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Hiring a coach can be a large investment that can completely transform your life. There's power in making informed decisions, and I want to make sure you know all the ins and outs before diving in headfirst. In this chat, I go over if hiring a coach may be the right option for you, things to expect, and most importantly - your role in making sure there is a positive outcome.
To try a free week of my signature Fit for Hiking program to get you fit from the trails (gym AND at-home options) start HERE.
To try a free week of my signature Fit for Hiking program to get you fit from the trails (gym AND at-home options) start HERE.
For next level fat loss strategies, hormone/gut health help, serious performance goals and unparalleled support, apply for Mountain Metabolic coaching. Learn more HERE.
For more free wellness resources, hiking/travel guides, and other blog posts, check out my website HERE.
What is Fit for Hiking?
Where fitness and outdoors meet. In this space we chat all things hiking, exercise, wellness, adventure, motherhood, and metabolic health from a female perspective! Get ready to learn + be inspired to live your fullest, most adventurous life!
Hi, my name is Brady and I'm a longtime fitness professional and Midwest girl turned mountain living hiking addict. And combining my knowledge of fitness and passion for hiking, I've helped hundreds of women get lean and strong for the trails. Think of this as your one stop shop for both education and inspiration on all things female wellness, trail talk and adventure. Hiking, female metabolism, motherhood, nutrition, travel and fitness are all topics you'll hear discussed here. If you are outdoorsy and active, looking to level up your health, unlock your potential, and become inspired to live your most vibrant life, you're in the right place. You're listening to the fit for hiking podcast. Hello, hello and welcome back to another episode of the fit for Hiking podcast. I hope you are having an amazing day. No matter what you're up to while you're listening to this, you know, out for a walk at the gym, in the car, wherever you listen to your podcast. I hope you are just crushing your day. I'm going to keep it totally real with you guys. I just got Invisalign on literally a few hours ago, so I am feeling a little self-conscious because I have a little bit of a lisp going on. I haven't totally adjusted to how it feels in my mouth. Um, so bear with me. The next few months I might have a little bit of a lisp happening as I'm recording these episodes, but this is something I've wanted to do for a while, so I'm excited to straighten out my teeth. I haven't had braces on since high school. Right. So it's been. An embarrassingly long time. Um. So, yeah, that's a little personal update. Don't mind the list. We're going to just carry on and keep moving forward. Um, so today I'm going to be sharing about whether or not hiring a coach is right for you. Um, because I think that this is definitely something that people grapple with when they're thinking about, like they want to make some changes in their fitness, but they're not sure. Should they go like a group fitness route? Should they just get like a guide or an app, or is hiring a coach actually necessary or worth it? Um, because it is more of an investment, right? It's something that you have to be pretty committed to if you're going to make that leap. So, um, if you are thinking of hiring a coach, then definitely keep listening to this episode we're going to be talking about when is it the right option and how to get the most out of the experience too. Because just because you hire a coach doesn't mean you're automatically just going to get the results, unless you are actually ready to put forth the effort necessary to yield those results. Right? So when is coaching right for you? All of these categories, if you fall into them, then it might be worth considering, you know, taking the leap and hiring a coach. So one is if you're new to exercise or health efforts, and you kind of just have no clue where you're even starting, you're unsure of what to do in the gym or in your workouts, whether you're at home or at the gym. Um, and you aren't really sure as to what to do with your nutrition either in order to get the results that you want. So maybe you're just like starting at square one and the whole thing feels really daunting. Like, you see so much conflicting information on social media, on YouTube, like out in the world. I mean, there's literally so many things happening in the world of fitness, whether it's like new diets or different types of trending, like workout ideas or group fitness concepts, um, different opinions about the best ways to go about like losing weight or achieving a certain goal. So yeah, it's super confusing. And if you just kind of want to sift through that and you're able to find a coach that you trust and someone who has experience and they've gotten other clients results, um, and you kind of have rapport with them already, then you know, that they can kind of help you sift through the best they can, answer the questions you have. You can get a grip on how to do proper form, how to build your workouts properly, and kind of the best plan for moving forward with nutrition as well, in alignment with your goals. So if you feel like you're kind of just stumbling around in the dark without any guidance and you really need a starting point. Then hiring a coach can definitely save you so much time of feeling like you have no clue what you're doing. I kind of think of it like, okay, if I were to have a big issue with my car, I know literally nothing about cars. I am not a mechanic in any way, shape or form, so I could for sure like try to you to get on some blogs, try to figure out how to do it myself, but I'm probably going to end up wasting a ton of time and energy and do a crappy job ultimately, because that's not my area of genius, that's not my area of expertise, and I would rather just pay a professional to do it more efficiently, do it better, and get me from point A to point B faster. The same is true with hiring a coach and having a fitness professional who knows their stuff work with you. Yes, you might be able to kind of fumble through it and like look up, um, YouTube videos or podcast blogs, things that give out some free information and you might be able to get like a little bit of progress going, but it's going to take you a lot longer and a lot more energy and time wasted to get to the desired results, instead of just hiring someone who can get you there faster. The next is if you're not necessarily new to fitness, but you feel as though what you're doing currently isn't really moving the needle the way that you want it to. I talked to a lot of ladies on calls who are actually crushing it with, like, the consistency that they're putting into their workouts in their movement, but they're not seeing the results that they want. And that's frustrating. Like, you feel like you're dedicating all of this time, all this energy, but you're not seeing the results from the efforts, and you feel like the amount of work that you're putting in should definitely be yielding the results. So it feels kind of like a waste of time and energy. Again, if you're just questioning, like, why am I spinning my wheels and not seeing results? It might be time to talk to someone, get a different perspective. And oftentimes it's just like a few adjustments and looking at things through a different lens that can start to kind of kickstart that progress again and push through a plateau. The next is if you're just really inconsistent in your efforts, so you find yourself being like kind of on or off the wagon, maybe you could do like a 75 hard or a whole 30 or something like that, or you join a gym for like 30 days and do a little challenge and you're super into it. And then when that thing is done, you're just kind of like, okay, well, I don't know how to maintain this. I don't really know what's next, or you're just inconsistent because things keep popping up. And so you are great for like five days. And then you go on a trip and then that completely derails you for the next few weeks. So if you just find that you're inconsistent and you and you know that you need some external support in order to actually stay consistent enough to develop habits that lead to the results you want, then I would definitely say considering a coach, instead of just relying on your own motivation or like someone in your life who's not probably going to actually hold you accountable to the extent that you need. Um, hiring a coach is probably the route to go. Um, the next is if you have a big specific goal that's either time sensitive or you've kind of reached a breaking point where something in your health is, like really affecting your everyday life or your everyday confidence. So thinking of like a specific big goal that could be like, um, I have a big bucket list hike coming up. We have a lot of ladies who come into the program, and they have a very specific hike that they are training for. Um, whether it's like a group thing or something that they're doing with friends or a spouse, but it's something that they've like, wanted to do a long time and they want to show up feeling really good for that. Or maybe it's a race or maybe it's, um, you know, like you have a specific date in mind where you would like to feel your best, get a little bit leaner, have a weight loss goal because you have a wedding coming up or a big vacation, or just something that's kind of motivating you to really kick start things and get serious about it. It could also be something that is not necessarily time sensitive because of a specific date, but you're feeling that sense of urgency because something is really affecting your everyday life. Maybe you got a poor doctor's report or some poor labs, or you're just you had an incident where you're like, I cannot keep doing this. My confidence is down the drain and I feel like crap, and I don't want to not be able to do this specific activity anymore. For me, that moment was going on a backpacking trip with a big group of people, and I was always the last person up every single incline. I'm so embarrassed. I felt like crap because I was literally sucking wind. I thought I was going to die. Like, actually, I thought my heart was going to stop because even though I was moving so slowly, I felt like I could not even remotely keep up with the people that I was with while carrying my big pack. And, um, I just felt like crap. After that, I was like, okay, something's got to change because I'm working out and I literally work in fitness. And yet, why do I feel like I can't even keep up with this group of people? I'm the last one. It's really hurting my confidence. And I felt like crap. I wasn't even able to enjoy the scenery because I felt like embarrassed and I was miserable physically. Um, so for me, that was like a pretty big turning point. So sometimes we have to have kind of a catalyst of something that like that where you're just like, okay, enough is enough. I'm ready to make some changes. The next one is you just feel ready to level up your fitness and unlock new potential. Whether it's like a strength goal or getting in the best shape of your life, maybe you've just. Finished having kids and you're like, okay, it's time to prioritize my health again. Like I am ready to get back into good shape. My body is no longer housing these little humans. I'm not breastfeeding anymore. Like, I can actually really commit to myself again, um, wanting to summit a really big peak. Maybe you do have a group trip that you want to feel your best on. Um, or just get leaner than you thought possible. Maybe you've had limiting beliefs your whole life of like, well, this is just how my body type is. I've never been any leaner than this. This is as good as it's going to get for me. I definitely fell into that camp in my 20s where I was like, well, this is just how it is. Like, I just have this body type. I'm never going to get any leaner. And I realized I had a lot of limiting beliefs on myself. And so sometimes it takes, um, just wanting to level up and realize, like, you can tap into higher potential than you thought for yourself. So that is also another really great, uh, reason to enlist in coaching, if you know that, like, you've gotten to a certain place by yourself, but you don't know how to reach that next level. Okay, so how do you know when coaching may not be the best thing for you? We're going to go over a few reasons why it might not be the best fit. One is if you just don't want to commit the time or energy to communicating with the coach. Naturally, if you're working with a coach in any capacity, it could be a business coach or a life coach, or a counselor, or a fitness coach. You're going to have to spare some energy and time to communicate in order to get the results that you want. If you hire a business coach and then you never respond to their emails and you never book your calls and you never do the things that they tell you to do, you're really not going to get a whole lot out of the experience, right? I hired a, um, a fitness business coach, um, service. And it was very specific for like, fitness business owners. The experience was amazing. However, I would not have gotten a whole lot out of it if I simply, like, signed up and then got the supplies, got all the materials, and then I didn't actually commit the time or energy to communicating with my one on one coach, to implementing all the modules and all the things that I was learning in the modules. If it just kind of like sat there on the tip of my tongue and I didn't do anything about it, I would have never gotten the results that I wanted, and my investment would have ultimately been a waste. So it's really important to be honest with yourself about whether or not you're willing to commit the time and energy to the process in that communication. Number two is you really prefer to just kind of go at your own pace. You don't like someone interfering in what you're doing with your fitness, and you just want to do like a self paced program or join an app where you just are provided with some workouts and maybe you don't really need a whole lot of personalization. Um, and you just feel like, okay, I can do this on my own. I don't have any like specific injuries or any specific goals. I just want to, in general, get kind of fit. I have pit for hiking guides for that specific person, for someone who just wants to get in shape for their hikes and they don't have a ton of like specific requirements around equipment, around injuries, limitations, around specific goals. And they can just kind of do it on their own. That is a really good option if that's kind of your personality and where you're at with your fitness. Um, the next one is if you're just not in a place where you're receptive to doing things differently or receiving feedback. Um, I think one of the most frustrating things as a coach is when you have someone who does sign up and they invest and they are working with you, but they're not actually willing to change anything about what they've done previously, and they're kind of telling you exactly what they want from every single portion of the program. Instead of listening to what you have to say about how we could do things differently. Because if you're hiring a coach, just because what you've been doing probably hasn't been working in the way that you want it to. So you need to be able to be receptive to some changes. That doesn't mean you're not offering feedback to the coach, because we'll talk about how important that is here in a minute. Um, it's definitely important to say like, okay, like I hate this type of exercise or these type of workouts are miserable. It's taking me way too long, or I just need something different that I enjoy more. Like definitely having those conversations. However, still being receptive to when your coach challenges you and says, okay, I know you don't like this style of workout, but we we probably need to incorporate a little bit of a different type of stimulus than what you've been doing in the past to elicit a new result. Um, and then the final one is if you're just not willing to look at self-sabotage patterns or mindset blocks around your health. So a proper coaching program is going to include some chatting through of like where you're feeling stuck, why you're feeling stuck, how we can move through some of these things and really challenge some of the things that maybe are just patterns that you have accepted as normal. And if you're not really willing to look at the ways where you might be self-sabotaging or just falling back into old patterns, then it might be hard to really move forward and push through some of these plateaus and things that are holding you back. Oftentimes, the deeper work like mindset is really what's necessary to elicit changes and kind of be a catalyst of things starting to move in the right direction. I know for myself, if I wouldn't have done some mindset work around why I was like sabotaging my efforts almost every single weekend, um, I think I'd probably still be stuck where I was five years ago. So if you are wanting to get unstuck, then oftentimes looking at our patterns and our mindset blocks around health is a necessary evil. Even though it's not like sexy, fun, flashy part of a fitness transformation. Okay, so now I want to talk about how to get the most out of actually having a coach. So the first thing I would suggest is to hire someone who you have some rapport with and trust. Obviously, you might not be best friends with this person, but you need to know what they stand for. Understand what the program offers. Know that it's a good fit for you, at least for the most part, and feel like you know that this person has good integrity and that they are going to provide what you need. Like, for instance, if you, um, really want a lot of communication in your process, then it doesn't make sense to hire a coach who is just kind of providing something and not talking to you, not checking in with you, not doing anything that's personalized, or just sending you emails or texts. Like if you need that face to face communication, then you need to make sure that you're like vetting this process and understanding what you're getting out of it to make sure it aligns with what you want and what you need. So kind of first, just understanding what it is that you even want, and then hiring someone who you feel like you trust with that. Um, the next kind of aligns with that one. It's being honest about what you're looking for out of the program and actually communicating that. So oftentimes I think, um, you know, we have these unspoken expectations or desires for something. And if we don't voice that, then it's really hard for your coach to understand where they might be falling short or what needs to change. So one of the first questions that I asked when I'm on calls with, um, people who are potentially interested in mountain metabolic coaching is like. What does success even look like to you? Because if we can't define that, then it's going to be really hard to feel like we're making progress in the program if we don't have any substantial, tangible metrics of success. And also just being honest with that, because if you're saying, oh, I just want to feel better, I want to get stronger, I want to add some muscle, but really, you want to like, lose £10 and you're not voicing that because maybe you don't want to admit that you do want to lose weight for whatever reason. Then if you don't lose weight and you know you're unhappy with that, your coach isn't going to understand why. Because you never talked about the fact that you wanted weight loss. So it's really important to just be clear right out of the gate. Or if things change along the way, you know, if you're in a six month program and your goals have adjusted and now you're like, really just wanting to crush performance instead of focusing on body composition, it's important to voice that along the way. So your coach is very clear on what you guys should be doing to reach that goal. The next one is to take beginning progress metrics based on what you're wanting to work towards. So if you are wanting to see some change in like how your clothes are fitting, definitely taking measurements, taking some initial photos, it's going to be important. If you're wanting to see strength gains, then make sure that you're writing down the weights that you're using week to week, especially that first month as you're starting out, so you can look back and see that progress take place. Um, if we don't measure, it's really hard to see progress because we're seeing ourselves every single day. So it's hard sometimes to, um, you know, really look closely at the progress that we're making when we're seeing ourselves every single day, and especially if all we're looking at is the scale, it's not really going to reflect all of the different body composition changes that are taking place. If you are lifting weights and following some sort of, you know, nutrition targets. Um, so definitely taking some progress metrics at the beginning and then checking in with those, you know, at least every few months you can see the progress and see where you might need to adjust. The next is to communicate often. Take advantage of every little thing that the program has to offer. You know, if you are hiring a coach, talk with them like respond to their check ins, do the assessments like make sure that you are truly responding to everything that you possibly can, asking all the questions that you have so you can get the most out of the experience. It really doesn't make sense to hire a coach if you just plan on kind of doing it on your own and not getting all of the accountability and support out of that process. Um, and if things change, like if your needs change or you know that something needs to be adjusted, you're unhappy with certain aspects, have that conversation again, your coach is not going to be able to read your mind. So don't be afraid to say like, hey, I really hate this style of workout, or I have a trip coming up and I really would like to have some travel workouts planned for me, or I would like to make some adjustments or I'm feeling like really low energy. What is going on here? Like have the conversation. That's what your coach is for. And a good coach is going to want that feedback. They're going to want communication from you and they're going to present opportunities to have those conversations. They're going to be messaging you for check ins. They're going to be asking you to fill out assessments. They're going to try to schedule calls with you, whatever that look, that form of accountability looks like in your specific program. Next is to be open to learning and implementing different strategies, kind of like what we talked about before. Nothing changes if nothing changes, if you're coming into the program and you're being like very, you know, strict and like, well, I just want to keep doing my workouts the exact same structure that I've always done them. Instead of being open to experimenting with different things and implementing different strategies, then it's kind of pointless to hire a coach, right? If you're just going to want to continue to do the same stuff that you've always done. So yes, you can have some opinions about like what you prefer, but definitely be open to different strategies that your coach wants to try based on your goals. The next is understanding that there's really no one size fits all blueprint of exactly how to get you results as an individual, so there will be a learning curve with your coach. There will be some adjustments that need to be made along the way, as your coach is getting to know, like your points of strength where you're at as far as your fitness level, what your baselines are, and kind of how your body is responding to the different changes. Um, if we could just, like, have a blueprint of every single person and know exactly what's going to move the needle for them, that would make it so much easier. But a lot of this is a bit of trial and error, especially at the beginning, to make sure that we are doing the right things to get you specifically the results that you want. And also remember that the rate of change is going to be different for every single person. So sometimes I'll be on calls and people will be like, how long would you say that it will take me to like lose this specific amount of weight or reach side goal? And I really don't like to even try to give estimations because I have clients who see really fast results, and I have clients who their body responds slower, and we have to do a whole lot more to elicit changes, um, based on kind of their metabolic health and also compliance. Like if you're giving not a ton of consistency to the program, that's also going to affect things. So it's almost impossible to give a black and white answer to that question, because there's so many different factors that will affect the rate of change for each individual. So try to be understanding with that. Um, you know, your coaches isn't going to magically transform your physique overnight. Um, and also understanding that while your coach is there for guidance and support, it's still up to you to implement and do the work. Um, just hiring a coach doesn't change things overnight for you. You still have to show up for yourself consistently. Commit yourself to the program every single week. Um, and and take that responsibility on for yourself because your coach is not going to be there forever. You know, this is kind of a stepping stone, a launching point to get you to the place where you can transition out of the program and do things on your own. So make sure that you're taking that personal responsibility along the process. The next is to gauge expectations appropriately. So if it's taken you, you know, five years or even a year to slowly gain 20 to £50, it's not going to come off in 3 to 6 months entirely. Right? You'll start to see some progress. You'll start to chip away at some of that. But it's not going to happen overnight, especially if it's been a slow process of of like a lot of weight gain over the years. So understand that your results are going to also be directly correlated to your effort. And again the rate of change will be different for everyone. So really try not to compare with your friend who lost £20 in two months. Right? Like it might be different for you based on how aggressively you're going with your fat loss strategy, how low you're going with your calories, how fast you're trying to make this happen. You're compliance seven days a week, not just weekdays. Um, your stress levels, your daily activity outside of your workouts, um, the protein you're eating, the calories that you're eating. There's so many different things that will affect your progress outside of the workouts. So try not to compare and gauge your expectations appropriately. You cannot give a B minus or a C plus effort and expect A-plus results. And this is something I really struggled with, um, in my 20s where I was like going really hard Monday through Thursday and then Friday through Sunday I was giving like a C effort and then I was still expecting a plus results. And my average was probably more like a B minus because I was spending three days of the week giving a C effort and four days of the week giving an effort. So. You know, we have to really gauge appropriately, um, based on our consistency and our compliance to the things that we're working on in the program. The next is to expect things to come up during your program. So if you're in a program for like 3 to 6 months, 3 to 12 months, whatever it is, inevitably there are going to be social events, trips, sickness, maybe even injuries, unexpected family crises, weeks where you feel like you completely fall off, even months where maybe you feel like you completely fall off. So signing up for a program does not automatically remove all the barriers from your life, or ensure that you'll be perfectly consistent. And that is something that we typically have to hammer home with so many clients, because they get really disappointed in themselves when they sign up for something, and then things come up and they're not perfectly on track with with the program. But the reality is that's not realistic. So it's good to come into a program expecting things to come up, expecting that the barriers that have been in your way in the past are still going to be a factor. However, we're working on how to be consistent despite those barriers. There's always going to be those things coming up. You're always going to have a trip, you're always going to have visitors in town, you're always going to have things that throw you off your game. How are you responding to that? How are you pivoting? Um, so be ready to pivot and learn how to show up consistently in a life full of barriers and obstacles and things that come up, um, and know that how you show up will change. Like you'll have a different capacity to show up based on what's going on in your life. But what we don't want to do is show up with an all or nothing mindset when those barriers pop up, or just give up entirely and say, well, I guess the whole program to watch, because that month I really screwed it up because like, my household was sick and then we had a trip and then we had visitors, you know, don't give in to the all or nothing mindset. It makes such a difference for people who are able to maintain results long term, versus people who just kind of are always on or off the bandwagon. And then the final piece of advice of how to get the most out of a coach is not to wait for the perfect time. I talked to a lot of people, um, you know, who are interested in the program, and some end up moving forward and then some end up, you know, it's not the right fit or whatever. And I do get a lot of people who are waiting for this, like arbitrary perfect time. And yes, while certain times like, maybe you're about to have a baby or you're going through a massive life change or, you know, certain things just like are not lining up for it to be the right time. That is actually perfectly valid with certain things. However, there's no almost never going to be a completely conflict free, perfect time for you to devote yourself to something like this and really start to prioritize your health. Especially as life gets busier and busier and busier. There's always something. There's always going to be something standing in the way, so you need to know when it's time to kind of put those excuses to the side and just say, there's no perfect time coming up in the next few years. I just got to commit to it and start putting myself first. I'm devoting 3 or 6 months to making habit changes and putting my health first, and that's it. You know, once the habits are established that are going to become second nature and it's not going to put, put such, you know, a strain on me anymore, I'm going to just be able to do these things and they're going to be habituated. Um, so instead of waiting for the perfect time, really just being honest with yourself of like, can you commit to something right now and give it your all as much as you can, despite the obstacles and despite nothing looking perfect in your calendar and make the commitment. Um, you know, if you always are waiting for the perfect time, you unfortunately will probably find yourself five years down the road just wishing you would have done it five years ago. Instead of always having a reason, always having an excuse why you could not do it right now. Um, so that concludes our chat about whether or not you should hire a coach and how to get the most out of the experience. Um, as you guys know, if you've been listening to the show for a while, we have an amazing coaching program for women who are loving the outdoor activities, love to get out on hiking adventures, but maybe also have some other layered goals like fat loss or body recomposition getting stronger, maybe even some deeper things like hormone imbalance or gut health imbalance. Um, so if any of that is resonating with you and you are listening to this thinking, yeah, I think it sounds like hiring a coach is the right thing for me. Um, definitely. Check out our application in the show notes. We always link to it. Um, and you can fill that out and I will get in touch with you about scheduling a call, even if you're totally unsure. Still, it doesn't hurt to talk through it and see if it's a good fit for you. Um, that's why we do these applications and the calls if we are accepting new clients at the time. Um, so definitely check that out. And if you have questions before getting on the call, feel free to send us a DM at the Fit Underscore for Hiking Instagram page. I would love to hear from you guys. If you're getting value out of the show, or if you have questions about any of the different things that we offer. Thank you so much for tuning in and I will see you all in the next episode. Thanks for tuning in to this episode of the fit for hiking podcast. As always, I hope it leaves you feeling inspired and informed on how to take your health and adventure into your own hands. For more content like this, be sure to follow along with my daily posts at Ponytail Underscore. On a trail that's ponytail underscore on a trail. You can also stay up to date on my new episodes being released at Fit Underscore for hiking, and find more free resources at Pony Tail on a trail.com. Happy and healthy trails.