Does a 25 Year Old Have What it Takes?

I am a Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach. You probably don’t know what that means. 

Maybe I’m wrong. Maybe you are aware of health coaching, and maybe you even have an idea of what a health coach does, but no offense, chances are your best explanation is vague and inaccurate. 

Throughout my years as a coach, I have encountered a recurring problem. I experience it with clients as well as health professionals, such as personal trainers, nutrition professionals, and even medical doctors. 

People who are aware of the health coaching profession have a vague, yet confident understanding of what coaches actually do, and, in turn, behave in one of two ways:

• They assume the coaching role themselves, without any knowledge of, or training in conversational interventions, and oftentimes do not help their clients succeed

Or

• They do not believe coaching to be an effective and useful intervention, imparting their opinion on clients and people who may benefit from coaching

My views were further validated when I posted the following polls on social media:

• Can a 25 year old be a good Life Coach?

• Can a 25 year old be a good Health Coach?

• Why or why not?

The majority of people deemed a 25 year old to be an inadequate life coach, yet the majority also deemed a 25 year old to be an adequate health coach.

The most common reason was that a 25 year old is not experienced enough to give life advice but can obtain enough knowledge to provide health advice. For those who voted in favor of 25 year olds, their opinion was that a 25 year old can be wise enough to give good life and health advice. 

This data and feedback illustrates my point. People assume a coach’s job is to give advice, and this inaccurate representation of coaching causes people to inappropriately determine who can be a good coach, what constitutes good coaching, and if it’s even effective. 

In a nutshell, health coaches help people set the right goals, and establish the perspectives, habits, and routines that align with those goals.

As per my experience, the general public views coaching as a listen and prescribe process, similar to a conventional doctor/patient exchange. The coach listens to what the client wants to achieve, shares with the client all the information they know about the topic, and then provides the client with advice on how to proceed. This is a big misconception. 

“..the coach is primarily an investigator and question asker.”

In reality, health coaches take a client-centered approach to coaching. This means we collaborate with clients, as opposed to instruct, to figure out what goals are important, and how to accomplish those goals in a sustainable, enjoyable, and realistic manner. 

The client-centered approach makes perfect sense. Who is best suited to determine the goals and actions that are most realistic for the client; the coach (who is usually a stranger in many ways), or the client themself?

When client-centered, the coach is primarily an investigator and question asker. Their job is to be curious about their client's situation, ask powerful questions, and respond with reflections, affirmations, and feedback that provoke critical and progressive thinking by the client. 

“To bypass the client and go straight to the coach’s opinion rarely results in client action and sustained efforts.”

There is a time and a place for coaches to give advice, but it is almost always after first exploring the client’s knowledge, skills, and personal vision. To bypass the client and go straight to the coach’s opinion rarely results in client action and sustained efforts. There are times when the coach’s advice is not needed at all. And times when the coach doesn’t have an answer when the client needs one. At that point, the coach has to find additional resources.

A coach does not need to be personally experienced in what the client is going through in order to effectively help that person overcome their challenges. With all the things people experience in the world, how could that even be possible? 

So with that being said, can a 25 year old be curious about their clients situation and needs? 

Are 25 year olds capable of asking thought provoking questions, and responding in ways that promote further thinking and problem solving? 

Can they help their clients establish action plans, accountability systems, and provide support?

I certainly think so. 

For those who still think 25 year olds are too young to be a good coach (brain development is just coming to a close), I somewhat agree. Time spent on this planet is incomparable. With age comes wisdom and compassion, especially as it pertains to client outcomes and tendencies, but is it a requirement to be able to listen and respond with curiosity?

Personal Trainers, if your clients improved something about their stress, nutrition, sleep, or NEAT, how would that impact your training results? How might collaborating with a health coach help your clients and your business? CLICK HERE and let me know what your clients struggle with, and what I can do to help.

If you’re interested in signing up for coaching, what do you envision for your health in the future? How can working with a health coach help you be successful and maintain that success over time? CLICK HERE to learn more about how my 8-week coaching program can help you achieve more.

Comment below and let me know what you think about this topic. Does a 25 year old have what it takes? Tell me why you agree.. or why not! 

Thank you for reading!

Gerard

Why Your Trainer Needs a Health Coach

Athletic trainers, personal trainers and physical therapists use exercise to help people achieve goals related to pain, performance, and body composition. However, any good trainer or therapist will tell you that what happens outside the gym, AKA life, will greatly impact what  happens inside the gym, AKA gains. 

Although trainers and therapists have knowledge in lifestyle fundamentals outside of exercise, it is difficult to have meaningful conversations with clients, that lead to long term change, during workout sessions. If a trainer spends extra time providing resources and information following a session, the effort typically does not lead to behavior change, and is often not financially compensated.

Trainers and therapists need a colleague to refer to who can provide their clients with the space and guidance needed to identify priorities, discover inner motivations and intentions, establish environments and support systems, and create an actionable plan to achieve their ideal vision. The ability to do so will compliment client efforts in fitness, and improve outcomes associated with training or therapy. Win/Win for everyone involved.

Health coaches serve as a resource for trainers, therapists, and the general population in this regard, and utilize evidence-based coaching practices needed for structured, detailed, individualized coaching that leads to long-lasting, meaningful change. For a more details on health coaching, check out the earlier blog “What is a Health Coach?”

If you are a therapist or trainer and have clients that you think would benefit from health coaching email me and tell me why. 

Be sure to inquire about my client referral program and how trainers and therapists can earn passive income through health coaching with Bellhouse Fitness.

Thanks for reading!

Gerard

Do Client Assessment Really Matter?

I was recently listening to an episode of the Twins Podcast, with Dr. Marcos Rodriguez and Pat Davidson, and the topic of client intake and assessment came into the conversation. Marcos and Pat both stated that they do not use an intake form with new clients, nor do they do a formal physical assessment. 

Health coaching is rooted in client intake, focusing on client experience with nutrition, sleep, exercise and stress management. Although many personal trainers may agree with Marcos and Pat, many others see value to following an intake process and utilizing an assessment to inform exercise selection. 

To assess or not to assess can become a heated conversation (I’ve seen it), which clearly makes it a good topic, and is also a tool that transcends disciples. So in response to Dr. Marcos and Pat, here are my thoughts.

What is a client intake form and assessment?

A client intake form is a blend of every bias in the health industry. It audits nutritional habits, sleep hygiene, physical activity, past experiences, stress regulation, and mental health. It attempts to identify physical and emotional red flags, short term goals and an overall wellness vision. 

A physical assessment is a series of passive and active tests that allows the trainer to identify patterns of pain, limitations, asymmetries, strengths, and current levels of fitness. 

What is the benefit of the intake process?

A good intake process provides the trainer or coach with the ability to learn about their client’s habits, environment, perspective, interests and experience. It provides an opportunity for the trainer to go beyond the form and into a follow-up conversation, with the attempt to evoke the emotion, motivation, and root cause behind certain behaviors that impact fitness goals. By discovering strengths, wisdom, and motivation to change, the client can formulate action steps and a support system so they can progress toward achieving and sustaining their vision. Without the intake process, this conversation would be difficult to have on the gym floor in between sets, and can potentially limit client outcomes. 

What is the benefit of a physical assessment?

A good physical assessment will give the trainer deeper knowledge of their client’s movement and strength capabilities, and allow for an exercise program that specifically addresses the movement needs of the client. This is especially important for clients with chronic pain, as this will minimize risk, while maximizing effect. Additionally, re-assessments can determine program effectiveness and determine progression. These measures can improve client outcomes and promote adherence, motivation, and independence.

What are the cons of the intake and assessment process?

Depending on the experience, goals, and interests of the client, he or she may not be interested in auditing their diet and lifestyle. It is very possible that the client is seeking a personal trainer so they can just train, and do not want to answer questions about topics they did not sign up for. Additionally, the trainer can inquire about the intake form during the initial training sessions. If a client sees value, breaking out the intake form is appropriate, but waiting to approach the subject can potentially save time and frustration.

This logic also applies to the physical assessment. As fitness professionals, we have a bias towards helping our clients move better. However, if weight loss is the primary goal (and usually it is), should time be spent assessing and attempting to improve joint range of motion? If the client doesn’t care about improving movement and just wants to lose weight, it’s the trainer’s job to help them accomplish just that, and not spend time on interventions that do not directly impact the goal. 

Lastly, watching somebody move through a warmup and work out can potentially give an experienced and knowledgeable trainer everything they need to know when writing a program. If they use a predictive model, possibly based off of assessments, which does not utilize an assessment, the trainer will program exercises that reflect the principles of the model, regardless of the person they are training. If exercise selection does not change, the assessment becomes irrelevant.

Practical Application

When working with clients, I typically explain what my immediate thoughts are related to an activity, why I am choosing that specific activity, and how performing the activity may benefit their goals. 

If a client understands why he or she is performing a task, such as a push up or an intake form, the client will be able to make an informed decision about how they’d like to proceed, giving them ownership, potentially creating buy-in to the activity, or rejecting it altogether, avoiding wasted time and frustration.

Regardless of the activity and goal, if you are unsure of how you want to approach the intake and assessment process, starting with a conversation about it can give you the feedback that will help inform your decisions. Give it a shot!

Closing Thoughts

If you are a trainer and have the desire or expertise to discuss lifestyle and behavior with clients, and individualize your holistic approach, the intake form can facilitate the first steps in that process. If you believe these are important factors, but you do not have the expertise or bandwidth to help your client in this manner, consider referring them to Health Coaching. (Don’t forget to ask about my client referral program!)

If you are a trainer and believe that a program should be personalized to address client needs, and/or you work with clients who suffer from chronic pain and discomfort, a movement assessment can be a powerful tool to provide insight and guidance when determining program design and progression. Contact Me to learn more about how to solve complex movement problems with effective and efficient solutions.

If you are a client, I want to know what you think! Do you see value in providing information about your background and experience when working with a trainer or health coach? What have your past experiences been? Email me and let me know!

Regardless of what spectrum you fall under, formal or informal, subjective or objective, right now or a little later, or maybe you like the best of both worlds, we’re always assessing each other, whether we know it or not! 

What are your thoughts on intake forms and assessments? Send me an email and I’ll reply back! 

Thanks for reading! Be well.  

Gerard

Bonus Material!

Test yourself:

Clients! Are you unsure if you should bother with the intake form? Answer these three questions to get a better idea:

1. How important is it to you to accomplish your health goals?

2. What do you identify as limiting factors to reaching your goals? Does it involve nutrition, sleep, exercise, physical activity, or stress?

3. How motivated are you to change?

If accomplishing your goals is important, you have identified limiting factors, and are motivated to change, utilizing an intake form can help your trainer facilitate an all inclusive plan to help you accomplish your goals. 

Clients! Try these three moves to find out how well you move:

1. Touch your toes

2. Deep Squat

3. Stand with back flat against a wall, go down into a squat position, and raise your arm to touch the wall above your head, like a hitchhiker, without letting your back lose contact with the wall.

If you have difficulty with these movements, or they are painful or uncomfortable, you may benefit from a movement assessment and training program designed to improve your limitations.

Trainers! Are you unsure if you should bother with giving out an intake form? Answer these three questions:

1. What do you want to learn from your client?

2. How will this impact your process?

3. Are you equipped to coach a client with behavior and lifestyle goals?

Trainers, answer these few questions to find out if an assessment is worth your time:

1. What are you looking to learn with the assessment?

2. How will this impact your process?

3. Do you work with people in pain?