I was talking to a friend of mine the other day who is also a client at the gym. We were talking about the training I had planned for him and it was pretty obvious that my expectations for him were higher than his own. I said "Why do I feel like your health and fitness is more important to me than it is to you?". His response was "Because you're a professional.". Then later in the day I had one of my other clients come and tell me how he just went down to cancel his membership at Globo Gym and when they asked him why, he told them it was because he was working out at Dynamic now, to which they responded, "Oh, what do they have a degree in, history?". He said, "Not sure, I just know I get results at Dynamic, but I don't at your gym.". So all of this got me to thinking about what makes a great coach and trainer, and why I believe, that I have assembled the best group of trainers in the area with the potential to become the best group of trainers in the world.
Let's start with education. All of the trainers at Dynamic Strength and Conditioning are required to have at least a bachelor's degree. The reason for this is simple, it reflects a commitment to higher learning. I don't, however, require the bachelor's degree to be in one of the many different exercise specialties whether it be kinesiology, exercise physiology, health sciences, etc... The reason for this is also simple. I have yet to meet the person who comes out of college that actually knows anything useful. The day you receive the diploma is the day you start learning. It's much more important to me what a person learns once they're out of college. The exercise science programs at a 4 year university will have some useful anatomy courses and basic biomechanics, but the actual practical knowledge that one comes out of college with in one of these programs is about zero, unless they were able to do an internship with somebody who knows what they're doing. Conor, who is the most recent trainer to join our staff, has a health sciences degree and he will be the first to tell you that he learned more in a 5 month internship with Eric Cressey and in his first 3 months working with clients at Dynamic then he could have ever learned in college. The reason I hired Conor is because he got a glowing recommendation from Eric, one of the top strength and conditioning coaches in the world, and his personality and attitude fit the dynamic I am looking for in my trainers. I'm not knocking the exercise phys degrees, I think it's wonderful that there are kids at 18 years old who want to dedicate their lives to helping people get stronger and healthier. I'm just saying that the title of the degree one holds is pretty much at the bottom of the list of what makes a great strength coach and trainer. For what it's worth, the National Strength and Conditioning Association which gives the most highly regarded certification in the country, the CSCS-Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist, also requires a bachelor's degree.... But it doesn't have to be in an exercise discipline. Go figure. As I will get into in part 2, a coach's commitment to continuing education is one of the single biggest contributors to his effectiveness and success as a trainer, and much more important than what the classes were that he was taking between keg stands and sets of bench presses in college.
Certifications are also an important part of being an excellent trainer and coach. All of my trainers are required to get the NSCA-CSCS. As I mentioned, it is the most highly regarded certification among strength coaches and trainers in the country. It has a curriculum based on scientific theory and practical application, and while it offers little in the realm of functional anatomy or functional strength and conditioning, in order to acquire the certification one must possess a solid foundation in anatomy, physiology, program design and management. The NSCA-CSCS is an industry standard, and each of the trainers at Dynamic either have the credential now, or are in the process of acquiring it within a month's time.
Other certifications are important as well. As an example, we train people with kettlebells because I believe the kettlebell is one of the best tools available to develop full body strength, power, and power endurance. We do not treat kettlebells as the latest, greatest fad because Jillian Michaels is using them (poorly). We use them because they work and they give people results. When swinging a weight like a kettlebell, it is crucial that proper body mechanics and technique is used. So I sought out the best kettlebell instructors in the world and personally trained with them. When I was convinced that these instructors were the ones that would make me the best kettlebell coach possible, I brought them both to Dynamic and had them train my trainers. I have the best group of certified kettlebell instructors in the area, without question. I can not tell you how many people have come into Dynamic, having trained with kettlebells at other gyms, and have had horrendous form. This is what happens when trainers try to train people in methods that they don't understand themselves and haven't taken the time to learn. The bottom line at Dynamic is that if I am going to put it into our programs then our trainers are going to get the necessary training to coach it, if they don't possess the expertise already. And don't confuse the ability to do it, with the ability to coach it. When you step through our doors you are going to be coached at the highest level possible, by educated, certified coaches.
In Part 2 I will go into the traits that separate the good coaches from the great coaches, and why our staff is second to none.
No comments:
Post a Comment