<\/p>\nAlthough many believe bodybuilding and physique-based sports to be individual sports, there\u2019s a variety of factors that cannot be ignored. An athlete needs to work with a suit designer, tanning company, and set up travel and lodging accommodations. This is no cake walk and while it may get more manageable with time, it will always be challenging. When it comes to finding a coach, the stakes are considerably higher. In this article, I hope to discuss the dark side of coaching, hoping to help competitors, but also looking to serve everyday people, hoping they\u2019ll avoid scammers and hustlers preying on them \u2013 both online and in real time.<\/p>\n
The dark side of coaching isn\u2019t necessarily as dark as it seems. For example, when people think of Hell, I think it suffices to say, it\u2019s a place without God. That alone would be pretty miserable. Nonetheless, when most people think of hell, they think of fire and brimstone, sulfur, and some dude in horns with a pitchfork. The dark side of coaching doesn\u2019t entail meeting your new coach in a dark alley, while the person is wearing a cloak and with his scythe through your meal plan. The dark side I\u2019m referring to has far less imagery, but is premised on dishonesty. <\/p>\n
If a competitor walks in and drops down a wad of cash, with the expectation of reaching unrealistic goals, then a good coach will set that person straight. Will it mean losing the business? It might, but it would be the right thing to do. Many coaches today are obsessed with making money, so much so, that they\u2019ve, arguably, lost even their own love of the sport. For some coaches, potential clients are nothing more than suckers. If someone allows themselves to be hustled, then they have only themselves to blame, right? Well, not exactly. A good coach wouldn\u2019t think that way, but many do. Others won\u2019t agree to outrageous goals, but will give all their clients the same meal plan. Often times, the meal plan in question wasn\u2019t even written by the coach issuing it out. This type of irresponsibility will undoubtedly lead to poor placings and may very well also lead to metabolic damage. This type of blatant disregard is another example of the dark side I\u2019m referring to. A good coach who knows training, but who is not well versed in nutrition, will either refer the client to someone who is, or be very clear as to what they can and can\u2019t do. If a client is willing to take their chances, knowing all the facts, then that\u2019s an informed decision. Another issue that I find to be shady, is when coaches aren\u2019t even really coaches. There\u2019s \u201ccoaches\u201d who have literally only done one show, they have no certifications, and they may not have even done well in that show. These people have no business coaching anyone, but they\u2019re out there and they\u2019re preying on new competitors. <\/p>\n
The truth of the matter is that caveat emptor (buyer beware) is as true for athletes looking for coaches as it is everyday people buying used cars and consumer goods. With the power of social media, stronger than ever, doing one\u2019s homework becomes more difficult than ever. Some good ways of bypassing the fakes is referrals. Rather than finding your coach on a Google search, ask close friends who compete. At least this way you\u2019re not going in blind and you have some idea of what they can and can\u2019t do. Referral are gold.<\/p>\n
With regard to training, certifications help; however, there\u2019s also a series of certifications probably not worth the paper they\u2019re printed on. A lot of gyms no longer even bother looking into the credentials of new personal trainers. As more and more fitness clubs open up, with memberships as low as $9.99 a month, larger establishments finding themselves looking for way to make it. The way many of these businesses look at things, is what will make them the most money in the ever-changing industry. Once again it\u2019s a buyer beware environment. When a personal trainer misses the mark or is so inexperienced so as to cause alarm, gyms will typically shield themselves by reminding members that trainers aren\u2019t employees and that they\u2019re simply permitted to work with their clients on the premises. What they fail to disclose is that they should be vetting everyone in their company shirts \u2013 and that by accepting a percentage or a fee to allow trainers access, they should maintain higher standards. Once again, this is assuming that a gym\u2019s priority is its members. That\u2019s how things used to be. Today, it\u2019s become a world of survival, where keeping the doors open, the lights on, and the equipment free from liens is all that matters. I have actually been a member of gym where creditors come and either mark or repossess machines.<\/p>\n
Athletes should also be wary of nutritional programs. Many of the \u201cdiet gurus\u201d online are some of the most shameless people in the business. A diet should be created with an individual\u2019s body type, fat or carb sensitivity, and overall physique goals. A diet for a man should be different than that for a woman. A diet for someone who\u2019s 20 should be different than for someone who\u2019s 80. Many self-described diet experts are essentially copying and pasting the same diet for all who contract their services. These programs are often times very expensive, come with little to no direct counseling, and do not take into account BMI, diabetes, blood pressure or other medical factors. Many of the experts are out of shape themselves and have no formal or informal training in nutrition.<\/p>\n
As I conclude the article, I wish there were a happy ending, but there isn\u2019t one. The only thing I can say, be skeptical. Typically, I\u2019d advocate optimism and a glass half-full mentality, but when it comes coaches, gurus, and anyone claiming expertise in the fitness industry, I urge you all to question and question everything!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"by Christian Duque As the sport of bodybuilding and fitness grows, more and more aspiring competitors are looking to step on stage and compete. Where to be compete is a no-brainer. Athletes who want to compete with the best, will want to compete in the National Physique Committee (or \u201cNPC\u201d). The NPC is the only […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":23,"featured_media":6367,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-6366","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-news"},"yoast_head":"\n
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