When Do You Need A Coach?

     Although most physical training is relatively simple and straightforwards some training depending on your goals as well as the difficulty of the activity may require getting a coach.


     While many of you are already competitive athletes & already have coaches in your sport, others, especially tactical athletes ( military, first responders ) & just regular people may consider doing certain activities in order to improve your fitness.

      2 examples include swimming & Olympic weight lifting. For example military swimmers & lifeguards obviously need to swim as part of your job. Would a coach help?  If you're new to swimming or even mediocre you may want to consider a swim instructor or even joining a swim club for awhile until you bring your swimming skill up to necessary times ( BUD/S students at least 500 yards side stroke in under 12:30, US Lifesaving Assn. 500 meter freestyle stroke in under 10:00 ). But remember, competitive swimming is different from swimming on the job or even swimming just to stay in shape. In competitive swimming swimmers spend a lot of time doing swimming drills which everybody can benefit from but also things like learning to dive off blocks, swimming with pulleys, are totally unnecessary for most people. Also competitive swimmers compete in Speedo suits or even special swim suits meant to glide through the water easier. They also usually shave the hair off their body.  While lifeguards & military swimmers have swim tests in regular swim suits or UDT shorts , which aren't too bad , they certainly aren't the same as  laser suits  ( in fact LZR suits as you see were banned after the 2008 Olympics ).Also in BUD/S you'll be swimming in the cold waters of Coronado, Calif. You'll want every advantage to stay warm & shaving your body hair definitely isn't going to help!

      Olympic weight lifting is an even better example. The 2 lifts ( clean & jerk & snatch ) & their derivatives ( drills, partial pulls ) as well as the no longer used clean & press are definitely good for explosiveness, strength & overall fitness but they're also quite technical & also often require good mobility of ankles, hips & shoulders. While you could probably do these lifts at home you'd definitely be limited in terms of weight. Often times an empty 45 lb bar is all you may be able to handle safely. Certainly if you want to lift any significant weight safely, even body weight let alone double body weight a coach is an absolute must! And if you think that's over caution even a gold medal winner like Matthias Steiner can have an accident ! I should add if you don't have the time or money, you could train those lifts with kettle bells or dumb bells ( as a side note kettle bell competitions in fact contain the exact same Olympic lifts as well . But again choose between sport & training. ).


     Boxing & martial arts are another example of differences between general fitness vs competition & skill. While you can get a reasonably good & safe workout shadow boxing or even on the heavy bag to become skilled, especially for competition ( boxing or UFC) & self defense to be good definitely requires guidance & instruction.

    Gymnastics & diving are other examples of activities that definitely need a coach. Sometimes if you're having a problem even in a relatively easy activity like running or you want more detail to help you in something like Spartan Races or triathlons you may want to consider a coach.

      I'm not trying to say that you need specialized coaching for all activities & especially for general strength & fitness or towards an athletic test , whether sport or job related.  However as you've seen some activities are so technical & can be dangerous you have to consider the risks vs rewards. And if the risks are many or you want to compete in that sport that's when you almost definitely want to go to a coach.

      I hope this post has been helpful.Good luck in 2018 achieving your goals. Remember to like & subscribe & if you have any questions please feel free to email me at mbrls2000@yahoo.com.