01/08/2023
When searching for your kids' personal strength coach, narrow our list to 5-10 and then interview them like you're spearheading the search for a Fortune 500 CEO.
ABSOLUTELY GRILL THEM!
Rake them over the coals. I mean it!
Ask rigorous questions in a "What if?" format.
Don't let them get away with being vague either. DEMAND that they answer in specifics about their strengths and weakness as they pertain to training philosophies, safety, specificity, periodization, and adaptability.
For bonus points, ask them about the force-velocity curve as it pertains to the sports and athletes they train.
"Tell me about your certification. How long did it take to complete? What are your continuing education demands in order TO STAY certified?"
If an expensive 1-weekend course was all it took, that's a red flag.
"Tell me why you're qualified to train (insert sport here) players. For how long have you trained such athletes? What's your background?"
If my kid is a pitcher, I'm sure as hell not gonna hire a strength coach who's never even played baseball...someone who can't fathom what it feels like to drag a dead arm around for days after a six-game tourney. Will they make you bench press with a barbell on the morning after a complete game? I sure as hell hope not!
"Are you CPR *AND* First Aid certified?"
"Do you know how to operate an AED and is there one present at your facility?"
"Are you insured? By whom?"
No additional comment is necessary.
"My son plays baseball, wrestles, and runs track. What factors will influence and determine how you will design his strength training program?"
If they tell you that workouts will be randomized, say, "Thank you for your time," and walk away.
"My daughter plays basketball, volleyball, and golf. Plus she lifts weights 4-5 days per week in PE. Tell me how you will determine her exercise selection, sets, reps, loads, and her rest intervals during your sessions."
If the potential coach doesn't give you the impression that they're adaptable to the ever-changing demands of your kid's sport and PE schedule, then they shouldn't be programming exercises for your kid.
They should have a plan to adjust the training volume and/or intensity in the days preceding big games and meets.
They shouldn't be programming certain lifts on back-to-back days. Trainers should always ask the client what they already did in practice and in PE THAT DAY, and they should also ask what they'll be doing tomorrow.
"My child injured their ________ last year and it flared up again last month during team drills. They have been released from physical therapy and are ready to train again. How are you equipped to train athletes with a similar injury history?"
If a trainer doesn't have a plan-B, or even a C thru Z, then they aren't worth the time and money.
If a coach has no plan to train around injuries and they only "follow the original program", then they have no business training athletes.
This can manifest in coaches who are married to ONE type of squat, ONE type of bench press, ONE type of deadlift, or even ONE type of ideology (i.e. powerlifting, Olympic lifting, CrossFit, bodybuilding, or any other proprietary fitness trend).
When someone's only tool is a hammer, they tend to treat everything like a nail. Make sure your strength coach has roots in your child's sports. But also make sure that they own the ability to pull a variety of tools from a large training toolbox.
A skilled coach will know when to blend the best aspects of powerlifting, strongman, Olympic lifting, bodybuilding, and therapeutic movements.
ABSOLUTELY GRILL THE HECK OUT OF YOUR POTENTIAL STRENGTH COACH!!!
The blunt truth is that, on average, most people are C-students, but the dirty secret of the fitness industry is that most personal trainers are D-minus at best.
If a potential coach cracks under the pressure of your interview, they probably don't have the poise, communication skills, basic knowledge, experience, adaptability, or organizational skills to serve your family.
A certification is just a prerequisite, and most are very quick and easy to obtain with enough money.
Knowing how to use the equipment in any gym is basic professional trivia. Knowing when and when NOT to perform exercises and assign sets/reps/loads/rest on a person-by-person basis is why they still call it "personal" training.
Performing circus-trick-exercises and being social-media-famous are not indicators of professional competence. (And in my opinion, the volume and frequency of a strength coach's tweets, statuses, selfies, and other mindless online content are inversely proportional to their coaching abilities.)
Ask them how they record workouts. How do they track exercises, records, and training cycles? Also ask how they determine when to deload during their programs.
Everything I've written above should be the minimum standard for strength and conditioning professionals.
But it isn't.
Unfortunately, a large portion of fitness "professionals" are merely fitness enthusiasts. Enthusiasm will only get you so far in this business. It won't make you a good communicator, more empathetic, more organized, or any safer.
Unfortunately, most people will still hire coaches based solely on how they look (with the aid of surgery and/or drugs), how many Instagram followers they have (just because they pass the eye test or offer "hot takes"), or how shiny their equipment is (a million-dollar gym with five-cent programming).
Whether we care to admit it or not, we (humans) make most of our decisions emotionally. We can lie to ourselves and say that we are intellectual giants who are masters of evidence-based research and all the best bleeding-edge facts, but when it comes down to it, we're very emotional animals.
The least we can do for ourselves and our families is pour all those emotions into a rigorous vetting process that weeds out all the unsafe and less effective obstacles between us and our goals...not just in fitness, but in ANY context.
