Beware the coach who relies on methods and not principles.
A coach who relies on methods and not principles will change their entire approach each time a shiny new object appears. It could be a piece of equipment, something an influential lifter said or did, or a seminar they attended. On Monday morning, their entire outlook on training looks completely different than it did on the previous Friday evening.
Or a coach who relies on methods and not principles may never change at all. What worked for them years ago will surely work for everyone now, right? No need to fix what isn’t broken. Seminars are expensive and time consuming. And who needs research studies when you’ve got scars and sweat stains?
Coaches who rely on methods only have a hammer and will aim to build a house with that one tool. When it comes time to pour concrete or lay tile, they’ll still swing that hammer with all their might for fear of the embarrassment that comes with admitting they were wrong. Joke’s on them: it’s pretty embarrassing trying to install plumbing with just a hammer.
Principles give you the entire toolbox. A coach may be more skilled with one tool than other, but at least their mind is open to using a screwdriver, a wrench or a jigsaw depending on what the job calls for.
Seek the coach who slowly adjusts their approach over time, gradually applying new information to what has worked for them and their lifters in the past. Good coaching takes careful refinement, not constant overhaul or pigheaded stubbornness.
Significant change in one’s coaching approach should be gradual because principles do not change; one’s application of those principles either gets better or worse.
Seek the coach who lives by the core principles of training, primarily:
- Progressive overload
- Specific adaptation of imposed demands
- Individual differences
These things do not change. They’re the tools in our toolbox. Coaches can choose to sharpen their blades and steady their hands, or they can wear dull the one tool they always reach for. As a lifter, choose your coach wisely.