Right Brained Training

I don't consider myself to be a veteran of the workforce by any means. I do feel like I got into it at a very interesting time in our history. An interesting time for all the right reasons as purpose and meaning in work is becoming as big a priority as salaries and benefits.

I don't know the numbers but based on observation, training is certainly no exception. I have encountered a lot of people over the years who have walked away from some very impressive backgrounds to a pursue a career in training.

What I consider a huge positive for training also opens my eyes to the fact that there are going to be a lot of trainers out there moving forward.

But who said there was anything wrong with a little competition as it really does push us all to become better. Not to mention I believe that the diversity of education and workplace experience has really changed the game when it comes to acknowledging what better is.

Even in my short history I have noticed some major shifts in what becoming a better trainer really means. No longer is training excellence about becoming a better practitioner. It has evolved into  being a better listener, communicator, thinker, problem solver, educator, and leader.

On top of that, it is the ability to take these characteristics and blend them into your own identity and way of thinking if you are looking to establish individuality within this growing, hyper-competitive field.

Take Goal Setting With A Grain Of Salt

I've become increasingly torn with goal setting. I see its purpose when it comes to getting people motivated to take action. On the flip side I see it as a necessary evil that gets taken out of context and is taken too serious.

The way that I now look at goal setting is that yes it gives me something to direct my attention toward in the sense of exercise selection. One of the biggest mistakes I have ever made is directing too much of my attention to the desired outcome rather than polishing my skills as a coach and educator.

Results are the name of the game but for a lot of people who step into a training experience it is just as important to program to produce the culture of exercise as it is to produce the logistics.

Acknowledge and cater to the ''I want to lose 20lbs'', ''I want to get strong'', ''I want to get jacked'' type of goals that conquer traditional goal setting.

However, where you really prove your worth is your ability to bring success to goals such as ''I want to be consistent'', ''I want to reassess and re program my life outside of the gym'', and ''I want to want to be here''.

Goal setting in fitness is pursuing an end game in a game with no real end.

Listen

I agree with having a plan in place but a plan can get altered fast after engaging in a bit of storytelling.

Narrative programming in my eyes is a real dark horse in program design as it is as personalized as it gets. It is something that polishes your ability to listen, problem solve, as well as efficiently addressing the variability of your programming that could be thrown at you on any given day.

Your ability to prescribe exercise according to storytelling and feedback will improve your efficiency and confidence in your decision making and your ability to listen is certainly something that will be appreciated.

Evolve Your Assessment Strategy

To polish your ability to listen is to polish your vision. Assessment a strategy to establish a starting point as well as a success tracker. To become better and better at it is to understand that it assessment never stops and it is not limited to exercise.

Assessing body language, hand shakes, posture, warm ups, as well as exercise will allow you to see things that would otherwise get overlooked if assessment is not in the back of your mind throughout the process.

Understand The True Meaning Of Style

Style is often the term used to label your way of doing things in the gym. The problem with it is that it does not always tell the whole story.

Style is not established through choosing one methodology over the other. I know that I have been labelled as a ''mobility guy'' or a ''corrective exercise guy'' as of late and I cannot say that I would consider myself to be anything remotely close to that.

The way that I like to train is a result of taking in as much information as I can from as many sources as I can. Applying what I like and then finding common ground between what I like and what I feel is the best fit possible for the person in front of me at any given time. It has been fine tuned a lot in the past and I expect it to be fine tuned a lot in the future so to look at it exclusively as a ''style'' does not always do it justice.

Willpower Is Overrated

I've had some great conversations about this statement over the past few months and my opinion remains. I believe that the will to change is important but if the process is a being fueled only through force, it is only a matter of time before the bubble bursts.

For that reason I think that as trainers there needs to be a shift from being labelled as figures of motivation and accountability.

To me that only tells you part of the story as there is a lot more to transformation than it being a test of will. Great trainers know that change goes well beyond making sacrifices and testing will. They have the ability to drive change through education, coaching and transparency. Rather than success through sacrifice it really becomes about what gets enriched throughout the process.

Much better way of going about your business.