The Secrets
A young strength coach emailed me today and asked the secrets to becoming a great strength coach so I started a list:
1- Get up early. The old expression “if you snooze you lose” is literal. The thing you lose most is time to get better.
2- Show up for work early. Be at least five minutes early and get to work setting up and making everyone’s life easier.
3- Stay late at work. Clean up and set up for tomorrow’s session.
4- Do more than is asked of you every day. Never walk by a wrapper on the floor. If the bathroom is dirty, clean it. People notice extra effort.
5- Care, about everything. Nothing is too small. Every kid, every client matters.
6- Smile.
7- Learn names.
8- Brush your teeth every morning and after lunch. There is absolutely nothing worse than being coached by someone with bad breath.
9- Floss. See above.
10-Use deodorant. Body odor is a close second to bad breath.
11-Wear clothes that fit. Look professional, not like you escaped with your little brother’s ( or sister’s) clothes.
12- Read 1 hour a day ( split between self help and professional stuff)
13- Don’t waste time eating lunch. An exception is lunch with a colleague you don’t know well.
14-Don’t waste time on the internet. The internet is useful but who cares what someone had for breakfast.
15- Don’t waste time training ( do what you need to do, it’s not about you anymore)
16- Condition with your athletes but don’t lift with them. Lifting with them is a distraction. Conditioning with them is true bonding.
17- Take out your facial piercings. People judge so get used to it.
18- Resist the urge to get a tattoo, or resist the urge to get another tattoo. See above.
Michael Boyle's Strengthcoach.com Blog 
October 10, 2012 at 6:32 pm
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August 30, 2012 at 1:04 pm
Richard- read closer. I did not say “skip lunch”. I said “don’t waste time eating lunch. Very different. I eat lunch every day. It takes all of five minutes, not an hour, not a half hour. I did also say “don’t work out”. I simply said ( and not even in this post) that workouts should be kept to 1 hr or less. As for tattoo’s both clients and potential employers will judge you, get used to it. It’s reality.
As far as being great being not based on outside things, that is again reality. Sorry you didn’t like this one.
August 30, 2012 at 12:44 pm
Mike i am a big fan and have read a ton of your writing and bought books and dvds from you but
I am fairly shocked at this list , i don’t see how you could truly focus 100% on your client , if you are dying of hunger from skipping lunch. I also don’t see how your own training isn’t at least a minor important part of this process , if someone is going to judge me because i have a tattoo , wont they also judge me because of a beer belly ?
Being great should have nothing to do with outside things , it should be based on your passion, work ethic , knowledge and ability to put those things together to get the best results for your client
August 25, 2012 at 9:48 pm
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August 22, 2012 at 12:58 pm
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August 17, 2012 at 7:30 pm
people judge so get used to it: this is oh so VERY true.Also maintaining a professional image as well as a having genuine respect for the space around you (i.e.-picking up wrappers) is ideal. Lunch IS a waste of time and the athletes and clients are #1, not the strength coach and their needs (although there is ALWAYS a way to find time in order to be consistent with the program and practice what we preach) Respect the boss, respect the kids and the clients and respect yourself. Thanks for this.
August 15, 2012 at 9:16 am
I agree. I guess I assumed that part. You know what they say about assUme.