It doesn’t matter if its hour 1 or hour 12, it’s their first hour with you.
“When you own/work in the coaching business, like any business, there are tough days & there are long days.
But if someone is making the voluntary choice to seek you counsel you give them your very best.
It ain’t about the workout.
It’s about them as people.
Give to them.”
-Ray Zingler on X
There is a reason great (former) athletes rarely become great coaches and those who “love” working out rarely become great trainers.
It’s because coaching and training isn’t about “you”.
The light isn’t on you anymore and it’s not about that feeling YOU get after that great workout.It’s about giving them that great feeling after their workout over and over and over.
People tell me all the time they want to get into this field because they love training themselves.
I tell them that is probably the worst reason to get into the field.
Do you love it on hour 63 of the week?
What about 7 years into it?
Obviously, you don’t really know until you try, but there is a reason the personal/group training industry has MASSIVE turnover and most don’t make it but a year or 2 in this arena.
It’s hard.
Its mentally & physically demanding, all the time, especially when you own the joint.
It’s because it takes selflessness and immense, unending loads of it.
But what helps me the most when I have those long, tough days is this:
These people are making a voluntary choice to seek our counsel.
They don’t owe me or you anything.
And if someone is making that choice, you give to them, your very best.
One of my mentors and a coach I’ve learned a lot from in this industry, Joe DeFranco says it best, “It may be the 12th hour of your day, but it’s their first (with you) so you make it the best hour of their day. Always overdeliver.”
And a side tip for those in this space:
The “work outs” will get monotonous.
The set & rep schemes will get repetitive.
Writing the programming will get old.
(I will say if the above 3 are happening to you, you’re doing training right.)
But what never gets old is the dynamic nature of people.
It’s not about the work out.
It’s about them as people.
Pour deeply into them beyond the sets & reps.
I’ve been at this thing for closing in on 15 years and one thing I’ve never burnt out on is the people.
Love the hell out of them and give them your very best.
They deserve the best version of you.
