I am one of those people who just love doing everything on their own. By themselves. Fully independent all the time. But there are areas where I just have to give in and admit I need guidance, advices and yes, help. This is very much true when it comes to training for advanced goals like competing is.
If you’re still questioning a decision to get a coach and a professional training plan, then stop right here. Have a look at the seven reasons why this might be the things you could get.
A coach and his training plan:
1. Will give you structure, systematic planning and long term goals
Coach’s work is not based on his daily inspiration, it’s a process with long term goals defined. You set a goal together and later dig deep into macro-, meso- and microcycles. It’s about setting up periodization for your progress and has a purpose to give your training a structure.
2. Coach’s focus is on optimizing your performance. Not your peers who you’re trying to compete with.
While you’re focused on proving others you’re better than they are, your coach is focused on you: on making you better and your performance stronger. His goal is not to compete with your peers, like your ego likes to do, but simply optimize your training output and competition performance.
3. Because someone needs to fix your positions, technique and movement in general.
Crossfit involves skill work that needs to be learnt well and develop gradually. For most people learning Olympic weightlifting drills completely alone is practically impossible. You need a coach who balances out your positions, fix you barbell path, moves your hips lower, says all over again “you’re bumping too much” and explain your snatch lacks lots of shoulder and ankle mobility work, not just strength. You need a good, studied observer of your movement, who knows how to offer solutions.
4. You can actually focus on doing the work.
Coach takes away the planning and thinking part: “So what should I do today.” He delivers a plan and the planning story ends here. This is on the whiteboard today and you’ve got work to do. There’s no decisions to make what workouts would feel nice today, simply just execution of them. It’s less stressful, less time consuming and here we go, safer.
5. Injury prevention: coach can stop you long before you stop yourself.
I got this remark so many times “What was that?” Especially when I thought I just did a nice, perfect snatch. In reality it was more like a head-crushing threatening activity. Yes exactly, do you know what you’re actually doing, and how this is affecting your body? Are you burning out each week, because you’re putting too much stress on your body?
6. You’ll get an honest opinion, not driven by your own emotions.
Coach won’t say it’s ok, when it’s not. But he also won’t say you’re a failure, you’re not good enough and “you should quit”. Instead great coaches will acknowledge your strengths first, but also present your weaknesses as something that will make you stronger overall in the future.
7. Coach will celebrate your PRs together with you.
Setting goals together also means celebrating the achievements together. It’s simply more motivating, because you know someone else is also acknowledging your progress and is extremely happy about it.
I remember years back when I was teaching skiing kids who’ve never been on skis before, and later in a few weeks watched them finishing their first race through the gates. Unforgettable, extremely rewarding experience. Believe me, your coach is as or even more happy than you are, when the mission you set together is officially accomplished.