"Hi I'm John Doe, I want to join the club! But I don't really need coaching I've been lifting for a while and I have my insert weekend certification here." As a gym owner I get a handful of these folks coming in every few months. I typically would let them join with no problem and even train with the team. However recently I have encouraged those athletes to train elsewhere (If your still at the club and are a weightlifter I am not talking to you) . Pride and uncoachability are poison and stunts or completely stops progress and can spread to the whole group .
One recurring thing I see as a coach/business owner/leader is pride getting in the way of personal development. For the purpose of this article I am not talking about being proud of yourself (that is a great thing ) I mean pride defined as: irrationally believing that one is essentially and necessarily better, superior, or more important than others, failing to acknowledge the accomplishments of others, and excessive admiration of the personal image or self . The 3 things I have noticed with these athletes are: 1.) Stagnate: Never get any better. This one is pretty self explanatory, weightlifting is a sport based off of skill development and practice. If you are unwilling to accept feedback you will never grow. 2.) Isolate: Alienate themselves from the rest of the athletes at the gym . Usually these uncoachable athletes carry this trait as a badge of honor. They will act superior to the group as a whole , while training off to the side drawing attention to themselves while not actually helping themselves or those around them . 3.) Migrate: These athletes usually don't last long in any group that they join. They jump gym to gym wearing out their welcome with the coaches and athletes that they train alongside. As much as weightlifting is an individual sport, people really flourish as part of a team . Here is the thing, coachability is a learned behavior. It takes practice, being able to take and apply criticism is a skill and a necessary one if you want to get better with a barbell . EVERYONE needs coaching. The more advanced you are, the more coaching you need. Weightlifting as a skill is easy to learn , but nearly impossible to master. Find a coach who you believe in and who believes in you. I have been coaching people for my entire adult life. I coached myself through 10+ bodybuilding shows, multiple national and international fitness publication photo shoots, qualified for USAW Nationals without a coach. -NSCA-CSCS -NSCA-TSAC -USAW-Level 1 -Crossfit Level 1 -4 time USAW National Qualifier -8 time Class winner in Bodybuilding -NCAA Football and Track and Field Guess what ? I still needed coaching to truly thrive. First, my wife Maggie Duer in person, whenever she can. She has some of the sharpest eyes and technical knowledge of any coach that I know. I recently became part of East Coast Gold weightlifting under Phil Sabatini and Brendan McDaniel . I have an entire team around me working to help me grow and develop as a lifter. People I trust and that have my best interest in mind. If I need a coach so do you. If you are an advanced athlete looking to take your Snatch and Clean and Jerk to the next level and live or work in Pittsburgh, contact me at [email protected] to set up an assessment today.
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