Imagine If Fitness Studio Newport Beach

 

The thought occurred to me just the other day that fitness is one of the only mainstream areas where people attempt to do it themselves. Can you imagine trying to fill your own cavities, perform your own knee surgery, or taking yourself through a mammogram and attempting to understand the findings? Heck no!

 

The human body is incredibly complex – there are over 600 muscles, 200 bones, and several intricate systems. There are also factors like motor learning, movement patterns, the load on the CNS (Central Nervous System), stress, body types, and the list goes on and on. My point here is simple; the human body is very complex, and therefore creating a proper exercise program should best be left to a professional. Recently, from various parts of the country, I’ve received several inquires as to whom I would recommend in (insert your city/town here) as a personal trainer.
Just recently I was also asked about my thoughts on the Shake Weight. At first, I thought this person was kidding. Guess not. Anyway, I believe the Shake Weight is a tool and results never come from tools. Hand a master craftsman a junky set of tools and he can build an incredible house. Hand a poor craftsman a master set of tools and he will build a junky house. Just in case you were wondering, no we do not have nor will we ever have a “Shake Weight” in our facility. Due to these inquires I thought an in-depth article discussing this would be appropriate.
At Imagine If Fitness, we have a ton of fun tools and the very best equipment available anywhere; however, none of that really matters without the expertise of a true professional guiding a program. I can assure you the “secret” to success is not in the tool; the shake weight, the latest exercise class to come along or a neat pair of shoes (which reportedly give a toning effect). The secret is in finding a true professional who has the background, education, real world experience and compassion to coach you toward achieving your goals. It is my belief that the very best investment you can make, is in yourself. This will always pay much higher dividends than anything else you could possibly spend your money on.

 

To recap, when it comes to your health, well being and your number one investment, I suggest you find a professional and avoid attempting to do it yourself. I have some suggestions to help you find your master craftsman – as well as help you differentiate between the typical personal trainer and the elite fitness coaches in the country.

 

#1: Elite Coaches are Educated
The best coaches are educated. For clarification, education comes from three areas. The first is a basic fundamental foundation, which is typically laid with a Bachelors degree or higher in an area like Kinesiology, Exercise Physiology, Sports Science, etc.

 

The second area is what I refer to as “under the bar” or “in the trenches” expertise. This is an area that cannot be gathered by sitting in a classroom. The best coaches not only teach what they do, but they can also do it. They have spent countless hours in the trenches coaching. They are not internet marketers or slick salesman dressed in fancy clothes. They are coaches.

 

The third component is ongoing education. The best coaches typically spend 100’s of hours per year studying, reading, and participating at workshops, all because they want to get even better. A study of health-and- fitness professionals published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research found that trainers who had five years of experience, but no college degree scored an average of 44 percent on a test of basic fitness knowledge. Those with at least a Bachelor’s degree in exercise science scored an average of 68 percent. Trainers with an NSCA or ASCM certification got 85 percent, while those with other certifications (or none at all) came in at 36 percent.

 

Lesson: Find a coach who has a college degree in the field, who has been professionally trained to lift, who values ongoing education and who is certified by either the NSCA or ASCM.

 

#2 Elite Coaches Walk the Talk
The very best coaches lead by example. The person you hire to lead you toward greatness should already be healthy, fit, energetic, strong, flexible and happy. If the potential candidate you are considering hiring has not attained anything much above mediocrity, what would make you think they could lead you to greatness? Great coaches live a lifestyle in adherence to what they teach. They eat, drink, live and train according to the same principles that they teach.

 

Lesson: Find a coach who walks the talk and one that you aspire to be like.

 

#3 Elite Coaches Assess
As one of my mentors Alwyn Cosgrove always says, “If you are not assessing, then you are just guessing.” I can tell you that when it comes to our clients, we are not willing to just guess. All the best coaches use one form of assessment or another.  Depending on your goals, the assessment should include a basic body composition test (like a skin fold test), circumference measurements, movement screens and performance tests. Other factors like nutrition, quality of sleep, supplementation, and mind-set should also be assessed. I’m absolutely floored that 90 percent of personal trainers in the industry use no real assessment.

 

Lesson: Find a coach who uses a thorough assessment.

 

#4 Elite Coaches Coach for a Living
I’m sure this one may piss off a lot of people. Frankly though, I don’t really care. Truly great coaches, trainers, and fitness experts coach people for a living. For them, it is not a hobby, a part-time job or fill-in work between having a “real job.” I’m continually amazed at the amount of so called experts in the fitness industry whose primary source of income comes from another job. If you want to find a great coach, I urge you to select someone who does it for a living. Can you imagine having a doctor perform surgery on you only to find out later that they sell cars for a living? Sure, you could argue that this is an extreme example, but the truth is when you are working with a coach, your health, your body and your livelihood are in their hands.

 

Lesson: Find a coach who does it for a living, not a part time hobbyist.

 

#5 Elite Coaches have a Coach/Mentor
The very best fitness professionals have at least one coach/mentor/colleague that helps them with their own personal fitness goals. The hardest part for most true professionals is assessing the needs of their own bodies. We all like to spend time on our strengths. So, it’s typical to see people repeatedly doing a lot of the same things and very little of the stuff that is needed most. The presence of a coach will help avoid that practice.

 

Lesson: Find a coach who has a coach.

 

#6 Elite Coaches Read
The best coaches spend a great deal of time reading. Abraham Lincoln once said, “A capacity and taste for reading gives access to whatever has already been discovered by others.” Several years ago I figured out that the more I read the better at my craft I would become. And the application of this material would also help me become a better person, coach, mentor, friend, family member, communicator etc. I realized that the information gained from reading just one book would propel me forward at a much faster rate.  Each book allows me to access a huge chunk of knowledge in just a very short period of time. Each resource enables me to develop much faster than if I tried to figure it out on my own. Personally, I select books from a variety of topics in order to be well rounded. I read about 3 books a month. My favorite topics are exercise, movement, nutrition, psychology, philosophy, business and spirituality.

 

Lesson: Find a coach who reads and values self excellence.

 

#7 Elite Coaches Re-assess
At Imagine If, we record everything. Every rep of every set of every movement that is performed in our facility is tracked and recorded. Each time a new client enters our facility and begins her/his own personal transformation, we begin the process with a goal setting session. We take measurements and provide an assessment at the start, and then we continually re-assess and monitor their progress throughout the journey. All elite coaches continually monitor progress to be sure that the client is getting what they want, that the program is working, and to make adjustments when changes are needed.

 

Lesson: It is impossible to measure success without a guideline. Find a coach who monitors progress.

 

#8 Elite Coaches Really Care
I saved the best for last! The best coaches really care about their clients. They all have a deep burning passion within them to help people. Generally speaking, most people in the fitness industry don’t make a ton of money (the national average for personal trainers is only about $37,000 a year). But these people are not in it for the money. They are in it because it’s what they LOVE to do.

 

Lesson: Find a coach whom you feel really cares about you and your goals.

 

Hopefully this series has helped to inform you and dispel many of the myths and misinformation regarding coaches and personal trainers in the industry. My ideal goal is that by arming yourself with this new-found knowledge, you are now better apt to find the best coach for you and your goals. Good luck in your search!

 

Best Wishes,
Aaron Benes & the Imagine If Team