A few months ago Nancy and I were in Louisville at a coaching conference, and Mike Robertson of IFAST in Indianapolis was just about to put us through a training session (in other parts known as a workout) and he said something that sticks me to this moment.
“Ok guys we are going to do something different today, we are going to do it right.”
Now think about that for a minute. Mike was not talking to a group of people who had just stepped into the gym for the first time, who had never done a pushup, or a split squat, or a deadlift. He was speaking to some of the best coaches in the country. He was making sure we knew that he was watching what we were doing, and he wasn’t afraid to make sure we were doing things right.
Why is this so important?
Because when we do things right, when we practice the fundamentals, we will eventually be able to train harder, stronger and longer.
Just as Mike was watching us, the coaches at Get Fit NH are not there to just have a presence in the room, or be a cheerleader, or just look good (which is a good thing where I am concerned), they are there to help you get better.
And while you may say “No Duh!”, slow down for just a second.
Because I assure you it is not that way everywhere. There are gyms everywhere whose primary purpose (or at least it seems to me) is to beat you into the ground, regardless of capability or consequences.
That’s not coaching.
As human beings we don’t necessarily like being told what to do, or that we don’t do something well. And on occasion we have had clients get annoyed with us for not letting them do something, an exercise movement, they just weren’t ready for or are currently unable to perform correctly. (I’ve been there – just ask Mike)
And it is all too easy to focus on what someone else is doing, someone who has been here for years perhaps, and want to do the same things – right now – not understanding the hours, days, weeks and months it took to get there.
We know that if we can back you up a step or two, learn and then practice the pattern, you will be way ahead of where you would have been without the proper coaching. We see it over and over again. Clients achieving things they never thought possible, things they haven’t been able to do for years or ever, because now they are doing it right.
None of us have perfect movement patterns, and yours truly is no exception. I have challenges with hip mobility that I need to work on, or it doesn’t get better, and I don’t get better. It’s not always a matter of getting pushed harder or trying to go faster. What if your body can’t achieve the proper positioning in order to allow those things? It has to be addressed. It’s not just a matter of putting 10 more pounds on the bar.
CJ and I were coaching a couple weeks ago and had a client ask us a great question. “Why do we work on hip hinging so much?”. We were able to explain in depth why that fundamental movement pattern is so important, not just while training, but in every day life.
And every day life is why we train, right?
We don’t toot our own horn too often, but I would be doing our coaching staff a great disservice but not letting you know not only how grateful I am they are part of the Get Fit NH Team, but for how great they are as coaches. For those of you who have been around a while, you know that not every coach that walks through these doors has what it takes to coach here, and when they don’t, they aren’t here long.
I am reminded how good Nancy, and CJ and Erin (and soon Meagan) are every time we have a client who comes to us from another training facility who has not been coached well. It’s not the clients fault their back is in extension when they deadlift, or their knees valgus when they squat, they haven’t been coached properly. And while we aren’t perfect, we are committed to making sure you get the best coaching available.
So let’s do something different, something that not everybody know how to, or even wants to do…
Let’s Do It Right.
Make It Happen,
Coach Dean
Have you registered for the Jingle Bell Run yet?
You must be logged in to post a comment.