09/04/2026
What’s the difference between a trainer and a coach? (mini-rant)
A trainer gets a weekend cert, spends a few hours on “Youtube University” and thinks he/she is ready to teach. A coach is always seeking new ways to get better at his craft so that he can provide more value to his clients.
A trainer is concerned about his cancellation policy, package expiry and how many sessions he can clock that month. A coach is obsessed with delivering a result knowing these things will take care of themselves when the job’s done right.
A trainer adopts a cookie cutter approach to his clients’ training (just because it worked for him) and refuses to entertain different perspectives. A coach understands there are multiple paths to success and strives to have multiple tools in his arsenal to help his clients.
A trainer blames his/her clients for not being consistent or seeing results and only wants to work with engaged clients. A coach takes ownership of a gap in his ability to keep clients motivated, manage expectations and learns from this.
A trainer only cares about how much more you lift or how much body fat you can cut over the next 6-8 weeks, regardless of what you do to get it, so that you will renew and he can get another testimonial. A coach will call you out if you’re overdoing it, even if it means delaying the results, because he understands the real winners in fitness all play the long game.
It’s easy to hire a trainer. These days, anyone with some skillsfuture credits, mildly above average physique and the enthusiasm to shout “Let’s go” every 5 minutes can be a trainer. They are everywhere, and usually cheaper than coaches.
Nothing wrong with hiring one if you know what you’re getting into. Some of us just need a little encouragement and someone to set the pins and rerack the weights.
However, if you’re serious about getting your health in order, in my humble opinion — get a coach.
