We are in the golden age of unsupported health and fitness advice courtesy of the internet. Gone is the need to demonstrate proficiency before being a trusted source of information, just flash a set of abs and a smile. In its place, many have shown results (let’s say abs in 8 minutes for example), without a grounding in reality. They have shown a map, without no sense of the actual territory within it (your life). That’s where actual professionals come in, and that’s what you should seek out when you start a training program. Here are two good questions to start with when you begin that journey.
Question 1:
“How will what I’m doing help me achieve my goal?”
First, this means communicating a goal, which is incredibly important. Do you really need to be jumping rope on top of a balance ball? Should I be doing hours of intense cardio per week? Maybe, but probably not. What is the point of what you’re doing in the gym and do you (and your Coach) truly understand it? If not, it’s hard to know if your valuable time and money are being spent well.
Question 2:
Does your Coach use these same methods?
You’ve joined a gym, paid a trainer, signed up for a class – all because they come with a knowledge to help you achieve a goal. This means that you’ve given your hard-earned money to a subject matter expert. If they’re having you do things that they don’t or wouldn’t do – why should you do it?
This also ensures that whoever you entrust with your goals is practicing and learning, not just giving you 60 minutes of chit-chat with weights. Just because someone is a professional doesn’t mean that they don’t need to continue learning, it is actually the opposite. We define professionalism by someone who keeps learning and refining their craft. You deserve to be getting a five-star dining experience, not the test kitchen of Instagram.
Know the territory
We’re going to go out on a limb here and say that if your Coach considers the principles of your training to be the same as theirs, if they’re walking the path as well – you’re off to a great start. That’s using a pre-determined map of experience in the real world which happens to be your life and making sure you stay happy and healthy.