It’s time to hit the gym. Training bag in hand, water bottle filled to stay hydrated, shoes laced and ready to go. But how is your attitude today? Are you coachable?
The dictionary defines coachable as – capable of being taught or trained to do something better. Our job as coaches is to communicate with you on how to make a movement more successful, keep you safe, and challenge you more. You, as the athlete, walking in with a preconceived notion of the workout – whether you’re going to kill it, or suffer the whole time – limits the coach on how they can guide you through a rewarding workout.
Some movements are more easily taught, while others take some time and repetition. A willingness to open up and learn about how you came make yourself better as an athlete is crucial to growth. Checking your bad day at the door is just as important as checking your ego. A poor attitude is impossible to coach, and builds a wall that prevents any progress.
Here are some tips on how to refocus your energy and enter a more coachable state:
- Stop what you’re doing and meditate.
Take a couple minutes out of your day before you begin getting ready for the gym. Clear your mind of your endless “to-do” list and enter a state of presence. If you check the workout of the day, plan how you’ll warm up. Ask yourself what your sticking points are and how you can work on them today.
- A correction is not failure.
Your coach gives you a cue on your exercise, and you’re instantly frustrated because you don’t understand it, or you just started to feel like you were getting it right. Coaching is an open conversation – ask your coach questions if you don’t quite get what you’re doing wrong. We can cue you a million different ways and each is different for every person. A correction can be given to improve or fine tune your movement pattern.
- Remember why you started.
Fall back to your why. Why did you start working out and what did you enjoy about it? We can get so caught up in comparing ourselves to others or having a bad day. But this is the hour of your day to get better at whatever is served up in the WoD – so how will you make the most of it?
Next time you’re getting ready for your gym session, ask yourself if you are ready to receive feedback and take a step forward today. If not, how can you refocus?
