Always give when you take
I’m going to use a story from a recent client experience to explain what I mean when I say, “always give when you take.” I recently started working with a client (we’ll call her Susanna) who has arthritis in her knees and is nervous about squatting. Our job is to provide her with movements that help her move and feel better (without increasing or causing pain), and to collaborate with her to see what she feels comfortable trying. That being said, there are always days where things don’t go according to plan, and as a coach, you need to be able to adapt.
This client came in last week after missing a week of training, and movements that have generally been pain-free were not feeling great. One option would have been to coach the movement and see if making some adjustments would help, but since she was experiencing pain almost immediately, I decided to change things up.
There’s always a risk of upsetting a client when you do this. If you “take things away,” you need to explain why, and more importantly, give them an alternative.
My approach
In this case, I:
Laid out an alternative option
I offered suspension-trainer squats instead of roller-supported hack squats since this is another squat variation she’s familiar with and is able to do pain-free.
Explained the purpose
I explained that this might be a good option since she’s already familiar with it, and she’ll have more control and assistance at the bottom of the squat.
Reiterated we’re working toward the same goal via a different path
I wanted her to know that this is just another way of working toward the same goal—building lower body strength and mobility.
Changed her warmup for next week
I added another movement to her warmup that I thought might better prepare for squats, both mentally and physically.
The main message I wanted to convey in this interaction was that things won’t always go according to plan, and that’s completely fine. We can adapt and adjust to work towards the same goal. In this instance, I took a movement that she’s comfortable with, has some confidence in executing, and that is slightly more assisted than the variation we were doing. I also expressed changing her warmup as part of a plan moving forward.
In the past, I may have said something to Susanna like, “Let’s skip squats today and do an upper body movement or mobility drill instead.” While this is of course an option, I thought she would feel not only like I took away one of her more challenging exercises, but also that I:
Replaced it with something too “easy” (e.g. the mobility drill)
Took the movement away altogether (e.g. switching to an upper body exercise)
Confirmed her fears and anxieties around knee-dominant exercises, thereby implying that squats are indeed “bad” for her
Instead, I chose to stick with the movement pattern and try a different variation. Why?
Since she didn’t express wanting to stop squatting entirely, I wanted her to see that there are other options. We can use a regression or alternative variation to practice the same pattern. More importantly, I didn’t want Susanna to feel like I was simply taking something away. I’ve made this mistake with clients in the past, and have also had the same experience as a client myself. It’s deflating to basically be told, “You can’t do that.” It gives you nowhere to go.
I’ve found it’s easier and more effective to take the opposite approach: give clients another option and a plan. The options give them confidence, and the plan gives them clarity. These two things make people feel like they’re working towards something, which gives them confidence and motivation.
Things to try
There are plenty of choices when a client isn’t feeling up to doing what you had planned. You can always:
Check their technique and coach them on the movement
Try a different variation of the same pattern (like I did with Susanna)
Change the load
Change the speed/tempo
Pivot to something else altogether
Your decision should always be based on the person in front of you. If this were a different client, I may have taken a different approach. But you need to consider their personality, training age, the relationship you have with them, and how they seem to be feeling in that particular moment.
Closing thoughts
Whatever choice you make, you need to stick with it, at least temporarily. Once you start wavering and doubting your choice, it’s easy for the client to feel your lack of confidence. If they internalize this, things can devolve quickly. I’m not saying to die on the hill you chose! If you realize you made a mistake, don’t be afraid to pivot. But try to be clear, decisive, and confident. If you decide it was not the best approach, pivot again. I’ve found that it helps to briefly explain why. This is of course another skill that becomes easier with practice (and mistakes).
In sum, don’t just take things away from your clients. Make sure you give something else (e.g. an alternative option and a path forward) when you do.
Questions for you:
If you’re a coach, what do you do to help your clients when things aren’t going according to plan?
If you’re a client, what approach(es) is most helpful when you’ve hit an obstacle?
As always, I’d love to hear your thoughts. Please feel free to share them through the button below.