Why Do I Need a Coach?

I've got 30+ years’ experience playing sports and working my own strength and conditioning. I also have 12+ years’ experience coaching in a CrossFit gym. I've read and watched a ton of material on health and fitness and tried a lot of different fitness regimens.

That said, I'll be honest. This article is solely my opinion.

Both the Internet and YouTube are loaded with credible, thought-provoking, and intelligent content that'll help you get fit, lose weight, lower your hemoglobin A1C, run faster, back squat heavier, and improve overall wellness.

Do a Google search, "how do I lose belly fat?" (exactly like that, with quotes), and you'll get about 56,000 results. Good grief. Now try the same search on YouTube... I "paged down" 20x, and the screen just kept adding results to the bottom.

I'd say 75-80% of the time, the fitness content we consume is coming from a good place, maybe even from an experienced individual, dietician, coach, or medical professional. But sifting through it all and choosing who to trust is a challenge.

Hence this article, and why I feel that finding a coach is more important than ever before. Let's dive in.

I Can Do It On My Own

You follow a fitness program on your own. You exercise in your garage, basement, or local gym. You're healthy. You get stronger or maintain strength each year. Maybe this article isn't for you (but I encourage you to read on 😁).

If you can be fit on your own, you're amazing. You're motivated. Well done.

That's not me though. I stopped and started more times than I've got fingers and toes. I've made gains only to lose them the next season. I've lacked experience, motivation, structure, planning, and accountability. Maybe you're more like me?

Why Do I Need a Coach?

1) Experience and Results

Whether you believe the 10,000-hour rule or not, you work with a coach because they have the experience you don't. They've blazed the trail you're currently fumbling around on. They've already made the mistake that you're about to make and they've course corrected. They've distilled down a wealth of complex fitness inputs (articles, videos, techniques, and ideas from other coaches), so the information can be delivered to you in a simple, consumable way. Your coach's experience isn't guesswork. It's rooted in experience, trial and error, and study. And that experience can help you attain results more rapidly.

2) Relationships Facilitate Progress

You can't help but build a relationship with someone you interact with frequently. A coach will motivate you. A coach tells you what you need to hear, not what you want to hear. They care about your progress and your success. Your relationship with a coach is built on trust, mutual respect, and accountability. And your coach will celebrate all of your wins, no matter the size.

3) Structure and Planning

Maybe you have a goal. You want to get stronger, faster, or healthier. But you just don't know how to start. Your coach has helped dozens of other individuals with the same or some variation of your goal. Perhaps your coach even has personal experience with what you want to achieve. They've created workout programs to increase a max squat or bench, to drive down a 5K time, or to lose 25 pounds. And they've navigated and planned around a variety of timelines (weeks, months, or years). Your coach has encountered countless scenarios: periods when fitness is amazing to those days when everything is falling apart. Your coach can help bring structure, technique, trajectory, and meaning to your fitness.

Tips for Finding a Coach

1. Treat it like an interview. Meet with your coach in person, through a Zoom meeting, or Facetime. Do this on a frequent basis.
2. Take time to learn about your coach. Research their background. Ask questions. Learn about their schedule. Determine if your personalities mesh well. If it’s not the right fit, move on.
3. Read reviews (good and bad). Ask your prospective coach's clients what they think. Ask those clients about their results and the efficacy of the coach's workout program.
4. Demand more from your coach. They got into the coaching game because he or she loves it. They want to nurture your goals. They want you to be successful.

If you’re having trouble sticking to a strength and conditioning plan, developing your own workout programs, or your results have stagnated because you're lacking experience, motivation, or accountability, it’s time to find yourself a coach. Your health and fitness will thank you.

Remember, fitness is a journey, not a destination. Let's take that first step together with a quick face-to-face meeting: Joe's Schedule.

Joe Marcavage

Owner, CrossFit Vertex