Top 10 Benefits of a Fitness Coach

Last Updated on August 13, 2021 by

An Introduction to Fitness Coaches – Beginner Series

There are many hurdles to jump over when starting out in the gym or with nutrition, that’s where a Fitness Coach may help. You may be confused about where to start. In this article, I’ve answered some questions about Fitness Coaches and detailed 10 benefits only a Fitness Coach can provide.

Let’s get started. Below I’ve listed answers to the most common questions we get asked about Fitness Coaches.

What is a Fitness Coach?

A Fitness Coach is a highly trained professional that specialises in nutrition and fitness. They are often diploma or degree level educated or have attained their knowledge via experience – which is arguably better.

Should I get a Fitness Coach?

Fitness Coaches are sometimes worth their weight in gold, especially to beginners in the gym or an individual undertaking their first structured diet. The results of hiring a Fitness Coach may be that your physique materialises much faster than through just personal trial and error alone.

How much is a Fitness Coach?

In the UK, the cost of a Fitness Coach that provides diet & training support monthly, on average charges per month £60 – 200 per month. These costs range depending on the perceived quality of the Coach.

How does a Fitness Coach help?

A fitness coach depending on the definition generally provides a boutique fitness and diet plan based on the goals and needs of their clients. These plans are often structured on a weekly – monthly basis.

How does having a Fitness Coach work?

Most Fitness Coaches in the modern-day, on a foundational level, conduct their programs online. However, many deliver the physical part of these programs in person. This depends wholly on the Coach and the layout of their fitness programs.

10 Benefits Only a Fitness Coach can Provide

Often as beginners, we tend to get stuck with trial and error to blame. Below is a list of 10 things that Fitness Coaches can do to help you accelerate towards your goals.

1. Form Correction

One thing in the gym that’s often looked over, is form. It infuriates me as a Coach. The weight you’re lifting matters, but what matters more is form. With correct form, your gains will be significantly better, plus your risk of injury will plummet.

1.1. Beginner – Form Correction

A coach can teach a beginner correct lifting form from the offset, preventing injury, suboptimal training, and muscle imbalances.

1.2. Previous Experience – Form Correction

A coach can also correct a more experienced lifter’s form. Which has either been learned through trial and error or through a previous coach.

2. Diet Structure

Structuring a sufficient nutrition plan without prior knowledge is a hefty task. These plans usually look like an intense period of restriction and unsustainable changes in eating patterns. Which results in a dramatic fall-off binge and failure of diet goals.

2.1. Calorie focused – Diet Structure

A knowledgeable Fitness Coach must prioritise the CICO (calories in – calories out) model. Meaning they will find the suitable amount of daily calories you need to reach your goals. Whether that be cutting, bulking, or maintaining your weight and/or physique.

2.2. Sustainability – Diet Structure

A good Fitness Coach will suggest and deliver a sustainable nutrition plan that skips the fads and takes into account your previous eating patterns. With this in mind, they’ll build the plan around the foods you enjoy and do not enjoy. If you’re a Vegan or Vegetarian your Coach will build your plan around these foundations.

3. Accountability

Accountability is a major issue when dieting or training alone. Changing your daily habits is difficult in itself without the extra challenge of nutrition and training. Which are psychologically and physically taxing.

3.1. Scheduled Coaching Calls – Accountability

Fitness Coaches will generally want to check in with you at least 1x per week, this depends on the coach. This call or text check-in allows your Coach to gauge your adherence and performance of that given week, allowing for adjustments in the next.

3.2. No Smoke Blowing – Accountability

A decent Fitness Coach will tell you straight if you will reach your goals or not depending on your current trajectory. If you are not performing well, they should let you know you’re underperforming. They should then present a tweak in your plan to make your goal more attainable.

4. Motivation

Fitness transformations often start from motivation cultivated personally, but unfortunately, as with most things, nothing lasts forever. That’s where a Fitness Coach may be helpful.

4.1. Result Focused Reviews – Motivation

Most Fitness Coaches will collect your before and after; weight, measurements, fat %, photos, and state of mind. They’ll then gradually collect these pieces of information as your coaching program progresses, and present them to you side by side. By seeing where you’ve been and where you’re at now, a healthy boost of motivation should come your way.

4.2. Follow the Knowledgable – Motivation

Your Fitness Coach has already navigated the potholes and problems every new health and fitness athlete faces. They’ve come out the other side more knowledgable, more disciplined, and more fit. So learn from the people that are now where you want to be at.

5. Advice & Support

When I first started to lift & diet with a structure I watched how-to’s on YouTube, that was it for my lifting education. I’m still correcting things from over 6 years ago. A fitness Coach will prevent this from day 1 through their advice & support.

5.1. Training Tips – Advice Support

As the saying goes; ‘The profits are in the margins’. We can all as beginners, handle the concept of a weight training regime. In practice, it’s hard for most to gauge proper mind-muscle connection, form, insights into the trade, and realistic goals.

5.2. Nutrition Tips – Advice & Support

I struggled with dieting until I realised the only thing that causes fat loss is a calorie deficit. All the other things the people promote are just different ways to get to a calorie deficit, some being better than others. A Fitness Coach can make you aware immediately.

6. Goal Setting

As a beginner, it’s important to have a clear idea of your goals. A Fitness Coach can help ascertain your ambitions and reasons for wanting to start your fitness journey. They’ll then summarise your goals into a plan that fits just right for you.

6.1. Duration – Goal Setting

The minimum effective duration for a goal or transformation is generally 90 days. However, this fluctuates depending on the individuals’ needs. Most Coaches will require the bare minimum of a month’s commitment.

6.2. Reminders – Goal Setting

It’s tough to maintain your initial motivation during difficult parts of your program, This is natural and a Coach will help remind you of your goals and why you got started in the first place.

7. Confidence

When you have a clear vision, plan of action, and good Coach, you get a natural sense of confidence, and why not? You know what you’re doing and how to do it.

7.1. Weight Training – Confidence

As a beginner, it’s daunting in the gym. In my experience, you’ll be more confident in the gym when you know the correct form and have a detailed training plan.

7.2. A Detailed Nutrition Plan – Confidence

Things are always better with a plan, You may have heard the phrase; “A poor plan is better than no plan”. This is the same with nutrition, if you know what to do, and when to do it, there’s no room for uncertainty.

See Also

Intermittent Fasting: A Comprehensive Guide for Beginners

8. Honesty

Unlike your friends and family, your Fitness Coach has no bias towards you, be that positive or negative. With no personal bias and in a professional setting, they can talk with you straight about the reality of your performance.

8.1. Industry Knowledge – Honesty

When discussing training with friends I’ve noticed things can get quite heated. People seem to be steadfast in their ways under a peer setting. Assuming your Fitness Coach is knowledgeable in their field, they’ll tell you what works and what doesn’t straight up.

8.2. Realistic Perception – Honesty

Unlike a family or friend telling you a loving lie, your Fitness Coach will hopefully tell you what body fat % you really are… This does not mean that they want to insult you, they are being professionally honest, with your best interests at heart.

9. Supplement Advice

There is so much rubbish in the realm of the internet about fitness supplements. It’s my pet peeve as a fitness professional. A Fitness Coach will hopefully tell you what’s useful and what isn’t.

9.1. What Actually Works? – Supplement Advice

The only supplements I use personally are; protein powder (convenience), CBD (recovery), and Coffee (pre-workout). It’s not that much, but it can go a long way. Be wary of a Coach if they start talking about the ‘next big thing’ other than effective training and nutrition.

9.2. PED’s – Supplement Advice

Depending on your goals and wants you could get a Coach that will help with PEDs (performance-enhancing drugs) if that’s something you wanted. But, you should run the other way if as a beginner your Coach is suggesting PEDs.

10. ROI

I believe your ROI (return on investment) is much higher and more accelerated if you hire a Fitness Coach when starting out. It may seem expensive, but in the long run, you’ll be saving money and time.

10.1. Time – ROI

As briefly mentioned in point 5, with a Coach you’ll be taught the correct form from the onset. If your form is good, and you’ve mastered the mind-muscle connection from the start, imagine where you’ll be in 5 years’ time. Especially when compared to someone that never learned proper technique.

10.2. Money – ROI

The money and frustration you will save from avoiding injury through poor form is unmatched. For example, It took me 4 years to learn the correct Lateral Raise form through trial and error. Of which I still have shoulder pain.

Is a Fitness Coach Right for You? – Conclusion

Getting a Fitness Coach is a personal choice, you must gauge your goals with your current knowledge and situation. If you’re an advanced individual and confident in your ability it may not be worthwhile unless you’re competing professionally.

An ending thought… After reading this article, consider to yourself these 10 points, and think objectively. “Would a Fitness Coach help me get to my goals faster as a beginner?” Then take sweet action.

As a beginner, I think it’s an excellent investment. You’ll not only reach where you want to be faster, but you’ll also avoid the dangers of injury and easily made mistakes.

I hope you’ve enjoyed and taken value from reading this article. Until next time PIIT fans.