PREP COACH SERIES: The importance of finding the RIGHT comp prep coach
My beautiful posing coach, Donna Atkins!
Working with a coach is a rather personal thing. It’s more of a partnership than anything else. You will end up speaking with them more often than you speak to some of your friends.
Finding a GREAT coach is important, but some of the things that define someone as a great coach can often differ person to person. The best coach is not necessarily always the right one for you. And that’s exactly my point. How do you find the RIGHT coach for you?
I’m not saying that everything rests solely on their head. There’s a large element of give and take and as an athlete you have to be responsible for your own actions (a coach has every right to fire a shitty client!). But, assuming you are an angel, like me, it’s important to make sure you’re both compatible and can enter into a respectful and beneficial partnership (unsure whether this has turned into a relationship advice column or not…) that is going to see you put your best self on that stage.
1. Where to look?
Online is a very obvious place to start. Whether that’s Google or social media. However, I found it all rather confusing to be honest. Having all but zero knowledge of what I was getting myself in to, the sheer wealth of information made it difficult for me to make sense of it all. I’ve found word of mouth to be the most effective. Speaking to people who have competed is a good way to get an understanding of what’s available in your local area, or where to look online, as well as get an understanding of the different federations and what to expect in a comp prep journey.
People love to tell you if they’ve had either a really bad or a really good experience and it’s good to get the information straight from the horse’s mouth. Saying that, just because someone had a great experience with someone doesn’t mean that they are the right coach for you. But it’s a good place to start.
2. Make sure you shop around
Do not just go for the first option you come across. The first result that comes up in google search doesn’t necessarily mean its the right one for you. Some places just have really good marketing and SEO and therefore place high in Google search rankings. This happened to me. I almost went with the first place that came up. To be fair to them, they have a great website, really informative, and seem really credible. However, when I went to meet them, I could just tell it just wasn’t for me. It seemed like a bodybuilder factory line, with very little regard for your own personal experiences and more about getting the results and winning (they were also incredibly expensive but that’s by the bye). If that’s what you want, great. As I didn’t really know any better I was almost about to sign on the dotted line. But, I’m so glad I did a bit more research. As I found the coach that I’m still working with now - and had the best experience because of that.
3. Consider location
If you are someone that needs face-to-face interaction then search for a local coach with a good reputation. If you’re happy to work remotely with a coach (or perhaps you’re constrained by your own location) and check in with them via Skype/FaceTime then that opens you up to a whole world (literally) of fantastic coaches too. The best coach for you might not necessarily be on your doorstep. Personally, I like to face to face interactions. I find it more reassuring and it’s important to me to be able have that time in the same room once a week.
4. Ask questions
When you go for your initial consultation with a prospective coach, ask them as many questions as possible. Ask them about their training and nutrition methods. How do they support their clients? How do they communicate with you and track your progress? What is post show protocol? When are they available and how easily can you get in touch with them? Can you speak to current or previous clients? What qualifications do they have? All these questions will help you make an informed decision and understand what to expect from the process.
Additionally, ask to speak to a current or previous client. It’s easy to get ‘fooled’ by transformation photos. A before and after photo tells you absolutely fuck all about that person’s individual journey/experience and what happened between each image. Speaking to them will give you a much better understanding.
5. Consider personality and coaching style
You’re going to be spending a whole lot of time with this person. You don’t have to be best friends with them, but you should at least get along and be able to develop an honest and trustworthy relationship with them. You should seek someone who is compatible with how you like to be managed. If you are the sort of person who doesn’t like the mushy approach, choose someone who’s going to to tell you to pull your shit together when you’re having a meltdown. If you don’t like the drill sergeant, choose someone who is a little more compassionate. Again, this comes down to asking questions. Don’t be afraid to quiz them on their coaching style when you first meet them.
6. Consider methodology
As mentioned before, each coach will have their preferred methods for getting you ready for the stage. Of course, coach knows best. But you should be able to have a certain element of input into your plan. It can be difficult to know what your training or diet style is if you’ve never experimented with them but you can make educated guesses based on your own personality type. Are you someone that needs order and structure? Then adhering to strict plan may be a good approach for you. Or do you like more control of your decisions? Maybe an ‘if it fits your macros’ (IIFYM) approach might work better for you. Personally, I like to stick to a structured plan as I don’t work well when there’s a little ambiguity around anything.
And that marks the end of this three-part series on finding an amazing prep coach. You should now be well equipped to go forth and find one of your own. Once you’ve found your coach, it’s over to you to put in the hard yards. While one of the most challenging things I have ever done, competing is an incredibly fun and exciting experience. I’m lucky that I get to work with such a fantastic coach that supports me along my journey. If you have any questions about anything I’ve mentioned in this series, please feel free to leave a comment below!
Robyn xxx