Internet gurus and book smarts
This is a rant. If you’re easily offended please re-direct your browser to www.cuteoverload.com
Over the last couple of years I’ve got an increasingly number of clients who turned to me out of despair. These athletes originally turned to, what they assumed as knowledgeable people, for help with diets, training and contest preparations. But soon they discovered that they didn’t get the results they hoped for and as the competition approached they were way behind their schedule. So who are these people they turned to for help? They’re Internet gurus and book smarts and their playground is the Internet forums.
To tell you the truth, I’ve never been impressed with book smarts, and I’m certainly not impressed by today’s Internet gurus citing studies and science reports on Internet discussion boards. You’d be amazed to find out how few real athletes these so called experts have helped, let alone trained. Some of them do have some heavy theoretical knowledge in some areas, but they all obviously lack the practical side of training and coaching people and thus the most important key of all - experience. When you only have knowledge in some areas you easily get caught up in minor details that really don’t matter. And when you lack field experience, you don’t see all the variables and how they fit together; you don’t see the whole picture. I know, I’ve been there myself.
And no Bubba, that somebody has been training for years and has the body to show for it does not count in my book. We’re all different and thus there are hundreds of parameters influencing nutritional- and training program design. The fact that someone have packed on a bit of muscle and burnt some fat does not automatically translate into the ability to evaluate and create individualized programs for others that will accomplish the same (or better) results.
I’ve helped people to get results since 1995, first as a hobby and later on as a business. Nowadays I design programs and train people for a living. I’ve always respected practitioners and unless you have to get results to make a living, I’m actually not that interested in what you have to say. This may sound arrogant, but I only have so many hours a day to keep educating myself. I rather spend this time corresponding with other coaches that produce results. And sure, I do read some studies and reports, but most of the time it’s only to validate what we have been doing for years and to help us understand what’s really is going on in a scientific matter.
If I had to rank the steps I take when I design programs after making an assessment of a new client, it would look like this:
1. My own knowledge and experience.
2. The knowledge and experience of my colleagues.
3. Consulting books, journals and established research.
If you’re a trainer and in the same boat as me, I bet you agree with me on the statements above. If you’re an athlete this might give you a few things to ponder. Choose your help wisely.