If you’ve made the decision to hire a coach, it’s important that you ask the right questions to ensure it’s a good fit.
And, likewise, any good coach should be asking YOU important questions to help tailor your workout to your needs and limitations.
This gives them all the information they need to design the best workout possible for you — and ensure they are giving you the right motivation to drive success.
This is why our coaches always ask the hard questions, so we know we are serving you in the best way possible.
Some of the big questions we ask include:
1. Do You Have Any Medical Conditions?
Before we even start, we need to know more about your medical history. Do you have limitations? Are you suffering from heart disease or diabetes? Is there anything medically going on that we should know about? Any current injuries or injury history? If a coach believes that he or she can help anyone, that’s a red flag. Sometimes, there’s an underlying medical condition or injury that would preclude us from working with you because it’s outside our scope of practice or expertise. Part of me worries that as gyms open back up again, less scrupulous gym owners will be desperate to sign everyone up that they can without regard for whether they are actually equipped to help that person. So if the coach or trainer you’re looking to hire asks for your credit card before asking about your medical and injury history, that’s a sign that you should keep looking.
2. What Are Your Short- and Long-Term Goals?
We need to know where you want to go before we can come up with a plan for how you’re going to get there. When we ask about your short- and long-term goals, we are keeping this information in mind so we can build a program that will help you reach them. This information helps us pick the right exercises and frequency so you can reach them in a timely and efficient manner and not waste your time. We also find that when clients have specific goals and timelines for achieving them, it improves motivation and consistency.
3. What Is Your Daily Nutrition Plan Like?
An effective coach needs to know how you eat. This way, he or she can recommend simple changes to your diet to help you get you closer to your goals. I have clients track their body composition every month, as well as important daily habits (water intake, sleep and nutrition) in my custom coaching app. This paints a picture for the trainer, so if there is no progress or progress is slow, it’s easy to identify what needs to change to get your moving in the right direction. Bear in mind, not all coaches or trainers are qualified to offer nutrition coaching. Be sure to ask about their education and certifications before you take their advice.
4. What Do You Do For A Living?
What you do for a living is important. This detail allows your coach to know how active you are throughout the day, and how best to approach your training session. If you sit for long periods of time, then your program should include some corrective exercises (to reverse the negative effects of sitting on your posture and mobility). It should also focus on intensity, so you get better results in less time. A nurse, for example, may spend a lot of time walking or lifting at work, and your coach should take this into account when designing your program.
Hiring a coach and developing a relationship that’s beneficial to both is a two-way street. Once you’ve asked all of your questions, make sure the coach you’re looking to hire is asking the right ones, too.
Your friend and coach,
Paul F. Sweatt CPT Pn1
Train Smart. Train Hard. Train Safe. Train to Sweatt
P.S. – Whenever you are ready here are 4 ways that I can help:
1. Become a member of the Train to Sweatt Community on Facebook.
Join a group of likeminded people who want to get healthy and fit in the comfort of their own home just like you. Get helpful health and fitness tips and tricks every day from myself and other members. Click here to join now and get one step closer to that healthy and fit body of your dreams.
2. Get that kick in the butt that you need.
If you’re currently trying to lose weight or improve your health & fitness this summer but don’t know where to start, you should schedule a Free Fitness Plan Makeover.
During your Fitness Plan Makeover, we will walk through your entire fitness & nutrition plan and look for simple ways to accelerate your results. You’ll walk away with at least 3 new tips, fixes or strategies that can improve your progress by at least 50%. If you’d like to schedule a Free Fitness Plan Makeover, reply with ‘Fitness’ and I’ll take it from there.
3. Get a JumpStart on your fitness.
In a fitness rut or don’t know where to start? Join my 28 Day JumpStart. My Jumpstart includes: a personalized nutrition and exercise plan designed specifically for your needs and goals so you always know what you need to do to get the healthy and fit body of your dreams, all the coaching you need to keep you accountable and make sure you stay consistent when times get tough, and weekly check in sessions to go over your progress and make changes to anything we need to keep you moving forward.Reply ‘JUMPSTART’ to get started today.
4. Achieve the results you’ve always wanted…from home.
I have the perfect solution for you to never miss a workout. Hire me as your coach and get the accountability you need to stay consistent. Just reply to this message and put “One-on-One” in the subject line…and I’ll get you the details.