Discipline is doing what you are supposed to do in the best possible manner at the time you are supposed to do it - Coach Mike Krzyzewski
If you are looking for a fitness coach, chances are you will find one in a hurry. Chances are you will be overwhelmed with the amount you will find. I don't believe it is oversaturated based on the need for good online coaches, but I could see where you're coming from if you believe that. If I were looking for one, I would be overwhelmed as well. Fortunately, I found mine rather quickly because we work together to grow his and Erin's podcast. Check it out. However, I understand most do not have this bout of luck finding someone they connect with and want to hire as a coach. I want to share with you what sets me apart from most online coaches.
1. Experience - I first fell in love with training in 2013 and haven't stopped since. I took myself from 130 pounds with a visible gut to 190 pounds with visible abs. I am in no way done with my physique transformation but I know what it takes because I've done it myself. Below is a photo:
2. Blend of Research and Practicality - Most coaches (in my experience) will either lean on research as their primary way of coaching or will be read biographies and books put out by trainers as a basis for their training programs. I understand the importance of both. As a graduate kinesiology student, I know the importance of solid research. I also know how valuable real world experience is. My philosophy is to blend these two extremes for optimal outcomes. I share the research and books I read to my clients so they have an understanding of where I am coming from.
3. Coaching based on theory, not guessing - I would venture to say that most online coaches haven't studied theories of counseling or coaching. While I am not a licensed counselor, I ground my coaching in theories of cognitive and choice/reality theories.
Cognitive therapy, made famous by Aaron Beck, theorized that negative thoughts and feelings stem from 3 key origins: the self, the environment, and the prospective reality (Neharishi, 2014). As a coach, it's important to understand a client's self-talk about their goals and aspirations, their current environment, and how they perceive their current reality. This from a coaches standpoint is meeting the client where they are. On that, I mostly work with entrepreneurs, business executives, and high performers who do not have all the time in the world. Being an entrepreneur and graduate student myself, I know that lifestyle.
As I understand that we all have different starting points in our journeys and we may have obstacles in our way such as past failures or being surrounded by individuals who do not align with the goals you want to achieve. While some beliefs can be valid, most are the limiting beliefs we choose to put on ourselves. I, as a coach, want to expose those limiting beliefs you have about yourself and create new beliefs for you to reach your goals. Understand that your beliefs dictate your emotions. Those emotions drive your actions. Your actions are the only thing that can produce results. Your results are how you perceive your own reality (BEARR). So this is a constant, perpetuating loop that starts with beliefs. Again, my job as a coach is to root out those irrational or false beliefs and instill new positive ones to set you on a course to your goals.
William Glasser and Robert E. Wubbolding are the creators of the reality/choice theory, in which I also drawn on for my coaching philosophy. Reality/choice theory states that individuals are born with needs that dictate their lives. These needs are survival, love and belonging, power, freedom, and fun. These aspects lead to an individuals "total behavior" and exists as a holistic framework on which to counselor or coach from. Better health both physically and mentally would benefit every need an individual has, especially survival from a longevity perspective.
This is a very present focused concept that puts the power of choice, responsibility, and potential to the client. Similar to Cognitive therapy, we as human beings have more choice and freedom than society lets you believe. The job of an effective coach is to empower their clients to believe in themselves and do things they either couldn't or wouldn't do on their own. I believe the power of the reality/choice theory comes in its present focused frame of reference. Especially with exercise or trying to eat healthy, the more an individual tries and is "unsuccessful" at it, the more they will look back to those moments and start to believe that, "well, this just isn't for me." What I do is root that particular issue out and focus my coaching on the present moment. Yes, it is important to know the journey someone has been on up until now. Understand though, as a coach, I can do nothing about that. What I can do is start with you today on a path to consistency and a path to your goals.
4. Have Had Amazing Mentors with Proof of Concept - Learning from the best is vital to an individual's learning. Knowing who to listen to based on their experience and success is just as important as what to learn. I believe I do a great job of filtering out who and who not to listen to based on their actual client or business results. I've worked for a former NFL athlete for two years learning about mindset with tremendous client results. I was apart of a mentorship group of Erin Dimond's, an online coach, who generates $500,000 a year with online coaching, who has transformed 3,000+ individuals. I am plugged into both of their circles of influence. I've taken online courses from Jay Abraham, Ramiet Sethi, and Sam Ovens. This isn't meant to be a name drop section, only to show that the people I trust and learn from have produced incredible results.
5. Focused on Continuous Learning - Learning will never stop for me and that is what I also instill into clients. I'm always sharing things I'm reading or researching with my community or on my blog or podcast and WHY it's important. What we know now may ver well change with new research being done. I aim to be as transparent as possible as a coach because I believe that is an important quality.
In conclusion, I am a giant nerd when it comes to elite human performance. I'm fascinated with nutrition, psychology, strength and conditioning, and many other aspects that are incorporated into human performance. I coach with a lot of empathy and will also challenge my clients because I believe in them that they can do more. My fitness coaching focuses on 4 pillars: Exercise plan, nutrition, sleep, and stress management. I am not a registered dietitian or licensed counselor but I understand a lot of these components and that is why they are vital in my coaching. I will never push a nutrition plan onto a client because, as a coach, I know not one plan is right for everyone and different people enjoy different foods. We together create a sustainable plan for you to reach your goals.
If you are interested in the Rappflex Body Design Complete Program, click here to fill out the application. As a special bonus, I am giving 10% off to those who mention either this blog post.