This is the latest iteration of our blog series on the value of a coach.
(See also, “Invest in Yourself,” and “You Don’t Need a Gym”)
When it comes to getting in shape, you owe it to yourself to get on the right track as soon as possible. We’ve posted at length about all the benefits an experienced and personable coach can offer including faster results, accountability, and the unwavering support of having someone in your corner. In short, whether or not to invest in a coach is an easy decision.
What you might not realize, however, is that when you invest in a coach you’re not only hiring the services of a person, you’re entering into a partnership. In other words, when you invest in a coach, that coach is also making an investment in you.
The bandwidth of a coach is finite; they can only handle a certain number of clients while maintaining the highest level of attention and care. The right coach wants you to succeed and reach your goals just as much as you, if not more. Coaches choose their profession for this reason; because they are obsessed with seeing the results of their work reflected in their clients. When you ask a coach what they love about their job, this is often their answer.
Nowadays with technology and automation, you will see coaches work with supersized lists of clients based all over the world. In this scenario, they will generally offer a one-size-fits-most solution because they don’t really know much about you. Can you have success working with a coach you’ve never met, who is based in another time zone, and only communicate through an app? Sure can. But ask yourself, how much can this person really care about me if I’m just a name in their queue amongst hundreds of others?
As with many things in life, when you can keep numbers down the quality can remain high, and coaching is no different. Nothing compares to the in-person coach with a short roster of clients, because these coaches can be fully invested in the success of each person. Coaches that work with an exclusive number of members do it for this exact reason. They know real results require an intimate knowledge of their client which takes time, care, energy, and thoughtfulness.
Look at it another way; if you have a large group of friends, it’s hard to see them and keep up with everyone’s busy lives. Alternatively, a small, tight circle of friends will find it easier to communicate regularly and will have a closer relationship. Coaching is just like friendship, as coaches work together to form strong bonds because that’s what will ultimately help their clients become successful.
This same concept can be extrapolated to group fitness classes. As the size of a class increases to 10, 20, or 30+ athletes, a single coach with one set of eyes can only handle so much. At this point, the athletes most in danger of hurting themselves (most likely new members) become the coach’s priority. But what about the members that move well and have been there a while? They need coaching too. In fact, they probably need more because their flaws are smaller and nuanced, and will require more attention to fix.
At Ativo, we keep things simple. We take the time to get to know our members, form relationships, build trust, and we get results because of it. Our class sizes are intentionally small to offer a personalized training experience without sacrificing the energy of working out with others. Every workout will feel like it was tailored to you because the coach knows what you need (and what you don’t). The coach knows when to challenge you and when to back off. They know what movements hurt your bad shoulder and which ones are okay. They know what your kids do for activities, and what you like to drink at night. They know where you’re going on vacation and how much you can’t stand your boss.
They know these things because they invest in you.