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What your trainer won't say to you

Michael Brownfield
Mar 31, 2017
3 min read

In our role as fitness coaches we get the opportunity to hear from our clients and prospects on a daily basis. The role of communication is key as the relationship between the coach and the client grows. We wrote about this in more detail in a previous post HERE.

Last week I received an email from an individual that I have worked with in my business over the last few years. He is active in his training and has a busy life at home with 3 children. He trains at another facility on his own in Omaha and shared some compelling information with me about his current state.

How's it all going w/ the new spot? Definitely am intrigued by what you are doing out there. Getting to the point I am giving up on trying to get my body fat back down to a 15% so I can feel a bit better. Did some tests at my gym and sounds like all the pre-workout I chug prob has had effects on my adrenals, which explains why I can eat super clean, and go hard at the gym, and not see much progress, or if anything, lose muscle at about the same rate as fat if going intense every day (regardless of my food intake). Cortisol levels are super high. My biggest obstacle is taming down my workouts. Never thought that would be a thing. I am so used to supersetting and not feeling like I worked out unless I'm drenched in sweat. Anyways, point here being I've not been having much luck on my own lately and intrigued by your individual approach and if it could get an old fella back down to 15% BF so I can feel good at the pool w/ the boys this summer. With cortisol levels out of whack, it's like I am wasting 90% of my time trying to burn fat and just maintain muscle.

While this may sound like an extreme example, this is happening more often than not in my opinion. -A magazine cover shows a ripped model in their 40's and lists a "300" style workout -The commercials with the actor stating testosterone, libido, and energy are low -Beating ourselves up if we have a bad week by increasing the intensity of our training -We add more and more to our schedule to reach that promotion or incentive trip Misinformation in the fitness industry isn't helping, either. On multiple occasions we have met with clients that wanted to train for a second time in a day to get ready for a beach vacation or to makeup a session they missed earlier in the week. Their mindset is "more is better" and our society reinforces that mantra. Other clients have come to us from a personal trainer that designed exercise and nutrition on a template and gave the same thing to multiple clients...regardless of their needs as an INDIVIDUAL. It's not their fault. They are just following the advice from a previous trainer or applying advice they read on the interweb. This is where a qualified coach can assist in setting the record straight for what is best for the individual client.

More volume is not always the answer. More intensity is not always the answer. Performing the same movements as everyone else in class (regardless of your experience level compared to their experience level) is definitely not the answer. What often is the answer is overlooked by trainers that won't tell you what you need to hear. They most likely tell you what you want to hear. At Elkhorn Valley Fitness, our coaches have made the commitment to our clients to provide the best user experience. We place a large emphasis on consultation and lifecoaching roles with our clients. Assess...don't guess. Revise...adapt and grow. Repeat. There are a lot of folks out there that have the same situation as my friend listed above. However, what your trainer won't say to you is that you need to make a change. Constantly pushing the intensity level, guzzling pre-workout because the supplement store told you it works, eating lower quality food at a fast pace because you have an appointment coming up soon, and not finding a proper balance in work and rest will lead to more tests with higher cortisol levels and adrenal impact. If you are experiencing the following, contact us to schedule a FREE CONSULTATION: -Lower energy -Poor sleep -Decreased testosterone -Increased weight gain (not GAINZ) -Lack of libido -Regular/consistent pain from training Our individualized training approach aligns a coach with your needs on your fitness, nutrition, and lifestyle journey. Michael Brownfield Owner/Director of Operations michael@elkhornvalleyfitness.com www.elkhornvalleyfitness.com