From day one I've been labelled the "soft coach" by two particular female members. I don't appreciate this label and find it rather ironic because between Snickers and I, I am usually the one yelling my head off at members and some male members have gone so far as to call me "evil coach" because of my weight training circuits. I have chosen to focus solely on these two girls and this annoyingly ridiculous label for today's homepage entry because, well, it left me wanting to seriously throw out some head kicks and because I want to debunk the ridiculous idea they, as well as many, have that quantity and quality mean the same thing.
We take a much more personal approach to training our members, meaning they get personal training attention without the personal training fee. And while some members do do their own training, there are many members who only train according to what I tell them to do. They'll do their rope exercises because I told them to do so and then they'll come to me, waiting for me to tell them exactly what to do next. I think this is really one of the main things that really separates us from other fitness facilities and I like it because I can better push and direct members towards reaching their goals. I know a lot of our members are new to exercise and so I think many of them appreciate the extra attention and guidance we give them because some simply don't know how to even go about training. And that's fine, it's our job, I love my job but I can't help someone that simply doesn't want to help themself or listen to my direction. I don't tell members what to do because I want to hear my own voice, I do it because I'm honestly trying to help them. Their success ultimately helps to ensure the success of my business so it's a win-win situation. And members who trim down and tone up are like walking, talking advertisements not to mention it's so damn cool to see them changing, getting healthier, fitter and happier. They make me very proud to be doing what I am doing.
Having said this though, I can only push members as far as they themselves want to be pushed; I can only help members who want to accept my help. I can set them up with exercises and a circuit to do but it's up to them to bring the intensity and effort to it. I'd say the vast majority of our members train hard; they train like machines and the sweat-splattered floors is pure testimony to this. But then there are those who insist on training only as hard as what is comfortable and then feel they have the right to complain that they're not working up a sweat or that their bodies are not changing, like these two particular girls who have labelled me the "soft coach", aka the "easy coach".
These two gals are fairly new to training so I've been giving them some basic exercises to do, to master proper form and to not discourage them by overloading them, like squats. The squat is a basic exercise and sure it is easy to get the form down but you can easily up the intensity of it by doing jumping squats or adding weights. An exercise does not have to be complex and have numerous steps in order for it to be intense, productive and effective. I love working the Smith machine (squat machine) and I am by no means a beginner to weight training. I can now squat more than my weight and trust me, I leave that machine with my legs feeling like they're on fire and about to pop. My point here is a complex exercise doesn't mean it's any better.
These two particular members are obviously under the impression that complex exercises and excessive time training means a better and more productive training session. I've tried numerous times to correct them and on Friday, after they hit hour three in their training and me feeling like a broken record with them, I finally told them to just stop. I told them they were just wasting their time and that perhaps they should come back when they want to put in just as much effort as they do time -- so much for me being the "soft coach". Three hours of training is rather excessive and, unless you're training for a marathon or a professional sport, you really shouldn't be training nor need to be training for so long. Even I don't train three hours consecutively and I surely have more of a reason to train than they do considering it's my profession. A good time to aim for would be the one hour mark. Splitting up your training is perhaps what you should do if you do want to get in some extra time training. That's what I do. I run in the mornings (note here it's not every morning, a key point) and then I do my boxing/weight training in the evening. We do have some members that do this. But to think that clocking in excessive time at the club means your workout is of quality is just nonsense. Quality and quantity aren't to be confused as being the same thing. There is a reason why they are two totally separate words!
Yesterday I left the club when these two members were training and then later on I tapped into our security cameras and noted that they had returned. Now I'm not trying to pick on these two members, please don't misunderstand me, I'm merely using them as an example for today's homepage focus, but I find it excessively frustrating when trying to help a member goes totally ignored. I'm not going to push the "but I'm a professional athlete" or the "but I'm the coach" card in their face but the fact is I am a professional athlete, my business is fitness and health so I'd like to think that I know a lot more about training, healthy eating, and sustaining a healthy active lifestyle than the average John Smith or Jane Doe. Even as a professional athlete, I know not to over train my body and push it to exhaustion.
Training should be challenging, not comfortable -- it's when you train outside of your comfort zone that results and changes happen. Training in my comfort zone is something I'm always checking for when I do my own training because I too am guilty of falling into its trap from time to time, especially with my running. When I'm out there doing my short runs and mountain runs, I do the "talk test". If I can say a full sentence easily then I know perhaps I'm not pushing myself, I'm running comfortably. My aim is always to say that full sentence and have a bit of huffs and puffs in between every other word or so. And trust me, when I'm doing my mountain runs, I know I am surely pushing myself out of my comfort zone because those huffs and puffs happen in between my syllables and not my words.
Today these two females came in again twice to train and I eagerly wanted to put a stop to them regarding me as the "soft coach" and correct them on their obvious quantity means quality thinking. No sooner had they finished the workout I had assigned to them but then, like they usually do, they turned to Snickers and asked him for more exercises. That's when I stepped in. "No, no, no... you're done. If you can't put in the effort to do my workout then surely you don't have the effort to do his. You didn't even half ass my workout, you 'quarter-assed' it!"
Sure, that was harsh but it was the truth. If I'm a mean coach for stating the truth so bluntly than that's fine. I'm very open and honest to my members and there are reasons why so many of my members are kicking butt with shedding fat and building muscle. I put my everything into helping my members. I'll always be anyone and everyone's biggest cheerleader and source of help if they're serious about getting healthier but they've got to put in the effort. I can only push them as far and as much as they themselves are willing to be pushed. And yes, I'm repeating myself here, totally, yet I can't seem to say this enough to have it click with people. There is no hierarchy of members, of course all members are equally important, but I just don't think it's fair for me to be spending 3-5 hours of my effort and time daily focusing on a member who doesn't really want to train when there are others who do.
There is a line between business and pleasure but in my life there is no line. My business is my pleasure and my pleasure is my business. I am very passionate about what I do. I've invested everything I have into my work and perhaps my expectations for members may be regarded as higher than any neighboring fitness facility but that's fine. I don't want Hulk's to be just another cookie-cutter place to work out in. Moreover, my expectations are high only because I'm all that more willing to do so much more for them. My job IS my members, my priority IS their success, and I honestly don't think it's too much to expect them to bring effort to their training. I'm more than happy to meet their time and effort and even exceed it but they've got to at least bring the effort. They have to help me help them and part of this means listening and digesting what I tell them.
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