Roadblocks & Barriers

Roadblocks & Barriers

At the conference I recently attended, I had the privilege of hearing Dr. John Berardi speak on his health and fitness program entitled The Precision Nutrition Coaching System. Before he came on stage, I expected somehow that I was going to become a nutritionist just from sitting through an hour long presentation. However, when he finally did, I was surprised. He did not even provide nutritional information. Instead, he gave one of the most insightful lectures on how to coach people on nutrition.

 

One of his main contentions addressed the fact that it is easy to tell someone to eat this many grams of carbohydrates, this many grams of protein, or this many grams of fat per day. It is much more challenging, even impossible to actually ensure that the player or client is applying your recommendations. As I heard this I thought back over my many consultations and sessions in the past. I thought about how trainers constantly complain and gripe that their clients won’t eat right and over the limited success many of my clients have had due to poor lifestyle choices outside the gym. I even thought about how I have ignored sound nutritional advice in my personal life . . . and just like that Dr. Berardi Had my attention.

 

He argued very eloquently that the solution to the disconnect between knowledge and application is to make failure impossible. He stated that the truly great coaches are diligent and adept at removing “limiting factors” in the lives of their players. This contention resonated with my mind and convictions. However, “how exactly does one remove limiting factors?” I thought.

 

The answer came later in the lecture when he talked about the concept of leverage. Simply put, coaches, trainers or individuals must have the power to exercise authority. Where is that power derived? It stems from two main sources: accountability and evidence. They must have the ability to inflict some sort of punishment or penalty for not complying with their recommendations. Secondly, they must have proof that what they recommend works and leads to positive results.

 

Dr. Berardi’s presentation addressed several other issues and concepts, but his idea of removing limiting factors impacted me. I can only go so far to help my clients—only as far as they allow. But I can try my hardest to help them remove the insidious barriers to success. I can attempt to overcome the elements of their lives that paralyze them. That means, as he stated so poetically, that I have to transform more than my clients. I have to become a role model. I have to become diligent, thorough, and hard working. I have to become an investigator and root out the elements that plague them. Otherwise, all my efforts as a trainer will fall by the wayside, and I won’t really make much of a difference at all. I feel excited by this challenge. I feel inspired that life is now and that I must commit to each moment to be the best.