I had an argument with my coach the other week. Except in was just in my head, because I haven’t got that relationship with him where I can actually have an argument. So I had the conversation in my head instead.
This is how it went:
- Yes I know I should be doing X and not Y during a jump (I over rotate in my jumps. It happens in both Long and Triple. It’s been a problem for a couple of years and it is now THE thing I need to fix.)
- But I can’t actually do it. I’ve tried not to do Y. But it doesn’t work.
- I need something else. I need to find the root cause. I need a strategy. I need to break it down. I need a technique.
- Just telling me “you did X again” I want you to do Y. It doesn’t work!
Which leads me to this post. What makes a good coach?
What makes a good coach?
Whether it’s Long Jump, Life, Business or Health and Fitness, the principles of what makes a good coach are the same.
Now my coach is pretty good technically but he’s a bit old school. There’s not a great choice of LJ coaches in the SE.
So this is why I didn’t actually have this argument. Because I know that he has nothing else to give me. This is the problem.
A good coach should always have something. Should always find something. And if not, they should be able to find someone who has something.
So a quick swerve from LJ to the world of H&F. It really fucking bugs me that so many people are NOT being served in the industry. They are being sold cookie cutter programmes and generic Eat Less, Move More nutrition strategies.
Because everyone knows the path to optimal health includes more movement, less junk food. Right? So why are so many of us still not doing it? Or not doing it consistently. I can tell my clients to put down the crisps till I’m blue in the face. Heck, I tell myself to put down the fecking pretzels (I’ve moved on from Doritos) But until I find a strategy that works for you or me, we’re both wasting time.
Once you find the strategy that works, losing weight is simple. A good coach will help you find that strategy.
I’m working on being a bloody good coach – the feedback from some of my clients in the PHI Nutrition Programme will attest to that.
I also vow that if I can’t find the strategy that works for you, I will look till I’m blue in the face for someone who can..
