Set-Up:

I know a lot of S&C coaches are interested in developing an online coaching program. I am going to spend some time talking about this over the next couple of weeks.

I have been doing a ton of digital/remote-based training this past. year. I primarily function in two capacities: one as a manager and the other as a direct coach. I have run a digital program for the past 8 years and I have learned a ton about it. Both have things I love, one more than the other.

I have a role as a manager to support and provide feedback when necessary. This is the job of an S&C coach. The greatest misconception about being a good strength coach is scaling. Scaling means you extend your reach and subsequent impact through other coaches. As I improve in S&C, I can impact one person more but with that does scale out to more people as evenly. I have to extend my reach by hiring, training, and developing coaches to increase that same level of service to more people.

The other part of a manager is giving opportunities to other coaches to earn a living and improve their programming ability. The nice thing about digital training management is you get a clear look at what is good and bad. I am forced to detach from subjective appraisals because I cannot see them, I only see their work. It becomes evident when evaluating, giving feedback and improvement plans, mentoring, and supporting a coach working for you digitally how much you rely on subjectivity as a manager. You cannot see the direct impact of their personality or appearance, you can only see objective numbers.

What has become increasingly more important is the evaluation based on objectives. Bottom line does the coach keep their clients yes or no? If the client is staying it is because of three reasons:

1. They like the coach and program
2. They are getting better
3. They are not getting hurt

It’s that simple. I have top-line discussions on programming philosophy and nonnegotiables such as principles and structural balance. After that, my management and subsequent feedback are based on keeping clients and making them happy. As a manager, I need to keep enough distance to let a coach do their job on their timeline and terms. At the same time not too far where they feel like I am abandoning them.

The first three months with a digital coach working for me are about a couple of key performance indicators.

1. The program is done on time
2. Response to messages and emails
3. Know the assignment

I will make reminders to coaches to do this and let them develop a routine for interaction with their clients. In a lot of ways, I have to think about the coaches working for me as they do with their clients. Having an approach of being reliable and supportive without being overbearing. After the three months, we fall into a rhythm of working together. From there it falls into watching metrics like Life Time Value and incentivizing long-term support of their clients.

Programming: 

Last week we discussed the setup of Digital (remote) Based Training. This week let’s talk about what you will need to program remotely.

You only need to ask three questions:

1. What do you want to accomplish?
2. How long do you have to accomplish that?
3. Where will you be working out?

You are probably thinking, ‘That can’t be it?’ Which I will respond with, read on.

Question 1: What do you want to accomplish?

This is the most important question you should have. I want to you think about your S&C program for athletes you coach. You control everything: start-end times, ingress-egress, flow from one station exercise to the next, and how, when, and where athletes do everything. Now think of your nutrition. Do you take the same controlling approach, or is more collaborative?

Chances your nutrition program is the polar opposite of your S&C program. It has to be. You have control of every aspect in those 60 minutes to zero control over that 23 to 47-hour period between workouts. How do you get athletes to make good choices without you framing it to be their goal? This is the same premise for Digital Training.

Digital Training has to be based on their goals. As you listen to them to unpack what is ailing them and why they are not accomplishing what they set out to accomplish before working with you, you naturally form a response. Fight this urge with everything you have. You have to be malleable to what you do with them remotely because it will ultimately fall on them to do it.

There is only one rule – adhere to the principles of training. After that, it is keep them as a client as long as you can. If you believe that what you are doing is in the client’s best interest, you have to fight to keep them as a client. Put aside your ego and pride and focus on what is needed for them.

Question 2: How long?

This is where you will have to put the pressure on them. If they have a very ‘aspirational’ goal combined with an aggressive timeline you will have to titrate up frequency, volume, and intensity with training. This could be more than people bargain for. This is where framing it around what the person wants is important.

Too often people want the quick fix with no effort. You are the coach, not the dream killer. Putting pressure on the client to rise the level of necessary work to accomplish a goal, is a good thing. Applying pressure to yourself as a coach to find a creative solution to your clients’ needs, is a good thing. Unrealistic goals in compressed timelines are an opportunity to see how good you are.

Pressure is a privilege. Anyone can say that cannot be done. Why would someone pay you to not accomplish something? This is remote training, you do not have to conform to the restraints of working in a weight room with limited hours or control. You have to expand your thoughts on what is possible and what would you normally do.

Question 3: Where?

The last question is where. This will be the hardest, at least in my opinion, to learn. You realize very quickly how much you program based on the facility you work in. Exercise selection and exercise order will be the biggest adjustments.

Chances are your remote clients will be working out in a box gym or a garage gym. If they are working out in a box gym, you will have to ditch antagonist pairings. You will have to give up your rack superset with another exercise. You can argue with me all you want. Go into a box gym and try to superset a front squat and a DB 1 arm row, you will lose one station as soon as you start a new exercise. Garage gym, your exercise inventory will drop considerably. You will have to be extremely resourceful with bodyweight exercises and limited loading options.

A thought may run through your head – I only want to work with people who are not limited by those constraints. Chances are then, they will not need you as a coach. If you have a client with a $100,000 garage gym, they probably pay someone to come over and train them. Your value will be getting people with limited resources to amazing results!