The Coaching (R)evolution
By: Erin Laverone
Tags: Personal Training, Habit Building, Habits, Fitness, Coaching

Over the last three decades there has been a drastic evolution, or rather, I’d like to frame it as a revolution, in coaching. I want to share here, how I’ve seen coaching change over this time period, and what I see as the important next step in the evolution of coaching.

The Coaching Past 🧐

In the past, the education and expectations of many health and fitness related coaches were fairly low. Many were just former athletes who had a passion for health and fitness and maybe studied for a few days, weeks, or months to pass a written exam with quite a low barrier to entry. To be honest, they were quite poorly trained, and not well certified — they only needed to obtain 500 out of 800 points (62.5%) on a three hour exam to be considered certified!

Let’s think specifically about a Personal Trainer, for example…

Once they passed their certification exam, they probably got hired at a big box commercial gym and slowly built up a clientele through a combo of working the floor and being handed free initial consults from new gym members.

They’d clock clients into the gym for 55–60 minute sessions a few times a week to take them through a periodized lifting and cardio program. However, once they were done setting pins, watching form, and counting reps, and the client walked out of the gym for the day, that was the end of their commitment to that client until the next session.

The Coaching Present 😩

Right now, things look a little bit better in regards to the skill and training level of a Personal Trainer. Thank goodness! Many have degrees in physiology and biomechanics, and have likely done hours of hands-on work in high-level internships.

But that still doesn’t seem to be enough these days, because now, there’s suddenly a huge expectation to perform as a coach outside of the gym as well!

In fact, I’d argue, that figuring out how to get your clients to the gym in the first place, and how to help them feel good outside of the gym, is probably even more important than their actual performance in the gym!

The real question many of us coaches find ourselves struggling with these days is, how do we get our clients to do the things they need, want, and know they should do to achieve their goals when they are not with us for a session — when they are going about the other 165-ish hours of their life without us by their side?!

It’s a pretty thankless job! Not only do we now have to be experts in physiology and biomechanics, but we’re also asked to:

Help our clients figure out how to eat better;

Oftentimes we’re asked to play the role of psychologist;

We get tasked with playing the role of behavioral scientist to help our clients build good habits;

We have to figure out how to deliver coaching through a digital device,

And now we have to run our own businesses as well! And, online!

It can be overwhelming, and many times we just can’t figure out how to help our clients do the things they want and know they should do, because we haven’t been given the knowledge and skills to do so. And that’s frustrating!

I’ve been there. And I’m sure many of you have been there as well. Or maybe, you’re right there at this moment?!

The Coaching Future 🔮

So this is what I see as the future of coaching…

We, as coaches, need to be able to provide our clients with the knowledge, skills, and tools to allow them to succeed in reaching their health and fitness goals, and to make it easier for them to do so.

Thus, it starts with us coaches understanding …

Behavior. Why do we do the things we do? What makes a behavior happen? What internal and external activators trigger us to take action?

Why do we do the things we do? What makes a behavior happen? What internal and external activators trigger us to take action? Self-efficacy. How do we determine if someone has the actual ability to do a behavior? Or perhaps, more importantly, how do we find out what their perceived ability is, and then enhance their self-efficacy?

How do we determine if someone has the actual ability to do a behavior? Or perhaps, more importantly, how do we find out what their perceived ability is, and then enhance their self-efficacy? Habits . How does a behavior even turn into a habit? What consequences reinforce a behavior or discourage a behavior? Do days, or repetitions, make more of an impact on habit formation?

. How does a behavior even turn into a habit? What consequences reinforce a behavior or discourage a behavior? Do days, or repetitions, make more of an impact on habit formation? Context . How does one’s context impact one’s behaviors and habits? What factors in the built and social environment increase or decrease friction between you and a desired behavior?

. How does one’s context impact one’s behaviors and habits? What factors in the built and social environment increase or decrease friction between you and a desired behavior? Behavioral diagnosis. If you’re trying to break a bad habit, how do we uncover what problem that habit is solving? And then, how do we solve that problem in a more productive manner?

If you’re trying to break a bad habit, how do we uncover what problem that habit is solving? And then, how do we solve that problem in a more productive manner? Motivation. How do we best motivate our clients to take action? Or better yet, how do we get them to motivate themselves?

How do we best motivate our clients to take action? Or better yet, how do we get them to motivate themselves? And more. How does identity play a role in habit formation? Why do our clients appear to sometimes act irrationally, and against their own best interests? And how do we actually assess behavior in the first place?

I believe that in order to change behavior and create truly lasting transformation with our clients, we must understand these many aspects of Habit Science. Coaching can be such a powerful force and catalyst for positive change, but we need to embrace this (r)evolution if we want to make the most of this potential.

To change the world we must become masters in changing behavior!

What do you think about this? Share this post if you find it interesting and tag or message me about what you think. I’d love to know your thoughts.!