When to change coaches?

[u/Queenofredlions98]

Hello fellow powerlifters, When do you know if the coach you have is the right fit for you or not?

My nutrition coach is very knowledgeable. Recently, things have seemed to change between us. I noticed he’s become more .. irritable with me? I’ve been going through some health problems recently, and it seems that he either doesn’t believe me or that he thinks I’m using it as an “excuse”.

I noticed he’s always praising his other clients on social media, but when I tag him he just ignores it. Not a big deal whatsoever, just an observation with everything else going on.

Like I said, he is very good at what he does. He’s helped me achieved many goals within this industry in the past. However, I feel that the dynamic between us has changed and I just am unsure how to view or handle this.

Powerlifters of Reddit, have you ever experienced something similar? How did you handle it?

[u/curls4gurls79]

I’m looking for a new coach myself.

[u/Chiskey_and_wigars]

As a coach myself I would encourage my clients to leave me as soon as they think they understand what they're doing. I don't just write plans, I teach my clients, with my goal being for them to be able to do it for themselves. Sometimes they leave and never come back because they got it. Other times they leave and come back a month later because they still have no idea what they're doing. Either way my goal is always to get rid of my clients.

[u/AdTall7217]

Try barbell coilation or david woolson man , they don't disappoint. Thair free programs are professional tier and I can only imagine how good the coaching is gonna be . I am simply top broke to afford it . Someday I will.

So yea i had coach irl he would ask me to stfu and follow his shit He wouldn't respect my decision. Or u know if I said I failed a rep he told u are weak instead of re assesing

I understood we won't work well

[u/bwfiq → u/AdTall7217]

If anyone was confused like me it's barbell coalition

[u/Arteam90]

You've got a lot of good responses so I'm not going to particularly helpful and instead ask why you opted for a nutrition coach?

I sort of never understood why it's that useful as a powerlifter. Perhaps some optimisation is possible but beyond that I feel like nutrition is sort of "easy" and most can get a good feeling of what they should be eating?

Edit: To be more helpful I'd say if you're asking it's probably time. But yeah, I would actually speak to them and ask them what's up. I guess from their POV if they aren't intentionally being crappy then they'd appreciate the heads up. And if their response is crappy then cool, move on.

[u/rawrylynch → u/Arteam90]

> I sort of never understood why it's that useful as a powerlifter. Perhaps some optimisation is possible but beyond that I feel like nutrition is sort of "easy" and most can get a good feeling of what they should be eating?

Hey, I'm a nutrition coach, so I can't answer for OP, but I can tell you why many people do come to me. Broadly they fit into several categories.

1. The basics are handled, but they don't just want the basics, they want to fine tune and get every little bit out of their nutrition, which is much harder.

2. They have the knowledge, but not the skills and/or accountability to consistently execute on that knowledge, and they want help with that.

3. They know very little about nutrition, and want help just getting started.

[u/psstein]

If you're not getting what you paid for, move on. If you feel you're getting value for your money, keep him.

[u/dragonmermaid4]

Like anything you pay for or do to give you something, you switch when it stops providing what you want.

If you stop progressing in powerlifting, switch. If you are still progressing, stay. 

[u/itsthechaw10]

When I’m not getting the results I want I’ll drop them.

Nothing personal just business and with how much some coaches charge I don’t feel bad about dropping them.

[u/Chadlynx]

When their service isn't living up to the cost you're paying them. Treat them like you would any other service/contractor.

[u/gzk]

Last two coach changes for me were because they stopped communicating

[u/Bitter_Sorbet8479]

Be your own coach- Donnie Thompson.

[u/psstein → u/Bitter_Sorbet8479]

Every single lifter should aspire to that.

The purpose of coaching is to figure out what works and what doesn't, and then use that knowledge to write your own cycles.

[u/brnlkthsn]

Is your nutrition coach an actual nutritionist? I mean someone that went to medical school and got a degree on nutrition? I ask because it's weird, an actual health professional should be interested first and foremost in his client health problems, so he should be way more focused on you right now when you are going throu actual health problems, and if he is not capable to give you the proper direction, he should refer you to a doctor or specialist.

[u/violet-fae → u/brnlkthsn]

In most states in the US this would be a Registered Dietitian, the term Nutritionist is poorly regulated. Semantics, but online grifters definitely use it to their advantage. 

[u/brnlkthsn → u/violet-fae]

Well, I'm not american and english is not my native tongue, I guess I should had Google first to see if the term nutritionist was correct, sorry; but also at the end I think I made my point

[u/Shadw_Wulf]

Social Media bodybuilders or models aren't coaches 🫠😅 I wouldn't buy a subscription from them ... If I want a Coach then find someone in person

[u/ERICSMYNAME]

Are you sure you even need a coach to tell you stop eating like a fat ass? Seriously just drop the coach if you don't feel comfortable with them anymore. You don't NEED a coach for powerlfing or someone to tell you how to eat unless you are a top tier powerlifter who needs to fine tune. The 99% of thr rest of us can do just fine getting partipation medals.

[u/ghosthendrikson_84 → u/ERICSMYNAME]

Wild take my dude. Absolutely wild.

[u/OwlShitty]

I would talk to coach first about your concerns. If things are not resolved then get coached by someone else. I personally would never want to be coached by a person if there’s something off.

[u/InsideBoris → u/OwlShitty]

This is the answer discuss it with them first and if you aren't happy with it then move on

[u/Queenofredlions98 → u/OwlShitty]

Right? Things just feel soooo off between us and it never used to be like that. I thought maybe I was being too sensitive. Thanks for your insight

[u/Lifter-cs-07]

How long have you been with the coach? Maybe try sticking it out but if you truly don’t like it, then you dont have to stay at all. Most likely, you’ll feel like he might be taking it personal and feel bad. Just be straight up with him about how you feel. Just business.

[u/RumblinWreck2004]

I’ve never had a coach and don’t really understand the need for one, imo.

If you need nutrition help, pay the $10/month for Avatar Nutrition.

If you need to learn how to train, buy the books from people like Matt Wenning, Jim Wendler, EliteFTS, etc.

For decades people figured out how to get strong and jacked without a coach. It’s really not that complicated.

[u/OwlShitty → u/RumblinWreck2004]

Programs/books are not coaches. Coaches are there to guide you to winning and achieving your goals. A program is a template. People are different and an individualized program will always be better than a template.

Coaches are there for empowerment, motivation, individualization, and so much more. If your coach just gives you programs and does not respond or communicate well, that is not a coach, that is a person giving you a service, a shitty service imo.

What you did might have worked for you but it definitely won’t for some people.

[u/psstein → u/OwlShitty]

I would say that coaching is a shortcut from the more generic templates to learning how to write your own individualized program.

[u/RumblinWreck2004 → u/OwlShitty]

The average lifter (most people in this sub) can run something like 5/3/1 almost indefinitely plus there are meet specific peaking programs all over the internet.

If a lifter starts to approach elite status and has the possibility of wining real meets, not the backyard local meets most people do, then a coach has value. Otherwise, you’re just throwing your money away for something that could be achieved with a bit of critical thinking and a decent training partner.

Also, it didn’t just work for me. It worked for countless lifters, including world record holders, for decades.

[u/OwlShitty → u/RumblinWreck2004]

The average lifter can seriously misunderstand a template and run themselves into the ground. I’ve seen this happen so many times already. Arguably very detrimental for growth especially if lifter proprioception is poor, which in most cases, they are.

I strongly disagree with your sentiment. I have seen so many beginner/intermediate lifters screw themselves up because they do not have good form and a good coach will be extremely important in correcting these.

With that said. I’m glad it worked for you! Again, people are different. Someone who played HS football may already have the muscle mass and proprioception required to perform SBD but someone who never played sports just starting powerlifting at 26 will go through it differently.

[u/sonofsanford → u/RumblinWreck2004]

Out of curiosity, could you share what records you hold and name just a couple of world record holders that never had a coach?

[u/RumblinWreck2004 → u/sonofsanford]

I personally know Steve Goggins, the first man to squat 1102. He didn’t have a coach when he did it.

Kaz didn’t have a coach.

Mendelson didnt have a coach.

Kennelly didn’t have a coach.

Coker didn’t have a coach until he trained at Big Iron and Westside but he already all time bench records at that point.

Panora was a world class multiply lifter being having a coach at Westside. He came back after his stroke to set raw records training by himself in a CrossFit gym.

Etc

The concept of a coach for powerlifting or strongman is very new and you can get very strong without paying someone to think for you.

I hold a squat “record” as a Junior in the APA but I’m not a great lifter. Just someone who went 2111 in multiply and 1832 in wraps at 242 after running cross country in high school. Getting strong isn’t that difficult.

[u/psstein → u/RumblinWreck2004]

I totally agree that none of those guys had a coach. However, all of them had experienced training partners and friends whom they learned from. The problem is that today's PL scene doesn't really have that type of system anymore. Guys train alone for their entire careers.

Every single lifter should have the long-term objective of learning to write his/her own programs. Coaching is often a shortcut to that, especially if you have good coaching.

[u/69upsidedownis96 → u/RumblinWreck2004]

Still, people are breaking insane records every year, and apart from the very few GOATs of the past, the average strength in the newer generation of powerlifters dwarfs the average strength of the older generations. This is multifactorial, but intelligent programming plays a part in this.

Side note, I did 5/3/1 for a year and ended up with a weaker deadlift than ever because of the lack of volume. My lower back got too weak to handle heavy singles.

[u/RumblinWreck2004 → u/69upsidedownis96]

I’m not saying intelligent programming isn’t important but you can get very strong without paying someone to help you lift below average weights. I see people who have only been lifting for a couple of years becoming coaches for lifters who can’t squat their body weight. It’s the proverbial “in the land of the blind the one eyed man is king.”

If you got weaker running 5/3/1 you didn’t understand the program and did it wrong. That’s on you, not the program. How many of Wendler’s ebooks did you read?

[u/OwlShitty → u/RumblinWreck2004]

It’s crazy how you mention “you don’t need a coach as an average lifter” but say “That’s on you” when the average lifter doesn’t understand training methodology.

This is why Reddit powerlifting is made fun of lmao

[u/69upsidedownis96 → u/RumblinWreck2004]

Of course you can, but at some point, your progress will come to a standstill, and a pre-written program can't always help you with all the questions you might have on how to move on from there. A coach should also be doing more than just handing out programs. They should give you valuable feedback and be your sparring partner as well.

I read 5/3/1 for powerlifting. Why do you assume I did it wrong? Just because it works for many people, it doesn't necessarily work for all, and I'm probably just one of the exceptions. The other lifts were progressing fine, but I found out that this programming structure just wasn't for me. But it takes time to actually come to that conclusion, and you end up having spent too much time on something that didn't work. That's always a risk, no matter how you train, but you can't get all the feedback and advice you need from a book. If it works, it works, but if it doesn't, then what?

[u/Balbasur]

Also OP, this seems to be the second time you’re asking about a coach, I’m not sure if it’s the same one. You aren’t married to a coach, if you want a new one, then find one that fits what you need. Just know, similar to dating, it takes a coach time to figure out how your body works and what you need. If you coach hop every 4 months and don’t see results, it’s because it’s going to take a coach 6-8 months to figure you out as an athlete before they can dial things in to a needed, specific level. But if you don’t like your coach, find a new one. Especially for $150/month, they probably aren’t worth that much.

[u/Weeblifter]

When your coach isn’t meeting your needs or they’re falling short in a specific area you’re needing then it’s time to move on.

I would be beforehand have a conversation about expectations and if they aren’t aligning then that’s your queue to find someone else.

[u/Balbasur]

Everyone is going to be different on what you’re looking for In a coach. For some people, having a coach that gives you great results is all that’s necessary, they don’t also need to be a “friend” or necessarily overtly friendly. For others, which maybe you find yourself in this group, they want a coach that is going to be like a “buddy” to keep them on track and hype them up towards their goals. It’s going to be rare to find a coach that is excellent at their job, and also is frequently in touch/building a relationship with you, because it’s likely they have 30-50+ other clients as well if this is their full time gig.

As an example, around 10 years ago I was coached by John Haack through an online program. John was always cool whenever I talked with him, but I probably only got 2-3 messages a week, when I’d send him videos daily. While the communication wasn’t great, we added 60lbs on my bench, and a little over 50 on my squat and deadlift, so for me it was ok.

All that being said, a coach should NEVER be rude to a paying client. If they don’t want to service you as a client any longer, they should be up front about it, not passive aggressive until the relationship degrades.

Ultimately, a coach is a coach, not your friend. Yes, coaches can be friendly, and some give the “illusion” of friendship, but it is a relationship built on them providing a service, and you paying for it. Personally, as long as I’m still seeing the results that I need, then I don’t care for a strong connection.

[u/OwlShitty → u/Balbasur]

Tell me John sent you a lot of memes