The weight loss and fitness industry is idiotic for many reasons …
I find the pinnacle of lunacy to be the university-educated trainer, nutritionist or naturopath who can’t get results for themselves, let alone their clients.
They continue to proclaim how much ‘study’ and ‘research’ they have done yet they haven’t produced any results worth noting. Of course, there are those that are university educated that have produced results, the difference with this breed is that they will admit, they’re still learning.
A university degree does not make you a good practitioner in any industry. What makes you a noteworthy practitioner is delivering consistent results for the people you service. The flaw of many ‘educated’ healthcare professionals is that they dismiss ideas presented by those without a degree, despite their methods producing consistent results. In the real world, people pay for results, not theories put forth in a textbook that are ‘supposed to work’ according to the governing bodies of an industry.
You can’t judge a book by its cover… That works for books, not trainers and coaches
Trainers (and nutritionists) that haven’t been able to transform their own bodies say things such as “don’t judge a book by its cover” to cover up their obvious shortcomings. Then have the audacity to put-down people who are in shape touting a Paleo diet because (and I quote) “they can’t stick to it”.
Lets talk about the elephant in the room, you’re overweight and unhealthy and you want me to take health and fitness advice from you?
In track and field, if you’re not the fastest you lose. Pretty simple.
In the world of personal training, fitness and nutrition, it isn’t about being the biggest or the leanest, but let’s not take the piss either. You need to ‘look the part’. If that upsets some personal trainers and health professionals, stop being a Goddamn snowflake. Invest time, money and effort (like your clients do) and work with a coach to get you in shape. Your body (and your clients bodies’) is your best business cards.
And let’s not pull the “I’m learning to love myself the way I am” card. Love yourself, don’t love yourself, people who spend cold hard cash don’t care.
Everyday I train my arse off and eat right. Not because I have to but because I love it. I eat foods that build and nourish my body; I have a healthy relationship with food and my body. That is THE example I set for my trainers and clients to follow. I often start seminars with this one statement:
In this course you may forget everything I say “because who you are speaks so loud what you say cannot be heard”… and if that is the only thing I leave you with, you’ll be just fine.
If you’re in the health and fitness industry, you will be judged by your cover. Deal with it. It’s in your best interest to look the part.
Become a Master of Your Domain 
My philosophy on any kind of coaching, be it business, fitness, martial arts or dancing, the people at the top of their field “are the example”. They BECOME ‘it’. That thing that you’re searching for, the coach embodies it; mind, body and sprit. They devote their life to ‘it’. Oh wait, did I lose you? You mean I actually have to love what you do? You mean it’s not as simple as getting a degree and working a 9 till 5 job? If you’re a coach of any kind, I sincerely do believe your outer world will reflect your inner world. Meaning, I will not take business advice from someone who has never operated a successful business. If they can’t master their own business, why would I give them permission to manage mine? The out-of-shape personal trainer or health professional might say; “well I have read 357 books on nutrition! And I have 3 degrees!” Well… With all that knowledge it still can’t be applied… What good is that? And if your applying it and its not working…. Doesn’t that tell you something about your approach!?
People seek knowledge when they should seek understanding. You can know everything there is to know about nutrition, but if you can’t apply it, it’s completely useless. It’s like having a bank account with ten million dollars in it that you get access to when you die. I would rather read one book well; understand every line, every paragraph, and every word than ‘kind of knowing’ ten books. The answer lies not in knowing more, but understanding what you already know.
Again, imagine taking advice from a virgin sex therapist just because they told you they had a degree…. Lunacy! Just because they are intellectually interested in sex doesn’t mean they know how to apply what they know… And clearly in the example of the virgin sex therapist, they don’t know how to apply what they know. If you’re in the industry of telling others what to do with their training and nutrition, business sense would tell you, look the part. This is called marketing and that is a reality of being believable as a coach or trainer. You can piss and moan about it but it doesn’t change the fact that it just is. If you don’t like it get a job behind a desk or be on radio. They will jump in the deep end with you (eventually).
Sooner or later (usually sooner) you will have a ‘moment’ on your journey to a better body. A moment is when you lose your ‘shit’. Everything is too much and life would be easier if you were overweight and unhappy. At this moment you need a coach/trainer who is so sure, so certain of their identity of who they are in this world that merely speaking casually to them rocks your very foundations back on track.
When you run into a problem, you’re going to lean on your coach. The weight of your problem should be like a fly resting on the back of an elephant. The only way to get that from a coach is work with someone who has mastered the problems your going to encounter along the road towards your results and has a cleared plan of how your going to get their. If you work with someone who has not mastered their domain, they jump into that moment with you. Example… Client: “I don’t ever think I am going to lose this weight. What should I do?” Trainer: “Me too, I have tried EVERYTHING, its hopeless, now I just train and eat what I want because I have given up.”
The trainer needs to be certain that the goal is achievable. Having never achieved it themselves makes it less likely to inspire confidence towards the client. To know and not to do is not really to know Action is a measure of intellect. Action is a measure of understanding. If you really understand how to optimize your health and wellbeing then your external world will be its proof. Mark Ottobre Owner and Director Enterprise Fitness
If you would like further information about consulting with Mark or a member of his team email [email protected] or call 0402 846 849.
If you like to hear Mark rant, then you’ll also love:
Mark’s Thoughts on Cardio
The Top 7 Lies Your Personal Trainer Tells You
Mark & Bob Get Real About Gluten
