A poor fitness coach or personal trainer can lead to frustration, disappointment, and even injury. Not to mention the time and money that you wasted with the coach. These are five key signs that highlight potential traits that make a coach less than ideal. By understanding these pitfalls, you can make more informed decisions and find the right coach/fitness trainer to guide you on your fitness journey. Additionally, I’ve included several videos below that outline these as well!

1. Lack of Personalization in Training Programs

One of the most significant signs of a bad coach is a lack of personalized training plans. Effective coaching must tailor workouts to the individual needs, goals, and physical capabilities to you. A coach who offers generic, one-size-fits-all programs without considering your specific circumstances often fails to deliver the desired results.

• Ignoring Individual Goals: A bad fitness trainer doesn’t take the time to understand your unique fitness objectives, whether it’s weight loss, muscle gain, or improved athletic performance.

• Neglecting Assessment: Failing to assess a client’s fitness level, medical history, or personal preferences can lead to inappropriate workouts that do not align with their needs.

2. Poor Communication Skills

Communication is at the core of effective coaching. Well, it’s really a core in any relationship with others. A lack of clear, open communication is a major red flag in any coach-client relationship. Coaches who do not listen to their clients or fail to provide clear instructions can create confusion and hinder progress.

• Lack of Feedback: Good coaches offer constructive feedback, celebrate progress, and address areas for improvement. These can be done through video analysis for those online trainers or in person as you’re performing an exercise. A bad coach, on the other hand, may not provide any feedback, leaving clients unsure about their progress. If they are checking their phone or talking to someone else during your entire workout….Please find another coach that will invest in you. You deserve better. 

• Unapproachable Demeanor: Coaches who are unapproachable or dismissive can make clients feel uncomfortable, leading to a lack of trust and confidence in the training process. Another key indicator that many do not realize is when they do not answer your questions. If they simply say do it because I told you so or just dismiss/ignore you completely then it’s usually not a good sign. 

3. Unprofessional Behavior

Professionalism is a crucial aspect of any coaching relationship. Unprofessional behavior can significantly impact the effectiveness of coaching. This can include tardiness, inconsistent availability, and inappropriate interactions with clients. 

• Punctuality and Reliability: If your personal trainer frequently cancels sessions, shows up late, or is inconsistent in their availability then this can disrupt your training routine and progress. On the other hand, you as a client need to hold yourself accountable and stay consistent with this if you want to see progress. 

• Respectful Interaction: Professionalism also extends to how a coach communicates with clients. Disrespectful language or behavior can erode trust and damage the coach-client relationship. This goes both ways in any successful relationship

4. Lack of Knowledge and Expertise

Clients seek coaches for their expertise and guidance, but a bad coach may lack the necessary knowledge to provide effective training. Coaches must stay informed about industry trends, exercise science, and proper techniques. There is new data coming out all the time so continuing education is a need. While a lot of the tried and true methods continue to work it’s important to understand what’s going on throughout the industry. 

• Outdated Methods: Coaches who rely on outdated or debunked methods may not offer the most effective or safe training practices.

• Inability to Answer Questions: A lack of expertise becomes apparent when a coach cannot answer clients’ questions or fails to explain the rationale behind their training methods. I touched on this earlier in the article. If the coach cannot explain it to a 5 year old then they do not understand it well enough. 

5. Overemphasis on Sales and Profit

While personal training, bodybuilding coaching, and fitness coaching is a business, a coach who prioritizes profit over client success can be detrimental. A focus on upselling products or services can detract from the primary goal of helping clients achieve their fitness objectives. If the coach has a million followers on social media and is constantly advertising for openings then it’s going to be incredibly challenging to give attention to each and everyone 1 of those clients. Some coaches/trainers are able to do it. Sometimes they have teams that work together and that can work great! However, you need to be mindful and make sure that you are getting what you need.  

• Pressure to Purchase Supplements: Some coaches push clients to buy unnecessary supplements, products, or even drugs, prioritizing their commission over the client’s needs. Please do your research and make sure you understand the supplements or products. Do not blindly just take things because someone told you to.  

• Lack of Genuine Interest: Coaches more focused on increasing their client roster than on client success may not invest the necessary time and effort into each individual. This isn’t fair for you. Make a change.  

Conclusion

A successful coaching relationship requires personalized attention, effective communication, professionalism, expertise, and a genuine interest in the client’s well-being. Clients should be wary of coaches who display these five negative traits, as they can hinder progress and lead to dissatisfaction. By recognizing these warning signs, individuals can make informed choices and find the right coach who will guide them towards their fitness goals. If the coach has displayed these 5 traits then that’s a 1 star coach. We can do better. 

If you have had a positive or negative experience with a coach or trainer then please help the community out by leaving a review on fitnesscoachratings.com. We need to hear your feedback as it helps out others looking to improve their health. Plus it helps coaches who are really good! Simply search for the coach/trainer in the search bar and leave a review on their profile. If you don’t see your coach/trainer then consider adding a listing https://fitnesscoachratings.com/pricing-plan/ and choose the free option. Yes, it’s completely free! If you are not the coach/trainer then choose the free option and then consider leaving a review. 

At the end of the day we’re trying to help the fitness community by helping each other achieve our fitness goals. It’s challenging out here with all of the information and coaching options online. Let’s do our part in helping everyone have a 5 star fitness journey.

Looking for that 5 star coach or personal trainer near you or online? Then check out our directory and take the next steps towards your 5 star coach!

Below are a few videos as well that touch on coaching!

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vvlP92LNCfk
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCjl2sQ8ZXk
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0eEKbyaxVlY
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6uaktnzYdc
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vzAgdnrjqTk