About

In his excellent book ‘Black Box Thinking’, Matthew Syed highlights the fear most cultures have of failure and at the same time shows that without it, we would never progress as successfully as we have.

Unfortunately, our upbringing, culture and experiences, often lead us to believe that failure is bad and should be avoided at all costs.

As a coach, that can be terrifying.

What if you don't like your workout? What if you don't lose weight this week? What if your bench press hasn't improved?

The reality is that the answers to all those questions lead to better programs, better results and better communication between me and my clients.

So, I’m only afraid of failure if I’m unable to learn from it.

If an approach with a client fails or falls short, then as long as I can find out why and use that to improve how I coach them, it’s a win.

According to American soldier and politician Dwight ‘Ike’ Eisenhower:

“In preparing for battle I have always found that plans are useless, but planning is indispensable”.

Therefore, in line with philosophy number two, I make sure there is a plan, but I’m always prepared to change it at a moment’s notice if the situation requires it.

It’s also the reason I’ve studied with such a wide variety of mentors, in such a broad spectrum of disciplines. I’ve learnt from powerlifters, cross fitters, ballet and belly dancers, psychologists and mindfulness coaches.

Why?

So I have as many perspectives as possible on a given situation.

The Greek poet Archilochus said, “the fox knows many things…...the hedgehog knows one big thing”.

In one of the longest running and largest studies of its kind, Philip Tetlock, a political psychologist, tracked over 28,000 predictions from over 280 experts and found that the ones who did so most accurately, were the foxes. Not only that, but they were the ones most able to adapt quickest to changes. My goal is to be a health and fitness fox.

Focus on marginal gains.

Unfortunately, we live in an age of ‘stunning transformations’ and ‘quick fixes’. Very few people stop to consider the sustainability of those though.

In one of their annual reports, Weight Watchers stated that, of the millions of people that had completed their programme at the time of its publication, less than six per-cent had kept the weight they’d lost off. Furthermore, of the 94% who regained their lost weight, around 80-90% gained a further 10% on top.

So not only did many people end up back where they’d started, but most actually ended up worse off. The problem wasn’t that the system didn’t work, it did. The problem was that it wasn’t geared for the long-haul.

I coach by focussing on small short-term changes, (like taking a 60 second break from working at your computer), that cumulatively result in massive long-term progress. The results may take a little longer, but the goal is that they last for life.

I want to meet you where you are, not where I think you should be.

I’m fortunate enough to teach and speak at educational events all over the world and I’m sometimes asked, “what’s the one piece of advices I’d give to trainers and coaches”.

My answer: ‘Coach the person in front of you’.

If you’re venturing into the gym or health club for the first time, then regardless of your enthusiasm or motivation, you may be better off leaving your first session feeling like you probably could have done a little more.

Conversely, if you’re a seasoned hardcore exerciser, you may want to feel like you’ve genuinely given everything you have. A good coach should strike the right balance between what you want (or at least, what you think you want) and what you need.

I try to promote an enthusiasm for and enjoyment of, health and active living.

As I mentioned above, I was fortunate enough to grow up in an environment that encouraged exercise and health in a positive way.

Many didn’t.

My aim is to change that and help you find a way that helps you not only enjoy the benefits of active living and a healthy lifestyle, but also find a way of achieving them that’s enjoyable.

That doesn't mean I chatter like an over-caffeinated hamster about how awesome everything is.

For example, I like finding obscure places to watch the sun set, or listen to the waves on the shore, or the wind whisper through the trees. Being able to do so, sometimes requires an specific level of fitness, endurance or mobility.

That's one of the reasons I train and eat the way I do. But that's me.

What I want to do, is to help you find your thing. Then I want to help you acquire the health and fitness necessary to get everything possible out of it.

So the billet, (the metal block the sword has been made out of), has been heated.

Now it has to be shaped and any flaws removed.

This is done by hammering.

In truth, the heat and hammer processes are often alternated. In this way, the sword-smith can dial in the exact shape more specifically. Additionally, the colour of the metal as it's being heated, can highlight any flaws still needing to be removed.

The same is true of good coaching. It's a back and forth process.

One of my pet hates is cookie cutter programs and processes. Whilst they may well work well enough for some. They often fall short for most.

So the coaching process is a constant test and re-test of the work done so far and that is often done by pressure testing certain ideas or practices.

Once the metal has been heated and shaped, it is quenched in oil or water to harden it.

Doing so makes the metal more resilient or resistant to deformation. It also helps the sword retain a sharp edge.

In coaching terms, this can take place in a number of ways.

Physically, it may involve finding your limits of strength or endurance.

Nutritionally, it may involve more complex or even simpler eating strategies.

The skill when hardening a blade, it to quench when it's ready. Too soon and the blade can crack. Too late and it won't achieve optimum hardness.

The same is true of coaching.

Tempering is done to remove excessive hardness.

Sometimes, when hardening a blade, it can become brittle and therefore lack strength.

Or it can fail to flex or bend in the right areas when struck.

In life, it's rarely in our easy times that we get an accurate picture of how resilient we are.

In coaching, sometimes we need to pull back a little in a particular area in order to move forwards.

Sharpening is probably the process most people are familiar with.

It's essentially the fine-tuning stage.

For example, if an actor wants a particular 'look', this is where it gets dialled in.

If an athlete is nearing competition, this is where rest and recovery are addressed so they arrive on game day at their physical peak.

Assuming that the preceding stages have been done well, this process should not take long.

Sharpening is the most outcome specific of the processes.

In addition to being one of the strongest blades on the planet, the katana is regarded as being one of the most elegant or beautiful blades as well.

The polishing process is about dialling in any small areas that affect satisfaction, but not performance.

An atom bomb will get rid of your termite or ant problem, but it wall also get rid of your house.

Likewise, in coaching, this phase is not about overhauling the plan or doing anything drastic, it's about the finishing touches.

In this phase, clients typically review their progress and identify any last remaining areas that need work. They may also link this phase into their next stage of goal planning.