How to Evolve as a Fitness Coach with James FitzGerald

What is the key to becoming a better fitness coach? Is it a new training certification, a course in life coaching, or a better programming platform? James FitzGerald argues that the best fitness coaches are defined by their mastery of the fundamentals and their ability to build relationships.

In this week’s 10 Minutes of Fitness James FitzGerald highlights how fitness coaches can up their game by learning how to build better relationships with their clients. On the go? Listen to the full episode here. 

(Coach’s Resource: Learn the basic skills of fitness coaching in this free Professional Coaching Blueprint.)

How to Become a Better Fitness Coach

Great fitness coaches are always looking to upgrade their knowledge, but at the same time realize that there is no substitute for mastering the fundamentals. So before they go out and search for the newest coaching knowledge, James urges coaches to master the fundamentals.

The Fundamental Skills of Fitness Coaching

What are the fundamental skills of coaching? Here are the five fundamental skills of fitness coaching:

Build Your Business Knowledge

First and foremost coaches need to be business savvy. Without a basic knowledge of marketing and administrative skills, coaches won’t have the chance to work with clients and positively impact their health and fitness. Read more about the business of coaching in this blog.

Hone Your People Skills

Coaches work with clients all day long, so to be a great coach it’s essential to master people skills. Coaches will notice the value of understanding human behavior during client consultations.

The Ability to Assess

The purpose of a fitness coach is to help a client reach their goals in the safest way possible. To do this coaches need to be able to assess their client’s current ability and progress them over time. Learn our approach to a three-part assessment here.

An Understanding of Exercise

The fourth fundamental skill of fitness coaching is an understanding of exercise. Coaches need to be able to give clients exercises specifically designed to meet their goals.

Nutrition Knowledge

Coaches also need to understand the basics of nutrition and how to customize a client’s nutrition to their specific goals.

The Secret to Evolving as a Coach: Relationship Building

It may be a surprise, but James believes that the difference between novice and master fitness coaches is their ability to build relationships with their clients, not the intricacy of their program design.

“If you really look at what it takes to get a client consistent in exercise for 60 years, it’s not that complicated, the success is built on the back of a great relationship between the coach and client.” adds, James.

The only way a coach can develop this skill is through practice over time. James urges coaches to get out in the world and start working with clients. “We have made fitness coaching way too complex, coaches just need to master the fundamentals and focus on building relationships with their clients”. 

Master the Fundamentals

Great fitness coaches are masters of the fundamentals. While there is a time and place to use new and exciting methodologies, the fundamentals never lose their efficacy. Learn the fundamentals of fitness coaching with our free Professional Coaching Blueprint.