To succeed in the sport of athletics, you must constantly strive to improve. Whether it’s to deliver more footballs, kick better punts, or run faster in the 100 meters, there’s always room for improvement. I’m a former collegiate and professional football player, a three-time UFC amateur champion, an NFL International Player of the Week, and a world champion in Jiu Jitsu. I’ve also coached many other athletes – from NFL to Olympic gold medalists to NCAA Division I football players. So, how has my experience coaching elite and professional athletes helped me grow as a coach?
In this article, I’ll share a few lessons I’ve learned whilst working with elite and professional athletes. I’ll share a few lessons I’ve learned whilst working with elite and professional athletes. I’ll share a few lessons I’ve learned whilst working with elite and professional athletes. I’ll share a few lessons I’ve learned whilst working with elite and professional athletes. I’ll share a few lessons I’ve learned whilst working with elite and professional athletes. I’ll share a few lessons I’ve learned whilst working with elite and professional athletes. I’ll share a few lessons I’ve learned whilst working with elite and professional athletes. I will share a few lessons I’ve learned whilst working with elite and professional athletes. I will share a few lessons I’ve learned whilst
Sports are one of the most popular forms of entertainment in the world today. More people watch sports than movies, listen to music, or read books. And yet, most people barely understand what goes on in the locker room or behind the scenes.
Every innovation we create in nutrition and fitness benefits from the efforts of elite athletic trainers and professional athletic trainers. Here are 11 of our favorite teachings that may be applied to any client or situation.
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Our goal is to help all kinds of customers, including the wealthy, better their lives and results (such as NFL teams, NHL teams, NBA teams, individual professionals and Olympians, top juniors, etc.).
It’s worth noting that our experience training elite and professional athletes has taught us a lot.
I’m not going to lie: working with some of the world’s most well-known sportsmen is a dream come true. But here’s the most astonishing thing: great athletes are, in many respects, ordinary folks like us.
For instance, I’ve found that certain coaching concepts apply to everyone, regardless of who they are or what they do.
(Yes, middle-aged customers who just want to reduce belly fat share a trait with UFC superstar Georges St-Pierre.)
So, in this post, I’d want to share 11 of our greatest coaching lessons and anecdotes, gleaned from our work with some of the finest athletes on the planet.
These principles may be used to your customers in the fitness and health sector, whether they are athletes or new to fitness.
Take the counsel of an expert if you’re just here as a sports fan.
1. Creates an atmosphere in which great outcomes may be achieved without the need for extensive individual instruction.
The one-on-one assistance is fantastic. But this isn’t always feasible. If you’re attempting to change the eating habits of a whole basketball team in a short amount of time, for example.
Since 2014, Coach Brian St-Pierre has worked as a dietician for the San Antonio Spurs. He’s also seen the team’s success (they even won the NBA championship the year he started working with them).
Brian, on the other hand, was reluctant to assist Spurs when he initially began working with them.
He didn’t have much time to speak to each player personally because of the team’s hectic schedule. Will it be able to provide results?
Brian recognized that concentrating his efforts on the environment that they all share, rather than on each person, would have the most effect.
Brian’s strategies included the following:
- Begin by creating a model. He created a meal plan for the cook/cafeteria at the training facility, where the players eat breakfast and lunch, after meeting with the players and coaching staff. He emphasized meat, seafood, cooked starches, cooked veggies, salad, fruit, and nuts.
- Make it delicious. He made certain that the catering included the players’ favorite meals. (Brian urged the team’s coaches to keep Tim Duncan’s favorite Cajun chicken and sweet potato mashed potatoes on the menu.) Because the athletes may go to Chick fil A if they don’t like the meal provided, no matter how healthy it is.
- Maintain your level of comfort. He provided excellent shake recipes for strength and conditioning coaches to make customized shakes (suited to each player’s specific requirements and preferences) and distribute them after exercises and sessions.
- Make a plan for your vacation. He offered suggestions for healthful meals to eat while flying. (Coaches often insisted on bringing drinks and cookies for themselves on the trip, but Brian recommended hiding their personal items so the players wouldn’t be tempted.)
- Make a plan for the time when you aren’t training. As a supper alternative, he suggested using a delivery service. He offers recipes and suggestions for meals to take home for married players who have a spouse who prepares for them.
These strategies are straightforward, and none of them require significant individual instruction. They also don’t need a heroic, personalized effort of personal change on the part of the player.
Our surroundings have a significant effect on what we eat, whether it’s at training camp, at home, or at work.
You can influence the course of change by influencing the environment.
2. Winning at the gym (or on the field) is not the same as winning in the kitchen.
Top athletes devote all of their time and effort to improving their fitness. They probably have the same attention to detail, elegance, and workmanship when it comes to the cuisine they consume.
Some of them do. However, the majority of individuals do not.
When I started working as a nutritionist for the US National Bobsleigh Team in the early 2000s, I became aware of this. I was invited to open the training camp with a workshop by the team.
At the time, I believed that these guys, as top athletes, should devote as much effort to nutrition as they do to their activity. After that, I conducted a full day of seminars on advanced nutrition subjects and supplementation methods.
I was completely ready for the work.
With McDonald’s bags in their hands, the gang arrived late.
I saw right away that I needed to adapt my presentation as time went on.
I discovered that these athletes still needed to understand the fundamentals by asking questions and listening. They may have been experts in their sport, but when it came to nutrition, they were mostly beginners.
This is an important lesson for anybody who works in the field of nutrition counseling.
Consider working with a middle-aged guy who is 15 pounds overweight and has never given nutrition a second consideration. Consider a 25-year-old guy who weighs 225 pounds and has an 8% body fat percentage and is preparing for the Olympics.
Physically, they may be quite different. However, it’s also possible that they have the same degree of dietary understanding.
(For level 1 certification, we divide customers into three categories: level 1, level 2, and level 3 eaters, with distinct suggestions for each.) Both people would have been recommended for a level 1 eater in this instance).
As a result, avoid making too many assumptions about your clients. Talk to them, put them to the test, and figure out where they are in the process.
3. If you can’t improve, make it worse.
The St. Peter’s squad was recently entrusted with assisting the NBA club Brooklyn Nets in improving their diet. Coaches Adam Feith and Brian St. John’s They collaborated to establish the ideal dietary environment at the team’s training facility.
This dining area has been transformed into a piece of art. A lovely infographic with palm-sized servings and a fantastic infographic on milkshakes; a nutritious and well-balanced meal. This is fantastic.
But it’s before the game now, not after practice. After that, the team departs. They are always on the go.
The greatest challenge in feeding the crew, Adam and Brian discovered, was the hotel’s food. Particularly the room service menu, which includes pizzas, wings, burgers, and other items.
The menus of hundreds of hotels were difficult for Adam and Brian to get accustomed to. They may, however, alter the menus that the gamers view.
As a result, they prepared ahead of time by studying the hotel menus and creating a short version of each menu – a personalized version with the finest choices.
When the team gathers for dinner, the guys see or receive this smaller, more selected version of the menu in their rooms.
It’s not perfect, but it’s a significant improvement. It was also much simpler for the players to choose a healthy choice without even thinking about it.
Getting a bit better is one of our coaching mantras. We urge our customers to let go of the all-or-nothing mindset and instead seek for tiny ways to improve with each meal or exercise.
Of all, you don’t have to be an NBA champion to understand that minor changes lead to bigger gains.
4. The greatest menu in the world won’t help you if your customers don’t enjoy the cuisine.
A professional tennis player enlisted PN’s assistance in boosting his energy, performance, and general nutrition. Of course, we were delighted to assist.
Brian St. Clair Pierre visited with the athlete, spoke about his objectives, taste preferences, and other information, and offered advice, including a sample meal plan with dish suggestions.
The issue was that the athlete didn’t like it.
Picky eaters may be seen in professional sports as well.
We knew then that Brian’s dietary expertise was insufficient. It’s time to call in the big weapons. As a result, we sent Jen Nickle, our house supervisor, to assist us.
Jen and Brian set up a tryout with the tennis prodigy. They tested a variety of breakfast, lunch, supper, and snack choices. They considered meal pairings, cooking methods, taste profiles, and other factors.
The day was filled with tastings and was a lot of fun. Jen and Brian were successful in establishing a rapport with the customer and demonstrating our desire to assist her. Chef Jen, most significantly, was able to create a dinner that her clients would like – and eat.
(To provide the greatest possible nutrition during competition, Jen now travels with this athlete to big tournaments such as the US Open Tennis Championships.)
While not everyone can afford a personal chef, customized nutritional advice (and meal plans, if you employ one) that are tailored to the client’s preferences are crucial.
If your client is fussy, don’t insist on quinoa or sweet potato; instead, figure out what they enjoy and work with it.
5. You should approach your job in the same manner that your customer does.
Trainer in health and fitness: Consider online coaching for a minute. Where do you begin?
They’ll most likely write a lovely letter with an assessment form, maybe a food diary to complete out, and possibly a link to an article to read.
What if your client doesn’t have access to a computer?
Brian St-Pierre joined the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League in 2014. Some of the team members lacked access to computers. And if they did, they didn’t utilize email at all.
Why would they do that? They spend their days on the field, at the gym, on the set of a movie, or in their valuable recovery time.
People could typically only be reached through SMS since they can now do virtually everything on their phones that they can do on a computer.
Brian confesses that he had some reservations at first. He’s been coaching for a long time, and he does it all via email. He needed to acquire a new communication and coaching approach.
Brian, on the other hand, has tailored his techniques to his customers thanks to his client-centered coaching abilities. He overcome his biases and began corresponding instead of sending emails.
Brian has been more critical of what he asks clients in the first place as a result of his SMS experience. He became more concentrated and focused just on the most important aspects of his evaluations.
Most significantly, his clients received what they need.
One of the most important things a trainer can learn is to put the client first. It’s important for us to remember as coaches that it’s not about what works for us.
What matters is that it works for our clients.
6. Perfection isn’t necessary.
Since 2009, I’ve been assisting MMA great and UFC icon Georges St-Pierre with his nutrition. I knew two things before I began working on George’s dietary plan.
First and foremost, he enjoys McDonald’s and Subway.
Second, if you tell a client they can’t eat their favorite dish, they may totally disregard you.
Consider that for a moment. How effectively can a scenario operate in which I am not required to control and command a professional boxer (and world welterweight champion)?
As a result, I made several recommendations to George. Every day, this featured some basic meals and a couple delectable pastries. This covers every aspect of nutrition.
I also informed him that if he was still hungry, he could eat anything he wanted. For a few days, I even proposed we eat at McDonald’s or Subway. If he enjoys it, every day.
George was taken aback. And ecstatic. He couldn’t believe he’d been asked to dine at McDonald’s by his nutrition coach.
Let’s face it: George’s energy consumption is such that one erratic meal a day won’t make a difference. It also suited his objectives: muscular bulk to combat his ever-increasing competitors.
Of all, George isn’t your average client, and this wasn’t your average food plan. However, there is a valuable lesson to be learnt.
Top sportsmen and ordinary people don’t need to be perfect.
It’s a good idea for most individuals to strive for 80 percent of their meals to be right.
7. What works for one individual may not work for someone else.
Nutritional trends follow a cyclical pattern. This covers the popular ketogenic diets in the media. They have the potential to draw the attention of elite sportsmen seeking for a competitive advantage – with varied outcomes.
Here’s an illustration. For a while, one coach made news by placing NFL lineman on a strict ketogenic diet while also supplementing them with high dosages of specific vitamins. The players/clients would come to his camp for four weeks to learn how to eat this manner.
One of these guys was an Atlanta Falcons linebacker.
He’d heard that other NFL players had had success with the regimen, so he decided to give it a go. He noticed an instant change over those four weeks: he became larger, quicker, stronger, and leaner, which was exactly what the linemen wanted to see.
However, towards the conclusion of the four weeks, he began to feel unwell.
He had significant symptoms that included blood sugar control issues, hypoglycemia, cognitive fog, dizziness, anxiety, and depression. He even confessed to contemplating suicide.
But he was so pleased with the diet’s first effects that he decided to give it another go. Nothing he did, even altering the ketone days, seemed to help.
That’s why he dialed our number.
We reintroduced carbohydrates into his diet and recommended that he consume 2-3 cups of carbohydrates at each meal (five times a day). Simultaneously, we decreased our fat consumption somewhat, balancing the caloric gain in carbs.
Blood sugar levels normalized, agitation subsided, and performance improved within 2 to 3 weeks. Furthermore, the alterations in his body composition that he experienced while on the keto diet stayed the same: he kept his thinness and mass.
We’ve discovered that he need a steady supply of carbs in order to exercise and feel his best.
These are regimens, procedures, and techniques that are unique to each individual. Even if they have the same objectives, athletic ability, and body type, what works for one client may not work for another.
Even if a method works for one goal (based on highly precise indications such as body weight over a period of time), it does not guarantee that it will work for other goals in the future.
Individual requirements should always take priority over current fashion trends.
And making choices based on outcomes should take priority over what has worked for others or what should theoretically work for me.
8. Involve important individuals in the process (for example, family members).
For many years, I have given nutritional advice to junior hockey players.
(In Canada, Junior A is a lower-level league than the NHL.) These are players that have either been chosen or who want to be chosen as the next major NHL stars).
These guys are still young, usually teens, despite the fact that they are already outstanding athletes. They continue to live with their families, either their own or relatives’, and play for a team outside of their hometown.
I provided basic training, seminars, and culinary demos for healthy essentials to these potential NHL players.
But I was well aware that it wasn’t enough.
It didn’t seem to matter what I said to the athletes. Because they did not prepare the food, shop for goods, or buy them.
I needed to enlist the help of my family. So I focused my attention on who was cooking at the homes where they were staying.
I provided them with everything they need, which included:
- The requirements of a young adolescent ice hockey player
- Demonstrations of cooking
- Recipes and food inspiration
- Purchasing Foodstuffs Recommendations
- There’s a lot more.
The better I can educate my family to cook, the better the athlete’s nutritional result will be.
This is true for all customers, regardless of age. Clients often tell us that other people are their greatest impediment to improved nutrition: coworkers, colleagues, and particularly family members such as husbands and children.
Change isn’t something that happens in a vacuum. Other factors in your customers’ life should be recognized. Assist them in collaborating with their loved ones to conquer any hurdles.
9. Your body will be ruined by intense exercise and a tight diet. (However, for the time being, it’ll suffice.)
offers top athletes with a testing and training program based on scientific research that involves a battery of physiological tests and evaluations. They’re designed to assist athletes in getting the most out of their nourishment.
Genetic testing, biochemical blood tests, dietary sensitivity tests, and microbiome analysis are among the tests available. We send a nurse to the athlete’s house or training facility to collect samples, which are then analyzed.
The findings are then evaluated and interpreted by a multidisciplinary team (including our sports nutritionists, molecular geneticists, and physician).
We provide the athletes with a detailed report on their performance. The findings are then used to personalize training for the players over the following six months.
We evaluated a dozen athletes at the renowned Altis complex in Phoenix, Arizona, a few months ago, some of whom had recently participated in the Rio Olympics.
We found something intriguing in the run-up to the Games.
The athletes all exhibited abnormally low levels of sex hormones (testosterone and estrogen), as well as white blood cells. We also found a slew of other, more unique items. However, this one piqued my attention for two reasons.
For starters, it was applicable to both men and women.
Second, when we conducted a pre-season training camp with NFL players at Nike headquarters a few years ago, we found something similar.
Of course, the findings aren’t completely unexpected. The effects of high-intensity exercise are predictable. When you’re in the middle of a training block, it’s difficult to eat enough calories, get adequate sleep, and handle stress.
This compromise is appropriate for those training for the Olympics or a football season. You’re well aware that it’s just a matter of time. And, for the most part, such bodily discomfort is not hazardous if it is just temporary.
However, if you continue, you may end yourself in peril.
After the training season, the majority of top athletes take a break to relax, recuperate, and re-establish their fitness. It’s no wonder, therefore, that many NHL players spend the majority of their summer doing nothing but lifting bars.
Many regular athletes, on the other hand, show little regard for the seasonal character of sports. This implies that many of them, like Olympic competitors, are at danger of harming their bodies due to hunger and undernourishment.
So keep in mind the long game.
Point out the dangers if the customer is overtrained. Make it clear what the trade-off is if they are making sacrifices for a worthwhile cause.
And always, always, always, always, always, always, always, always, always, always, always, always, How can you get at your location in the safest possible manner? When is it OK to take a breather and relax?
10. Just because something is healthy doesn’t imply it’s beneficial for everyone.
Mikel Thomas, a hurdler from Trinidad & Tobago, is a client of our elite athlete program. Mikel has been training for the Rio Olympics, but has struggled with his recuperation.
We performed the standard testing. We discovered that the iron saturation was high and the UIBC (unsaturated iron binding capacity) was low when we examined the data. Both of these characteristics point to a high iron intake.
For a vegetarian, this is uncommon.
We also performed a food sensitivity test and discovered a chickpea intolerance.
(Note: While food sensitivity tests are not 100 percent accurate on their own, when used in conjunction with other tests and evaluations, they may offer further insight into what’s going on.)
Mikel’s diet journal revealed that most of his meals were made with chickpeas. We believed that this staple meal (typical of Trinidadians and Tobaguans, particularly vegetarians) was creating a bad response in his body after reviewing all of the data.
When we asked Mikel whether he could substitute chickpeas with other protein and carbohydrate sources, such as chickpeas, he said, “I’m not going to do that.” B. Quinoa, his recuperation is going swimmingly.
This story’s message isn’t that chickpeas are terrible. They are high in carbs, protein, and vitamins and minerals. It’s a healthy product.
However, just because a product is healthy or even a superfood doesn’t imply it’s best for your client. Especially if eaten in large quantities.
11. Physiological indicators do not provide a complete picture.
As previously stated, I participated in the Nike NFL Football Training Camp Pro in 2011 and 2012. On the Nike campus, the camp brings together 10-15 elite NFL players for a week of testing, exercising, eating, and learning.
Ndamukong Suh, Kam Chancellor, Patrick Chung, Jonathan Stewart, Stephen Jackson, Greg Jennings, and others were among the athletes that attended the camp. I also delivered nutrition and training lectures to the athletes during camp. For them, I also conducted physiological testing.
Surprisingly, I outperformed all other males on a variety of conventional health measures, including sex hormone levels (testosterone, DHEA, etc. ), vitamin D levels, omega-3 levels, and so on.
Yes, on those health markers, I outperformed the NFL stars.
But do you know what I couldn’t do any better than that?
He is a football player.
It reminded me that, although physiological indicators are helpful, they do not provide the whole picture. And putting too much focus on one kind of unsportsmanlike conduct may lead to hazardous consequences.
We take pleasure in being a data-driven organization. We are fascinated by numbers, tests, and other forms of measuring. But, as we all know, this isn’t the whole story.
You have to look at the entire individual to figure out what’s going on.
What should I do next? Some suggestions from
1. Make no assumptions.
It’s easy to be fooled by appearances. Just because someone is a sports superstar or attractive does not imply that they are well-versed in nutrition.
Ask inquiries instead than making assumptions or judgments about your client’s circumstance. Take a look at this. Keep your eyes peeled.
Instead of proving oneself correct, try to comprehend.
2. Keep in mind that we are all equal in many respects.
They’re exactly like us, top athletes!
Our lives may be quite diverse, but we are all human in the end. We all want to enjoy our meals and have a good time. We all have our favorite guilty pleasures and meals that make us gag.
Remember that you’re ultimately training people, whether you’re dealing with celebrities, top athletes, CEOs, or simply neighbors at your local gym.
3. Keep in mind that we are all unique in various ways.
It’s possible that what works for one customer won’t work for another. There is no one-size-fits-all solution to whether the food is delicious or the diet is lethal.
What works for you may not work for your clients.
You might spend years refining intake forms, for example, but what if the client doesn’t have access to a computer? Or are you always on the move and don’t have time to have a look at it?
As a coach, your duty is to concentrate on understanding and supporting each client’s requirements. It takes time and effort, and trust me when I say it’s humbling at times.
But being a customer-focused trainer necessitates this.
4. The screws must be perfect. Assist your clients in improving their situation.
Even if your customers are top athletes who are accustomed to aiming for perfection, an all-or-nothing attitude will not help them achieve.
The greatest approach to keep working on change is to strive for modest improvements.
This may imply that the extremely sweet Frappuccino sample of the week is kept by the client. Alternatively, assist her in selecting the finest hotel choice from the map. Alternatively, she makes her own aircraft snacks.
You are not required to eliminate everything the customer does and permits themself to do. You shouldn’t either.
Find methods to help them progress, one step at a time.
5. Find out what your consumers’ superpowers are and celebrate them.
Each client has their own superpowers, whether they are Olympic gold medalists or have never set foot in a gym.
As a coach, one of your responsibilities is to assist them in understanding what they can already accomplish and putting those abilities into practice.
Maybe they’re fascinated with numbers and can keep track of their diet like a pro with their spreadsheet abilities. Perhaps they like the outdoors and wish to visit local farms and farmers markets.
They may not have all of the knowledge they need right now, but they have a strong desire to study. They may wander off the path on a regular basis, but they always, always return.
Assist your clients in recognizing and using their own abilities.
Celebrate the positive aspects of life. At every opportunity, provide updates on your progress.
You may never be a professional football player, but you may become a fan.
You may assist them in becoming their own celebrity.
Do you want to learn how to enhance your coaching skills?
It’s no secret that expert trainers emerge through time, typically with the help of a mentor or coach, via training and continuous practice.
the only business in the world that works with thousands of internal nutrition coaching clients and educates health, fitness, and wellness professionals in our results-oriented techniques
The good news is that our next level 2 certification course will begin on September 22nd, 2021.
Do you wish to have complete faith in your teaching abilities? Do you want to attract (and retain) more customers? To improve and expand your practice? Then you should pursue Level 2 certification.
It is tailored to Level 1 students and graduates who recognize that a basic understanding of food science is insufficient.
This is the only course in the world that will teach you how to master the art of coaching, resulting in greater outcomes for your customers and more revenue for you.
Because we only accept a limited number of experts and the program is always filled, I strongly advise you to join our VIP list below. You have the option of signing up 24 hours ahead of time in this instance. Even better, you’ll get a substantial reduction on the program’s overall cost.
[Note: The Level 2 Masterclass is only for Level 1 certification students and graduates. So, if you haven’t already, join up for this program here].Interested? Your name will be added to the VIP list. When you book your seat 24 hours in advance, you may save up to 37%.
The 22nd is a Wednesday. We will open registration for the next level 2 certification course in September.
If you’re interested in learning more, we’ve put up the following VIP list for you, which includes two perks.
- Paying less than the competition. We aim to encourage individuals who want to start coaching and are committed to achieving greatness. As a result, when you join the VIP Masterclass list, you’ll get a discount of up to 37% off the entire fee.
- Sign up 24 hours before the others and increase your chance of winning a place. We only open an NP workshop twice a year. Due to the high demand and the very limited number of places, we expect the tickets to sell out quickly. But if you sign up for the Masterclass VIP list, you have the chance to sign up 24 hours before anyone else.
We are willing to mentor you for a full year in the PN Level 2 Certification Masterclass if you are serious about becoming one of the top trainers in the world.
I’m a professional coach for elite and professional athletes, specialising in the areas of nutrition and recovery. I’ve worked with NFL, NBA, UFC, and Olympic champions. I’m a part of a team of recovery specialists that help elite and professional athletes achieve optimal performance and recovery. As a nutritionist, my clients have elevated their performance from the field to the field, and I’m happy to have had the opportunity to work with these incredible athletes.. Read more about precision nutrition super shake and let us know what you think.
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