How To Pick An Online Competition Coach?

I’m very grateful that I have never had a bad experience with a coach and I think much of that is due to the fact that I took the time to look into any coaches I worked with before hiring them. There are a lot of coaches out there and for some people it may be hard to find the right one. Online coaching is becoming very popular and I honestly think it’s the best way to go about competition prep. Online coaching may sound “iffy” at first, but if you hire the right coach it can be a great experience, not to mention very convenient for athletes with busy schedules.

As the name suggests, everything is over the computer or Skype- whether its check ins, training programming, nutrition adjustments, or any questions you may have all answered within 24 hours. If anyone is having trouble picking a competition coach I hope the tips down below lead you in the right direction.

• On social media people are pretty open with their competition preps and who is coaching them. All the coaches usually have a hashtag that the clients like to use for their social media posts, so it’s very easy to find all of their clients. My first tip is to look at the coach’s client transformations and stage shots.  Don’t just look at their professional clients, but also look at the amateurs as well. Get an idea of how they help their client base as a whole progress, and not just the genetic elite.
• Another positive sign for a potential online coach is if they don’t just take on any client to prepare for a show. A good coach will only help you prep for a show if they know your body is in the right place to start. They will ask you questions about your background and what you have been doing previously. Questions considering your nutrition, cardio, and training background. A coach that cares about your overall health and your longevity in the sport is most important. A coach that knows if you are in the right place to do a competition is one you should consider on hiring. Not someone that will take on anyone just to make money without first considering their wellbeing.
• Also while you are thinking about hiring a particular coach, do some reading on them. If they are an online coach they probably have other forms of social media that helps people get a better understanding on who they are. Read their Instagram posts or watch their YouTube videos, these social media platforms really help others get a good grasp on the coach’s overall knowledge. Also look at their coaching website and see how they go about their competition preps. Read up on their nutrition approach and their methods of dieting athletes for shows.  
• Lastly don’t be afraid to contact previous clients of theirs. Ask the clients how they liked their experience with this person. Ask if they answered in a timely manner and if they were supportive. Also every coach should be a source of knowledge for his or her clients. Ask if they learned anything from this coach, and if the coach was willing to answer questions their client had throughout their time together. You never want to hire someone what won’t give you answers to your questions or explain their methods.

Don’t just hire the most “well known” coach in the industry and pay a boat load of money if its your first show. Maybe if you are more experienced or at pro level, but there are plenty of coaches out there that are less expensive yet still very knowledgeable at what they do; they might also have more time for you. You can ask the high-end coach, who might be too expensive, who they would recommend as a cheaper, but just as capable coach.

Also don’t just hire someone because you think they have a good body and you want to look like them; that doesn’t mean they are good at coaching others. If you want to compete and want to do the competition prep yourself than that’s perfectly fine too. In my opinion I like having a coach online because it’s less stressful for me. Having a coach is beneficial because there are no emotions involved; its just straight data and the coach can make changes objectively whereas making adjustments to our own programs can be tough since we may be bias in our decisions.