I get this question a lot –
“As a coach, what should I be able to do?”
What they are really wondering is this: “If I’m not able to do [insert movement here], does that erode my credibility as a coach in the eyes of my clients?”
In short – no. Being unable to do something certainly does not mean you cannot be an effective coach for your clients.
Remember, you are there to get them to their goals, not to show what you can or cannot do.
Having said all that, I’m not naive to think there aren’t some general things you should be able to do to be effective at your job. Here’s what I think all coaches should be great at:
- Being an effective communicator
- A basic understanding of the principles of good movement
- An ability to ask another client to demonstrate something
- Access to ‘the google’
- Leading with a desire to work hard at getting better
Notice that I didn’t say you should be able to air squat, or snatch, or do push-ups.
Or muscle-ups.
Or pull-ups.
Or…any of that stuff.
Why no air squatting? It’s a basic movement, right??
Absolutely.
But what if you’ve got a rockstar coach who wrecked their knee and had ACL surgery but still continued to show up and coach?
Certainly that’s an understandable reason to not lay that expectation on them, right?
Well, then why have that expectation in the first place?
Coaches need to elicit results for the clients, period.
Demonstrating a movement is important; many people are visual learners to some degree. That doesn’t mean the demo HAS TO BE the coach.
My last point: what if you have to work with a blind client? Let’s hope you don’t rely solely on your ability to demo!
For emphasis, I’ll repeat my earlier point: why have that expectation in the first place?
Coaches: Be confident in what you know. When in doubt, focus on the five tips above to be most effective in your role!