Do you work with a coach online? Have you considered it? Maybe you already are. More and more gym goers are taking to the world of online coaching for their daily training time. There are thousands of coaches who have already made the transition to this new way of working out, including some big time corporations. The question is, which one is right for you?
In my opinion there are two different distinctions that need to be made as we advance into the era of online training, programming versus coaching. Programming is the layout of your training. Programming tells you the what and when of your lifting session. The person writing the programming may never have direct contact with you while you have your hands on the weights. Coaching is having someone to tell you how you are performing the movements and provide guidance through the movement. Each has a place in the online world, but there are some substantial differences between the two.
Programming requires you to be self motivated. You need to have the desire to train and to complete the workouts as listed. For some people this may be an advantage, while others may find this a hinderance. Coaching however has he benefit of someone who should be motivating you to complete the work as assigned. A solid coach should be able to recognize when something is starting to bog you down and either motivate you to finish, or reevaluate the situation and address the weakness. Coaching, in-person or online, has a feedback loop built in that can be adapted to the lifter’s needs.
Following programming means that you may not have the ability to divert from what is being presented. As an example, consider someone who is failing to hit depth in a squat but is following programming for their upcoming powerlifting meet. Quarter squatting a world record does not mean a thing if the judges red-light you. A competent coach will see that your squat is not hitting depth and may adjust the programming to correct with changes in exercises or additional mobility work you just will not get with programming.
Then there is the issue of knowledge. When my coach gives me something to do in the workout I can just ask, how do I do that? With a programming only approach you need to either be knowledgable of what the programmer is telling you to do, or have access to the information. Admittedly the prevalence of the internet makes this less of an issue, it does not negate it entirely.
Programming does give the added benefit of access. If you are being coached, online or in-person, you have to be available when the coach is available. When you transition to online programming you suddenly are bound only to when you can arrive at you location for training that day. No longer do you have to be a certain place at a certain time, and there is some freedom in that.
On the other side of the coin is the fact that coaching online can be a group activity. Perhaps you are someone who thrives in a social environment, or maybe you just do not want all of the attention on yourself while you are working out. There are plenty of coaches who have merged the group fitness class aesthetic to the virtual arena. Giving you access to both a group environment where you may already know friends and family in the class and still have he benefits of the coach’s watchful eye.
The largest pitfall for both online coaching and programming is the same issue that has plagued the internet since the first forums, anonymity. That is the idea that behind a keyboard anyone can claim to be anything. When someone is coaching or programming, are they catering to your needs or just vomiting out the same workout they have sent to a hundred other clients? Obviously in a virtual group class everyone would be doing the same work, but if you are paying for independent coaching or training, make sure it is independent.
While there is no clear cut answer there are definitely points to each side. Programming being done remotely works well for those who have a basis for what they are doing and prefer to run at their own speed, while coaching gives the hands-on attention and direct feedback that many people just starting out need. No matter which way you choose to go, trust the method and you will see the results!
CULT-OF-IRON 