Category Competitions

Don’t Bully Your Coach

drstaceynaito 1 Comment

personal-training-clientBefore I dive into this topic, I want to make sure that everyone understands that this is meant to be general, and is not directed at anyone in particular. But because I have had numerous conversations with other coaches and trainers recently who have described behavior in their clients which I find unacceptable, I thought this was a good topic to cover in my blog.

First of all, when you hire a coach or trainer, you are hiring that person for his or her knowledge, education and experience. When you challenge fee schedules that are in place, and expect the coach to give you bargain basement pricing just because you are short on funds, or because you don’t see why you should pay that much for someone else’s time, it is insulting to the coach. In addition, coaches and trainers are trying to run businesses and have expenses which need to be covered. I recently saw a quote on Instagram which I loved: “If you think a professional is expensive, wait until you hire an amateur.” Please keep this in mind when you are selecting a coach, and have respect for what they offer.

If a coach is designing a customized plan for you, do not expect the plan to be ready within minutes. It takes time to create a customized plan for a client, so please be patient. Once you get your plan, please do not ask incessant questions, especially if they are presented in the middle of the night. Since I am a physician, I understand what it means to be on call all the time, but I will not put up with a 2 am text asking me whether it’s okay to substitute swing lunges with seated leg curls!

Another sure way to aggravate your coach is to be non-compliant, whiny, and intent on changing every aspect of a well designed plan. Why even hire a professional to help you if you are dead set on being a person who uses the word CAN’T all the time? If you trust, admire and respect your coach, then let your coach work his or her magic and help you to reach your goals. Otherwise, you are wasting both your time and energy and those of your coach. Allow your coach to guide you and be your motivator, and speak up if you are faltering in your efforts or if your self-confidence is flagging. Let your coach be truly that: a coach.

Trick Or Treat For Adults? Samples At Fitness Expos

drstaceynaito Leave a comment

Mention the word “FREE” and people will suddenly scramble to participate, whether it requires standing in line, being part of a contest, or simply showing up at an expo or convention. Fitness and bodybuilding expos are certainly no exception. I still get a kick out of expo attendees who lose control of their impulses and ingest EVERY drink and food item which is offered to them to sample. The inevitable result is an expo hall full of supercharged, jittery, bloated fans who either quickly learn that such abandon is not the wisest thing, or foolishly repeat the behavior the following day.

Some attendees have become wise to the hazards of consuming samples and instead know how to collect samples to take home. My perspective is usually from behind a table at which I am working, where I observe the excitement and frequent frenetic energy of people who act like kids in a candy store while at expos. They will open up their bags and look at me expectantly to see what it is that I am about to give them. In that sense, it is very much like trick-or-treating. I have definitely experienced the wonder of dumping all my samples onto a hotel bed at the end of the expo day and assessing what I collected, much like a pirate with a bounty. It’s extremely enjoyable and visually interesting to look at all the packaging, and it certainly feels like a victory to amass a huge collection of free stuff.

Some people have the technique of collecting samples down to an art. On the rare occasion when I was at an expo and not actually working at a booth, I collected roller bags full of samples and full size products EACH DAY, which was a great way to learn about the different products and companies. I had to laugh when I saw my friend IFBB Men’s Physique Pro Dr. Brian Epstein’s haul from the Olympia Expo on September 19th and 20th, because he collected roughly the same amount of stuff that I used to accumulate during a large expo like Olympia, L.A. Fit Expo or the Arnold. Go Brian!samples heaven

I have one caveat which is that if you have any health concerns, such as high blood pressure, neurological disorders, diabetes, etc., then you need to find out the ingredients in the samples you collect, and if any substances are unsuitable for you, avoid supplements which contain them.

The Bottleneck: Breaking Through From National To Pro

drstaceynaito Leave a comment

stock-footage-glass-bottle-pouring-water-into-blue-water-in-slow-motion

Every single year I watch nationally qualified competitors duke it out onstage in hopes of finally making it through the bottleneck and achieving Pro status. Some competitors get smacked down repeatedly, yet keep hitting the national circuit for so long that they must compete against new blood, further limiting their chances. There are times when I shake my head in wonder over the outcome of a national or Pro event when individuals who clearly should have been in first callouts were neglected. I know that feeling all too well because it has happened to me a number of times. Every year the national level events get bigger, which results in even more pressure and more competition to get through that level and into the big wide world of Pro status. When a competitor finally gets pushed out of the bottle and glides into Pro waters, he or she will bask in it, enjoying the victory, but the majority of Pro competitors soon discover that becoming a Pro doesn’t mean that life will become any easier. If anything, it becomes more difficult, because the bar is set much higher.
fish in a bowl
Those of us who compete live in a bubble. In fact, I will go as far as to say that when we escape the bottle, we end up in a fishbowl instead of open water. Please don’t interpret this to mean that I lack appreciation for being a Pro, because it is indeed a great honor. But the world at large is a vast ocean which bodybuilding leagues really don’t connect to, similar to the artificial environment which a bowl provides for a pet fish. Bodybuilding is its own world, and though I may love it, I also know that it won’t make me a superstar. Even the biggest bodybuilding legends (except for Arnold) don’t have the full global recognition which they deserve, because bodybuilding is such a niche industry. The only bodybuilders who are household names are the ones who became thespians.

I will admit that when I finally got my Pro Card (after 14 Pro qualifiers), I was relieved and ecstatic because I had finally reached a goal I had set for myself. However, I also fully realize that it wasn’t entirely up to me when or if I would ever get that card, so I always tried my best not to berate myself when I fell short of that Pro card goal. A number of competitors who have been on the national circuit for a very long time have built up a tremendous following on social media channels and have so much power and influence, yet they sell themselves short because they focus on the Pro Card chase as a singular goal. These are precious gems whose shine is only dulled by the disappointment they experience when the sport of bodybuilding edges them out of the winners’ circle.
diamond
If you have been competing for a very long time and are getting weary from slipping in national placings or just missing that Pro card too many times, it’s time to take a good look at where your passion truly lies. If your true passion lies directly in the experience of stepping onstage, then by all means continue. However, if you are broke, exhausted, sore and dejected, and you have a true passion beyond the stage for inspiring others to reach fitness goals, then why not BREAK the bottle and swim into the wide ocean? If you build a name, a brand, and a following, you can establish a presence in the real world which will enable you to impact others in the truest sense. In addition, you might stand to make some decent money from nurturing your passion for fitness. Honestly, how much money have you made from competing? Just saying.