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Hi! I am truly excited for the opportunity to meet with you, get to know you and build a trust-filled relationship in a space where you can feel heard and supported. Optimal health and wellness is defined by you! I believe you can achieve balance through many pathways - it is your journey. Heal…
Hi, I’m Katrina! I am a health and wellness coach, life coach, and speaker. I have credentials in communications and public administration and also hold a certificate of health coaching. I’m equipped with years of experience working with adults and youth, as they discover meaning in life, what w…
I'm Kelly Corbitt! I'm in the business of helping Women Feel Better, While Gaining Control Over Their Bodies and Overall Wellness....It's never too late to start getting healthy, to enjoy every day into the latter years of life! I can walk by your side as we get there together as I have with many o…
Heidi L Gillis is certified as a Personal Fitness Trainer (W.I.T.S.) & Licensed Physical Therapist Assistant. With specializations as Older Adult/Senior Fitness Specialist, Lifestyle Fitness Coach, level 1 Qigong F.I.T. and TaiChi F.I.T. , TCH Board Certified Tai Chi for Rehabilitation Instructor,…
Lisa Maximus has rapidly emerged as a premier leader in the fitness community. Her holistic, no-frills approach to training mind and body empowers life changes in her students and ensures men and women train the “right way”. She is spirited, intelligent and highly competitive and is driven by the d…
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Kristen Soltis-Tyler MD, MPH, DipABLM, MA HWC, RYT-500, RCYT is a board-certified Family Medicine and Lifestyle Medicine physician and a Health and Wellness Coach. She recently retired from the Air Force after over 20 years of military service. Life experiences led her to discover her passion for…
Hi there! I'm Ronda Bonfanti and my coaching journey stemmed from my struggle with food and negative body image. In search of peace, I discovered Intuitive Eating and ended my lifelong battle with chronic dieting. Learning to value myself beyond a number on a scale set me on a path of discovery to …
Hello, hello! I'm Coach Jamila, your Total Wellness Coach! I help busy moms curate a plan that promotes sustainable lifestyle changes. I specialize in mindset work, which is the first part to any journey. Understanding why you may or may not stick to a routine, why you stress eat, and/or why you mi…
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Hey love! My name is Stacie. I am a Conscious Mindset Mentor and Transformational Life Coach for women who are ready to unveil the Truth of their inherent VALUE and WORTH and step into the next, highest version of themselves that they fully deserve. I provide authentic support and guidance through…
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Hey Hey!!! I welcome you with joy and happiness. I am Gladys aka Coach Gee. As a certified life, health, and wellness coach, I am dedicated to empowering individuals through the complexities of life transitions, particularly those involving sudden loss, motherhood, and the unique experiences of bei…
My name is Solange Muñoz Eifler, CFNC, RWP-1, BCHN® I found my passion for helping others through the functional & holistic nutrition approach while trying to figure out my family and own health challenges. Being healthy feels differently for each one of us. Striving for wellbeing is a personal jo…
I welcome anyone who is looking for lasting nutrition and lifestyle improvements in accordance with the latest science and research on nutrition, health, and wellness and/or their personal preferences. Being in Best Health educates clients about the science-based health-supporting holistic nutrit…
Welcome, my name is Mercedes. I'm a Holistic Chef and Integrative Health Coach! I help clients make empowered food choices and learn to simplify their cooking routine. I can teach you to make delicious chef-approved meals for yourself, eating nutrient-dense food. Cooking can be really fun and I can…
Welcome to my page. For over 20 years I’ve served thousands as a Coaching Professional focusing on life issues, emotional energy management, and real estate sales performance. My mission has been to help my clients achieve their personal and professional goals. During the span of those 20 years, I…
Hi! I'm Antoinette! I'm a Holistic Coach for Women of Color. My mission is to help you unravel limiting beliefs to use them to empower you instead of hold you back from doing what you want to do and create a plan for your path to healing. I work with my clients on a 1:1 basis and hold our sessi…
Hi! I work well with women, especially women with PCOS to work on changing their lifestyle and environment for symptom management. I am a certified health coach from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition and am now working on getting my Functional Medicine certification. I apply Functional…
Coach Hudson is Motivational speaker who uses his life experiences and resilient personality to inspire individual to pursue greatness. A Coach & Military veteran for 19 years, Trevor mentors on a variety of topics, sessions around Change Leadership, building resilient teams & members, team perform…
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Hey beautiful! It’s so wonderful you’ve dropped by. Once upon a time, I was a boss babe like you on the run. I wasn’t taking care of myself and my skin was suffering. I wanted to look as confident as I felt but I tended to hide under makeup, self conscious. It wasn’t until I learned the secrets …
I've worked with teens as a teacher in middle school, in high school, a high school librarian, and now as a life coach. The reason for my commitment to teens is simple - I really like them, and teens need fans. My passion for coaching comes from knowing that teens have too many people giving them a…
FAQs:
What is a Fitness Coach?
A fitness coach works as a personal trainer to help clients lose weight, gain muscle, and accomplish other fitness goals. Your job duties include understanding client goals, developing a fitness routine, recommending a healthy eating plan, and ensuring all exercises are performed correctly. You may meet with a client once to create a program to help them meet their goals, show them how to perform each exercise, and then leave them to oversee their regimen. Or you might meet with a client multiple times, sometimes at every exercise session, to provide motivation and to tailor their routine throughout.
What Does a Fitness Coach Do?
A fitness coach is a person who is hired to improve your physical health and overall fitness. The services of a fitness coach can be beneficial to patients who are recovering from an injury, to people who are trying to lose weight, and to women who are pregnant. The job of a fitness coach includes guiding and encouraging the client through different exercises and training techniques to help the client achieve his full fitness potential. The fitness trainer also performs routine health checks on the client and directs him to the right channel if he needs to be treated by a medical professional.
What is the Role of a Fitness Coach?
As a Fitness Coach, your role is to help your students achieve their fitness goals. But unlike a Fitness trainer, your role goes above and beyond their physical fitness. It is your responsibility to assess their lifestyle and help them make the necessary changes. You are their trusted advisor when it comes to health. You are their guide toward learning how to nourish their body, mind, and soul. That’s why, besides nutrition and fitness, you as a coach need to explore anything that may hurt their lives. This could be habits, environment, or even relationships.
What is the Difference Between a Fitness Coach and a Personal Trainer?
Fitness coaches and personal trainers lead people in exercise and encourage a healthy lifestyle. Fitness coaches help people develop healthy habits that contribute to emotional and social well-being in addition to physical fitness. While personal trainers’ work can address their clients’ overall wellness, these professionals’ main focus is on exercise and workout programs.
Fitness Coach
Fitness coaches help people achieve long-term health and fitness goals in areas such as weight management and body shaping. They coach their clients to develop a healthy lifestyle through plans that often include exercise and workout programs that are part of personal training. But fitness coaches’ work tends to focus on other aspects of fitness, with tasks typically including the following:
- Interviewing clients to learn about their medical and health histories
- Guiding clients in setting long-term goals to improve their overall health and fitness levels
- Working with clients to develop good habits in diet and stress management
- Advising clients on strategies for adopting healthy lifestyle habits in areas such as exercise, nutrition, and disease prevention
- Conducting routine health checks and referring clients to healthcare professionals when necessary
- Monitoring client progress toward health and fitness goals, encouraging healthy habits, and adjusting strategies
Personal Trainer
Personal trainers are exercise science professionals who work with clients to help them become more physically fit. They design workouts and lead training sessions, correcting exercise forms and adjusting training plans as needed. Their tasks typically include:
- Designing and leading one-on-one or small-group exercise programs customized to the skill level and fitness goals of clients
- Assessing client fitness levels
- Using knowledge of human anatomy and exercise science to guide clients through fitness routines
- Encouraging and motivating clients
- Modeling exercises and teaching clients proper form, exercise variations, and modifications
- Providing feedback and corrections to clients during exercise
Should You Hire an Online Fitness Coach?
There are three important criteria to meet when deciding if online training is right for you:
- You’re not a complete beginner. You’ve done a squat or two before, and know what a superset is.
- You have no problems motivating yourself to get to the gym consistently.
- You’re willing to do the extra research to understand what you should be doing and how. Yeah, what the heck is a rear delt flye anyway? Google it and watch YouTube videos before you hit the gym to ensure you’re executing properly.
If you can check these boxes, start your quest for an online trainer by doing research. Check out websites and Instagram accounts, read reviews, and do some initial consultations. Often, you’ll be able to gauge just how serious and effective an online trainer could be for you by reading about and talking to them.
What are the Reasons for Hiring a Fitness Coach?
Nowadays it is a no-brainer that fitness is almost becoming a lifestyle that many people now adopt. Many people believe hiring the service of a fitness coach is a luxury and is only for celebrities and sports personalities – but this is not true. Getting fit is very important so as knowing the right way to get fit too.
To be able to get fit in a practical, safe, and injury-free manner it is essential, to know the right exercises to do and how to do them right. An injury sustained during training can affect a person very badly, both physically and mentally, and can hinder an exercise program very badly. This is why it is very, important to have a fitness coach to achieve your fitness goals whether they be sports-driven, weight loss-based, or for athletic purposes. Here, we’ve put together the most critical reasons why you should have a fitness coach below:
Goal Achievement
Hiring the service of a fitness coach can help you create a roadmap for your goals and help you achieve them. A fitness coach will consider your fitness level and also discuss with you your goals and more to that a fitness coach will help you focus on smaller goals that are specific and realistic.
Personalized Workout
A fitness coach will not only guide you but also help you set out a plan based on your fitness goals – this is not a routine that you can find anywhere. The personalized routine will be tailored to your personal need and goals while also considering your condition and medical background.
Instruction
Without the proper exercise movement during your routine, you might sustain severe injuries and this is where the help of a fitness coach comes in. A fitness coach will demonstrate the right movement and also guides you through each technique. Doing this will reduce your risk of sustaining injuries during training.
Motivation
One thing that tends to happen when you exercise alone is you lose motivation, but with a fitness coach by your side, they will create accountability, which is a real motivator not to let down yourself or them. There is a part of the brain that craves praise, and with a fitness coach by your side, they will celebrate your consistency and progress.
Variety
An experienced fitness coach ensures you won’t be bored anytime soon especially if your workouts have previously felt complacent. A fitness coach will guide you on a variety of exercise methods, and no two sessions will look the same. There’s no end to the combinations you could be working on especially when you have machines, body weight exercises, free weights, and props like balls and straps in place.
The Fundamental Skills of Fitness Coaching
What are the fundamental skills of coaching? Here are the five fundamental skills of fitness coaching:
1. BUILD YOUR BUSINESS KNOWLEDGE
First and foremost coaches need to be business savvy. Without a basic knowledge of marketing and administrative skills, coaches won’t have the chance to work with clients and positively impact their health and fitness. Read more about the business of coaching in this blog.
2. HONE YOUR PEOPLE SKILLS
Coaches work with clients all day long, so to be a great coach it’s essential to master people skills. Coaches will notice the value of understanding human behavior during client consultations.
3. THE ABILITY TO ASSESS
The purpose of a fitness coach is to help a client reach their goals in the safest way possible. To do this coaches need to be able to assess their client’s current abilities and progress them over time. Learn our approach to a three-part assessment here.
4. AN UNDERSTANDING OF EXERCISE
The fourth fundamental skill of fitness coaching is an understanding of exercise. Coaches need to be able to give clients exercises specifically designed to meet their goals.
5. NUTRITION KNOWLEDGE
Coaches also need to understand the basics of nutrition and how to customize a client’s nutrition to their specific goals.
Responsibilities of a Fitness Coach
Fitness coaches help people achieve long-term health and fitness goals in areas such as weight management and body shaping. They coach their clients to develop a healthy lifestyle through plans that often include exercise and workout programs that are part of personal training. But fitness coaches’ work tends to focus on other aspects of fitness, with tasks typically including the following:
- Interviewing clients to learn about their medical and health histories
- Guiding clients in setting long-term goals to improve their overall health and fitness levels
- Working with clients to develop good habits in diet and stress management
- Advising clients on strategies for adopting healthy lifestyle habits in areas such as exercise, nutrition, and disease prevention
- Conducting routine health checks and referring clients to healthcare professionals when necessary
- Monitoring client progress toward health and fitness goals, encouraging healthy habits, and adjusting strategies
Who Should Use an Online Coach?
Generally speaking, there are several types of people and specific situations that make online personal training or online fitness coaching an ideal choice:
- If you feel stuck in a rut and have stopped making progress. If you have exercised in the past but feel lost or are in a rut, then online fitness coaching could give you the clear, step-by-step plan you need to take all the guesswork out of your training. Each time you step into the gym, you will know precisely what to do so that you can reach your goals.
- If you are a busy woman who needs flexibility. Whether you are a doctor or nurse, running your own business, in the military, or a super mom always on the go, online fitness coaching can provide the structure you need with enough flexibility.
- If you have a specific goal. Want to compete in a figure competition, run a Spartan Race or lose 50 pounds? Online personal training allows you to connect with an expert in your field.
- If you are an overthinker. If you tend to spend hours combing the internet and magazines for the latest fitness trends but you struggle to make sense of it all, then a qualified online fitness professional can put his or her years of experience to work for you so it all makes sense.
- If you prefer working out at home. Because it can be so convenient to work out from home, online trainers can create specific workouts using just the equipment you have available.
- If you are looking for accountability. Good online trainers will require you to report back frequently. They often want updates on the physical changes you are seeing in your body through photos and measurements, and they want your feedback about how you are doing and how the programs are working for you.
Top 10 Benefits of Having 1 on 1 Fitness Coaching
Do you have a hard time staying motivated? Are you looking to push yourself harder at the gym? Do you need help with form and technique? If any of these things sound like your needs, then 1 on 1 fitness coaching is just right for you!
With personalized attention and direction from an experienced trainer, this workout routine will get the best results. Read more below to learn about the ten benefits of having 1 on 1 fitness coaching sessions.
1. Fitness coaches go the extra mile to empower their clients.
Fitness coaches are always looking for ways to educate better and empower those they work with, going well above and beyond what's required of them to do so. Whether it's taking the time to answer questions and offer advice via email or phone, making sure you have the proper nutrition to support your goals, or even helping you find exercise alternatives if you need them for any reason.
2. 1 on 1 fitness coaches are incredibly personable.
One of the best things about working with a fitness coach is that you'll get individual attention from start to finish. Everyone responds differently to different training methods, and a personal trainer will be able to see exactly what works for your body type and personality. This allows for more effective results in less time to move on to other life activities with ease.
3. Fitness coaches help you set long-term and realistic goals.
Working with a fitness coach means having someone there to set realistic and long-term goals for you. There's nothing worse than having lofty expectations without any plan or assistance in place to help you determine how to reach them. Your fitness coach will work closely with you on both short and long-term goals so that you always know what needs doing next and never feel lost when it comes time for motivation!
4. You are held accountable for your new fitness routine.
It's easy to lose motivation when trying to achieve great physical fitness, and it can be hard to keep going if you are left alone to do the work. Your fitness coach will follow up with you regularly to stay on track with your new routine. Accountability is crucial in this process because, as humans, we need someone there pushing us every step of the way. Having a regular trainer take note of your progress helps motivate you to continue working harder towards reaching all those goals,
5. Your fitness coach prioritizes your mental well-being.
Your fitness coach will never ask you to skip your workouts, but they'll also listen when you say that the gym is not a good place for today. Your mental health and physical wellness are of equal importance in their eyes. Your coach knows how important exercise can be to one's mood and overall well-being. They consider it essential to make sure both aspects remain the top priority at all times - even if this means stopping early on occasion or switching up exercises from time to time based on feedback.
6. Your fitness coach is your new support network.
Sometimes when you're feeling down, it's hard to find motivation or inspiration from others. It takes a village, and sometimes that means going outside of our regular networks for help. Having a 1 on 1 fitness coach means having an accountability partner in working out. They are always there to motivate, cheer on, or give advice when needed because they know all too well what it's like to be in the same position as you.
7. They keep you on track to keeping your new healthy habits.
It's easy to find yourself in a rut and start reverting to your old habits. With the help of your 1 on 1 fitness coach, you can keep on track with new healthy routines so that it becomes second nature. Losing weight and keeping it off is a process that takes time. You can't do it overnight, but you'll be happy to know there are plenty of apps, books, and coaches who will help keep your motivation high.
8. 1 on 1 Fitness Coaching Offers Consistency and Customization
Being consistent is an integral part of any fitness plan. It's how you can start to see results, and it will get easier each day. When you sign up for 1 on 1 fitness coaching, you'll have access to trained fitness coaches who will always be there to help motivate and support you. A fitness coach will monitor how much you're eating and record any changes that occur with your body so they can make adjustments when necessary based on what works best for your body type.
9. Train wherever you want
One of the biggest perks of 1 on 1 training is working out wherever and whenever you want. Whether it's at home or in a gym, your coach will be there providing workouts, advice, and support whenever you need them.
10. Your fitness coach will challenge you in a way that friends or family might not be able to.
They're going to push you past your comfort zone and help take you to the next level in your fitness journey, whether that's losing weight or just staying active. You'll learn how to stay healthy through their knowledge of fitness and nutrition, and they can help you create a personalized plan for success.
9 Things a Fitness Coach Needs to Know
As a general rule, a fitness coach will need to know how to bring out the best in their clients by understanding advanced training principles and nutrition, but most importantly, they will need to understand the role that psychology and behavior change plays in client progression and success. Here are nine of the most important things you need to know:
1. Behavior change techniques
As a fitness coach, you’ll need to understand the psychological reasons that detrimental habits form, and why they have become ingrained in your client’s lives and minds. It’s then up to you to find and provide solutions to break these progress-harming habits. It is up to you to develop ways (such as CBT techniques) to show them that this is not the case and that they are stronger and more physically able than they currently believe themselves to be.
2. Motivation and encouragement psychology
There’s a lot more to being a fitness coach than teaching people how to exercise. You’re going to need to know how to get inside people’s heads and understand what motivates them. You’ll need to find what drives that particular individual to want to achieve the goals you have discussed with them. You’ll need to find their “why”, and use your judgment to determine the most appropriate methods of motivating and encouraging them through the toughest parts of their training.
3. Biomechanics principles
Biomechanics is the study of the movement of the human body, assessing how external forces impact joints and muscles and how the body’s muscles and skeletal systems work in synergy to perform movements. It is important within coaching, as you will need to understand how the muscular systems work together to prescribe the ideal training program for your clients. You should know why injuries occur, how to prevent them, and how to rehabilitate any of your clients that have suffered an injury. With a thorough understanding of biomechanics, you will be able to use progressive training techniques to gradually improve the performance of specific movements.
4. Advanced exercise programming
As a fitness coach, you will be offering training that is several times more advanced than a client would get from a standard personal trainer. In the case of exercise prescription and programming, you will need to know how to create and structure programs using advanced training methods such as periodization, forced reps, supersets, drops sets, isometrics, pyramid sets, the list goes on and on.
5. Injury prevention and rehabilitation
Nobody wants their clients getting injured, it’s up to you as a fitness coach to make sure all the exercises you are prescribing are safe and at the correct intensity level for the person, you are training. Much as it may be exciting to progress a client onto more complex exercises or to increase the weight they are lifting, you need to make sure that the safety of your client is always a priority.
6. Performance testing and analysis
People who hire personal trainers expect good results, people who hire fitness coaches expect excellent results, and you are going to need to learn how to accurately show them that what you are prescribing in terms of exercise, nutrition, and behavioral changes is having the desired effects. To do this, you will need to learn how to accurately measure and test your clients so that you can make clear comparisons between your clients’ starting statistics, and where they have progressed. Equally, testing is a fantastic opportunity to find out if there is something that is not working as desired within your training program.
7. Advanced Nutrition
Whereas a personal trainer may give you standard nutritional advice, a fitness coach takes not only their clients’ goals into account but also how their lifestyle affects how and what they are eating, they are also allowed to prescribe specific diets, whereas most trainers aren’t.
8. Marketing and self-promotion
Whether you’re a personal trainer or fitness coach, you will need to know how to market your skills and services. I would say though, that working as a fitness coach will take an even greater level of marketing skill, as you will typically be charging much more on a per-session basis than a personal trainer.
9. Advances in training methods and practices
Studying as a fitness coach will never end, there will always be new courses to go on and new research papers to read. You will need to keep up to date with every study that is published to make sure that you are giving your clients the most recent and scientifically proven, peer-reviewed training methods.
The Pros and Cons of Working with an Online Fitness Coach
Pros
- Working with an online coach is less expensive than an in-person coach.
- They can support you and help you stay on track with your fitness goals.
- Online training is more flexible.
Perhaps the biggest pro of online fitness coaching is the cost. It won’t drain the wallet nearly as much as an in-person trainer and therefore makes personal training accessible to more people.
A personal trainer in a gym can range from $60–$75 an hour on average (depending on where you live and what gym you go to, of course). If you want to work with a trainer three times per week, that adds up to $720–$900 a month. On the flip side, online coaching programs that provide five days’ worth of workouts could be as low as $200 a month.
For someone who’s a self-starter, an online trainer can provide a great option for accountability and guidance. If you’re used to working out on your own but need help formulating a workout regimen, having a trainer to support you and report to weekly or bi-weekly can help you get, and stay on, track to reach your goals.
Online training is also more flexible. If you can’t make it to the gym during normal hours or on a consistent schedule or want the option to work out at home, a virtual fitness coach and plan may be for you. Plus, if you’re dying to work with a trainer who lives in Los Angeles and you live in Florida, online coaching can make that possible.
Cons
- There’s no in-person help or support.
- There’s no in-person accountability.
- The quality of online trainers may vary.
One major con is that you get no in-person help. Maybe your squat form isn’t quite perfect, or you’re not familiar with what a rear delt fly is. Not having a fitness professional there in person to support you during each workout could cause frustration or even injury. Take this into account, especially if you’re new to working out.
An online coach also can’t provide in-person accountability. If you’re someone who likes real-time interaction, you may struggle. Also, with no set session to make it to every week, it may be easier to skip a workout here or there or even slack off while exercising.
There’s also a gray area when it comes to the certification and qualification of online trainers. If a personal trainer has been hired at a gym, they’re at minimum certified through a major institution like the National Academy of Sports Medicine, American Council on Exercise, or International Sports Sciences Association, follow a safe and established protocol, and have a basic understanding of how personal training should work. This doesn’t guarantee they’ll be good at what they do or that you’ll see results, but it’s a start. With an online coach, the potential for poorly executed personal training that won’t help you, or that even harms you, is higher.
The Most Important Qualities of a Fitness Coach
Here are the most important qualities of a fitness coaching professional who will have the best chance to become successful in the business:
1. Passion for Fitness. This is perhaps the most logical of the many qualities needed to be a fitness coach. How often do you see a personal trainer who is out of shape? I’ve never seen one – some may be in better shape than others, but everyone I have ever seen is in above-average shape. To be a good fitness coach, you must be passionate about exercise, diet, and nutrition.
2. Willingness to Learn. You may think you know plenty about fitness because you go to the gym every day. You may think you can teach fitness because you’ve helped a few buddies learn how to lift at the gym. But, coaching a diverse array of individuals on how to improve their fitness levels is much more complex. You have to be willing to take learn about the latest theories on fitness. You will also need to learn anatomy, exercise science, nutrition, behavior modification, and more. Continuing education is crucial for every coach’s success and it’s no different for a fitness coach.
3. Excellent Communication Skills. Are you good at listening? Do you have excellent active listening skills? If you don’t know what active listening is, you better learn. Active listening is fundamental to the success of any coach and perhaps the most important on this list of qualities of a fitness coach. You must be good at inquiry, listening, comprehension, and feedback. If you feel your communication skills are lacking, find a course on communication and take it!
4. Empathy and Compassion. If you see an overweight person struggling at the gym, and you look at him with disdain and contempt, then fitness coaching might not be right for you. One of the most important qualities of a fitness coach, or any coach, is empathy and compassion. Empathy is a crucial ingredient for bridging the sometimes wide chasm that divides coach and client. Compassion allows you to feel their pain, live with their issues, and suffer setbacks. With empathy and compassion, you can truly partner with them to succeed.
10 Tips Your Fitness Coach Won’t Tell You About
Forget about those ads that claim weight loss and fitness benefits from taking a pill, drinking a shake, or sitting in front of your TV. It’s not reality. Fitness isn’t always flashy. The toned abs, strong muscles, and sculptured physiques you see on Instagram don’t appear overnight. True fitness requires dedication, mindfulness, and sustained effort. But when you get off your seat and take the leap, the benefits are unmatchable.
Some coaches want to play you for your money. They don’t care about helping you reach your goals. They won’t tell you about the not-so-flashy parts of fitness training. But these truths are important to know—with knowledge, you’ll be stronger when you face these challenges, and will always come prepared.
1. Growing muscle and staying lean is a long, sustained process. Success doesn’t happen overnight.
You’ve heard about the New Year’s curse—where dreamers set a resolution to join a gym, get fit, and love their bodies in the new year—but it all falls apart within the first week. As they say, the start of January is always the busiest gym time of the year.
Don’t fall into the same trap. Success doesn’t come from a sudden burst of motivation, a bite of an apple, and a few walks on the treadmill. It’s a long, sustained process. Even once you’ve reached your fitness goals, you can’t stop there. If you don’t maintain them, you’ll lose all your hard work.
2. A fitness journey is a marathon, not a sprint. Take your time. Fitness isn’t about crash dieting or one-off, high-intensity workouts. A simple, sustained fitness regime is better than one hard and fast gym session. It’s about forming lifestyle habits that will stick with you forever.
3. You will face adversity and challenges along the way. Sometimes, hurdles come one after another. Don’t let them stop you.
Sometimes, life gets in the way. Don’t beat yourself up about it. The important thing is to stick to your routine. If you miss a day or two because of life complications, don’t dwell on it. Don’t let it affect your journey.
The next day, get back to the gym and get back into it. It doesn’t have to be your best session. Just showing up is the best thing you can do to keep yourself on track.
4. You might not get it right the first time. Or the second. Or the third.
Starting a fitness regime isn’t easy. There is so much to learn. You’ll wonder if you’re using proper form if you’re getting the right vitamins, and if you’re training for long enough.
The good thing is, you don’t have to go it alone. Many personal trainers offer custom meal and training plans, updated regularly as you progress. You’ll always have someone by your side to support you through your journey.
5. Not every day is going to be a good one. Some days are harder than others. Sometimes you’ll struggle to just show up at the gym. Don’t beat yourself up—it’s normal.
Everyone has bad days. The difference between an unsuccessful person and a successful one is how they handle them. You could let a bad day get you down and give up—or you could accept it as a normal part of your journey, and push forward.
6. Your family and friends might not agree with your chosen lifestyle. Don’t worry. A lot of the time, this stems from envy.
In many cases, criticism is rooted in feelings of jealousy and inadequacy. Or, it could stem from ignorance. Family and friends who disagree with your lifestyle might just not understand. Take the opportunity to educate other people about your goals. Taking the time to work on your environment is just as important as your goals. Understand why your fitness journey is important to you and take the time to explain this to those close to you. A toxic environment can derail you from your goals very quickly.
7. The right foods aren’t always mouthwatering and delicious. This doesn’t mean you can’t have the things you love.
Let’s face it—a healthy meal can’t compare to a big, greasy burger in the morning after a night out. But think about the pros and cons. A healthy meal can still be delicious and will fuel your body with the vitamins and minerals you need to reach your true potential. A greasy burger might taste amazing, but it will hold you back in the long term.
Consider making burgers at home, or following a guided meal plan. You’ll still be able to enjoy the foods you love while treating your body right.
8. When it comes to training, remember—quality over quantity.
Regular sessions are important, but not if you’re training incorrectly. Remember—ten reps with perfect form is better than 100 reps with improper form. Guided fitness programs can help you learn how to get a quality workout into each session.
9. Nothing is achieved without HARD WORK.
If nothing else, hard work is the key to success. Results require dedication. By working in tandem with a trainer, you’ll learn how to translate your work into achievement.
In all aspects of life, the easy road is never the path to success. It’s a long journey, and a sustained effort, that will lead to real results. Your fitness idols didn’t get there by skipping sessions and cutting corners. They dedicated themselves to self-improvement, and you can too.
10. Many coaches cut corners for fast results. They’re only focused on themselves and their business. When seeking your plan, look for keywords such as ‘sustainability’, ‘longevity’ and ‘healthy lifestyle.’
Look for the right words when searching for a suitable fitness program. Avoid coaches who make promises of fast results or promote fad diets. Remember, the formula for success is hard work, knowledge, and consistency.
If a coach mentions keywords such as ‘sustainability’, ‘longevity’, and ‘healthy lifestyle’, you’ll know they’re serious about helping you achieve your fitness goals realistically.
What to Look for in a Fitness Coach
If you think fitness coaching is right for you, then you’ll want to choose the right coach. Examine the following before signing up:
Experience. With social media being overrun by “fitness gurus” who love showing off their bodies for vanity likes, it can be difficult to tease out who is going to help you achieve your goals. Choose someone who has experience working with people like you and who has similar goals to you. Look for a fitness coach who has been successful enough to make this into a full-time career and has the success stories to back it up.
Credentials. There are currently no requirements to call yourself a personal trainer or to designate yourself as a fitness coach — all you need is a website and an email address. To ensure the trainer is qualified, choose a certified personal trainer from an accredited agency (such as NASM or ACE) and preferably someone who is also a nutrition specialist or dietitian.
Promises. Real progress takes time and should come from a combination of healthy eating and proper strength training. If a trainer promises that you will lose 20 to 40 pounds in a matter of weeks, run. The instructor is either embellishing to get you to sign up or will ask you to do something extreme and unsafe.
Style. Do you prefer a coach who is supportive and understanding or one who is tough and pushy? Are you looking for a knowledgeable cheerleader who will get behind you and lovingly kick you in the pants when you need it or one who is hard-nosed and demanding? If you can’t assess the trainer’s style, try reading the success stories to see how the coach’s clients describe him or her.
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The content herein is provided for general informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Medical information changes constantly, and therefore the content on this website should not be assumed to be current, complete or exhaustive. Always seek the advice of your doctor before starting or changing treatment. If you think you may have a medical emergency, please call your doctor or 9-1-1 (in the United States) immediately.