The problem with being the self-proclaimed fill-in trainer is that it’s tough to stay consistent with my coworkers. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve given someone a cue for an exercise, only to be met with, “…But that isn’t what Jae told me to do.”
Actually, it is.
Many of our advices may contradict what you’ll hear in other gyms, but all of us IFAST coaches educate ourselves together. Because of this, we’re generally on the same page.
I might tell you to tuck your tail between your legs, while Ty says to round your back and Jae asks you to pull your zipper up. All of these cues offer the same fix. Our artistic interpretation is the only thing that differs. And yes, coaching is an art.
Now, there may be other times when you get a cue from a new coach that doesn’t coincide with what you’ve been working on with your regular coach. This is especially common for me being the Saturday guy who doesn’t see the same clientele on a consistent basis. In this case, I could ask you to tuck your tail between your legs, but Jae has had you working on finishing the movement with your arms really long.
In this case, it isn’t that we disagree with one another – we’re just taking a different path. We both want you to look perfect, but when I saw you one day, your back position concerned me more than your shoulder position. And vice versa for Jae.
If you’ve had this experience, I hope my words put you at ease. Feel free to talk to your trainer if some cues you’re getting sound conflicting. It helps keep us conscious of our coaching. Plus, we all love to educate.
Haha yes, Young Lance. All excellent points.
Let me add one more — one of the best things about working at IFAST is that I know that the other coaches are constantly getting better at their craft. So it may be that you and Ty have come up with some new idea that I haven’t seen yet.
Maybe we’ve always do an exercise with the back leg straight, but you decided to bend the knee so the low back would be in a better position. Or something like that.
Also, “Michael Jackson” (accompanied by a violent posterior pelvic tilt with one hand near the pubis) is my new cue now. It is — objectively — better than “zipper up.”