Written by Carm Bozzo (@upandlifting)
Let’s face it, every time you check your social media content, you see another fitness coach telling you all about their programs and their transformations. There is so much information out there that it can confuse the best of people. What information is true? Which coach is best?
Sometimes you need to go beyond the transformations you see online and get to know the coach behind them. Although finding the right fitness coach is crucial for several reasons, they can significantly impact your fitness journey, helping you achieve your goals efficiently and safely. However, finding the right coach that aligns with your values – or understands and respects your values and boundaries - is just as important. Here’s why it is not just about your body:
Personalized Guidance
The right coach will take the time to listen to you and get to know you and your lifestyle to tailor your program so that it not only matches your fitness level and goals but your schedule, your family and/or work life and capacity.
If your coach does not understand your schedule, your family priorities or takes into consideration your mental health, that may be a red flag for you to consider. I have had a few coaches who didn’t understand the importance of going out for ice cream with my kids. Which derailed our ability to create a plan that would work with my values and lifestyle.
Shared Vision
When you and your coach have similar values, it’s easier to set and agree on goals that are meaningful and motivating for you. This alignment ensures that the coaching process is focused on outcomes that genuinely matter to you. Be clear with your outcomes with your coach – they should not determine the outcome for you. Maybe it is not important for you to have a six pack or be the woman – or man – who brings their own Tupperware of food EVERYWHERE they go. Maybe for you, that is a sometimes thing – not an always thing.
Education and Empathy
As you work with a coach, they should be adjusting your workouts to progressively increase the intensity as you get stronger – however always looking for cues that you are doing this safely and with proper form without overdoing it. Are they also teaching you that progressive overload may also mean changing up reps and equipment if strength is stalled or do they only care about the weight you are lifting? Are they listening to your biofeedback – how your body is feeling, are you consistently too sore, are you having trouble sleeping, is your digestion off? Are they responding to any concerns you may have and are receptive to questions? If the answer to any of these questions is no, then they are likely not the coach for you (or anyone. A coach should always be putting your wellbeing first.)
Stronger Connection
Shared values foster a deeper connection between you and your coach, which is essential for building trust. When you feel that your coach understands and respects what’s important to you, you’re more likely to open up and engage fully in the process. When you share values, communication flows more naturally, and you’re more likely to feel understood and respected in your interactions with your coach.
Increased Motivation
A coach who values the same things you do or who takes your values and lifestyle into consideration, can better inspire and motivate you because their encouragement aligns with what drives you. This makes it easier to stay committed to your goals, especially during challenging times.
Long-Term Success
When your values align, the strategies and plans developed by your coach are more likely to be sustainable for you in the long term. You’re more likely to stick with approaches that feel right to you and align with your core beliefs. This also includes nutritional guidance that allows for you to work on and improve your relationship with food so that you can build on good nutritional habits that are sustainable and enjoyable for you. Are they labelling foods as “good” and “bad”? How do they talk to you if you go off plan?
Is Your Coach Right For You?
There are a few coaches you will find online that like to be controversial. These ones often scream into the camera about what they find “disgusting” – it can be about foods that they demonize or people, in general. Some of you may be ok with this way of coaching and prefer someone who is no nonsense and hardcore. Personally, it is not for me. I tend to block those accounts.
Choosing the right fitness coach is an investment in your health and well-being so don’t be afraid to switch it up if the relationship is not motivating, empowering and life changing!