The online diet coach/trainer is a new concept. There are very few online coaches, each with their own methods. I can’t speak for them. I only talk here about my own views.
Most personal trainers you’ll meet at your local gym want you as a customer for life. I don’t. I think that is a shitty business model. – Keep you confused, never explain things fully, always make it seem difficult so that you feel that you need them and keep coming back… Reminds me of the Hostess industry here in Japan where the hostess will drag out the relationship for as long as possible to get the most money from the client before she either sleeps with him or he gets bored and moves on…. It has to end somewhere and invariably that ending is not a happy one.
My Personal Goal When Coaching Clients
I show you the system in which I do things, and set you free to achieve your goals.
Everyone starts at a different point. I’ve tried to reflect this variety on the results page. Some start in a position where they can get shredded after 12 weeks, many don’t. Some are just guys that are starting on their journey and want to get things set up in the right direction so they don’t waste years on a change that could have been brought about a lot quicker. One thing is universally true though: 12 weeks is never enough, everyone raises the bar as they progress. Even those incredibly ripped guys you see, they all seek improvement.
However, 12 weeks usually is sufficient to leave you at a point where you understand the system and rules within which I work, and have confidence to move forward knowing what you have to do to achieve your goals.
I don’t believe in keeping people hanging or trying to get people to sign up again. Happy clients lead to referrals, which is good business, and I can impact more people this way.
The best situation for me is when a client completes the course, they’re happy, know how they’re going to continue and I don’t hear from them for a long while. Then… *bam* six months later a photo of them with a beaming smile and a story turns up in my inbox. To say that it makes my day is an understatement. – There was one morning at the end of November where I dropped my cloak of manliness momentarily as a succession of three e-mails brought tears to my eyes.
The Common Misconception
With the exception of friends that I choose to work with one to one in Osaka, all my client interactions are online, through e-mail. (Experience has taught me that e-mail works better.) Many people I talk to are baffled by this and wonder what possible value online coaching can hold. I can understand that. Most people believe that they need to sweat to make a change, and thus by extension, by hiring a local personal trainer they believe they will make a change.
Their logic is flawed.
Training alone won’t get you there. Past the inevitable plateau only the right nutritional strategy combined with the right training program for your current goals will help you progress. Diet. Training. These two things go hand in hand. I’d go as far as to say that 70% of the change comes from diet – a fact that most people overlook and neglect. That’s why I created this site: To try and help fix the knowledge gap on the diet and programming side of the equation. Abs are absolutely made in the kitchen. Don’t overlook that fact.
Why Online?
I think, perhaps controversially, that working with people online gives me an opportunity to actually be better, to do a better job at giving you the changes you desire than the guy you are likely to find locally.
It allows me the opportunity to work with far more people, which gives me a broader experience base from which to draw when setting things up for the client, making suggestions on the path to take, and when proposing changes when things don’t go to plan. This experience gives me the ability to recognize common mistakes, spot patterns, and though it almost sounds silly, sometimes know by intuition rather than formalized rules what to do to spur progress. It isn’t as simple as the one-stop online diet calculators suggest, a point I’ve touched on in various articles, and recently in those on tracking and patience.
The best online coach is always going to be the man with the most experience, provided they care enough to analyze things and apply what they learn from their client interactions. I am much better at this than I was a year ago, far inferior to what I will be in a year, and pale in comparison to guys with the experience of Alan and Martin.
The best online coach is always going to be the man with the most experience, provided they care enough…
There are some great trainers out there. However, unless your local trainer (physically present, in your gym) has the knowledge and breadth of experience to set up both your diet and training in conjunction, and know what to do as you progress, then they are of limited use to you.
I don’t buy into the fact that we need a trainer to motivate us. – Motivation comes from seeing progress – just make sure you know how to track it.
Speak to a local trainer if you are new to an exercise and when checking your form periodically. See a specialist sports physiotherapist (physical therapist) if you have an injury or imbalance.
I think the pro’s of hiring an online coach; breadth of experience and ability to put all pieces of the puzzle together to create the overall plan, make it a choice that is worth serious consideration.
Thanks for reading.
Part 2:
In many ways we are lucky to live in a world where information is freely available at our fingertips, however, I would say that we can suffer because of it. This article focuses on the specifics of what I think makes a good coach, and the five key areas in which I help clients.
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