{"id":1287,"date":"2020-01-27T15:20:24","date_gmt":"2020-01-27T22:20:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog-new.buckedup.com\/?p=1287"},"modified":"2023-10-24T15:01:34","modified_gmt":"2023-10-24T21:01:34","slug":"be-your-own-coach","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.buckedup.com\/blog\/2020\/01\/27\/be-your-own-coach\/","title":{"rendered":"Be Your Own Coach"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Be Your Own Coach\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/HLiDRIKb2to?start=26&#038;feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>This article is brought to you by fitness \u201cinfluencers\u201d who claim to have all the knowledge, despite relying 100% on their coach for their fitness goals.<\/p>\n<p>Don\u2019t get me wrong, coaches certainly have their place in fitness. Hiring those who have the pedigree to guide others toward their goals can be especially beneficial; I\u2019d never suggest otherwise.<\/p>\n<p>However, where I\u2019ve found people go wrong is taking what they\u2019re \u201ctaught\u201d and disavowing everything else there is to learn. That\u2019s a shame. The potential for knowledge gained through questioning and researching is nearly infinite. To rely 100% on the advice of a single mentor is a quick way to cutting potential short.<\/p>\n<p>What do Joseph Campbell,\u00a0<em>Star Wars,\u00a0<\/em>and fitness all have in common?<\/p>\n<h2>The (Fitness) Hero&#8217;s Journey<\/h2>\n<p>In Joseph Campbell\u2019s <em>A Hero With A Thousand Faces<\/em>, he brought to light what he calls The Hero\u2019s Journey. This journey is heavily leaned on in storytelling, and Campbell has often been criticized for supposedly providing Hollywood a formulaic outline for stories.<\/p>\n<p>For example, as much as you Star Wars fanboys might hate me for this, that epic story found in The Last Hope is simply the apotheosis of The Hero\u2019s Journey. Joseph Campbell did not create the Hero\u2019s Journey, though. It dates back nearly to the dawn of storytelling. The prime example would be Odysseus in Homer\u2019s <em>The Odyssey<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019m fully aware this whole thing might seem like an overdramatization. Self-improvement isn\u2019t saving distressed damsels or pompous princes from dragons. It\u2019s just&#8230;well&#8230;fitness. Right?<\/p>\n<p>Wrong. Any endeavor in pursuit of growth and betterment is a heroic endeavor of the self. That includes fitness. And in a hero\u2019s journey, there are acts and steps. Bear with me.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-1288\" src=\"http:\/\/blog-new.buckedup.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/mythicstructure-300x131.gif\" alt=\"Hero's Journey\" width=\"300\" height=\"131\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Look at the steps in Act 1: Here\u2019s how they can apply to real-life.<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Ordinary World: Eating donuts and binge-watching You on Netflix<\/li>\n<li>Call To Action: Looking down at your belly. When did that roll get there?! I should hit the gym and start eating healthier.<\/li>\n<li>Refusal: Netflix goes to the next episode automatically. Your box of donuts isn\u2019t empty yet.<\/li>\n<li>Meeting with the Mentor: Maybe a commercial comes up. Or we just fast forward to that you\u2019ve gotten a trial pass to the gym. Whatever. You get offered a few free sessions. Obviously, you take them. Why wouldn\u2019t you?! This is free knowledge (i.e. free power)<\/li>\n<li>Crossing the Threshold: The moment when you have learned enough to grow without the mentor by your side. (They\u2019ll be with you in spirit, don\u2019t worry.)\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2>Meeting With The Mentor\u00a0<\/h2>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>In <em>Star Wars: A New Hope<\/em>, Luke finds a mentor in Obi-Wan, who introduces him to the grandness of the universe, teaches him the way of the force, and even warns him about the Dark Side. Mentor is just a cooler word for a coach, and Obi-Wan is Luke\u2019s first coach.<\/p>\n<p>But, in case you missed this tragic moment, In <em>A New Hope<\/em>, Obi-Wan faced off against Darth Vader. And this time, he did not have the higher ground. ZZzzzt! Light sabered.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-1297\" src=\"http:\/\/blog-new.buckedup.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/a-new-hope-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Luke lost his first coach. The decision to leave his mentor, take what he had learned &#8212; then nourish that knowledge and let it grow &#8212; was thrust on him. He didn\u2019t get to make that choice on his own. Although this moment was almost as traumatic for him as Jar Jar Binks\u2019 existence was for us, in a way, it made things easier for the future (quasi) bringer of balance.<\/p>\n<p>Why?<\/p>\n<p>Because Luke was forced to grow without his mentor. Unless finances dictate otherwise, that\u2019s not an occurrence for those of us who have ever worked with a coach. We must choose to go out alone, cross the threshold, and learn for ourselves.<\/p>\n<p>But, in order to truly master a craft, at some point we must forge our steel without the guidance of a set mentor. We must cross the threshold.<\/p>\n<p>This is not to say we will be without a mentor forever, it just means without a specific, chosen mentor. Nor does it mean that without a hired coach we\u2019ll be isolated from potential knowledge. We just have to look in different areas.<\/p>\n<h3>Masked Mentors\u00a0<\/h3>\n<p>\u00a0Luke learned plenty from Han Solo, Leia, and even from the opposition of his \u201cfather\u201d. And later on, Yoda coached him. He did not become the badass cloaked in black, saving Han from Jabba in <i>Return of the Jedi<\/i> without some extra coaching from the wise &#8212; but syntax challenged &#8212; green goblin.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Side note: is it just me, or did Luke radiate some serious sith vibes in the opening scenes of Return of the Jedi? Hmmm.<\/p>\n<p>My point here is that if you approach fitness, nutrition, and supplementation with a student mindset you will never be without a coach. Think about it, if you\u2019ve ever researched, you\u2019ve read someone else\u2019s work. That\u2019s a form of mentorship. If you\u2019ve watched a YouTube video, whoever you watched was your mentor for the duration of time you watched their content. Even experience can be a coach if you allow yourself to perceive it as such.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Sure, these new coaches might not be ones you hire, so you might find yourself without someone to:\u00a0<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Write you a cookie-cutter meal plan that drops so low in calories you might as well become a breathertarian<\/li>\n<li>Dictate your new hamster-on-a-treadmill life &#8212; gotta burn 400 calories from the 1200 calorie diet, obviously<\/li>\n<li>Then prescribe the emergency brake &#8212; the all-miraculous primrose oil &#8212; to somehow reverse the side effects their \u201cguidance\u201d has caused:\n<ul>\n<li>Metabolic damage<\/li>\n<li>Blimping (when your body blows up the moment it gets any nutrients)<\/li>\n<li>Hormonal demolition<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>But who knows&#8230;maybe you\u2019ll be better off without <em>that<\/em> coach.\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2>The Right Coach For You<\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-1298\" src=\"http:\/\/blog-new.buckedup.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/coach.polo_-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"Fitness coach\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Personally, I think that anyone who claims they\u2019re totally self-taught is full of gastrointestinal blockage. While I pride myself on having the ability to efficiently research, apply gained knowledge, self-experiment, etc. that\u2019s still &#8212; as stated previously &#8212; learning from others.<\/p>\n<p>Likewise, I\u2019ve certainly had my fair share of dedicated coaches in the past. There have been some great ones, and there&#8217;ve been some pretty terrible ones&#8230;actually it was just one. But he was horrible enough to count for three bad experiences. Nonetheless, I\u2019m eternally grateful for him. Without his <em>expertise<\/em>, I would have never decided to pursue the path of fitness nerd. Bonus: he taught me the wonders of Primrose Oil!<\/p>\n<p>I digress.<\/p>\n<p>The right coach for you can be dictated by many things, but the biggest factor is to look for one that fits the current you. In fitness, you can\u2019t know your future without at least having a vague idea of where you are at in the present.<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s what to keep in mind.<\/p>\n<h4><strong>Specific Fitness Goals<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>If you are a powerlifter who wants to transition into bodybuilding, it wouldn\u2019t make much sense to hire a coach who specialized in strength training. Sure, strength training and bodybuilding are intertwined but to build the ideal physique takes more than just watching your lifting PRs go up. It requires various angles, different rep ranges, and different techniques.<\/p>\n<p>Likewise, if you\u2019re a bodybuilder who wants to branch off into Yoga, then obviously you\u2019d want to attend a yoga class, not hire a trainer who thinks your fitness goals require thirty minutes of battle rope.<\/p>\n<h4><strong>Addressing Weaknesses<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>If you are confident in your training methods but know you lack in nutrition knowledge &#8212; thus hindering fat loss goals &#8212; then seeking out an expert in that area is optimal. A qualified dietitian or nutritionist that can help you in that area.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-1299\" src=\"http:\/\/blog-new.buckedup.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/female-nutritionist-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"female nutritionist\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" \/><\/p>\n<p>The opposite is also true. Say you have a degree in nutrition but have spent most of your life on a treadmill and find that\u2019s no longer enough, then hire a personal trainer.<\/p>\n<p>If you are interested in doing bodybuilding competitions but have no clue what to do with the physique you\u2019ve built, then find yourself a posing coach.<\/p>\n<h4><strong>&#8220;One-Trick-Pony&#8221; Coaches<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>Online coaches have become somewhat of a joke. Customizable plans that are really just three different prewritten workout routines or diet plans with slightly adjusted macros. Not all do this, obviously, but a lot. The same goes for many trainers and, well, any position of mentorship in fitness. That one-size-fits-all approach to mentorship is detrimental to any clients (you).<\/p>\n<p>Make sure whoever it is you hire has the knowledge and willingness to help you find a diet or workout routine that works for you.<\/p>\n<p>For example, if you want to try keto, but the coach hates the keto diet then find one believes keto can work. Same goes if you have zero intention of giving up cookies; a coach that\u2019s dogmatic about low carbs isn\u2019t the one for you.<\/p>\n<h4><strong>Credentials &amp; Reviews<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>When researching, check out a coach\u2019s certifications. Not just levels of expertise, but areas of expertise as well. These can be a good way to know beforehand how helpful they might be.<\/p>\n<p>Certifications are a piece of paper. While they can translate over to the efficacy of a coach, that doesn\u2019t mean they always will. Sadly, there\u2019s not much of a Yelp when it comes to coaches. (This would be ideal for clients, but would likely drive away business for many coaches.)<\/p>\n<p>Still, with social media these days, you could probably dig up one or two past clients to get an idea. Might take some boldness on your part, but could save you time, energy, and money in the long run.<\/p>\n<h4><strong>Opinions On Supplements<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>Call me biased (it&#8217;s okay, I am). But there are coaches out there who believe supplements are the last piece of the puzzle. That is absolutely absurd. If you hear a coach say that, run in the opposite direction.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Yes, you should focus on your diet and your training, but ignoring supplementation is just silly. If you are on a weight loss journey, it\u2019s likely there are nutrients you\u2019ll have to cut from your diet, and equally as likely, you\u2019ll have less energy. It\u2019s also possible your hormones will be affected. Supplements can help you mitigate those effects.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.buckedup.com\/product\/heat-fat-burner-his\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>HEAT Fat Burner<\/strong><\/a>: Finally, a fat burner that doesn&#8217;t rely solely on caffeine to help weight loss!* Boost metabolism,* utilize thermogenesis,* cut water weight,* support hormones with cortisol control ingredients.*<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.buckedup.com\/product\/bucked-up-organic-greens\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Organic Greens<\/strong><\/a>: Let&#8217;s be honest, you can really only eat so many vegetables. Okay, maybe I&#8217;m projecting. Nonetheless, our Greens deliver the quality micronutrients to help you feel fantastic even when you&#8217;re at a nutrient deficit.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.buckedup.com\/product\/bamf-supplement\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>BAMF (Nootropic Pre-workout)<\/strong><\/a>: Promote healthy brain functions,* improve memory recall,* dial in the mind-muscle connection,* potent pump,* high energy,* endurance,* and here&#8217;s a yet-to-be-well-known secret: Hordenine, one of the key ingredients in BAMF not only delivers HYPER FOCUS,* but it also boosts metabolism.*<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.buckedup.com\/product\/bcaa-racked\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>RACKED BCAAs<\/strong><\/a>: Heat up every workout with these BCAAs. They don&#8217;t just help with muscle recovery.* They increase body temperature and signal to your system to burn more fat for fuel.* WARNING: You will sweat. A lot.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Building muscle is no less daunting of a task. Things to take into consideration. Strength gain. Better recovery between sets. Better muscle recovery. Protein synthesis. Muscle endurance. Hormones. Nutrient partitioning. Even the \u201cperfect\u201d diet won\u2019t provide everything necessary for such admirable goals.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-1301\" src=\"http:\/\/blog-new.buckedup.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/coach.bicep-curl-300x169.jpg\" alt=\"fit guy biceps\" width=\"300\" height=\"169\" \/><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.buckedup.com\/product\/bucked-up-all-bulk-no-bloat\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">ALL BULK NO BLOAT (Zero Calorie Mass Gainer)<\/a>:<\/strong> ABNB is commonly referred to as &#8220;cheat codes.&#8221; It challenges the idea that calories are everything when it comes to gaining muscle. It helps with hormones,* muscle recovery,* protein synthesis,* mitochondria function,* and nutrient uptake.* Nutrient uptake is vastly overlooked when it comes to the importance of gains. Metaphor time! If you&#8217;re driving without a GPS in a city you&#8217;ve never visited, chances are pretty high you&#8217;ll get lost. Your food is the same. And ALL BULK NO BLOAT is the GPS system.<\/li>\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.buckedup.com\/product\/bucked-six-point-creatine\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Six Point Creatine<\/a>: <\/strong>Creatine Monohydrate is fine, but it&#8217;s only part of the picture. Mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell. It&#8217;s responsible for the reproduction of ATP (the body&#8217;s anaerobic energy source), which as you might imagine is pretty important. So, you decide. Do you want just one type of creatine powering your cells, or do you want a full team?<\/li>\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.buckedup.com\/product\/original-bcaa-2-1-1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">The Original BCAAs (2:1:1)<\/a>:\u00a0<\/strong>The OG. Some companies try to say there&#8217;s something magical about their BCAA formula, but the tried and true 2:1:1 formula is king for a reason. 3g of Leucine for protein synthesis stacked with Isoleucine &amp; Valine for optimal recovery and growth.* Plus, ingredients for hydration.* Because duh, hydration equals gains, every time.<\/li>\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.buckedup.com\/product\/rut\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">RUT: Testosterone Booster<\/a>:\u00a0<\/strong>Testosterone is one of the most important hormones when it comes to building muscle. RUT has everything necessary to improve test naturally.* Vitamin D3 for any potential deficiencies.* Tongkat Ali, which specializes in improving libido and elevating low test to baseline.* DIM helps moderate cortisol,* a stress hormone that can hinder fitness goals. Then the rest of the RUT team takes over and straps a jetpack to testosterone.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4><strong>Budget<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>Look within your budget. That\u2019s obvious. If you\u2019re not balling out, chances are you won\u2019t be able to afford whoever it was that trained Hemsworth to become Thor. Not the Thor in Avengers: End Game, obviously. That one\u2019s easy. Pizza, donuts, beer, chips, more beer.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>If you can\u2019t find a coach that fits your budget, or if you can\u2019t allocate funds to hiring a coach. Don\u2019t stress it. That\u2019s what we\u2019re here for!\u00a0<\/p>\n<h3>Things To Keep In Mind<\/h3>\n<p>If you have a coach and they\u2019re working well for you, that\u2019s awesome. But don\u2019t take on all their views and then force them on others. Fitness isn\u2019t a dogma. It\u2019s not \u201cyour team vs. my team\u201d situation.<\/p>\n<p>Question everything. If you don\u2019t have a hired coach, don\u2019t read just one article and accept that mentor\u2019s words. Check for a study, look for a second opinion, experiment for yourself. If you do have a coach, don\u2019t take everything they say as gospel. Your coach is not your messiah.<\/p>\n<p>While a hired coach can be useful, you do not need one to improve your fitness.<\/p>\n<p>This is the Age of Information. There are resources everywhere. Hell, you\u2019re reading one right now, and if there\u2019s ever a topic you want us to cover, feel free to let us know in the comments section below!<\/p>\n<p>Not to mention, there\u2019s one thing a coach can\u2019t do for you that resources like this blog can. And this is a pretty big one&#8230;<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1302\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1302\" style=\"width: 146px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1302\" src=\"http:\/\/blog-new.buckedup.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/logan.plaid_-146x300.jpg\" alt=\"fit guy author\" width=\"146\" height=\"300\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1302\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Author: Logan Peterson<br \/>IG: loganlpeterson<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><br \/><br \/><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This article is brought to you by fitness \u201cinfluencers\u201d who claim to have all the knowledge, despite relying 100% on their coach for their fitness goals.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":248249474,"featured_media":1291,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13985,1095],"tags":[5598450,995475,1677],"class_list":["post-1287","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health-wellness","category-mind","tag-fit-body","tag-fitness-coach","tag-nutrition"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.buckedup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1287","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.buckedup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.buckedup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.buckedup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/248249474"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.buckedup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1287"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.buckedup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1287\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.buckedup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1291"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.buckedup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1287"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.buckedup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1287"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.buckedup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1287"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}