecturecircuitgofrompresenting
advancedcoursesintheBosuBalltoarticlescateringtothesamedemographicthathave
beentitledDeathtotheBosuBall.Oneyearthenewcentralfocusishipandgluteactivation,
thenextyearitscoreworkandallitsrelatedbuzzwords.ThenitisVMOactivationthatisall
therage,orpelvictuckingorprehabwork,orcorrectiveexercises.Allofasudden,clientsgoals
getreorganizedandrevamped.Andthisisnotbecauseoftheactualclient,butinstead,itis
basedonsomenewfoundpieceofinformation.Thisleavesthosewhoarevogueingbouncing
backandforthtoindustryfads,andillustratesatruelackofrealunderstandingoftheoperating
principles.Followingthesevoguetrendsdoesnotrepresentcoachingskill,butactuallyits
opposite.
Itistheprincipleswhichshouldbetheprevalentinfluenceofacoachsknowledgebase.What
isrelevant(theprinciples)doesnotcomeandgo.Professionalssusceptibletovogueing
trendstendtobetheoneswhoareledtobelievethattheapplicationsofmethodologyare
basedinmagicalformulasthataresomehowalwayschanging.Andthisisjustnottrue.Thisis
nottosaywhatisnewisNOTrelevant.Itmayberelevant.Thetwoneednotbemutually
exclusive.Butadaptingeverythingnew,becauseitisnew,isamistake.Again,theclient
assessmentandevaluation,andtheclientneedsandgoalsprecedewhetheradaptinganything
newisusefulornotusefulintheindividualclientcase.Aperspectivebasedontheprinciplesis
whatisrelevant.
Andwhenitcomestovogueingandnewinformationthereseemstobetwoactivetendencies
ofcoaches.Onegroupisquicktoembraceandadapteverythingnew,regardlessofcontext,
relevance,ornuance.Thesearethevoguers.Butanothergroupofcoachesarejustaslikely
andquicktodismissanythingnew.Bothtendenciesaremistakes.Thewiseandinformedcoach
isthecoachwhoseekstolearnwhatisnewandfilteritthroughhisownunderstandingofthe

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operatingprinciples.Ifthenewinformationstandsuptoscrutiny,thecoachwillembracethe
informationwithoutnecessarilyrushingtoimplementit.

5)Jargonizing
Thelanguagestylethecoachusesalsoneedstobeaddressedhere.Recallthatcoachingmust
bepersonal,itmustbepractical,itmustbeprofessionalanditmustbeproactive.Thisiswhat
shouldinformpropercoachingcommunicationandinteraction:coachspeakifyouwill.Itis
uptothecoachtosetboththeboundariesandthetoneforinteraction.Thistoneisonethat
mustbebothprofessionalandappropriateforanygivenclient,atanygiventime.Thecoachs
numberoneaimforthelanguageheemploysistobeunderstood.Butoftencoachescreate
barriersincommunicationwithoutevenrealizingtheyaredoingso.IntheFitnessIndustry,one
ofthemostcommonmeanstomakingthistypeofmistakeiswhatIrefertoasjargonizing,
alsoknownasindustryspeak.Thetrendistouseprofessionaljargonasiftalkingwithother
professionalsorcoaches.But,moreoftenthannot,coachingclientswillNOTbeotherFitness
professionals.Tospeaktoclientsinindustryjargoncancreateproblemsineffectiveclient
communication.Toooften,thecoachemployingindustryjargonwhenengagingclientscan
seemcondescending.Thecoachthinksheisillustratinghisknowledge,butheoftenfailsto
address,whoismyclientwhileengaginginteraction.Seldomisindustryjargonnecessary.
Anditleadstotheproblemoftalkingatclientsratherthantalkingtothemorwiththem.
Coachingisstillarelationship,andthisshouldinfluencethelanguageandstylethecoach
employs.Justbecauseexpertsuseandemployjargontotalkwitheachotherdoesntmeanitis
aneffectivemodeofcommunicationbetweencoachandclient.Byexample,imaginea
professionallawyerwhoconstructsandlitigateslegalcontractsalldaylongcominghomefrom
workandusingthesameprofessionaljargonathomewithhisfamilyashedoesatwork.It
wouldbeludicrous.ButthisisacommontendencyforcoachesintheFitnessIndustry.Anditis
amistake.Itisinfactaformofcoachingblindness.Moreover,jargonizingoftenbecomesa
tacticforcoachestoretreattowhentheydonothaveadequateanswersforclientquestionsor
issues.Remember,thecoachsgoalistoservetheclient,nothisownego.Thecoachmust
alwaysfocusinamannerofcommunicationthatisonbehalfoftheclient,theclients
learning,theclientsexperience,andtheclientsprogress.
Jargonizingasatrendisafaultoftheindustrythatisoverlyfocusedontheimportanceof
uselessinformation,termsandconcepts.Thismisplacedfocusonminutiaoftencomesatthe
expenseofdevelopingsoundcommunicationskillsandastylecommensuratewithbeinginthe
serviceindustry.Again,thefocusmustbeturnedrightsideupandbeclientcentred,not
knowledgecentred.Jargonizingatclientscancreateobviouscoachingbarriers.Tocoach
effectively,speakastyleanddialectofcoachingEnglishthatissuitableforbothyou,asa
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coach,andtheconsiderationoftheclientaswell.Thisistheappropriatemeansforbeing
personal,professional,proactiveandpractical.Thegoalisnottohaveacaptiveaudience,
butareceptiveone.Beingprofessionalisnotillustratedbyacommandofindustryjargon,but
ratherbeingunderstoodbytheclient.Itsimportanttoremindcoachesonceagainthat
interactionandcommunicationistheircurrencyofexchange:justlikemoney.Andassuch,itis
theexchangevaluethatwillmattermost.Jargonizingwithclientsunfamiliarwiththeterms
andphrasessubstantiallyreducestheexchangevalueofcoachingcommunication.

6)ParalysisbyAnalysis
Thiscanindeedbeamajorcoachkiller.Onceagain,thiscommoncoachingmistakestemsfrom
forgettingthatthenumberoneemphasisforcoachesisnottheknowledgedomainbutthe
clientfocus.Coacheswhofeelvulnerablewilloftenexplaintoomuchdetailforprotocol
processandapplication.Itcanleaveaclientdizzyandconfused.Coachingisaboutbeingclear
andconcise.Itisaboutbeingunderstood.Thegoodandeffectivecoachprovidesrelative
feedbacktheclientneeds,whenandhowheneedsit.Thiswillsometimesrequireexplaining
termsorconcepts.Justasoftenitwillnotrequiresuchexplication.Coacheswhobuyintothe
wholeknowledgeaspectofapplicationwilltendtospeakatclientsinsteadofwiththem.
Moreover,theinformationmythleadsmanycoachestooveranalyzingeveryelementclient
feedbackorinformation.Thisleadscoacheslookingforelementsofrightandwrong
interaction.Itsimportanttoreemphasizethatthereisseldomabsoluterightandwrong.There
arethough,amyriadofpossibilities.Partofthetimelinessofcoachingisaction.Actionhaslittle
todowithcertainty.Certaintyincoachingapplicationisamyth.Thosewholookforitusually
sufferthisparalysisbyanalysis.Rememberthecoachingemphasisisontheprocessitself.This
isliketravellingdownabusystreet.Tryingtoanticipatewhenallthelightswillbegreenahead,
justtomovethroughthefirstone,isaparalysisbyanalysis.Actionmustalwaysprecede
understandingandoutcome.Trustingintheknowledgeoftheprinciplesandconfidenceinthe
taskathandofbeingclientfocusedaretwowaystopreventingacoachingparalysisbyanalysis.
Therehasbeenanindustrytrendtotryingtocreatemoreandmorecomplicationto
application.Thisjustfeedstheparalysisbyanalysis.Intruth,complicateddoesnotmean
advanced.Clientsusuallyneedthingssimplified,notmadeevenmorecomplicated.Thegood
coachisallaboutsimplicity.Forapplicationandinstruction,simpleisalwaysbestregarding
clientinteraction.Thecoachwhofocusesonwhatissimpleandsimplybeingunderstoodisway
aheadofthecoachwhoponderseverymovelikesomechessequation.Thelatterisnot
coaching.Coachingisnotbasedonformulasandmathematicalequationsorevenassessing
statisticsfromclients.Thesethingsmayinformthecoachsknowledgebase,buttheyshould
notinterfere,interruptorneedlesslyinsinuatethemselvesinthecoachingrelationship.AsIve
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statedheremanytimesdoingrightismoreimportantthanbeingright.Beingrightshouldnot
requireemphasisincoachinginteraction.Acoachwhoconstantlyemphasizesbeingrightwill
atsomepointmakethemistakeofparalysisbyanalysis.
Paralysisbyanalysisalsoexistsontheothersideofthecoachingequation.Clientswilloften
observe,report,andconsiderallkindsofthingsirrelevanttothecoachingprocessandthe
protocolapplication.Thisisanoveranalysisontheclientspartandacoachneedstoaddressit.
Keenclientscanalsosufferparalysisofanalysisbytryingtoabsorbandlearnfromother
sources.Thiscanoftenleadthemtobouncingalltheirconfusionoffyouthecoach.Clientswill
trytolearntoomuchtoofast,and/orlearnconceptswellbeyondtheirlevelofunderstanding
andexperience.Itisuptothecoachtoexplaintotheclient,theclientsownparalysisof
analysis.Acoachcannotnoticeandobservethisifthecoachissusceptibletoithimself.
Paralysisbyanalysisisacommoncoachingmistake.Almosteveryonedoesitatsomepointin
theircareer.Anditissocommonandoftensosubtlethatitcaneasilybemissed.Experience
usuallyteachescoachesalevelofintuitionofwhetherornottheymaybeoveranalyzingsome
clientrelatedissue.

7)EmotionalReactions
Coachesarepeopletooandtherearecircumstanceswithclientsthatcanelicitnegative
emotionalreactionsinthecoach.Itisfoolishforanycoachtopretendheisbeyondemotion.So
thecoachmustacknowledgetohimselfifandwhenhisemotionshavebeenprovoked.
However,reactingtosuchprovocationisahugemistake.Goodcoachingrequiresrestraint.Its
importantforthecoachtoremindhimselftobeunattachedtoanyinteractionswhichstir
negativeemotion.Butthecoachalsoneedstorecognizethatunattacheddoesnotmean
uninvolved.Insuchcasesandsituations,thecoachshouldfocusonbeingprofessional.This
servesasameanstostillbeeffectivelypersonalwhilenegatingpotentialreactiontothe
client.Itwouldbesillyforacoachtodenyafeelingofangerorfrustrationtowardaclientora
currentinteractionwithaclient.Coachesarehuman,notrobots.Butactingonsuchemotionis
anentirelyotherissue.Itisunprofessionalforacoachtodoso.Insuchsituationsthecoach
needstoremindhimselfthathisownmandateistobeunderstoodfirst.Emotionalreactionis
moreaboutneedingtobeincontrolofcommunicationandinteraction.Andthecoachshould
notalwaysneedtobeincontrol.Asdiscussedinpreviouschapters,inthesetypesofsituations
itcanbehelpfultothecoachtoobjectivelyremovethemessagefromthemessenger.This
helpsthecoachtokeepthesituationlesspersonalandmorefocusedonthemessage.Within
thecontextofpotentialheightenedorescalatingemotion,itisimportanttobemessage
centredtoreducereactivetendencies.

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Reactingtonegativeemotionsusuallyonlyservestoheightentheemotionsallaround.And
negativeemotions,onceactedupon,cancreatemoreharmfulsituationsthanthe
circumstancesthatcreatedthemtobeginwith.Thecoachistheleaderintherelationship.Itis
thecoachsplacetostopanysuchcircumstancesfromgainingmomentum.Maturityisa
componentpartofthecoachinganatomy.Thecoachcanstilldeliveraclearmessagewithina
sensitiveenvironment.Butdoingsorequiresdiplomacyanddelicatecommunicationskills.This
hasnothingtodowithdomainknowledgeorapplication.Whennegativeemotionspresent
themselvesforthecoach,heneedstobepreparedtoactprofessionally,notreactimmaturely.
Thingsandsituationsarenotalwaysgoingtoproceedwithoutissue.Coachingisahuman
relationshipserviceafterall.Thecoachshouldexpecttherewillbetimeswherehisemotions
maybepiqued.Heneedstopreparehimselfasaprofessionalforthispossibility.Andhe
needstoremindhimselfalwaysthatheundermineshimselfifhereactsemotionallytonegative
circumstances.Maturityisacoachingresponsibility;andnowhereisthistestedmorethan
whencircumstancescreatenegativeemotioninthecoach.Butasacoach,bepreparedfor
thesepossibilitiesandactaccordingly;actrespectfully,andactprofessionally.

8)WalktheTalk
Coacheswhodonotwalktheirowntalkwillnotbetakenseriouslyforlong.Therearefartoo
manyoverweightdietexperts,andsicklylookinghowtobuildmuscleexperts.Toomany
wannabeexpertsintheFitnessIndustryhaveadoasIsay,notasIdoarrogantattitude.
Someevengetawaywiththis.Themoderninternetcontributestothismistake.However,at
somepointitboilsdowntointegrity.Fartoomanyexpertsthesedayshidebehinddogmaof
researchortraditiontodotheirteaching.Thebestcoachescanwalktheirtalk;ifnotphysically,
thenatleastintermsofcommitment,discipline,consistencyandalltheothercharacteristics
theyexpecttomodelfortheirclients.Thereisfartoomuchcoachinghypocrisyinthefitness
industry.Itwillsoonerorlaterbeexposedforwhatitis.Wannabecoachesneedtounderstand
thatstudyingandlearningarenotthesameasknowinganddoing.Theexpressionthemapis
nottheterritoryisimportanthere.Ifwelooktoprosports,forinstance,andexaminecareer
coaches,wecanobserveasimilarpattern.Yes,theyarestudentsofthegame.Buttheystudy
andteachthegamefromwithinthegameitself.Theyhaveallnotonlybeenthereanddone
that,butarethere,andstilldothat.Thisiswalkingthetalk.Thisiswhycoachesgettherespect
oftheplayers.Theplayersrespectandaremotivatedbythosewhohavebeenwheretheyare,
butbeyondtheirpositionaswell.Coachesunderstandthegamebeyondthetalentlevelofthe
playersandtheirpositions.ThesameshouldbetrueforCoachesinthefitnessindustry.Itisnot
amatterthatacoachcangetawaywithnotbeingsomeonewhocanwalktheirtalk.Itisa
matter,instead,ofintegrity.BookstitledHugeinaHurryandarticlesalongthesamevein,
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shouldhavesomekerneloftruthfromtheauthorhimself,iftheclaimsaregoingtobeso
grand.Coachingisarelationship.Assuch,itshouldbebeyondmarketingmanipulation.
Coachesarepeoplewhomodeltheirownbehaviour.Integritytofollowingtheirown
instructionisthehighestformofcompetency.Coachesinprofessionalrealmshaveearned
respectfromdecadesofinthetrenchesactivityandexperience.Theyhave,asthesayinggoes,
gottheirhandsdirtyandhaveearnedtheirstripes.Thisdoesnotmeanacoachinthefitness
industryhastohavehadabackgroundofchampionshiptrophies.Butitdoesmeanhepractices
thesamedisciplinedlifestyletowhichheprescribestosomanyothers.Anditalsomeanshe
cannotbecomeaworthycoachbyattendingsymposiumsandupdatinghisaccreditations.This
isbycomparison,keepingthehandsclean,fromtherealwork.Anditstherealworkthatleads
torelevantexperiencewhichcanbepassedalongtoclients.Oneofthemostcommonmistakes
inthefitnessindustryisthatsomanyaspiretotheleadershiproleofcoach.Buttheycannot
walkthetalkoftheirprofession.Expectingclientstofollowadvicethecoachdoesnotfollow
himselfisfoolish.Itshouldbeobvioustoanyonewhenacoachisonewhowalkshistalk.

NotesforMentoringStudents

Makealistofthese8commoncoachingmistakes.Whichonesareyoumostproneto
andwhy?Howcanyouovercomeimplementingthesemistakes?

Whattacticscanyouuseasinsuranceagainstemployingthemistakesyouseemmost
proneto?

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SECTION3
AbouttheClient

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Chapter12
WheretoStart?

Thusfarwehavebeenaddressingtheconceptofcoachinginthefitnessindustryinadirect
format.Wehaveaddressedthelackofanyrealdiscussioninthefitnessindustryastowhat
coachingandonlinecoachingevenis.Mostpeopleandexpertsaresatisfiedtousetheterm
trainerandcoachinterchangeably.Itshouldbeunderstoodbynowthatthetworolesare
worldsapart,especiallyqualitatively.Tothisend,uptonow,wehavebeenexploringwhat
coachingreallyis,andwhatthecoachingroleandskillsetentails.
Wehaveeffectivelyaskedandanswered,bothwhoisthecoach?andhowisthecoach?
Becausetheclientissointerwovenintothatdiscussion,theclientconsiderationhasthusfar
beenbroughtalonginreferencetounderstandingthecoachsroleandthecoaching
relationship.Butnowsection3ofthisprojectneedstodelvealittledeeper.Theindustryhas
ignoredthedistinctionbetweencoachandclient.Theindustryhasalsoquantifiedclientsin
termsofageneralclientele.Onethingweknowaboutcoachingisthateveryoneiscertainly
different.Eventhoughtwoclientsmayreceivethesameprotocolofexerciseprogramoreven
diet;howtheyrespondwillbeuniquetoeachpersonasanindividual.Thisistruephysically,
physiologically,butalsotrueintermsofdiscipline,consistency,enthusiasmandstress.Soupto
now,Ihavewrittentotrytolaybareallthecriticalelementsimportanttounderstandingthe
conceptofcoachincompletetermsanddetail.Andasmuchasthisdelineationincluded
discussionoftheclient,itwasintermsofenlighteningthethemeofcoach.Thissectionnow
doesthereverse.Competentcoachingisallaboutunderstandingtheclientasanindividualand
movingforwardwiththeclientfromthatvantagepoint.Itisthecoachwhomustbeflexible
andamenable;nottheclient.Thismuchhasalreadybeenestablished.Sosection3isnowall
abouttheclientandchapter12startsatthebeginning.Asacoach,wheredoIstart?
Inonewordpreparation.Effectivecoachingisallaboutmandatingbeingprepared.And
indeedapartofbeingpreparedishavingarudimentaryunderstandingoftheoperating
principlesoftraininganddiet.Butcoachesmustadequatelyalsopreparefortheclientsaswell.
Havingknowledgeoftraininganddietisgood,butlimited.Ifitstopsthere,thencoaching
becomestheclassicmistakeofthinkingthatcoachingissomethingyoudototheclient;but
asIvealreadyillustrated,effectivecoachingissomethingyoudowiththeclient.Coaches
mustpreparethemselvesforboththepredictableandtheunpredictableaspectsofdealing
withpeoplewithinanongoingstructuredrelationship.(Sincethatiswhatcoachingreallyis.)
Preparationbeginsthenbystartingandkeepingaclientfilethatinvolvesnotjustaphysical
assessmentofneeds,butthecoachsqualitativeobservationsaswell.ThisissomethingI
inheritedfromsocialwork.
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Insocialwork,eachclienthadafileforstaffmemberstoreferto,whichsupplyasynopsisof
theclientscaseandsituation.Then,thefilewouldalsosummarizetheclientsongoing
interaction,demeanour,behaviour,andmentalandemotionalcapacities.Basically,anything
thathadaneffectontheclientprofile,caseandsituationwasincludedinfilenotes.Andthis
kindoffilekeepingwasalsoessentialforstafftoknowsubtleandobviousdifferencesin
clientele.Oneclientmaybepronetoviolentoutbursts;anothermaybeverballyabusiveetc.
Clientfilekeepingservesthecoachinthefitnessindustryaswell.Everyindividual,evenones
withthesamegoalswillresponddifferentlytocoachingandtoprotocol.Thefitnessindustry
evenacknowledgesthis.Butatthesametimetheindustryseemstocompletelyavoidthis
realityofindividualityaswell.Thequestionthenbegsforeffectivecoaching;howcanacoach
effectivelydohisjobwithaclientifsomuchoftheequationofwhothatclientis,isjust
neglectedasirrelevant?Theclient,asaperson,isnotonlyarelevantconsideration,but
perhapsthemostrelevantone.Preparingaclientsfilethatcontainsmorethanvitalstats
makesallthedifferenceinhowtocoachtheclientwiththekindofattentiontheywillrespond
tobest.
Onebenefitofkeepingafileisthatascoach,youwillbetheonlyoneviewingthefile.Thisisa
lotlikeapsychiatristandapatientintermsoffilekeeping.Itcanalsobeagoodideatomakea
generaltemplateforkeepingclientfiles,forquickaccess.Iemploythetriangleofawareness
discussedinpreviouschapters.Imakeheadingsforphysical,emotional,andmentalframes.
FromthereIassessthingslikeclientscurrentindustryknowledge;areclientsgoalsare
realistic;clientscommunicationskillsandstyle,etc.Thispreparesmeformyongoing
interactionwiththeclientasanindividual.Ineedtonotonlybepreparedintermsofwhatto
expect,butIcanalsoknowwhentheclientismakingrealprogressbasedonmyownfile
keepingandnotsomesillyandarbitraryphysicaltesting.Keepingaclientfileisnotameansto
judgementofaclient,butaqualitativeassessmentandevaluationtool.Remembercoachingis
arelationship.Itismorequalitativeandcommunicativeandinteractiveinnaturethanitis
physicalprescription.Therefore,formulatingaclientfileispartofclientpreparationand
currentandongoingassessmentaswell.Itisaninvaluabletoolintheprocessofcoaching.But
itmustgobeyondjustrecordingprogramsanddiets.
Thenatureoffilekeepingmustreflectthenatureofcoachingaswell.Itmustbepersonal,it
mustbepractical,itmustprofessionalanditmustbeproactive.Butpersonalmeansitmustbe
personalintermsoftheclientandhisrelationshiptoyourroleascoach.Itisnotpersonalin
termsofotherrelationshipsbycomparison.Filekeepingthatreflectsthecoachspersonalinput
leadstogeneralizationsthatmaynotservetherelationshipwell.Generalizationswemakeas
individualswithfriendsandfamilyarenotappropriateinthecoach/clientrelationshiporitsfile
maintenance.Thesetypesofgeneralizationsbasedonthepersonandnottheapplicationof
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behaviourwithinthecoachingrelationshipwilleventuallyerodeacoachsabilityto
appropriatelyinfluence,motivate,inspire,orsustainthatparticularclient.Thisiswhy,for
example,intheprofessionalserviceindustries,doctorsdonottreatfamily.Anyoneinthe
FitnessIndustrywhohastriedtocoachafriendorafamilymembereventuallyhitsabrickwall
becausetherelationshipbeginsfromanintimateplace,notaprofessionalone.Therefore,
keepingaclientfileeventhoughyouascoacharetheonlyonewhoseesit,stillmustmaintain
thislevelofprofessionaldistance.Andthisispreciselysoitcanbepersonalbutnotso
intimateastocreatebiasesofperception.Thisisveryimportantforacoachtoacknowledge.
Soforinstance,aclientfilemayhavesomethinglikethefollowingwithinit:
JaneDoereallyseemstowantandneedphysicaltransformation.Shehasbeenoverweight
anddepressedforalongtime.Sheseemscommitted,yethasneverachievedhergoal.Itmay
bedifficulttogethertounderstandthatbeingoverweightforherisreallyasymbolof
somethingelsegoingon.Sheisnotdepressedbecausesheisoverweight.Sheisoverweight
becausesheisdepressed.
Noticethisfileentryisnotjudgmentalbutisinsteadevaluative.Thisispersonal,professional,
practicalandproactive.Theincorrectpersonalkindoffilekeepingisonethatispersonal
becauseitreflectsthecoachinjectinghisownopinionandbiasintothefilelikemanydowhen
generalizingaboutfriendsorfamily.Thesameexampleisillustratedbelowasthewrongkindof
filekeeping:
JaneDoehiresmetohelpherloseweightandbehappywithherself.Yet,shehasadmittedly
failedateverydietandeveryprogramandcoachshehasevertried.Hasshenotconsidered
thatsheistheproblem,andthatshehasfailedtheseprograms,theseprogramshavenot
failedher?Illtrytohelpherforawhile,butIamnotgoingtolistentomoreexcuses.Ifshe
startswastingmytime,Illjustendtherelationship.Idonthavetimeforpeoplewhocontinue
topretendtobeseriouswhentheirresultsshowtheyareanythingbutserious.
Noticethislatterfileentryhasalotofgeneralizationsfromthecoachattachedtoit.Thisbiases
thecoachinapersonalway,notonbehalfoftheclient,butinsuspicionoftheclient.Inthis
example,thecoachhasprettymuchinjectedhisownexpectationsintothefile,andtherefore,
intotherelationship.Thisistotallyunfairtotheclient.Thecoachalsomakesitabouthimselfin
thisexample;whenthefirstexampleisabouttheclient.Sokeepingafilethatispersonal
meansitmustbeprofessionallypersonal.Ifthiscannotbeestablished,thecoachshouldnot
engagetherelationshipfurther.

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UnderstandingMotivation
Clientsandpotentialclientswilloftenenterintothecoachingrelationshipbyclaimingtheinitial
appealofpersonalcoachingservicesisallaboutmotivationforthem.Manycoachesare
flatteredbyastatementthattheclientneedshimformotivation.Wrong!Butfirstthings
first.Rightaway,theawarecoachshouldnotewheretheclientsstatedneedformotivationlies
inthetriangleofawareness.Noticethatmotivationhaslittletodowithphysicaltraining
protocolordiet.Motivationisamental/emotionalconstruct.Aclient,whoclaimsmotivationas
oneofthecentralreasonsforprocuringthecoachingservice,isaclientlookingforthewrong
thinginthewrongplace.Whileacoachcanindeedprovidemotivationtotheclient;itshould
bepartoftheongoinginteractionandrelationship.Motivationshouldneverbeameansto
achieveorelicitclientcompliancetoconsistencyofapplicationofprescribedprotocol.
Situationalmotivationmaybeatypeofmotivationemployedbytrainers,butitisunproductive
inthelongtermcoachingrelationship.Peoplewhowanttoinitiatecoachingwithastatedneed
formotivationareaskingforadvancedcheerleadingattheveryleast.Anyonewhoneeds
consistentmotivationalcoachingwillnotendureforlonginrealtermsanyway;regardlessof
coachsmotivationaltactics.Physiquetransformationofanykindwhenbrokendowntoitscore
isallaboutpersonalgrowth.Themotivationforthatpersonalgrowthaswellassustainingthat
motivationmustcomefromandgrowwithintheclienthimself.Thisisnotsomethingacoach
lendsorgivestotheprospectiveclient.So,fromtheoutset,anyclientclaimingtoneed
motivationfromcoachingshouldserveasaflagsigntotheawarecoach.
Butthen,howwouldmotivationtakeholdwithintheprocessandrelationshipofcoaching?
Howdoesmotivationbecomeabouttheclient,butwithinthecoachingrelationship?The
answerisallaboutbuildingclientmomentum.Thecoachcanbecatalystorcrusherofclient
momentum.Thecoachmustpaydueattentiontothisandmakeclientmomentuma
serviceablegoaltoaccomplish.Remembertheimportanceofthetriangleofawarenesswithin
therelationshipfocusandwithintheclientfileemphasisaswell.Withinthecoaching
relationship,theclientmusthaveanoutletandsafemeansforexpressingfeelings,attitudes
andsentiments.Thevitalaspectsofcoachingarenotlimitedtosimpleapplicationand
feedbackofprotocol.Toserveaclientmotivation,theinteractivenatureofcoachingmustbe
nonthreateningandnonintimidating.Andthisisespeciallytrueregardingmentaland
emotionalfeedbackfromaclient.Allclientswillexpressthemselvesindifferentways.This
shouldbeencouraged,notnegated.Thecoachsgoalisnevertocreatetrainingrobots,but
rathertoengageclientexpressionasameanstopersonalgrowth.Withoutthisrichcoaching
environment,youarenotacoach,butatraineratbest.Andpeopleinneedoffindingtheirown
motivationwillnotlastlongwithsuchalimitedtrainermentalityastheirguidinginfluence.
Byworkingfromtheclientsfile,theawarecoachwillimplementclientspecificmethodsand
meansofinteractionwellbeyondprescribedprotocol.Thecoachhelpstoforgethepathforthe
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clienttomoreclearlydelineatetheirgoalsintheirowntermsandunderstanding.Theaware
coachservestheclientsintheirownexperiencewithintheprocessofapplyingprotocol.The
goalofthecoachiswellbeyondthatofthetrainer.Thecoachmustfacilitatetheengagement
oftheclientstobeabletoseizeandapplyprotocolinawaythatshapesandenhancestheir
ownexperience.Todothisefficientlythecoachshouldtakeadvantageoftheclientsexisting
skillswithintheapplicationprocess.Andtheseskillscanbeineitherrealmofphysical,mental,
emotional.Oneclientmaybeorganizedandmotivated,butlackphysicalconditioning.Another
clientmayhaveastressfulandhecticlifestyle,butisdisciplinedandcommitted.Anotherclient
mayhavephysicalgiftsheisnotawareof,butisinconsistentinapplication.Thecoachmustfile
andemphasizeaclientsstrengths,isolatethesestrengthstowhateverangleofthetriangle
theybelong.(physical,mental,emotional)Andwhilethecoachengagesandworkstothese
strengths,hecanalsoseektodevelopnewonesaswell.Thecoachnudgestheclientaheadby
workingandemphasizingwhateverskillsettheclientpresents.Itsnotaboutthecoachs
expectations.Itisentirelyabouttheclientscurrentabilitiesandundiscoveredpotential.Thisis
themeansbywhichthecoachservesasguidinglight.Asthatlight,thecoachsgoalshouldbe
tofocusandnoticeandtakeadvantageofanyopportunitiesthatlettheclientshine.Theseare
usuallymomentsthatcannotbeprescribedinprotocolnordictatedasexpectationeither.
Thesemomentsoftenoccurspontaneously,andagreatcoachisawareenoughtocapitalizeon
theseopportunitiesonbehalfoftheclient.Thenthecoachcangenuinelyrewardtheclientfor
shininginwaystheclientmaybeunawareof.Thelessexperiencedtheclient,thelesslikely
heistoevenrealizehisownsignificantbreakthrough.Thisisespeciallytruewhensuch
breakthroughshavenothingtodowithpercentbodyfatoranthropometricmeasurementsetc.
Aclientandcoachfocusonabsoluteendresultsonly,willresultinfailureeventually.Thisis
whythecoachmustalwaysmakenotesintheclientsfileofanysignificantclientbreakthrough.
Sinceallphysiquegoalstrulyboildowntoadesireforpersonalgrowth,thecoachwho
recognizesandexercisesthisreality,isacoachwhorealizesthereisalotmoretothejobthan
theactualjob.Sothecoachbuildsmotivationbyguidingtheclienttoaprocesstofindingthat
motivationwithinhimself.
Eachclientmustbeevaluatedandassessedonanindividual,personal,andsubjectivelevel.This
tendstobetheexactoppositeofwhatindustrydictates.Inthecoachingrealm,thislackof
specificityrepresentsjustanotherfailureoftheindustry,oftendirect,andjustasoftenby
neglect.Withineachclientsfile,thecoachshouldmakeaheadingandacknowledge
reasonableexpectationsforeachclient.Thistypeofheadingonceagainmakesitallabout
theclient.Withinthispersonalpostulationofreasonableexpectations,thecoachcanactand
interactfairlyandsubjectivelywhilestillsustainingadesireddirection.Andtheonlywayto
formulatereasonableexpectationsisforthecoachtoimmediatelyfocusontheclients
presentedstrengths;nothisweaknesses.Afocusonaclientsstrengthshasapositiveinfluence
ontheclient.Andreasonableexpectationsfromthisworkingattitudeareeasierforthecoach
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tofosterandfortheclienttoembrace.Oncemomentumisgatheredinthisway,clientswill
tendtoworkonweaknessesontheirown.Thisisamuchmoreempoweringmindsetforthe
clienttoadaptandnurturethanismeredictationofprotocol.
Andbycomparison,constantlyremindingaclientofwhattheycannotdo,orfocusingontheir
weaknessesonlyincreasesnegativeenergyinthecoachingrelationship.Andasatactic,thiscan
alsocrushthecoachsgoalofbuildingclientcompetenceandconfidencemovingforward.The
coachshouldalwaysrecognizethatifhisagendadoesnotservetheclient,thenitdoesnot
servetherelationshipeither.
Andyettheindustrysuggeststhatmanyorallvariablesofprogressareuniversal,common,and
quantitative.Thisismistaken.Anditisnotreasonable.Onesizedoesnotfitall.Beingabletodo
achinuporaspecificnumberofchinupsisnotaqualitativeevaluationtoolincoaching.
(Whetheritisforatrainerisanotherseparateissue.)Clientsshouldbegivenchallengesthey
canreachandattain,notarbitrarystandardsthatdonottakeintoaccountvitalstats,
anatomicalleverage,experienceetc.Sucharbitraryfitnessstandardsdonotmeasuretrue
progress.Peakperformancewillvaryfromoneclientstalents,abilities,andgeneticsto
another.Thesearenotcomparatives.Theawarecoachshoulddesignprogramsandassigndiets
thatarethemselvesmodesoftesting.Theworkoutcanbethetest,andthetestcanbethe
workout.Masteryoftheprogramforanyclientistrulyareasonableexpectationinsteadofan
arbitrarystandard.

ReasonableExpectationsinCorrectiveSituations
Notallaspectsofcoachingorclientapplicationwillbejustsmoothsailingfromworkingtoa
clientsstrengths.Coachingisarelationship.Itisalsoanongoingprocess.Therewillbe
problems,issues,andneedforcoachinginterventionintermsofcorrectionandcritique.Butit
mustalwaysbeabouttheclient.Acommoncoachingmistakeisforgettingtheclientemphasis.
Toooftencoachestrytocorrectclientsbyassumingtheclientwontinitiatechangewhenthe
factistheclientcantinitiatechangeandisafraidtosayso.(Andaclientbeingafraidtoshare
anythingisaconsequencethatliessquarelyontheshouldersofthecoach.)Thepointisthat
thecoachcaninstruct,illustratebyexample,offerincentivesforperformanceetc;butifaclient
simplycannotdowhatisexpected,thenitisthecoachsassumptionthatisfaulty.Itsnotthe
clientthatneedscorrectioninthisexamplebutthecoach.
Instructionisuselesswhenitisbasedinassumptionsofperformance.Forinstance,acoach
canshowme,tellme,illustratetome,andevenperforminfrontofmebackflipsalldaylong.
AndtheinstructionandexpectationsformetodosodoesnthelpmeifIsimplecannotdoit.
Andyetweseethesearbitraryexpectationsallthroughtheindustry.Certainprogramsdictatea
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personshouldbeabletoincreaseapercentageoftheir1RMmaxweekly,ortheyshouldwork
tobeabletodosomanychinups,ortobeabletoperformapistolsquatetc.Allormostofthis
isnonsense.Ioncehadatraineecontactmeindesperation.Hewasreadinganarticlethat
dictatedheshouldbeabletodosomanychinupsasanillustrationofbalancedupperbody
strength.Hecouldonlydooneatthecurrenttime.Iaskedhimifhewasinasportthat
requiredanyformortypeofmovementpullingsimilartothechinup.No.Andwhenhedid
chins,hefeltpaininhisshoulderandbicepstendon.Yethewasdesperatebecauseofthis
certificationarticletoimprovehischins.Hewasntinneedofcorrection.Hewasinneedof
direction.Whetherhecoulddoonechinupor100hadnorealbearingonhisownself
improvement.Itisnaiveofthefitnessindustrytoassumeso,anddeceitfultoexpectso.Again,
startwithwhattheclientcandointermsofability,andcreatechallengeandcompliancefrom
there.Iftheclientcannotdoachinup,anyclientcandoapulldown.
Theabovescenarioisacommonoccurrence.Industrydictateschangeeachyearandeveryone
scramblestoadaptthemwithouttherationalquestionwhethersuchdictatesarerelevantto
theirclientssituation.Thisisespeciallytrueforthecoach.Theabovechinupscenariomadean
otherwiserationaltrainee,desperateandirrational.Andthechinupbecameanexerciseof
intimidationratherthanchallenge.Thisdoesnotservethetraineeorthecoach.Moreover,
coachingitselfcanbeanintimidatingenvironmentfortrainees,evenunconsciously.
Reasonableexpectationsmustalsoincludethecoachsapproachtocorrectiveandcritical
situations.Itsimportantforthecoachtoalwaysbeproactiveincommunication.Thecoach
needstocontrolasmuchaspossible,notcreateanenvironmentofclientreaction;especially
oneliketheexampleofdesperationabove.Whenspecificcritiqueandcorrectiveinstruction
arenecessary,theymustbeproperlycontextuallyplaced.Eventhoughallinteractionisclient
centred;problematicissuesmustfocusontheactionrequiredandthemistakebeingmade,not
ontheclient.Itisnotamatterofclientcharacterthatrequirescorrecting.Itisquitepossibly
theimplementationofcertainbehaviourorthinkingthatrequirescorrection.Intheabove
example,thetraineeneededtobeeducatedtofocusonwhatisrelevant,notwhatis
fashionable.Hisgoalshadnothingtodowithhisabilitytoperformchinups.Therefore,itwas
irrelevant.Whatrequiredcorrectionwasntaprogramforbetterchinupperformance;but
ratheranunderstandingofrelevanceandpracticality.
Insituationswhichrequireongoingcorrectionandcritique,itcanindeedbeasmuchaboutthe
clientcharacteraswellasthebehaviourthatrequirescorrecting.Iworkthisexamplemany
timesperyearwithclientswhocometomewitheatingdisordersofvaryingtypesanddegree.
Theymistakenlyfirstwanttohiremeforadiet,yetfailtounderstandtheireatingdisorderis
notsolvedorappropriatedbyyetanotherdiet.Itisnotadietissue.Butsolvingthisrequires
correctionandcritiqueinanongoingbasis.Insuchsituations(andtherearemany)itisbestif
thecoachcanalterhimselftofittheclientwithintheinteraction;ratherthanaddinganother
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expectationontheclient.(Whichwouldbetoexpecttheclienttobeabletoadapttothe
coachsstyleofdiscourse.)Remember,whetherincorrectivesituationsandcircumstancesor
not,theaccentuationforthecoachmustbeonreasonableexpectations,andbeaboutthe
client.Dictatingcorrectionandcritiquewithoutdialoguecanjustexacerbateatendencyfor
clientintimidationand/orkneejerkreaction.Thisdoesnthelptheclient,buttendstocreate
defensivenessinhim.Theclientwilloftenbedoinghisbest,butsimplydoesntknowany
better.Everyonefallsbacktopositionstheyknowandaresecurein,whetherthesepositions
servethemornot.Thecoach,whojustbarkssolutionsandexpectstheclienttoselfremedy,is
alazyandineffectualcoach.Itisuptothecoachtoleadtheway,showtheway,betheway.
Thisisthemodellingdiscussedinpreviouschapters.Thisisthemeansbywhichcoachisalso
thetrueguidinglight.Itisnotenoughforthecoachtojustnotice,observe,andpointout
mistakesandjustleaveitatthat.Tobeeffectiveinclientcorrectivesituationsand
circumstances,thecoachshouldnarrowthefocusonspecificclientactionsornonactions,the
consequencesofsuchactions;andthenanexplanationofhowandwhythesemistakesneed
changing.Thecoachisanactivepartoftheprocess,notabystandertoitsobservancemerely
offeringcommentary.Thismayrequiresomeadvancedcoachingexperienceandskill,butitis
becomingincreasinglyneededintheworldoftheonlinecoach,regardlessofindustry.
Situationsrequiringcorrection,critiqueandinstructionalsorequirecoachingsophisticationand
nuance.Thecoachiscarefultoavoidassumingtoomuchaboutwhataclientdoesordoesnot
know,orwhataclientscapabilitiesandunderstandingmaybe.(Althoughthesebecomemuch
clearertoacoachastherelationshipprogresses.)Ifacoachmerelyassumestheclientshould
beabletocorrectwhatiswrong,thisassumptioncansurelyleadtoineffectivecommunication
onbothsidesofthecoachinginteraction.Assuch,theopportunityforclientlearningand
growthcanbegreatlydiminished,insteadofanycorrectionstakingplace.Treadinglightly,for
thecoach,isgoodadviceatthisearlystageinthecoachingrelationshiporincorrective
situations.
Thisnuanceshouldnotbeoverlooked.Coachingisarelationship,yes,butitisapoweroriented
relationship.Thecoachistheleaderandtheclientwantstoacquirethecoachsrecognitionand
approvalontopofhisinput.Whencorrection/critiqueisinvolved,thecoachneedstobe
cognizantofthiselementoftherelationship.Correctionandcritiquehasnothingtodowith
blameorpunishment.Aclientwhosenseseitherorbothneedsreassurancethisisnotthecase.
Thecoachmustfocusonthetoneofinteractioninsuchsituations.Hemustmotivatetheclients
toembracecorrection,notembarrassthemtodoso.Becauseofthepowernatureofthe
relationship,theawarecoachneedstoknowthatshowingconcernfortheclientincorrective
situationsisoftenenoughtogetthemmovingforward.Thishaseverythingtodowith
strategiesandtacticsofcommunication(seepreviouschapters)andlesstodowiththeactual
situationwhichneedscorrecting.ThisiswhatIrefertoasinteractivediplomacyinthe
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coachingenvironment.Solutionstocorrectivesituationsneedtoofferdirection,not
judgement.Thecoachoffersdirectionthatismeaningfulbutlesspersonal.Thefocusfor
correctionismoretowardthecorrectiveprocessinvolved;nottheclientandnotthecoach.
Thisisthetypeofcoachingsophisticationandnuanceinvolvedinknowinghowtomakea
situationmorepersonalandmotivating,byremovingthepersonalelementsfromthe
correctivesituation.
However,somebehaviouralissuesthatrequirecorrectingdonotstemfromthephysical
applicationrealm.Sometimestheroadblockstoconsistencyorprogressaremorementaland
emotionalthanphysical.Coachingtheperson,nottheprogram,shouldallowforthecoachto
gaininsightintoproblemsthatcanstembeyondapplicationissues.Certainclientdemeanours
andattitudeswillpresentthemselvestothecoach.Evaluationandassessmentcantakeon
morequalitativeemphasisandoftenshould.Measuringcanbeafaultyapplicationtoolat
thispoint.Forexample,clientswitheatingdisordersshouldnotbeassessedbytheweight
scale.Theweightscalemeanssomethingdifferenttothistypeofclientthanitdoesforthe
coach.Andthecoachmustacknowledgethesethings.Coachingawarenessallowsthecoachto
makeworkingassumptionsaslongashekeepsthemtohimself.Coachinginthementaland
emotionalfocusesmeansassessmentsandevaluationsaremoreeffectivethanmeasuring.
Coachesmustalwaysrememberthatmostpeopleareresistanttochange.Sincecoachingis
knowingabouttheclient,coachesneedtoacknowledgemostpeopleholdontotheirown
assumptionsasfacts.Atsomepointinthecoachingprocess,clientswillberesistantto
necessarychange.Agoodcoachmustleadclientstofindingforthemselveswheretheirown
perceptionswerefalse.Lecturingtheclientsonthesesubjectsriskscreatingdistancebetween
coachandclientorworse.Unlearningcanbethehardestpartoflearningforaclient.Agood
coachcannotjustalwaysdictateprotocolandinstructionandleaveitatthat.Guidingtheclient
inthesementalcorrectivesituationswhichrequireclientunlearningdemandthecoachemploy
thetacticsandstrategiesofcoachingdiscussedinearlierchapters.Thecoachmustserveas
partoftheclientunlearningprocessasitmayberequired.Changingahabitorfalseperception
requiresrepeatedeffortsofthesamemessageoverandoveragain;albeitthemessagecan
takemanyforms.Whilethiscanbefrustratingforthecoach,thefocusmustremainaboutthe
client.
Agoodcoachshouldntjustexpectcorrectionmerelybecauseheinstructsanexpectationfor
ittobeso.Aclientisntgoingtogetitinstantlyjustbecauseyoutellthemto.Anditisnormal
andhumanforclientstostagnate,regress,andevenbeintimidatedbytryingtochangecurrent
thinkingpatterns;evenoneswhichmaybesabotagingtheirownprogress.Changinganykindof
behaviour,physicalormentalcanfeelawkwardtoaclientmerelybecauseitisdifferentfor
them.Thisisnotunusual.Mostpeoplesimplyresistchange.Ironically,theymayresistthe
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exactchangetheysetouttoaccomplish.TheFitnessIndustryisagoodrepresentationofthis.
Longtermchangeissooftenunsustainablebyclientsofthefitnessindustry.Theytendto
revertbacktowhattheyknowdietandlifestylewise.Thisisbecausenorealcoaching,noreal
guidinglight,hasbeenprovidedtothemtocorrectfaultythinking.Manyofthemmaintain
adherencetoaprogramoradietforawhile,buteventuallyreturntoformerhabits.Thetrainer
mentalityappliedtotheclientshasnotcorrectedorcoachedachangeinclientmindset.This
untilnowrepresentsafailureofcoachingacrosstheindustry.Thecoachcannotforcethistype
ofcorrectivethinkingontheclient.Thecoachmustguideandpresentalternativeswhilestill
allowingtheclienttoestablishhisownchangesinacomfortablepace.Resultsforcorrective
instructionareneverlinear.Thegoalofthecoachistokeeptheclientfocusedand
concentratingontheseelementsofchange,oftenwithouthimevenbeingawareofit.The
coachtriestoguideforwardtocorrectivethinkingsoastopreventtheclientfromfallingback
intopreviouspatternsandhabitsthataredestructiveorstagnating.
Clientsandnewclientspresentandbeginwithmanysingularissuesoftheirown.Thereare
actuallymanycommonelementsofclientissuesthatpresentthemselves.Therearetoomany
todiscussforthepurposesofthisbook.Butoneofthemostcommonelementsisafearof
intimidationofthecoach.Peopletryingtobetterthemselvesinacertainareaoftenfeel
vulnerableandconspicuous.Combinethisdesireforimprovementwiththecosmeticelements
ofbodyimageandfitnessanditseasytounderstandhowandwhythecoachingenvironment
canbesointimidatingforclientsandpotentialclients.Moreover,acoachwithareputationfor
beingreallygoodcanintensifythatsenseofclientintimidation.Onetheonehand,theclient
hasheardofyouandyourexpertiseandthatiswhyhewantsthebesthelp.Butontheother
hand,yourreputationasbeingsogoodreinforcestotheclienttheirownlackofselfesteem.
Thisneednotevenbeaconsciousacknowledgement,butitisoftenpresentinthebeginnings
ofthecoachingrelationship.Clientintimidationofthepowerstructureoftherelationshipisan
issueabouttheclientwhichanawarecoachneedstodealwith.
IoftenreceiveinquiriesfrompeopleaskingmeifIdealwithregularpeopleorsomeonelike
me.Thequestionitselfreflectsalevelofclientintimidation.Toomanycoachesrevelinthis
senseofperceivedpowerintherelationship.Butthisisnotpower;itisinactualitya
responsibilityonthecoach.Thecoachwhoembracesthestatuselementofpowerinthe
relationshipisalreadysettingaveryweakpositionformovingforward.Adultswillnotwantto
feellikeobligatedchildrenforlong.Theawarecoachneedstorealizethatthisinitialclient
intimidationcantakemanyforms;suchashoneymooning(discussedinmybook,TheAbel
Approach),excessivedeferencetothecoachsauthority,reactingtocoachinginstruction
defensively,andperceivingorreadingconnotationsintothecoachinginteractionthatarejust
notthere.(Henceanotherreasonthatcommunicationmustbeclearandconciseasarguedin
previouschapters.)Anintimidatedclientwillofteninferthatacoachisimplyingsomething
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otherthantheactualmessage.Anothertypeofillustrationofclientissuesishowsomeclients
mayinteractaggressivelyortoopersonallyforwhatisappropriateinacoachingenvironment.
Thesearealloffshootsofclientsnegotiatingtheirownfearandintimidationofthepower
structureinthecoachingrelationship.Passiveresistanceandacceptancecantakemanyforms
withinthecoachingrelationship,particularlyatthebeginning.
Confoundingthismoderninternetonlinecoachingenvironmentisthatnow,therealityis
manyclientswillalsoseekyououtasacoachafterpreviouscoachingrelationshipsthatwere
notpositiveexperiences.(Thisrepresentshowfasttheindustryontheinternetischangingand
establishingitself.)
Badorunrewardingpreviouscoachingexperiencescaneffecttheclientwellafterthesituation
hasexpired.Thenewcoachneedstorealizethiscaneffectthenewrelationshipaswell.The
awarecoachmustnotindulgeorassesstoomuchoftheclientspreviouscoachingexperience.
Thiswillnothelpformanaccurateopinionorpositionwiththeclient.Nomatterhowthinly
somethingissliced,ithastwosides.Whatevertheclienthastosayaboutapreviouscoaching
experienceshouldonlybetakenatfacevalue.Likeanythingelse,ifyouwerentthere,thenyou
dontknow.Aonesidedversionofpastscenariosthatledtheclienttoyouismoreorless
irrelevant.Indulgetheclientinhowtheygottoyou,andunderstandthepreviouscoaching
relationshiponlyinsomuchasitinformsyouabouttheclient.Theformercoachandthe
clientsexperiencewithhimisirrelevant.Leaveitinthepastandfocusonwhatisrelevant.The
clientspreviousexperiencemayberelevantifitleadstoselfdoubt,distrust,or
misconceptionsregardingyourroleasacoach.Thesearethingsthatmatter.You,offeringan
opinionofthepreviouscoachorsituationisnothelpful.Refocusonthepresent.Refocusonthe
protocolathand.Noticethatapreviousbadexperienceorunfruitfulexperiencewitha
previouscoachcanbejustaseasilysubstitutedwithanypersonalpastfailedsituationwhich
bringstheclienttoyou.(Forexample,manyclientscometomeafteramessydivorceor
separation,andwanttofinallyfocusonthemselves.Soitisjustastemptingforthemtoinject
thestoryoftherelationshipintothecoachingrealm.)
Forthecoach,thebestwaytoridtheclientofapastbadexperienceistogettheminvigorated
andpassionatelyinvolvedinthenewone.Thecoachengagestheclient,byengagingthe
process.Foryouasthecoach,thepastexperienceoftheclientisnotpartoftheequation.The
coachcanonlyacknowledgethattheprevioussituationmaycloudtheclientscurrent
perceptionofyouascoach.Itisnotonyouthecoachtogettheclienttoabandoncarrying
aroundnegativebaggageandexperience.Theclientsmustbewillingtoleavethepastinthe
pastwhereitbelongs.Butmanycannotorwillnot.Nomatter.Asacoach,youmustproceedto
thejobathand.Thecoachisguide,tobesure,butitisalsoreasonableforthecoachtoexpect
clientstomeethimhalfwayintheirdesiretomoveon.(Wewilldiscussthisfurtherinthe
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chapteraswell.)Hereiswhereandhowthecoachcanserveasmodeltotheclientaswell.If
youasthecoachmoveonfromtheclientsdesiretoengagepastexperience,theclientwill
morethanlikelyfollowsuitaswell,ifhebelievesinyou.Thepointisthecoachmustleadthe
directionbyexample.
Inalltheseabovescenarios,thepointistheclientcomestothecoachalwayswithsome
issues.Theymaybeminor,theymaybemajor,buttheyofteninsinuatethemselvesintothe
coachingrelationship.Inallthesesituationsandpotentials,theonethingthecoachneedsto
focusonmostishisownawareness.Heneedstofocusalsoonthewayandmeansbywhichhe
presentshimselfwithintherelationshipaswell.Clientissuesmeanknowingabouttheclient!
Therearethingsaboutclientspersonalitiesthatarenotchangeableorcoachable,butcanstill
impactthelongtermresultsofthecoachingrelationship.Thecoachmustfirst,last,andalways
focusonandaffectthethingshecan;andlearntounderstandtheclientissuesthatarebeyond
hisinfluence.Thecoachcannotbeeverythingtoaclient,andnorshouldhewanttobe,ever.
Whatthecoachcandois,ifandwhenthesituationpresentsitself,thecoachcaninvolvethe
clientintheirownselfassessment.Butthiscanonlybedoneaccordingtotheclientscurrent
levelofability.Thecoachshouldneverunderestimatetheneedforaclienttobetheirown
victim.Theawarecoachguardsagainstcreatingorenablingvictimstatusoranynegative
impactmindsets.Awarecoachesmustmakefulluseofthetriangleofawareness,andbeable
toindentifywithinitwhereaclientsissuesreside.
Andwithinalltheaboveelementsandaspectsofdealingwithissuesthatnecessitateknowing
abouttheclient,itisthecoachsleadershipthatmustsetthestandards.Thesestandardsare
thestandardsforcoachestouseandunderstandandproperlyapply.Thesestandardssetin
motionthemostimportantelementsofthecoachingrelationship,clientaccountabilityand
responsibility.

ClientAccountabilityandResponsibility
Effectivecoachingmeansattachingresponsibilitywhereitbelongs,ontheclient.Clientsmust
takeresponsibility,investinaccountabilityandbewillingtotaketheinitiativeinactionand
interaction.Agoodcoachdemandsrealitychecks.Asanongoingprocess,thiswillimprovea
clientscommitmenttothemselvesandtheirgoalsinwaysandmeansfarbeyondwhatany
seminar,symposium,peptalk,orselfhelpbookevercan.Whentheclientchoosescoaching,he
choosesaccountability.Asthemirror,theaccountabilitytothecoachisreallyanaccountability
reflectedbackontotheclient.Formanyitwillbethefirsttimetheyhavebeentrulyhonest
aboutbeingaccountable.Andthisaccountabilitytotheprogramandtheprocesswillserve
themfargreaterthannewexercises,fancyprogramsormoreinformation.Thisqualitative
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elementofcoachingisvitalandkeytotheprocessyetneverdiscussedandunderstoodexcept,
itseems,inhighlevelcompetitiveathleticsandthecorporateworld.Yetclientaccountability
andresponsibilityisjustaspertinentinthecoachclientrelationshipintheFitnessIndustry.
Thecoachreinforcestheprocessasitgoesandhisfeedbackshouldthenreinforcetheclients
commitmenttothatprocessaswell.(Thisishowmomentumisbuiltandsustained.)Thecoach
helpstheclientkeeptheireyesontheball,sotospeak.Bybeingaccountabletothecoach,the
traineeismorelikelytostayinawarenessoftheprocesswhereheotherwisemayget
distractedordissuaded.Agoalisaveryeasythingforaclienttoconceive.NewYears
resolutionshavepeopledeclaringgoalseachandeveryyear.Anditsonethingtoconceiveand
imagineagoal,itsquiteanotherthingtoremaininvigoratedandcommittedtoitduringthe
processofworkrequiredtoachieveit.Whileitstheresponsibilityoftheclienttomaintainthe
enthusiasmandfocusrequiredtoachievetheirgoals;thecoachsroleinmirroringand
nurturingthisresponsibilityisacoachingimperative.Itisthebuildingoftheseelementsof
responsibilityandaccountabilityoftheclientthatforges,deepens,anddevelopstheir
confidenceandcompetenceaswell.Thegoalforthecoachistoengageclientstoembracethat
applicationofprotocol,shouldhaveconsistentandunderstoodlevelsofcommitmentand
expectedresults.Thisdoesnthaveanythingtodowith%ofbodyfatorcaloriecounting.Ithas
everythingtodowithclientaccountabilityandresponsibility.Byexample,ifaclientisgivena5
daysprogram,thenitisexpectedtheclientwillfollowtheprogramandimplementit5daysper
weekasprescribed.Thisshouldnotbesomethingthatrequiresacoachsevaluation.Theclient
responsibilityshouldbeassumedatthispoint.Thecoachsetsthetoneastotheclients
responsibilities.Andtheclientbecomesaccountablewithinthefeedbackoftakingonthe
responsibilityofworkingtheprocesstowardreachinghisgoals.
Thecoachsleadershipacquaintsandenforcestoclientsthatitistheiractionsthatcount.
Modernculturehasledtoanalmostcultishexpectationthatotherpeoplesolveissuesfor
them,ortakecareofissuesforthem.Thisisnotthecoachsroleatall.Thecoach,whoabides
inthismisrepresentationofhisjob,willcreatemoreandmoreanexcusesmentalityforthe
client.Thiskindofroleplayingcancertainlyserveacoachsego,butitthwartsthedesired
clientresponsibilityandaccountabilityfortheirownactionsandapplication.Manyclientswill
cometocoachesinthefitnessindustrywithnorealbackgroundoftrueapplieddisciplineand
commitmenttosomethingoverthelongterm.Ifneedbe,thecoachwillhavetocoachclient
actionandawareness.Thegoalisalwaystonurturetheclientsownembracingof
responsibilityandaccountabilityinhisroletotaketheactionrequiredtomeetandsustainhis
goals.Thecoachdoesthisbyimplicitlycoachingtheclienttobeaccountableandresponsibleto
thecoachingrelationshipfirstandforemost.Thisprocesscanrequireagreatdealofcoaching
patiencewithintheprocessaswell.

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Butthecoachmustbeflexibleenoughtoletpeoplelearnandapplyanddevelopattheirown
pace.Thecoachwillgetafeelforthatpaceandalterhisexpectationsaccordingly.Theclient
needstodevelopasenseofsatisfactionfromandduringhisownprocess.Theclients
experienceiseverything.Itiswhatfosterstheclientresponsibilityandaccountability.Itiswhat
fostersclientcompetenceandconfidence.Theclientdevelopsthesensethattheprocessishis
alonetomaster,ownandcontributeto.Thecoachneedstolearnwhentostandoutoftheway
whileencouragingtheclientinthatprocess.Asdiscussedearlier,helicoptercoachesare
disempoweringtoaclientsmasteryofprocess.Andcoacheswhoalwaysinsinuatethemselves
intotheclientsprocesssendamixedmessageregardingclientresponsibilityand
accountability.Thecoachwantstobuildtheclientsenseofaccountabilityandresponsibility.
ThisisoneelementofcoachingintheFitnessIndustrywhichdiffersfromtheprofessional
worldsofathleticsorcorporatestructure.Clientshirecoachesinthefitnessindustry.Clients
arenotsubjecttocoachesasinotherindustriessuchasprofessionalathletics.Moreover
most,ifnotallFitnessCoachingclients,willnotbeearningalivingfromtheirfitnessendeavour.
Sothesenseofpressureandabsolutesneednotbepartofthefitnesscoachsapproachto
clientaccountabilityandresponsibility.Andclientsthemselvesmaylacktherequisite
understandingastotherequireddisciplineandcommitmentrequiredofthemtomeetand
sustaintheirfitnessgoals.Thecoachneedstorealizeallofthis.Itmeansknowingaboutthe
client.
Fromthebeginning,thecoachmustevaluatehowmuchaccountabilitytheclientneeds,
balancedagainsthowmuchresponsibilitytheclientcanhandle.Forinstance,highlevel
competitorsinthephysiqueworldwillmorethanlikelyhaveamoreclearideaofhow
accountabletheyneedtobetothecoachandtheprocess.Andtheycanusuallyhandlealittle
moreresponsibilitywithoutcoachinginterference.Butbycontrast,theworkinghousewifewho
hasneverbeencoachedinanythingmaynothaveanyideaofwhattypeorintensityof
accountabilityisinvolvedwithcoaching.Shemaynotbeabletohandletoomuchindividual
responsibilityeitherearlyintherelationship.Forexample,forthehighlevelcompetitorImay
justdictateacertaincalorieslevelandmacroproportionfortheirdietandletthemworkout
theactualmealtomealdietthemselves.Forthehousewifewhohasneverhadacoach,Iwould
giveanexactanddetaileddiet.Thisgoesbacktothepreviousdiscussionregardingknowing
whenandhowtoincludeaclientinhis/herownprocessandwithinhis/herownself
assessment.Clientempowermentisadelicatebalanceoftimingwithclientresponsibilityand
accountabilitybeingthecentralfocus.

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CharacterTypesandPersonalityTraits
Addressingcharactertypesandpersonalitytraitsaretoolsforveryadvancedandexperienced
coaches.Themoreexperienceacoachhas,thebetterheisatqualitativelyevaluatingvarious
personalitytypes.Andthemorevolumeofclientelethecoachmustdealwith,thegreaterthis
toolofevaluationbecomesaspartofthecoachsassessmentarsenal.Sincethischapters
focusknowsabouttheclient,thequestionbegs,aretheretypesandsubtypesofclientsin
thefitnessindustry.Isubmittheanswerisaresoundingyes.Andwhileitmaynotbepolitically
correcttosayso,knowingthesetypesandidentifyingthemcanreallyaddtothecoachsability
tocoacheffectively.
Inthefitnessindustrywherecoachingisemployed,therearevarioustypesofprevailing
mindsets.Knowingcertainpeoplethinkaspecificwayabouttheirfitnessendeavourcanbean
excellentresourceforcoaches.Forinstance,MMAtraineesandwannabefightershavea
specificmindsetasdocompetitivebodybuildersandFigurecompetitors.(Thisoneisoutlinedin
mybook,TheOtherSideoftheMirror.)Thereisalsoatypicalmindsetledbythemediaand
internetwhobuyintotheinfomercialmentalityofgimmicksandpromises.Theybelievethere
areshortcuts,secrets,andmagicpotionsthatleadthemtotheirgoals.Andthemarketersare
happytocapitalizeonthismentality.Asanoffshootofthistypeofmindset,therearethose
withthesupplementmentalitywhobuyintotheideasperpetratedbysupplementhucksters
ateverylevel.Andofcourse,thereareprofessionalpeoplewhohirethecoachbecausethey
valuetheirtimeandwanttodothingsright;andtheyunderstandtheneedforaplantheycan
followbecausetherestoftheirlivesissofullofotherdistractions.Allthesegroupsand
subgroupswillthinkandprocessinformationfromyourcoachinginaspecificway.Thewise
coachcanusethistohisadvantageonbehalfofhisclient.
Asanexample,Iwillillustratethethinkingpatternofthosewiththesupplementmentality.This
grouprepresentsthetrulyuninitiatedconsumersintheFitnessIndustry.Theytendtobe
youngerandimpulsive.Theymakeeasytargetsformarketingscamsofbothsupplementsand
expertise.ThesearethepeoplewithindustryADD.Theyarenotlikelytostaywithacoachfor
verylong.Theyarethetypesthataremorelikelytoreadlongadcopyonacoachswebsiteand
buyintopromisesoffastresultsetc.Theyarenotseekerswhoknoworunderstandthe
processoffitness.Theysearchandbelieveinproductspromotedtothemwhichcatertotheir
mentalityofminimaltimewithminimalefforts.Theyaretotallyendsorientedandusually
caughtupintheideaofBodyImagemoresothananytruefitnesspursuit.Marketersmarket
specificallytothistargetdemographic.(Showingclearlythattheyalsorecognizethemindsetat
thislevelaswell.)Marketersusebuzzwordslikecheapfasteasyormoredirectand
specifictargetbuzzwordslikejackedrippedfreaky.Marketerswillsplashthese
enticementswithsomescienceandpseudosciencetoaddtotheirappealtothismindset.
TherearemanycoachesnowintheFitnessindustrywhosolelycatertothismindset.Thereare
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evennowsymposiumsandconferencesforinternetmarketingonhowtospecifically
manipulatethismindsetoftheFitnessconsumer.Therealcoachmustbecognizantthatmany
clientswilllacktheessentialcommunicationandinteractionskillstoeffectivelyreceivereal
coaching.Andthisisabouttheclientandtheclientmentality.Manyclientsandpotential
clientshavetheirconsumermentalitycatered/marketedtoateverylevel.Clientsfromthis
mentalitymaynotbeabletodifferentiatebetweeninternetmarketinghypeandactualand
effectiveappliedcoachingexpertise.Andthisisregardlessofhoweffectivethecoachisin
actuality.Thisisaconsumermindset.Andthismindsettendstoseekexpertiseandservice
furtherdownthelinewellafterexhaustingbuyingproductstoreachtheirgoals.
Forthisgroupwiththismindset,coachingcanbeproblematic.Asanexample,thismerely
illustratesthattherewillbetimeswhencoachingwillnotcomenaturallytoeitherthecoachor
theclient;oraspecificcoachwithaspecificclient.Therearenoonesizefitsallapproachesto
coaching.Everyonecomestothecoachfromhis/herownuniquebackgroundofexperience,
education,sophistication,andperspective.Thepreviousexampleillustratesthatknowingthe
variouscategoriesofindustryconsumermindsetscangoalongwaytohelpingthecoach
understandhisclient;perhapsbetterthantheyunderstandthemselves.Forexample,Ihada
recentclientinquiryalongthefollowinglines.Thepotentialclientwasfollowingapopular
internetexpertprogramtogetfreakynaturally.(Rightawaythisisanindicatortomeasa
coach.)Theclientalsosupplementsthetrainingprogramwithalltheproductsfromthis
expert,rangingfromherbstoevenwater,proteinpowder,enzymesetc.Theprospectiveclient
wasinvestingabout$500permonth(minimum)onthesesupplements.Hewantedadiet
frommewhichwasvegetarian,rawfoodonly.Hisvitalstatswerethatheis6ft2in,andweighs
150lbs.Hisgoal,frommydietwouldbethathenotfeelfull,thatheusetheotherexperts
powdersforhisprotein,buthisgoalwastogain40lbsofmuscle.Thenheaddedincapitaland
bolditalics,WITHABSOLUTELYNOFAT.Withallthisinformation,Icouldeasilyaccessand
evaluatethisclientintermsofmentality.(Andyoushouldbeabletodosoinsuchanobvious
exampleaswell.)Icouldhaveeasilytakenhismoney.Iinsteadrefundedhiscreditcardand
simplystatedIdidnotthinkthatIcouldhelphimtoreachhisgoals.IknewthatshouldItake
himonasaclient,wewouldbespeakingadifferentlanguage,andthatcoachingwasnot
reallywhatthispersonwasseeking.Thisishowtousecategoriestohelpguideknowingabout
theclient.
Contrasttheaboveconsumermentalitywithsayaprofessionalhockeyorfootballplayerwho
seeksoffseasoncoachingguidanceforfitness.Thismentalityismuchdifferent.Morethan
likelythistypeofclienthashadcoachingforyears,andunderstandsandrespectstheprocess.
Healso,morethanlikely,spendstimeseekingoutappropriateandexpertguidance.This
personwillbelesspersuadedbypromisesandproducts,andmorelikelytoinvesthimselffirst

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inthecoachtheninthecoachsprogramandapplication.Itisalmostanoppositeofthe
previousconsumersamplemindset.
AtthesametimethattherearespecificmindsetsintheFitnessIndustrywhoarelikelyto
pursuecoaching;therearealsospecificpersonalitytypes.Onceagain,knowingthiscanbea
precioustoolforthecoachintermsofreallybeingabletoreachaclient.Butknowing
personalitytypesandunderstandinghowtodealwiththemareverydifferentthings.Agood
coachshouldbeabletocategorizeclientspersonalitytypewithoutformingjudgmentaboutit
eitherway,forgoodorbad.Itmerelybecomesaneffectivetooltouseforcoaching.Beingable
toeffectivelycategorizeapersonalitytypeofaclienthelpsthecoachwithongoingevaluation.
Ithelpsthecoachtobeabletoanticipatepotentialproblemsandoftentroubleshootin
advance.Butcategorizedoesnotmeanstereotype.Thereisafinelinebetweenthetwo.So
whataresomeexamplesofpersonalitytypes?Howcouldacoachaddressthemaccordingly?
Well,twocategoriesofclientpersonalitytypecometomind;theoverachieverandthe
underachiever.
Thefirstthingtonoticeinthisexampleisthatneithertheoverachievernortheunderachiever
hasanythingtodowithphysicalelements,physiquedevelopment,understandingtheprinciples
oreducation.Theyarepersonalitytypes.Andtheyexistacrosstheboardandateverypointof
fitnessandlevelorprowessandability.Hereishowknowingaboutpersonalitytypescanbea
usefultoolforcoachingapplication.Theoverachieverwillrequirechallenge,butattheriskof
burnout.Theunderachiever,ontheotherhand,willrequiregettingunstuckfromconsistent
stagnationintheprocessofapplication.Underachieverswillbelessconsistent.Thesetwotypes
ofpersonalitiescouldbothhireacoachandpresenttheexactsamevitalstatisticsandtheexact
samelifestyledemands.Andbecauseoftheselatterindices,mostcoacheswouldcoachthem
thesameway.Thiswouldbeamistake.Theoverachieverandunderachieverpersonalitywill
notrespondtothesamecommunicationandinteractionstrategy.Thiswouldseemobvious.
Onceagain,understandingthejobofcoachmeansunderstandingthatcoachingisalways
knowingabouttheclient.Theeffectivecoachcoachespeoplenotprograms.Theeffective
coachcoachesthepersonintheprocessandthroughtheprocess.Theprogramapplicationis
incidentaltothatfocus.
Forinstance,overachieverswillseldomifeverrequiremotivation,peptalks,andlecturesor
hovering.Mostwouldbesuspiciousofanyofthat.Overachieversalsotendtobepotential
leadersandcoachesthemselves.SinceIcanspotanoverachievereasily,Iwilloftengivethem
leadershiprolesatmyconferencesandworkshops.Todososhowsacoachingfaithinthem
thattheyexcelatmeeting.Theoverachieverneedstobechallenged,notonlybytheprotocol
butthelearningprocesswithinitaswell.Fortheoverachiever,thislearningprocessisoftena
personalone.Ithaslittletodowithgatheringinformation.Conversely,theunderachieverwill
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oftenpresentsignalsoflackofselfreliance,insecurity,variouslevelsoffearandintimidation
towardprocess.Theunderachieverismostsusceptibleaswelltomarketinghypeandinnuendo
discussedabove.Itfurtherenhancesasenseofconfusioninthem.Butthisconfusion,rather
thanmovingthemforward,insteadbecomesasourceofstagnation.
Onethingbothpersonalitytypeshaveincommonistheirinvestmentinthecoach.Neithertype
ofclientwantstodisappointthecoach.Thisispsychologicalleveragethatthecoachcanuse.
Theawarecoachemploysthisleveragenotforhisownpurposesbutonbehalfoftheclient.By
analogy,boththeoverachieverandunderachieverwilloftenreportasenseofstagnation.The
overachieverfeelslikeheisneutral;whiletheunderachieverfeelslikeheisinpark.Bothtypes
wanttobedrivingdowntheroadofexperiencingprogress.Theylookforthecoachtoputthat
vehicleintotheappropriategear.
Thisgear,ifyouwill,iswhatIrefertoastheattitudeofconsistency.Thecoachsongoing
interactionisaimedatinstillingthisattitudeintheclient.Thebestcasescenarioistheclient
embracesthisattitudeofconsistencyandrunswithitduringtheapplicationofprotocol.
Effectivelyinstitutingthisattitudeofconsistencyisadelicatebalancebetweenwhatisrequired
fromtheclient,physically,mentallyandtheclientsactualmentaldisciplineandcapabilities.
(Backtopersonalitytypesandmindsetsagain)Thecoachneedstoberealisticinclient
consideration.Lifestylefactorswillalsoneedtobeaddressed.Fromtheaboveexample,
overachieverswilloftenoverestimatetheiravailabletimeandenergy;whileunderachievers,
notsurprisingly,willunderestimatethem.Thecoachneedstoberealisticaboutwhatisa
sustainableconsistencyfortheclient.Clientshavetoembraceandunderstandthat
consistencymeansshowingupbeyondwhenitismerelyconvenienttodoso.Therealityof
doingtheplanningismuchdifferentthantheideaofplanningthedoing.Thiseffective
attitudeofconsistencycanrequireadifferentapproachforthecoachdependingonwhothe
clientis,andhowtheclientis.Overachieversmoveforwardwithfootonthegaspedal
regardlessoftraffic.Underachieversmoveforwardwithfootonthebrakeandalways
worriedaboutthesurroundingtraffic.Effectivecoachingisallaboutcreatinganeffective
attitudeofconsistencywheretheclientneedsit.Andthismeansaddressingtheclientby
assessingandevaluatingtheclienteffectivelywithinthetriangleofawareness.Understanding
charactertraitsandpersonalitytypescanserveascuecardsforthecoachtodosoeffectively.

NotesforMentoringStudents:

Addressthebenefitsofkeepingaclientfile.Formulateatemplateforyourownuse.
Whatkindofheadingswouldyouuse?Why?Asasampleexercisemakeaclientfile
onyourself.
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Inthesamplefileonyourselffillinsomeinformationonthevariousheadingsyou
decidedtouse.Basedonthatinformation,asacoach,whatwouldyourreasonable
expectationsbemovingforward?
Scenario1:
My name is John Smith. After careful consideration I want to hire you
to reach my goals. I am 28 years old and 5 ft 9 in and 150 lbs. I have
been training a long time but never seem to get anywhere. I know I am
carbs intolerant, and I follow a no carb/low carb diet. But I cant seem
to stick to it. I always end up binging on crap food after a few days. I
need you to keep me on the diet. I want to gain lots of muscle, but lean
muscle. I dont want to get fat. I seem to train all out and then lose my
motivation because I never see any results. Im looking at you to coach
me and give me the right program. And also, motivate me to stay
hungry to achieve the results Ive been after for so long. I look forward
to working with you.

Theabovescenarioisnotuncommon.Asacoach,howdoyouaddressit?Howdoyou
engagetheunlearningprocess?Whatassumptionscanyoumakebasedonthe
information?Whatalternativestothethinkingprocesscouldyoupresenttothis
client?
Scenario2:
Aclienthasbeenwithyounowforafewmonths.Hermostrecentcheckinismuchlike
herotherssinceshortlyaftershestarted.
This week was a bad week. Sunday was my PMS time, and since I had
to entertain I just said screw it to the diet. I ended up taking the day
off. It wasnt too bad till near the end of the day then I really lost it, and
ate everything. Monday I felt so guilty and hung-over. My project at
work has me stressed out and Im rushing to finish it. I missed Tues
and Wed workouts because of it. Thurs we had to go to a lunch
meeting about the project, so we ate in a restaurant. I didnt really
have much choice but to eat what everyone else was eating. So
needless to say my diet and training werent the best this week. But I
really want this! I am starting fresh on Monday. I need your help to
keep me consistent in this.
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Writeasimulatedcoachingcorrespondencetotheaboveclient.Withintheclient
interaction,howdoyouinterjecttheelementsofclientaccountabilityand
responsibility?Concentratenotonlyonwhattosay,buthowtosayit.Howdoyoubuild
clientconfidenceandcompetenceherewhilestillgettingacrossthemessageof
responsibilityandaccountability?

Inbothexamplesaboveaswellasyourownsamplefileonyourself,writeacoaching
correspondenceaimedatforginganattitudeofconsistencybasedontheinformation
provided.Setthemsidebyside:correspondence1,correspondence2,and
correspondence3.Notehowtheyalldiffer.Whatdoyoulearnfromthis?

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SECTION4
ReviewofCommonThemesandConcepts

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Chapter13
ClientInteraction

Thekeyelementoffocustocoachinginanyindustryorarenaisthateffectivecoachingisall
aboutthisreality:Thecoach,coachespeople,notprograms.Yetwhereisthiselementoffocus
beingtaughtintheFitnessIndustry?Themoderninternethasledtotherealityoftheonline
coach.Yet,tillnow,noonehasproperlyaddressedasignificantstudyoftheintricaciesinvolved
forthecoachoronlinecoachinthefitnessindustry.Thishasledtomanyofthecommon
failuresofotherfledglingindustriesaswell.Theinformationmythandbiashasledtomanyof
themostcommonmistakeswewitnessineducationaswell.Itisaparticularelementof
paradigmblindness.Coachingexpertiseentailstwoelementsofrelevance.Bothhavebeenthe
subjectofthisproject.Toreiteratefirstthen,coachescoachpeople,notprograms.Thetwo
elementsofcoachinghereare:1)knowinganswers;and2)teachingotherstheseanswers.
UnfortunatelyexpertiseintheFitnessIndustry,likesomanyotherindustries,hasbeen
mistakenlycaughtupinthepursuitof#1,withanalmosttotalneglectof#2.Someexpertshave
referredtothisblackholeasthecurseofknowledge.Allowmetoexplain.
Gettingamessageacrossoransweringaclientsneedinvolvesnotjustknowingtheanswerbut
deliveringitinameaningfulway.Herestheproblemwithmoderncertificationandindustry
expertisewithitsinsistentfocusonthewhatonly;andusuallyattheexpenseofwhoand
why.Thewhatisanelementofinformation.Thewhoandthewhyarethecoaching
contextsandrelevanceandconduitsfortheimplementationofthatinformation.Inthe
coachingrelationship,youcannothavetheformerwithoutthelatterasacontext.Theproblem
isoneofeducationfocus,andasIhavestatedseveraltimesinthisproject,informationisnot
knowledge.
Theproblemisoneofdisconnect.Peopleinvestinordinateamountsoftimelearningthat
becominganexpertisallabouttheaccumulationofinformationandknowledge.Yetthereis
nofocusonhowtorelateandcommunicatethatknowledgetotheclientdemographic.Wesee
thisallthetimeinotherindustriesaswell.Itsamatteroffactthatapersoncangraduatefrom
medicalschoolorwithanMBAinbusinesswithouteverhavingtotakeaclassineffective
communicationandinteraction.Anyofuswithahighereducationknowthatcollegeprofessors
takedozensofcoursesintheirareaofexpertise,butnoneonhowtoteachit.TheFitness
Industryhasmadethesamemistake.Sowhileapersoncanaccumulateseveralcertifications
andaccreditationsintheFitnessIndustry;theyareleftsorelylackingintheskillsneededto
applythisknowledgeeffectively.Insteadofcommunicatingrelevantideas,themodern
FitnessExpertisleadtobelievehisexpertiseisamatterofsharinginformation.Thisisthe
blindsideofcoaching.Andtheproblemwiththisaccumulationofknowledgeisthatitcan
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rendertheexpertevenmoreuselessintheapplicationofsharingthatknowledgewiththe
coachingclient.Forinstance,inordertohavetheanswers,youneedexpertise.
Butonceyougainalevelofexpertiseitshardtodisassociateitfromthelevelofknowledgeof
yourpotentialclient.Asanexpert,younowknowthingsothersdonotknowwhichiswhythey
willseekyouout.However,youyourselfcannotnowrememberwhatitwasliketonotknow
thesethingsthatqualifyyouasanexpert.Andthenwithouttheemphasison#2above,we
haveablackholeofcommunication.Thisleadsthewannabecoachintheineffectivepositionof
tryingtointeractwithclientsasiftheiraudiencewastheirownself.Thisisineffectualbecause
anillustrationofknowledgeisnotacommunicationofknowledge.Wannabecoachesendup
sharinginformationbutnotinacontextofrealteachingandlearningfortheclient.Thecoach
isineffectivebecausetheideasdontlastarenotusefulasalongtermresource.Theindustry
hasfailedbyleadingwannabecoachestobelievethateducationislikefillingabucket.But
whenitcomestoeffectivecoachingofaclient;educationisnotlikefillingabucket,butmore
likelightingafire.
Coachinginstructionandadvicehastoservethemandateofcoachingpeople,notprograms.
Withinthismandate,theprocessofclientexperienceiswhatismostrelevant.Effectiveclient
interactionthenmustservetheclientinthemeansoflightingthefire,notfillingthebucket.
Forongoingcoaching,effectivenessclientinteractionmustmotivatetheclientinfivekeyways.
Thecoachmustcommunicateandinteractinawaythatmotivatestheclienttopayattention
tothecoachinginstructionandinteraction.Instructionmustbeclearenoughforaclientto
understanditandrememberitlongterm.Coachinginteractionmustbeeffectualenoughto
empowertheclienttoagreeandbelieveinthecoachsinstruction.Thecoachinginteraction
shouldmotivatetheclienttocare,notonlyaboutreceivingthecoachsmessage,butcare
abouttheprocessofcoachingcommunicationasawhole.Andmostimportantly,thecoaching
communicationshouldbesuccinctenoughfortheclienttoactontheinstructioninawaythat
theycaninternalizeitinexperience.Sothecoachingcommunicationstructureisonewiththe
missionof5relevantpointstoengagingtheclienttolearnontheirown.Thecoaching
instructionorfeedbackengagestheclientto:
1)PayAttention
2)UnderstandandRememberthecoachsfeedback
3)AgreeandBelieveinthecoachscommunicatedmessage
4)Careenoughtoengageandapplythecoachinginstruction
5)Haveacleardirectiontobeingabletoactonthecoachingadvisement.

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Theaboveillustrateshowandwhycoachingisaboveandbeyondsharingideasof
accumulatedinformation.Theabove5pointsaremoreaboutthewhothehowandthe
whythantheyareaboutthewhat.Yetcurrentindustryfocushasthisrealitybackwardsto
thepointwhereexpertiseisnowjustanideaofcollectingmoreandmoreinformation;often
withoutcontext,nuance,orapplication.Inordertoberelevant,thefocusmustcomebackto
beingclientcentredandnotinformationbased.Therealityofthecoachingenvironment,even
online,isthatitisfarmorequalitativeanexperience.Hence,realcoachesneedtomove
furtherawayfromthistotalemphasisonfactsandstatistics;andclosertoacentrewhich
involvesmeaningandsubstancefortheclientapplicationofprotocol.
Interactionmustfirstlastandalwaysbeatwowaymodeofcommunication.Clientsrelyonthe
coachtosettheagendaandstructurethegameplan.Thecoachreliesontheclienttoinform
himhowthegameplanisunfoldingintermsoftheclientsownexperienceoftheapplicationof
protocol.Forthisdialoguetotrulywork,boththecoachandtheclientmustbeableto
understandandrelatetoeachothersfeedback.Therefore,merelyteachingexpertstheright
informationcanoftenfailwhenthejobofcoachisgettingtheclienttorelatetoinstruction,
understandinstruction,applyinstruction,andbenefitfromtheexperienceofinstruction.To
thatend,thecoachneedstoproperlyplacethecontextofhisjobrightsideup.Itisnotabout
accumulatinginformationafteracertainpoint.Iliketogetwannabecoachestoadaptthe
acronymofSUCCESShere.SuccessstandsforStrategy,UncomplicatedCommunication
(whichshoulddirectaclientsunderstanding).Clearinstruction,ConciseFeedback:
Empoweringtheclientwheneverpossibleinrealwaysandmeans,notphonycheerleading.
Andsimple,shortcommunicationexchange.

S=Strategyforclientinteraction
U=UncomplicatedCommunication,ClientUnderstanding
C=ClearInstruction
C=Concisefeedback
E=ClientEmpowermenttowardthetaskathandortheinteractionandfeedback.
S=Simpleinstruction,simpleformsofcommunication.Brevity.
S=Shortinteractiveexchanges.
Astrategyisaguidetobehaviour.Sotheoverallstrategyforcoachinganyclientinthefitness
industryistherealityofthemantra,Coachescoachpeople,notprograms.Thissetsthe
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strategyforinteraction.Andnomatterhowcomplicatedaclientwantstomakeprotocolseem,
thecoachsgoalincommunicationistomakeinteractionuncomplicated.Thecoachsgoalisto
ensuretheclientunderstandshisfeedbackandinstructionandadvisement.Thebestmeansof
accomplishingthisincommunicationistoalwaysbeclearandconcise.Andwithinthatprocess
ofinteraction,wheneverpossiblethecoachempowerstheclientfortheclientsown
engagementofaccountabilityandresponsibility.Thecoachneedstokeepfeedbackand
interactionwiththeclientsimpleandwheneverpossible,short.Thisdoesnotmean
disengagingtheclient.Itmeansnotthrowinguselessconceptsandexplanationsattheclient
whichmayonlyconfusehimmore.
TheSUCCESSmodeforclientinteractionshouldbeapostitnoteforallcoacheswhoneedto
practicecommunicatingandinteractingmoreeffectively.Thecoachingstrategyisonewhere
theprogramanddietaresecondaryfocusincomparisontoeffectiveinteractionand
communicationwiththeclient.

ClientFeedback
Thisdictates,then,thatthecoachmustvalueclientfeedback.Coachesandexpertsarealltoo
eagertodictatetoclientsbutnotjustaseagertoengageclientfeedback.Thisisahuge
mistake.Italsofailstomeetthecriteriaofwhatcoachingissupposedtobe.Iftheclients
feedbackandinputdoesntmattertothecoach,thiswillbefeltbytheclient.Coachingisa
relationshipbuiltontwowayinteraction,notonewaydictatorship.Butthecurrentmodeof
accreditationintheindustryisblindtothecoachingrole.Andalthoughcoachingisabouttwo
wayinteraction,thisdoesnotimplythatitissomehowakindofnegotiation.Coachingisnever
so.
Theclientlookstothecoachforanswersandinsights.Thecoachneedstheclientfeedbackin
ordertobeabletoprovideeitherinanyworthycontext.Butthecoachmustkeeptowhatis
importantwithinanyclientinteraction.Hemustbesuccinctandfocused.Thecoachwhotruly
valuestheclientsfeedbackmusthaveflexiblecommunicationskills.Hemusthaveenhanced
listeningskillsaswell.Thebestsourceofinformationforthecoach,inregardstohisclient,is
theclienthimself.Andthisistruephysically,mentallyandemotionally.So,theclients
feedbacktothecoachisthemostvaluableelementinthecoachscoachingarsenal.Andthis
canonlybeactualizedwithanemphasisonprocess,notjustoutcomes.Itisgoingtotakea
clientawhiletoreachtheirgoals.Withinthattimeperiodlotsofthingsgoonwhichcanand
willaffecttheprocessandtheoutcome.Acoachcanonlyproperlyevaluateandassesshowthe
clientisdoingbypayingattentionandvaluingclientfeedback.

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Thecoachshouldinstructandleadclientstoknowthatclientfeedbackisallaboutthe
experienceandinsightsgainedbythemwhilefollowingprotocol.Feedbackshouldbeafree
flowingsubjectiveinterpretationfromtheclienttothecoach.Andtheclientfeedbackshould
begivenatregularandfrequentintervals.Allclientsprogressattheirownindividuallevels,
physicallyandmetaphysicallyspeaking.Beingprocessedbasedratherthanjustoutcomebased
helpsthecoachtoseethingsmoredeeply.Theclientreportsandnarrateshisownsubjective
feedbackwithinacertaintimeperiod.Fortheclienttobeabletodosowithoutemphasison
havingaccomplishedsomethingleadsforagreaterandmorehonestfeedbackenvironment.
Acoach,whostressesoutcomeoverprocess,inducesanenvironmentofstressandpressure
intothefeedbackequation.Outcomeandresultswithinaclientreportareonlypartofthe
assessmentandcoachingevaluation.Andincontrast,theseonlinecoacheswhogiveaclienta
protocoltofollowforaspecifiednumberofcalendarweeks,withlittletonointeractionwith
theclientduringthattimeframearenotcoachesbyanystretchofthedefinitionoftheterm.
Outcomeandresultsarenotthepurposeforthefeedbackreport.Astheexpert,itisoftenup
tothecoachtointerpretaclientsfeedbackandillustratebacktohimtheresultsofprocess.
Clientswillmoreoftenthannotfocusonoutcomeswithinareportingperiod.Butthereare
oftenmanyundetectedresultsofclientseffortsthatdonottranslatedirectlyintomeasurable
results.Tofocusonlyonquantitativeelementsoffeedback,suchastheweightscaleor
strengthlevels,canoftenmeanmissingateachingopportunitywithafeedbackreport.Forthe
coachespecially,thequalitativeelementsoffeedbacksupersedethequantitative.Client
feedbackmustbevaluedifitistobeproperlyevaluated.Effectivecoachingisaboutengaging
clientfeedbackforassessment,andinvolvingtheclientintheirownsubjectiveexperience.
Effectivecoachingisaboutknowingandhonouringintherelationshipthatnoteverythingthat
countscanbecounted,andnoteverythingthatcanbecounted,counts.
Afterinitialcoachinginstruction,thecoachsfeedbackshouldtakeitscuefromtheclients
feedbackwithinareportingperiod.Theoutcomeissecondarytotheprocess.Areporting
periodneednotbeaboutgoalacquisitionornonacquisition.Buteachreportingperiodwill
havesomekindofresultsofapplicationtoassess.Theclientisthesourceofthatassessment,
sohisfeedbackisessential,evenifitmustsometimesbereinterpretedbythecoach.Within
anyassessmentofclientfeedback,thecoachmustweighthespecificsoftheclientsfeedback
withthegoalsoftheprogramandtheexperienceoftheclient.Clientcharacterispartofthe
assessment.Therewilloftenbeabackandforthemphasisofthecoachbetweenafocuson
protocolresults(thephysical)andafocusonclientexperienceofapplication(nonphysical).
Andjustasoftenclientfeedbacknecessitatesthecoachtoengageafocusonboth.
Asmentionedinapreviouschapter,timelinessiscrucialforcoachingfeedback.Theclientalso
shouldbegivenfreedomandopportunitytoreportbiofeedbackinregularandfrequent
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intervals.Thisiscrucialforboththecoachingprocessandthecoachingrelationshipitself.Ifa
coachistogiveinstruction,critique,orreinforcementofclientfeedback,thenthiscoaching
needstocomeinatimelymanner.Thelongeracoachtakestorespondtoclientfeedback,the
lesseffectivethecoach,andthelesseffectivehisfeedback.Iamsaddenedyearlybythe
numberofonlinecontactsIreceivewhoreportbeingsohappythatyougotbacktomeso
quickly.Manyreportthatpreviousorcurrentcoacheshaveprovidedthemwithatraining
programand/ordiet,onlytoleavethemaloneintheirapplicationofit.Thesetypesofcoach
directtheclienttocontactmeafter12weeksorwhatevertimeframe.Thisisnotcoaching.
Itslaziness.Notwotraineeswillhavethesameexperienceorthesamelifestressorsduringan
applicationofprescribedprotocol.Coachingshouldbeaservice,notaproduct.Selling
programsanddietsisfine,butitdoesnotfallunderthecategoryofcoaching.Coachingis
active,interactive,andconcurrentwiththeapplicationofprotocol.Peoplewhowriteandtell
metheircoachtakestwoorthreeweekstogetbacktothemreflecttomejusthowintensely
realcoachingismissinginthefitnessindustryaccreditationprograms.
Theclientsexperienceduringthereportingperiodshouldtellthecoachallheneedstoknow
forevaluationandassessment.Ifnot,thecoachcanjustsolicitmoreinformationandfeedback
fromtheclient.Simple.Ifthecoachdoesnthaveenoughinformationorfeedbackforrelevant
commentary,hemerelyinteractswiththeclienttogetthefeedbackheneeds.Overtime,this
teachestheclientwhatkindoffeedbackisimportantandwhatelementsoffeedbackare
irrelevant.Buttheclientremainsthesourcefortherequiredinformationincoaching
feedback.
Thecoachneedstobeabletoassumethatallclientfeedbackissincere.Assuch,client
feedbackneedstobetreatedsincerelyaswell.Oftenclientswillrationalizeorevenbeself
deludedabouttheirlevelsofconsistencyandcommitment.Thecoachmustnotmeetsuch
feedbackwithdisdain,butwithhonesty.Coachinghonestyisaboutrelaying,mirroringand
guidingtheclientviatheclientsownfeedback.Ifaclientisbeingunrealisticinhisthinkingor
application,thecoachneedstosayso,andinallhonestyandtruth.Forthecoach,thetruth
alwayshasstrengthandavoice.Butthistruthmustbedeliveredwithtact.Often,clientsjust
donotknowanybetter.Thisiswhytheirfeedbackissovaluableanassessmenttool.Andthe
coachalwayscentresonworkingwiththeclientintermsoffeedbackandinteraction.When
clientsarebeingunrealistic,thecoachmustinstructtheclienttowardabetterunderstanding.
Employingclientfeedbackgivesthecoachastartingpoint.Heshouldaddressclientillusionsor
rationalizationsbydiscussingideas,notpersonalities.Engagingtheclientinthismannerisall
aboutcommunicationandnotaboutbeingrightorwrong.Feedbackshouldneverbeacontest
withawinnerandloser.Feedbackisallaboutrelayingappropriateinformationandinstruction
basedontheclientfeedback.

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Byanalogy,Ilikenthecoachinginteractiveexperiencetoatennismatch.Itbeginswiththe
clientgivingthecoachtheobligatorystartupinformationlikevitalstats,pictures,lifestyle
assessment,fitnessgoalsetc.Thecoachthentakesthisinformationanddesignsthe
appropriateprotocolfortheclienttoimplement.Thecoachvolleysthisinformationtothe
clientandtheclientbeginstoundertaketheprogram.Duringtheclientsimplementation,his
ownfeedbackbecomesessential.(Seemybook,TheAbelApproach,regardingbiofeedback)
Theclientthenvolleysthissubjectiveexperiencebackintothecoachscourt.Thecoach
assessesthisinformationandvolleysbackanycommentary,instructionoradvicebacktothe
client.Anditcontinuesthisway.Noticethisisaninteractiveapproachwhichnecessitatesthe
clientfeedback.Itdoesnotignoreit.Anyonethinkingcoachingisnotaprocessbutadictation
doesnotunderstandtheconceptofcoaching.Moreover,byconsistentlydownplayingtherole
ofcoaching,thefitnessindustryisreinforcingaonewayinstructionmodelofapplicationwhich
actuallynegatestheclientintheirownprocessofachievement.Likemostindustriesthat
mistakenlyfollowthisinformationmodel;theprocessisnegatedandthemethodologyis
incomplete.Coachingrequiresattentiontoboththeongoingprocessandtheclientsown
feedbackwithintheapplicationofthisprocess.Toconceiveofanythinglessthanthisrealityisa
mistake.Andthismistakeistheblackholeofcurrentindustryaccreditationandstudy.

NotesforMentoringStudents

Thischapterrepeatssomecommonthemesofthebook,butwithinthecontextofclient
feedback.Whyistheemphasisonclientfeedbacksoimportant?

Whatarethe5elementsforengagingtheclientinongoingfeedback?

MakeapostitoftheacronymS.U.C.C.E.S.S.andreviewit.Lookatmockclientexamples
fromperviouschapters.UsetheS.U.C.C.E.S.S.pointstoreviewandredoclient
interactionexercises.Whatdoyoulearnaboutyourcoachinginteractiveskills?

Makeabulletlistofyourownofanyunderlinedorboldfontofthischapterthatstands
outtoyou.Whathaveyoulearned?Howcanyouusethisknowledgeandapplyit
effectivelyinthecoachingenvironment?Makenotes.

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Chapter14
SummaryofConceptsandConclusion

Istartedthisprojectbylettingyouinontwoquestionsregardingmycareersuccessinthe
FitnessIndustry.AndthosequestionswereHowdidIgethere?andHowamIstillhere?I
amnowstartingmy4thdecadeasaprofessionalintheFitnessIndustry.AndwhenIlookback
tothejourney,thesameanswerkeepscomingup.Mysuccessinthisindustryisattributedto
oneword.Coaching.AndwhileIcertainlydevelopedmyknowledgeofFitnessalongtheway,
thiswasavariableofinfluence.Thecoachingskillsetwastheconstant.Thetruthis
knowledgewillcomeandgo.IthasavoguetrendtoitintheFitnessIndustry.Certificationhas
becomeabusinessandthereforethedefinitionofcertifiedhascertainlybeendiluted.Its
amazingtomehowmanyclientsIgetwhocometomecertified,experienced,somewith
advanceddegreesetc.Theircredentialsseemtoclaimcompetenceloudandclear.Butthe
ongoingsadtruthisthatalargepercentageoftheseindividualsdonotseemtoknowand
recognizeagoodmajorityofwhatIwouldexpectthemtoknowbasedontheircredentials.
Clearlywehaveaprobleminthisindustrywherecertifieddoesnotequalqualified.Earlier
chaptershaveaddressedthis.
Thefitnessindustryhasmanycomponentsandcertificationreflectsalotofthesecomponents.
Therearenowcertificationsforthetoolsofthetradewithoutanyunderstandingofthe
rulesofthetrade.RightnowsomeonecanputonacertificationforaTRXorforCrossFit
oreventheBosuBall.Thinkaboutit.Thesearebuttools.Doesamastercraftsmanlearnhowto
beacraftsmanbytakingacourseinthescrewdriver?Thebusinesssideofcertificationis
replacingthecompetenceelementofwhatcertificationrepresents.Thisisaproblemtobe
sure.Theindustryhasnotonlybecomecomplacentintheturnstilenatureofthebusiness,but
isnowcapitalizingonitaswell.Thetruth,asdiscussedinearlierchapters,isthat80%ofpeople
pursuingfitnessasavocationwillnolongerbeintheindustryinfiveyears.Thisistrueevenof
trainers.Andthosewhoremainwillonlyexperiencehorizontaljobmobilitywithinalabour
intensiveorientationtopersonaltraining.Thistendstoburnouteventhosewhoactuallyare
qualifiedbecauseinordertogetahead,theyhavetoworklongerandlongerhours.These
realitiesneedtobeaddressed.Certificationisfailingtobeameasureoftruecompetenceinan
industrywithaglobalinfluence.Coaching,asarealvocation,withrealoperatingprinciples
andskillsisnotevenunderaddressinanyrealformintheindustry.Coachingneedstobe
understoodinordertobepursuedasaviablemeanstoacareerpathinthefitnessindustry.
Coachingneedstobeunderstoodforwhatitisandwhatitinvolves.Coachingandleadership
skillsneedtobegintobeapartofahugeemphasisoftheselegitimateorganizations.Theera
ofthefitnesscoachandonlinecoachishere.Coachingcompetenceisnot.
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Oneofthemainthrustsofthisprojecthasbeenelucidatinganunderstandingofthe
informationmythintheindustry.Masteryofsubjectmatterisimperativeinanyvocation.
Coachingisnoexception.Theissueis,howdoessomeonegetthere?Thecurrenttrendin
industrycertificationandinindustrymarketingisthatmasteryexistsintheaccumulationoflots
ofinformation.Thisisuntrueandfalse.Withoutacontextofguidingprinciples,informationis
juststockpiledandmeaningless.Itisakintoknowingthealphabetwithoutknowingtherules
ofvowelsandconsonants.Operatingprinciplesneedtoalwaysbethefocusformasteryand
performance.Andyetaglimpseofanysymposiumorconferencelecturedocketusually
illustratestheproblemofmethodsoverprinciples;orevenworse,minutiaoversubstance.It
seemstheseadvancedorganizationsarespeakingpasttheiraudienceandspeaktoanarrower
andnarrowertargetaudienceallthetime.Andthatisatargetaudienceofpeoplejustlike
themselves:Inotherwords,otherexperts.Itleadstheconsumerandclientatallthese
lectureslefttomerelygatherinformationattheexpenseofunderstandingmuchofit.For
coachingmastery,theprinciplesareevenhardertograsp.Andtheymustbeactivelypracticed
notmerelystudied.Thisisindeedacoachingdilemmaintermsofalearningcurveinbeingan
effectivecoachoronlinecoach.Theoperatingprinciplesneedtobeunderstoodandpracticed.
Thisisnotaccomplishedbygatheringinformation.
Truthbetold,incoachingasinmanyotherfields,knowledgeisbetterservedbybeinganinch
wide,butamiledeep.However,theinformationmythcontinuestoperpetratetheillusion
thatknowledgeisaninchdeepbutamilewide.Masteryforcoachisallaboutknowingand
practicingthesubjectmatterandskillsetofbeingacoach.Coachingskillsentail
communicationandinteractionskills,bothoralandwritten.Leadershipability,emotional
maturityandotherelementsofprofessionalrelationshipsmustbeunderstoodandservedin
thecoachingenvironment.Thedifferencebetweentheinformationmythoftheknowledgeand
theactualworkingoftheunderstandingoftheprinciplesisobvious.Forinstanceactivation
thresholdsandmacronutrientbreakdownofadiethavelittletodowithcoachingefficiency.
Andyet,ifcoachingisthejob,howissomethingsoobviousmissedanddistortedintermsof
relevance?Allsortsofinformationandperspectiveonmethodandprogramapplicationdo
notdealwiththefundamentalrealityofthecoachingrelationshipandthecoaching
environment.
ItsbeenarguedadnauseumintheFitnessIndustrythatmethodsaremany,butprinciplesare
few.(Aristotle)Astrueasthisis,symposiumscontinuetopushagendasofmethodswithout
assessingwhetherthetraineeunderstandstheoperatingprincipleswithinthem.Therearea
millionroadstoaccesstogetaclienttoreachtheirphysicalgoals.Coachingprovidesthe
smoothpavementofthoseroads.Thecoachprovidesthemapandthedepictionofthe
territory.Itisuptotheclienttotraverseit.Nowthen,theseprinciplesofcoachingneedto
supersedethisoverfocusontheinformationbias.Oratleast,letshavethemmeetinthe
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middle.Scientificresearchandstudiesarenotyieldingbetterresultsforclients,orevenfor
wannabetrainers.Ihavebeenpartofgatheringknowledgeandinformationforthebetter
partofthreedecades.Ihaveseenthedismalresultsitbringsprofessionallyspeaking.Ihaveleft
behindorforgottenmoreknowledgethanmostexpertswilleveracquire.Why?Becauseit
wasntpertinenttomebeingbetteratmyjobascoach!Thetruthissomeknowledgeisa
voguetrend,heretoday,gonetomorrow.Otherknowledgesimplyhasnothingtodowith
effectivecoachinginvolvedinhelpingaclientgetfrompointAtopointB.
Itistimetostudy,address,andenacttheoperatingprinciplesoftruecoachingandtrueonline
coachinginthefitnessindustry.Thisprojecthasbeenanattempttoopenthedoortodoso.

TheJobofCoachorOnLineCoachintheFitnessIndustry
Whatmakesagoodcoachisoftendifficulttodistinguish.Itsacombinationofmanyfactorswe
willaddressinthissection.SufficeittosaythereareindividualsintheFitnessWorldrightnow
whohavereputationsasbeinggreatcoacheswhoareinfactanythingbut.Someoftheseso
calledcoachesarenothingmorethaninternetmarketers.Othersarenomorethanadvanced
trainers.(Thisisatleastastepupfromthemarketers.)Asanaside,onelookatprofessional
athleticspointsouthowstarkthisdeviationofthefitnessindustryreallyis.Inprofessional
athletics,thecoachisatriedandtruerespectedrolewithcleardelineationsand
requirements.Nowaywouldatraineroramarketereverhaveajobortitleasacoachinany
arenaofmodernsport.Thefactthattheillusionofexpertiseissoreadilyapparentinthe
FitnessIndustryandontheinternetjustunderscorestheneedfortheindustrytotrulyaddress
somekindofaccreditationforthevocationofFitnessCoach.Indeedeventhetermstrainer
andcoachareusedinterchangeablyasmeaningthesamething.Theyarenot.Allofthishasled
toageneralmisunderstandingastotheroleofcoachintheFitnessIndustry.
PreviouschaptershaveaddressedtheInformationMyth.Coachingnecessitatesgettingaway
fromaonesideddogmaticapproachofemployinginformationbiasasthebuildingforceof
knowledgeforcoachingclientstoreachtheirfitnessgoals.Aclientreachingandsustaining
theirfitnessgoalswillhavejustasmuchtodowithaspectsofcharacterandlifestyleawareness
thanamereapplicationofinformationtaughtbyatrainer.Particularandspecificinformationa
coachcanacquiremustbeappliedwithintherelevantcontextofclientawarenessandability.
Whatlooksgreatinstudies,textbooks,articlesandsymposiumsmayhavelittlebearingon
whatworksintherealworld:orevenmoreimportantly,mayhavelittlebearingintermsofthat
particularspecificclientandwhathewillrespondtobest.TheproblemasIseeitisthatwrong
answersarecomingfromaskingwrongquestions.Thequestionforthecoachisnotwhat
informationthatIknowshouldIaccessforthisclient?Thatquestionobjectifiestheclientasa
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nonentityinhisownprogram.Themoreappropriatecoachingquestionisinstead,whoismy
client?Andtheevaluationoftheclientfromthiskeyquestionunfoldsfromthere.The
informationbiasworksagainstcoachingwhenclientsbecomeperceivedasmereobjects
receivingaprogramand/ordiet.Ishouldthinkthismistaketobeobviouswhenputthisway.
Truecoachingthenisaboutthegrowthanddevelopmentoftheclient,regardlessofthefield
ofendeavour.IfthatseemslikeatalltasktotakeonintheFitnessIndustry;well,itis.Butit
remainstheaccuratedepictionofcoachingnonetheless.Someclientsmaynotevenbeready
themselvestotakeoncoaching.Atrainermaybeamoreappropriatefitforaclient.Butto
applyonline,longdistanceexpertisetoaclientinthefitnessindustryistrulyarolebefittinga
coach.Trainerworkcannotbeaccomplishedlongdistance.Thecoachaccessesallthree
elementsofthetriangleofawarenessforclientevaluation.Agreatcoachmayevenhavetobe
involvedinredefiningtheclientsgoalsaswell.Thishappenstomefrequently.Someclients
havegoalsmuchgranderthantheircurrentcapabilities.Thecoachcanreshapecurrent
unattainablegoalsintoaprocesstheclientcanowninrealterms.Aprogramcannotdothis
onitsown.Itsallrightforthecoachtointeractwithaclientinsuchawayandmeansto
engagetheclienttounderstandandappreciaterealandattainablegoalsinbothshorttermand
longtermcontext.Again,thisillustratestherealityofcoachingtheclient.Aprograminandof
itselfservesnopurposewithinthiscontextofclientachievement.Coachingisaboutre
assertingthepriorityofthenatureoftheexperiencefortheclient.Goalachievementisonly
partofalongprocess.Iftheclientgainslittletonounderstandingofhimselfortheprocess
throughoutthatjourney,thenmoreislostthanisgained.Thecoachsroleisintheclients
journeytowardthedestination.Theactualarrivalatthatdestination(thegoal)isentirelyfor
theclienttoownandaccomplish.Hecanonlydothisinrealtermsifhisprocessisnurturedina
waythatbuildscompetenceandconfidencealongtheway.Inreality,thecoachisavehiclefor
appropriatelydirectingandaddressingaclientsmental,physical,andemotionalenergies.
Coachingisaboutappropriatelyleadingandteachingtheprocess.Itisnotaboutcreating
robotsorsubmissiveslaves.Thewannabecoachwhoapproachesthejobfromthebaseofthe
informationbiasinsteadoftheclientwillbewronglyfocusedonhisprogram.Thiswillhave
thetendencytotrytocreatetrainingrobotsandslaves.Ifthestructureoffocusis,instead,all
abouttheclient,thisclassicmistakecanbeavoided.
Yes,coachingprovidesbothinsightandinspirationtotheclient.Butthisshouldbe
accomplishedinsubtleandindirectmeans.Thecoachshouldnotbeattachedtoanypartofa
roletowanttobeaninspirationtotheclient.Thecoach,whopaysattentiontothispartofhis
role,isthecoachwhoismarredinhisownegoneeds.Therealcoachleadsandteachesthe
clientaspartoftheprocess.Itisnotaboutcheerleadingtheclient.Anditcertainlyisnotabout
receivingaccoladesforthecoacheither.Thisisnottosuggestthereexistscoaching

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objectivity.Thepointisthecoachisnotemotionallyinvestedintheclient,but
professionallyinvestedinhim.

CoachingBias
Acoachwillalwayshaveaperceptualbias.Itscalledperspective.Anygoodandhonestcoach
startswiththisrecognitionwithinhimself.Therealityismanycoachesandmanyexpertsgo
alongpreachingaboutobjectivity.Thereisnosuchthingwhendealingwithpeople.Socoaches
endupcoachingwithintheirownsubjectiveinterpretationoftheirobjectivity.Itisatbesta
rationalizationofperspective.Agreatcoachdoesnthidefromhisbiasesormisrepresentthem.
Agreatcoachmakeshisbiasesanactiveandworkingpartofhisstrengthforcoaching.
Coachingbiasisnotaweaknesstoavoid,butarealitytoembrace.Coachingisrelationship
based.Thereisnoobjectivityinthat,onlyfairness.Thesearedifferententities.TheFitness
Industryinitsblindattempttoquantifyeverythingleadstoaperceptionofanobjectivebasis
forclientinteraction;whennoneexists.Theindustrysfocusonstuff(information=
knowledge)hasledtrainersandwannabecoachestobelievetheclientismereobjectinthe
process.Theperceptionofobjectivityleadstoacoachingandtrainingperceptionofbothof
thesebeingsomethingyoudototheclient.Theclientisnotmereobject.Theclientisactor
withinhisownprocessofapplication.Coachingissomethingyouengagewiththeclient.The
clientwillhavehisownsubjectiveperceptionsofhimselfwithintheprocess.Heisnot
objectiveeither.Sothisemphasisontheresearchandscienceismisleadinginregardstothe
coachingrealityofcoachingbeinganactiveandongoingrelationship.Letsbeclearhere.The
coachissubjectivewithabiasofperspective.Hiscoachingroleisalsoasubjectiveone.It
mustbebecauseitisarelationship.Theobjectivityinvolvedandwhatshouldbeaimedfor
withintherelationshipisfairness.Thecoachingbiasshouldnotaffecthisfairnesswithinthe
evaluation,assessment,andclientinteraction.Andthisrealitydemandsacertainlevelof
maturityandawarenessofthecoach.
Beyondwhatthecoachknowsaretheelementsofthenonverbalandnoncommunicated
aspectsofcoaching.Inthisregard,themostvaluabletoolforthecoachintermsofclient
influencewouldhavetobemodelling.Responsibilityandaccountabilityisatwowaystreet.
Thecoachhimselfshouldmodelanddemonstratewhateverbehavioursandattitudeshe
expectsfromhisclient.Thereisnoclearerinfluencetoeffectivenonverbalcoachingthan
modelling.Theindustryhasfosteredagrowingexpertisebasedonknowinghowtotalkthe
talk.Thegoodcoachcanalsowalkthewalk.Heoftenwalksit,betterthanhetalksit.Beingable
toleadbyexamplegivesthecoachacertainlevelofrealworldcredibility.Butthisdoesnot
havetomeanphysicalprowess.Tosuggestsowouldbeonceagaintooveremphasizethe
physicalsideofthetriangleofawareness.Beingabletoleadbyexamplegivestheclientthe
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howandthewhytofollow.Handingtheclientaprogrammerelyprovidesthemwiththe
whatofapplication.Effectivecoachesareabletomodelthemselvestheirownexpectations.
Again,thismayseemlikealottoexpectofaFitnessExpert,anditis.Buteffectivecoaching
shouldgobeyondwhateverfieldwithinwhichitisapplied.Ifthecoachcannotfollowhisown
adviceintermsofbehaviourandattitude,thanhecanhardlybetakenseriously.Modelling
shouldnotbesomethingthecoachistryingtodo,orproveeither.Itshouldjustbehowhe,
thecoach,conductshimselfinthecoachingrelationship.
Now,sayingthatcoachingisarelationshipgivesacertainimpression.Sayingcoachingisalso
subjectivenotobjectiveisalsosuggestive.Thenaddingtothisbystatingcoachingmustbe
personalalsogivesacertainimpression.Butcontextiseverythingtounderstandingthejobof
coach.Thecoachingroleisallthesethingsbutitisalsoaboutbeingprofessionalandfair.So
therealityisthatwhilethecoachingapproachmustalwaysbepersonal,therelationshipis
not.Thecoachcanbeinterestedinaclientandinteractinpersonalwaysinordertobe
effective,butthereisalsoaboundaryinplacethatcannotbecrossed.Thisisthe
professionalismofcoaching.Thecoachingclientisneverfriendorfamilymembertypeof
relationship;notwhenmoneyisbeingexchangedforservice.Knowingthisboundaryshouldbe
automatic.Insistingthatcoachingbepersonalinordertobeprofessionalisnotacontradictory
statement.Andthesamegoeswithinthespiritofclientinteractionaswell.Thecoachneedsto
disassociatehimselffromclientfeedback.Thereisabigdifferencebetweenevaluatingand
assessingclientfeedbackandperformancevs.judgingthatclientasaperson.Thisisnotwhatis
meantbystatingthecoachingmustbepersonal.Toomanywannabecoachestakeliberties
withintherelationshipthatcrosstheprofessionalboundary.
Sotheroleofcoachisamulticomponentrolethatisalwayschangingandalwaysdifferent.
Eachcoach/clientrelationshipisdifferentandeachcoach/clientrelationshipwillchangeasit
progresses.Becausethecoachdeal,withthephysical,mental,emotional,andevencultural
aspectsofaclientsworkingperspective,thereisalwaysmoretothejobthanjustthejob.The
jobbeyondthejobforthecoachistoknow,understand,andembracetherealityofthe
differencebetweenthejobdescriptionandtheactualrealityofdoingthejob.Coachinginthe
fitnessindustryislikecoachinginanyotherrealm.Soitisfirstaboutpeople,andsecond
aboutfitness.Iknowthisstatementwillmeetwithincredulityandevenhostilitybysome.ButI
makethisstatementfromhavingassessedmyprofessionalsuccessinthisindustrynow
enteringitsfourthdecade.Soascontroversialasitmayseeminthismoderneraofthe
informationmyth;Iknowthisstatementtobetrue.Informationbasedsourcing,even
somethinglikethisbook,isonedimensionalandlinear.Thejobisanythingbut.Therealityof
coachingisthatitisalwayschanging.Itisalwaysdifferent.Itisnonlinearandactive,not
passive.Materialisneutralandanonentity.Coachingisnonneutralandaliveentity;alive

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relationship.Thestudyofcoachingandthedoingofcoachingaredifferentworlds.Therealityis
thatthestudyofcoachingmaynotpreparesomeoneadequatelyforthedoingofcoaching.
Becausetheroleofcoachisalwaysdifferentandchanging,theeffectivecoachneedstobe
flexibleinstyleofinteraction.Rigidtypecoacheswillcatertoaverytinynichemarketofsimilar
thinkingclients.Thiswillnotbodewellforlongtermvocationalsuccess.Foracoachtoinsiston
dogmaticinterpretationsofprotocolisariskyprofessionalapproach.Suchaonesidedrigidity
canrisklosingaclientsenthusiasm,understandingandlongtermcompliance.Onceagain,such
rigidityofstyletendstonegateandobjectifytheclient.Allcommunicationtoolsofacoachcan
varyfromcoachtocoachorclienttoclienteven.Buttheultimategoalandendproductsarefor
clientcomplianceandclientunderstanding.Ifacoachcanswayclientstoemployandapply
protocolcreatively,theclientscontinuetomoveforwardastheygaincompetenceand
confidenceintheirapplication.Themoreviableandsustainablecoachisthenonrigid,flexible
styleofcoach.Acoachneedstobeabletoallowandevenencouragethataclientsexperience
andapplicationcanbedifferentthanexpected,withoutbeingwrong.Aslongastheclients
applicationcomplieswiththecoachsprescribedprotocol,clientcreativitycanbeasourcefor
coachingencouragement.Rigidtypecoacheshavetheiregosthreatenedbydifferentwhen
differentcanbeelucidatingandliberatingforbothclientandcoach.Thereshouldnotbea
perceivedapparentthreattothecoachsauthoritywithinthecoach/clientrelationship.Flexible
coachingnegatestheemphasisonauthority.Mutualgoalsexplainedclearlyshouldleave
roomforaclientspotentialcreativity.Thisistruebothintermsofapplicationofprotocoland
interactionaswell.
Remember,theclientisaliveentityandtheclientwillandshouldinfluencethenatureofthe
relationshipaswell.Rigidcoachingapproachescannottoleratethis;thereforetheytendto
negateandobjectifytheclient.Thecoachsflexibilityinstyleandcommunicationneedstobe
asvariedasthepersonalitiesoftheclientswhoseekhisservice.Nowayaroundthatfor
anyonewhohopestomakealivingasacoachforthelongterm.NichemarketslikeMMA
training,marathontraining,bodybuildingtrainingetc,willcomeandgoandchange.Theneed
ofpeopleforcoachingwillnot.Acoachingstylewhichisflexiblewillmorelikelyengagethe
clienttoembraceandownhispartintheprocessmoresothanarigidcoachingstylethat
dictatesinonedirectiononly.
Itshouldnowbeestablishedthattheclientisanactivecomponentandmutualparticipantin
thecoachingrelationship.Theclientisnotmerelythereceiverofinformationand
instruction.Theclientplaysanobviousandessentialroleintheirownprocessofapplication.
Sointhecoachingrelationshipwhatkindoffeedbackandinteractionwillhelpthecoachto
helptheclient?Inawordqualitative.Theoverallfocusofclientfeedbackshouldbeone
thatengagessubjectivequalitativefeedbackfromtheclient.Howdoestheclientthinktheyare
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doing?Howaretheyenjoyingtheprocess?Howdifficultdoestheprocessseem?Thisiswhata
relationshipfocusedstyleoffeedbackemphasizes.Anyquantitativegoalsorevaluationsshould
beamerepartoftheoverallemphasisoftheclientsownsubjectivefeedbackofexperienceof
application.Inthissense,then,thetrainingisthetestandthetestisthetraining.Quantitative
measurescanbemisleadingatbest.Ontheirown,quantitativegoalscanbedestructiveaswell.
Again,thecoachingemphasismustgobeyondthephysicalaspectsofthetriangleofawareness.
Aneyetowardlongtermpositiveclientexperiencemustbeweighedagainstshortterm
quantitativemeasurementsofprogress.Therealcoachhasaneyeontheimmediate,the
residual,andthecumulativeelementsofclientprotocolapplication.Thetrainermentalityis
stuckintheimmediate.Inandofthemselvesarbitrarymeasurementsofprogresscanbe
meaninglessormisleading.Icanmaketheweightscalechangeindaysbysubtractingcarbs
fromadietoraddingcalories.Doeseithertrulymeasuretheclientsprogress?No.
Quantitativemeasurementsandevaluationsshouldservethecoach/clientrelationshipas
indicatorsonly.Theyarepartofthecoachingprotocol,notthereasonforit.
Coachingcommunicationandinteractionisthevehicleforclientexpression.Andclient
expressionshouldbeencouraged.Assuch,coachingskillshouldhavesomeobvious
componentsforinteractiveefficiency.
1)Followthrough:Acoachshouldalwaysfollowthroughandfollowupwithclientstomake
sureaclientfullygraspsanycoachingadviceandiscapableofimplementingit.Thecoachdoes
notassumetheclientunderstandsacommunication,butfollowsthroughtoensureit.
2)Onpointcommunication:Theeffectivecoachisallaboutkeepingcommunicationonpoint
andfocused.Hedoesnotuseindustryjargonifitisnotneeded.
3)Thecoachisneverarrogantenoughtothinkhisjobistofixpeople.Hisinteractionisclient
centredandprocessoriented.
4)Thecoachencouragestheclienttoembracetheideathatcoachingisatwowayaxis.He
doesnotassignaprotocolforagivennumberofweeksandthenjustdictatetotheclientto
contactmeafterthattime.Thatisnotcoaching.
5)Thecoachsemphasisisoncommunication,process,andinteraction.Thisgoesalongwayto
preventingconfusionandnecessitatingrehashingoldinformation.Thecoachengagestheclient
tounderstandthatcoachingisaprocesstheyshare.Coachingisnotsomethingdonetothe
client,butwiththeclient.Thisrequiresongoinginteractionoftheclientrelatinghis
experiencetothecoach.
6)Throughcommunication,thecoachestablishesandencouragesarealworkingrelationship
wheretheclientisfreetobringupquestions,issues,obstaclesandprogresswithintheir
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biofeedbackandexperienceofprotocol.Coachingshouldbeanopenendedqualitative
experienceuniquetoeachcoachingrelationship.
Alltheabovenuancestocoachingareaboutworkingtogethernotworkingon.Aclients
programissomethingyouworkonasacoach.Youworkonthings,notonpeople.Theclient
applicationofprocessissomethingyoubothsharetogether.Thecoachsgoalistoenhance
thatexperience.

Conclusion
Iwouldliketosumupthewholeofthisprojectassuccinctlyaspossible.Manythemes,words
andphraseshavebeenrepeatedthroughoutthistext,onpurpose.Somanyelementsofreal
coachingnecessitatethembeingrepeatedindifferentcontexts.Thecoachsroleisalwaysa
uniqueone.Andwiththeproliferationofthemoderninternet,theFitnessCoachandtheon
lineFitnessCoachisnowareality.ThejobofFitnessCoachneedstobestudied,discussed,
learnedandtaught.Havingsaidthat,thetruthisthatcoachingisallaboutdoingnotjust
knowing.Andthisissomethingtheindustryseemstohavehadupsidedownforsometime.
Knowledgeintheindustryisnowbeingreducedtosomesortoftriviapursuitregardlessof
contextorrelevance.TheindustrycurrentlyremindsmeoftheTVGameshowJeopardy.
Knowledgeofinformation,oftenunrelated,becomesconfusedwithwisdomandknowhow.
Peoplelogontovariouswebsitestopickupcatchphrasesandindustryjargoninorderto
soundandcomeoffasbeingintheknow.Itsaseasygametowinat.Unfortunatelythisdoes
atremendousdisservicetotheconsumerintheindustry.Coachingismoredifficulttofake
becauseitisaboutthedoing.Themoreprojectslikethiscometothesurfacetobestudied,
thebettertheconsumerandexpertwillbeatdiscriminatingatruecoachingprofessionalfrom
themanyposers.
Thetruthisthecoachcanwearmanyhatsatanygiventime.Thecoachcanbetrainer,trouble
shooter,innovator,guidancecounsellor,parent,teacher,supervisor,confidant,servant,role
modeletc.Andoftenthecoachcanbeacombinationoftheseallatonce.Whatallthese
variouscontingencyroleshaveincommonistheelementofarelationship!Forthecoach,the
wholeisgreaterthanthesumofitsparts.Coachingisleadershipandalltheelements
containedwithinthebroadestdefinitionofthatterm.Aswehavestudiedinthisproject,what
therealcoachactuallyisisfarandawaydifferentthanthewayexpertiseiscurrentlybeing
taughtandaccreditedintheFitnessIndustry.Thisistheblindspotorblackholewhichthe
industryneedstoaddress.Theexpertiseinvolvedincoachingismuchdifferentthanthe
expertiseinvolvedinbeingafitnessexpert.Forthecoach,thereismoretothejobthanjust
thejob.Thejobofcoachneverboilsdowntowhatyouknowaboutfitnessbuthowwellyou
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canteachandinfluenceothersinapositiveway.Whyisthissodifficulttograsp?Intermsof
thecoach/clientrelationship,Yeatsmakesmypointbest,whenhesaideducationisnotso
muchfillingabucket,aslightingafire.
Sohowiscoachingachievableasalongtermvocation?Whatisthevalueofcoaching?Welllet
mespeakpersonallyonthis.WhenIaddressmy3plusdecadesofsuccessinthisindustry,the
onlywordthatcomestomindiscoaching.Myclientsaveragea5yearstaywithme.Think
aboutthatstatistic.Tolastthislonginaprofessionalrelationshipmustgobeyondmere
programsandworkouts,becauseanyfitnessconsumercangetthoseanywhere.Again,the
importancetostressisthejobbeyondthejob.
IntheendgreatcoachingcanbeexplainedwiththeacronymICareorI.C.A.R.E.Thisstands
forIntegrity,ClientCentredFocus,Accountabilityintherelationship,Respectfortheroleof
bothcoachandclient,andExcellence.Thisshortacronymalsoexplainshowcoachingisabout
thedoingmoresothantheknowing.Asajobwithexpertisewithinanydomainthatrequires
specificknowledgeaswell,theroleofcoachisuniqueuntoitself.IntheFitnessIndustry,a
competitorcantrainthemselvestobeaphysiquechampion.Andyet,thisdoesnotmeanor
equatetothispersonbecominganeffectivecoach.Anotherpersoncanaccumulatedegrees
andaccreditationsacrosstheboard;andyet,thisalsodoesnotnecessarilyequateortranslate
tobeinganeffectivecoach.Theroleofcoachisnotsoeasilydefinedbysuchaccomplishments.
Yes,scienceandresearchcanindeedbearesourceforknowhow.Talentcanalsobearesource
forknowhow.Butthepointis,COACHINGITSELFISATALENT!Sohowdoesapersonserious
abouthelpingothersbecomeaneffectivecoach?

GroomingandMentoring
Afteransweringformyselfatthebeginningofthisprojectthosetwopertinentquestions,How
didIgethere?WhyamIstillhere?Iwasleftwithadilemma.Ifcoachingistheanswerto
thesequestions,andcoachingisnotofferedinanytypeofaccreditationorstudyinthe
industry,thenhowdoesanyonebecomeaneffectivecoach?Howdoessomeonebuildand
sustainaclientbaseandestablishavocationasacoachintheindustry?Ilookedatmyown
experienceaswellasexaminingCoachinotherindustries,especiallyprofessionalsports.No
oneinprosportscomesoutofastudyprogramandisnamedtoateamasacoach.Prosports
recognizewhatIhavebeensayingallalong.Coachingisatalent.Coachingtalentis
separatefromdomainknowledge.Domainknowledgeisjustapartofcoaching.Coachingis
aboutDOING,notknowing.AstudyofcoachinginprosportsrevealswhatIcallgrooming
andmentoring.Allcoachesstartoffasassistantcoaches.Andtheyoftenstartoutinthe
juniorleaguesorfarmteamsaswell.Theygainareputationfromateamssuccessaswellas
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boththementorsfeedback,aswellastheirplayersfeedback.(PlayersintheFitnessIndustry
wouldequatetoclients)Coachesthenaregroomedtobecoaches,byobservationfrom
othercoaches.Theyarementoredtotakeongreaterresponsibilityanddeeperunderstanding
fortheroleofcoach.Theirindustryknowledgeisalreadyassumed.
Inmyowncareer,severalofmyclientsandprotgshavealsogoneontoestablishthemselves
astrainersandcoachesintheFitnessIndustry.Theyhavebeenabletosustainthemselvesfor
severalyearsaswell.Theywereeffectivelygroomedtoamoreprofessionalrole.Theymoved
fromclienttocoach.However,inthepast,thiseffectonmyclientswaslessconscious.This
bookoffersaguidelineforthosewhoseektobecomeandsustainaroleasCoachinthe
FitnessIndustry.Butasjustastudyguide,thebookremainsincomplete.Iimploreanyone
readingthistotakeonamentorshipforcoaching.Onlyinmentoringcansomeonegofromthe
knowingtothedoing.
ThisprojectoffersinsightnotonlyintothejobofCoach.Thisprojectalsooffersinsighttothe
FitnessConsumersothattheycanmoreclearlyfindanexperttohelpthem,onewhose
approachfitswiththedefinitionofcoach.Masteryofprocessshouldbethegoal.Thereisno
magicinafitnessprogramoraspecificdiet.Trainersmanageandoverseeworkouts.
Coaches,manageandoverseepeople.Thereafewveryfewqualifiedcoachesinthefitness
industrywhomeetthedefinitionandabilityandtalentrequirementsforCoach.Myhopeis
thatthisprojectisthefirstofmanytoproperlyeducatepeopleoftheroleofcoach.Thisproject
offersstudyandpotentialgroomingandmentoringtotheroleaswell.FromhereIhopeother
industryexpertswilltakeupthecausetobegintoaddressaneedforfurtherstudyand
discussionofthejobofcoachintheFitnessIndustry.

NotesforMentoringStudents

Sincethischapterisaredressofotherthemesandconceptsthroughoutthebook,I
suggestthementoringstudentdothefollowing.Forthischapter,writedownanywords
orphraseshighlightedinboldfontorunderlined.WritedowntheacronymI.C.A.R.E.
aswell.Studyallofthese.Whatkeywordsandphrasesjumpoutatyouasmost
meaningful?Addresswhythatis.

Withinthesehighlightedwordsandphrases,whatdoyoulearnthatyoudidntknow
before?Looktoempoweryourselfasacoach.

NOW,DOTHESAMEFOREACHCHAPTER.WRITEDOWNALLWORDSHIGHLIGHTEDIN
BOLDORUNDERLINED.WRITEDOWNANYACRONYMSORPOINTFORM
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INSTRUCTIONS.ADDRESSNOTONLYWHATYOULEARNFROMDOINGSO,BUTALSO
WHEREYOUTHINKYOUROWNSTRENGTHSANDWEAKNESSESLIEINTERMSOFTHESE
NOTES.
FINALLY,RETURNTOTHESENOTESOVERANDOVERAGAINASWELLASTHEPRACTICE
EXERCISESATTHEENDOFEACHCHAPTER.ENGAGE,CHALLENGE,INSPIREAND
PRACTICEYOURROLEOFCOACH.

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