Trust your coach..follow the plan!

Many times I ask NEW athletes I coach if they were ever coached before.  Many were.  I usually follow that question up with: why did you leave the coach?  And, most of the time I never really get a good answer.  My guess is that they either lose interest in the plan the coach prescribed or have no faith in the plan and/or see no progress.  Who knows?
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I think where most of the coach-athlete relationships go sour/wrong is with the "athlete".  Sorry guys/gals but it's true.  99% of the time it's because the athlete doesn't stay on the plan.  They either end up doing their own thing or start incorporating what they believe is a better workout routine into the plan.  Then, guess what?  Poor or no results.
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Let me give you a good analogy to explain what I'm talking about.  When you're (really) sick you go to a doctor?  What's the first thing the doctor does?  He/she starts poking/prodding (testing) you, right?  He/she makes a diagnosis.  After the diagnosis is performed, he/she prescribes a plan on what he/she believes will get you better quickly.  That plan usually consists of rest and some medication/antibiotic.  Now suppose when you get home you start to follow the plan by getting rest and taking the meds (as prescribed by the doc) and you don't see any results. i.e. you don't seem to be getting better.  What do you do?  Do you stop taking the meds?  Do you start taking OTHER meds?  Do you mix other meds with your prescribed meds?  Or conversely, maybe you start feeling better quickly and decide to ditch the meds?  Sounds crazy doesn't it?  (Hey, I'm guilty of the last one..I start feeling better and ditch the meds).  Well, that's EXACTLY what a lot of athletes do.    They start experimenting on their own like it's some kind of game.  You think I'm kidding?  I'm willing to bet that 50% of the athletes that hire coaches don't stick to the plan.  That experimentation I'm talking about is in the form of performing other workouts or even following other training plans.  Or maybe they heard that there is a secret workout that makes you stronger over night and start doing that exclusively.  Who knows.  By the way, there are NO SECRET workouts..sorry.  Just like there's no fat pill that will make you lose weight overnight. 

The point I'm trying to make here is clear: FOLLOW THE PLAN.  Don't deviate from the plan and give the plan some time.  Then if it doesn't work..you can try a new coach or a new plan until you find the one that's right for you.  But, if you do find a new coach that prescribes a similar plan (from the last coach) don't be afraid to tell that new coach..been there, done that...it doesn't work for me.  Because, the definition of insanity is: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different outcome.  And, you'll not only be wasting your time and money..you'll be wasting the coaches time.

So, listen to your coach and follow the plan.  The plans work if you follow them and give them time.  Problem is, just like the dieter that wants to see weight loss overnight..most athletes want to see instant power gains over night and it aint gonna happen.

POWER ON!  Coach Rob