Structured Coaching for Serious Trainees

I was training at my local gym when another member asked if I was competing. I told him I'd competed before but had stalled out and wasn't sure I'd do another meet — I was frustrated. He connected me with my coach, and we came up with a plan. He had me send over what I'd been doing so he could review it, and once I decided I wanted to compete again, we picked a meet that gave me enough time to prepare. The first few weeks were basically a deload. Then we got an approximate max on the big three — approximate, because neither of us thought I was ready to test heavy singles yet, so we worked off lighter loads instead. From there he built the program to peak at the meet, adjusting things along the way as my actual strength levels became clearer. As competition got closer, he helped me map out my whole competition-day strategy — openers, weigh-in, all of it. I hit all three lifts and had my best meet ever.

— Jax, College Student

I'm a college professor and part-time sports writer, so my fall Saturdays are built around college football — tailgating, all of it. My coach built my program around that instead of fighting it. Training was structured so I didn't need to work out on weekends, and my nutrition plan was adjusted to account for the extra weekend calories. But it wasn't just "do whatever you want" — there were real limits in place so I kept making progress even with that flexibility.

— RJ, College Professor

I've always been into exercise. When I met my coach, I was a group fitness instructor at my local gym — I taught step, kickboxing, pump, all of it. He used to call me a cardio bunny. I'd come in every day and spend hours there, but I was skinny and my physique never really changed. At first I just wanted to learn how to strength train, so he built me a beginner-level program. Over time, my program evolved as my body responded. It took a few years, but I eventually decided I wanted to compete in physique competitions. When I was ready, he connected me with people in the competition world who helped me the rest of the way — a posing coach, an IFBB pro for prep, a makeup artist, my suit. Competing takes a team. I ended up doing multiple shows, including Nationals in the NPC.

— Ar, Speech Therapist

I was an older mom with two young kids, both under 10, and had just turned 49. I wanted to make big changes before my 50th birthday — not just for myself, but for my kids. I wasn't overweight, but I was extremely skinny and intimidated by the gym. I told my coach how terrified I was, and he had me show him the actual layout of my gym. In the beginning, he built my program so I could do everything in the quiet, isolated part of the gym — that let me get into a routine and get comfortable before anything else. As time went on, I started integrating more of the gym. I started with the selectorized machines, then moved toward the middle of the gym with plate-loaded machines like Hammer Strength. Eventually I was in the back room doing squats, pull-ups, bench press, all of it. Early on he told me I'd eventually be able to do anything in the gym that he could do. I thought he was crazy. A year later, he was exactly right — I was more fit, stronger, and felt better on my 50th birthday than I ever had before.

— Doreen, Bakery Owner

I was always fit and active in my 20s, but after having my son I had a hard time getting my body back. I joined a gym and even hired a trainer, but it wasn't a good fit — and I went through a few more trainers after that, since they kept coming and going. So I decided to try remote coaching instead. When I met with my coach, we put together a plan. I already knew how to work out, so I didn't need someone standing over me — I needed a plan. This was in the fall, so we had about nine months before summer. My goal was to be pool-ready by Memorial Day, so we treated that date like it was an upcoming competition — I'd done a bikini division physique show before, so I knew what that kind of preparation looked like. We started with just two strength sessions a week, then added more days, added cardio, adjusted my diet, and he didn't let me make excuses for why I couldn't do it. By the time Memorial Day came, my training, cardio, and nutrition were all dialed in, and I felt and looked amazing. After that, he helped me ease into something more sustainable long-term. For me, getting my body back was what mattered most.

— Lindsay, Nurse