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coaching - Perspective from dave tate

TrentZor

Member
Coaching

A coach is a mentor, training partner, motivator and leader. There are many other functions
the coach will fill but the most important is this:

The coach should strive to make you better than he is.

A great strength coach will be one who’s lived in the trenches and has paid his dues with
blood, sweat and iron. If you want to squat 800 pounds, why would you ever listen to
someone who has never squatted 455?

Ask yourself this question and you’ll see my point. How much do you bench press? The
answer doesn’t matter that much, but let’s say it’s 400 pounds. Now ask yourself, how
much more did you have to learn about training to bench 400 as compared to when you
pressed 200? Would you also agree that there’s much more to learn to take your bench
from 400 to 500? I think so.

Now, how much more training did you have to do to go from 200 to 400? Did it come
overnight? Or did you have to work hard and work smart to get there? Nobody will ever be
able to convince me that no knowledge was gained in the 200 pound process!

The next question would be, could this same under-the-bar-knowledge be learned from
a book? In other words, is there another way to gain this same knowledge? I don’t think
so. I feel the best coaches are the ones who’ve attained both under-the-bar knowledge
and book knowledge. If you had to only choose one, it would have to be the under-the-bar
coach. He knows how to get you where you’re going because he’s been there.

After all, how do you know what really works if you never put it to the test? I see tons of
new programs on how to get strong and the first thing I ask the author is, “Have you done
it? What did it do for you?”

I could go on and on about coaches, as it’s one of those topics that drives me nuts, but
it would become a huge rant article. I’ll leave you instead with this short story. Years
ago I came to train with Louie Simmons at Westside Barbell. He was semi-retired at the
time. We had a big group of lifters, but only two or three were elite and most were below
average. I believe there was only one 900 pound squat. When Louie decided to make a
comeback and begin training hard again, the entire gym changed and a few years later, we
were all elites and had over six 900 pound squats. The rest was history.

Tell me a coach who trains isn’t a better coach! If you’re a coach, get your ass in the gym
and get strong again. You owe it to yourself and your team.


Agree or disagree..?
 
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I agree...

Ive seen it first hand here at the gym.. Recently i wasn't training for last 4 weeks and was in the slumps for several personal reasons..

But now the gym dynamic has changed a fair bit since the members have seen me get back into it for the nationals..

This little article has bought some light into it all again.. If loiue is still pumping it at his age.. i dont see why no other coach isnt at least trying..
 
With what?

you should preach what u teach.. i.e As a coach nobodies going to listen from you if u dont lift or compete.

or Is a person going to listen to a fat overweight person telling them how to lose weight if they cant keep the weight off themselves?
 
well the fact is not many squat 400kg, so to limit yourself to those people only as teaching aid is ludicrous.

ive trained with a 300kg squatter (powerlifter) many time, infact one of my first influences and good friend, he does make a good coach!

but that doesn't mean the lyle mcdonald type keyboard people have nothing to say. because i've probably learnt just as much on diet from his books as i have training from training partners.
 
If I wanted to be a delta/military ops soldier. I'll join the army than take advice from a kid who pwns at call of duty.
 
If I wanted to be a delta/military ops soldier. I'll join the army than take advice from a kid who pwns at call of duty.

I'd do exatually the same, could even give some advice of my own, haha

But seriously, I agree i've only been training for powerlifting for 4 or 5 months. But what I have learn't from Scott and the other guys from PTC Brisbane has helped so much, there like all coachs in the little things they help me with and tell me. But you look upto them more and listen better cause there in the squat rack/bench press/platform next to you, trying there hardest.
 
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I agree i've only been training for powerlifting for 4 or 5 months. But what I have learn't from Scott and the other guys from PTC Brisbane has helped so much, there like all coachs in the little things they help me with and tell me. But you look upto them more and listen better cause there in the squat rack/bench press/platform next to you, trying there hardest.

You have just decribed what PTC is all about in a nutshell i think.. All the boys here help the new ones and also chime in for tips and moral support when they busting themselves.
 
Good coaches are guys who have had years under the bar plus book smarts.

To many ppl just get a strength and conditioning cert or a uni degree and call them selves strength and conditioning coaches its bullshit....thats why there is such a lack of good coaches in aus and why we have such a shit development system for our athletes.

There is only a handful of real true strength and conditioning coaches in aus...very sad to see but you are starting to see it within international sport now where other countries are starting to catch up and take us over - most noticable in Rugby Union and League - the development pathways for these 2 sports in regards to strength and conditioning is terrible.

It will never change in aus thats the sad thing...we think to much about natrual talent and on-field training.

We are somewhat backwards in Aus - we have a good young talent, goes through the system gets good on-field advice and then finally once he hits a senior level then he will start focusing on strength and conditioning. Where in other countries - mainly America they build good athletes in the gym and teach them how to be good..even if there natural talent isnt at the highest level.
 
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