You're coaching a Functional Training session. How do you navigate conflicting opinions on exercise form?
Navigating conflicting opinions on exercise form during a functional training session can be challenging. As a coach, it's your responsibility to ensure that each participant is performing movements safely and effectively. However, with the abundance of information available, clients may come armed with differing views on what constitutes proper form. To maintain a productive environment, you must be prepared to manage these differing opinions with tact and expertise, ensuring that your clients achieve their fitness goals while respecting each individual's perspective.
When faced with conflicting opinions on exercise form, begin by educating your clients on the principles of functional training. Explain that functional exercises are designed to mimic everyday movements, enhancing strength, stability, and mobility for real-life activities. Emphasize the importance of proper technique to prevent injury and maximize effectiveness. By establishing a foundation of knowledge, you create a common language and set of expectations for the workout session, which can help mitigate disagreements and confusion about form.
-
Dr. Nisha Kanabar PT
Posture & Movement Expert | Founder of PhysioHealer| Corporate wellness Coach| Physiotherapy educator| Health and Fitness Expert| Certified Mulligan and NLP practitioner| Consultant Musculoskeletal Physiotherapist
Encourage clients to start with bodyweight exercises to master fundamental movement patterns before progressing to weighted exercises, ensuring they build a strong base of stability and control. Incorporate dynamic warm-ups and mobility drills to prepare the body for functional movements, enhancing flexibility and reducing the risk of injury. Use visual aids like demonstration videos or diagrams to clarify exercise form and technique, reinforcing proper execution during workouts. Offer individualized modifications based on clients' abilities and goals, fostering inclusivity and personalized progressions in functional training programs.
-
Mohammed Ziauddin
High Performance Analyst: Sport Physical Therapist: Assistant Professor: Sports Scientist:
When there are different opinions on how to do an exercise, start by teaching your clients about functional training. Explain that functional exercises are meant to copy everyday movements, helping to build strength, stability, and flexibility for daily activities. Stress the importance of using the right technique to avoid injuries and get the best results. By giving them this basic understanding, you create a shared way of talking about the exercises and set clear expectations, which can help reduce disagreements and confusion about the proper form.
Active listening is crucial when navigating differing opinions. Encourage your clients to share their thoughts and concerns about exercise form. Validate their experiences and acknowledge the reasons behind their beliefs. This approach fosters a respectful atmosphere where clients feel heard. Understanding their perspectives can also provide you with insights into how to tailor your coaching to address individual needs while maintaining the integrity of the functional training program.
-
Alisha Cresci
Helping People Feel Superhuman By Leading Them To Health 🦸 | Empowering Communities to Move More | ⚡ ON 24/7⚡| Certified Personal Trainer & Health Coach
Active listening is crucial to solving any problems and differing opinions. Make sure you take the time to fully understand your clients. Create an environment that encourages clients to share their concerns, thoughts and opinions. Show empathy and validate their experiences and beliefs. Taking the time to listen and understand shows how much you care about your clients, your career and the environment you create.
-
Dr. Nisha Kanabar PT
Posture & Movement Expert | Founder of PhysioHealer| Corporate wellness Coach| Physiotherapy educator| Health and Fitness Expert| Certified Mulligan and NLP practitioner| Consultant Musculoskeletal Physiotherapist
Create opportunities for collaborative problem-solving by discussing alternative exercise variations that align with clients' preferences while still achieving functional training goals. Implement periodic form checks during sessions to provide real-time feedback and adjustments, ensuring clients grasp and apply correct techniques effectively. Integrate progress tracking tools, such as performance metrics or video analysis, to objectively evaluate form improvements over time. Foster a culture of continuous learning by sharing relevant articles or resources on functional training principles, empowering clients to deepen their understanding and engagement in their fitness journey.
Visual demonstration is a powerful tool in resolving conflicts over exercise form. Show your clients the correct movements, focusing on alignment and muscle engagement. Use slow, deliberate motions to highlight key aspects of the form. This not only reinforces proper technique but also provides a visual standard for comparison. Clear demonstrations can often dispel misconceptions and align everyone's understanding of the exercise.
-
Dr. Nisha Kanabar PT
Posture & Movement Expert | Founder of PhysioHealer| Corporate wellness Coach| Physiotherapy educator| Health and Fitness Expert| Certified Mulligan and NLP practitioner| Consultant Musculoskeletal Physiotherapist
Encourage clients to practice mirror imaging during demonstrations to enhance their proprioception and self-correction abilities. Implement verbal cues alongside visual demonstrations to reinforce key points of proper form and technique. Utilize progressive learning strategies, starting with simpler movements and gradually advancing to more complex exercises, to build confidence and proficiency over time. Offer hands-on adjustments and tactile feedback during sessions to further enhance clients' kinesthetic awareness and understanding of optimal movement patterns. Incorporate video recordings of client performances for post-session review, fostering continuous improvement and accountability in their functional training journey.
-
Mohammed Ziauddin
High Performance Analyst: Sport Physical Therapist: Assistant Professor: Sports Scientist:
Showing the correct way to do an exercise can help resolve disagreements about form. Demonstrate the movements, emphasizing good posture and which muscles should be used. Move slowly and carefully to highlight the important parts of the form. This not only reinforces proper technique but also gives a clear example for everyone to follow. Clear demonstrations can often correct misunderstandings and help everyone see the exercise the same way.
When clients understand the 'why' behind an exercise's form, they are more likely to accept and adhere to it. Take the time to explain the benefits of each movement and how proper form contributes to those benefits. Discuss the potential risks associated with incorrect technique. By connecting the dots between form, function, and well-being, you can turn a conflicting opinion into an educational moment that empowers your clients.
-
Dr. Nisha Kanabar PT
Posture & Movement Expert | Founder of PhysioHealer| Corporate wellness Coach| Physiotherapy educator| Health and Fitness Expert| Certified Mulligan and NLP practitioner| Consultant Musculoskeletal Physiotherapist
Encourage clients to ask questions and engage in dialogue about exercise mechanics, fostering a deeper understanding and ownership of their fitness journey. Provide real-life examples or case studies demonstrating how functional exercises translate to improved daily activities or sports performance. Offer progress assessments at regular intervals to illustrate tangible improvements in strength, flexibility, and overall functional fitness, reinforcing the importance of proper form. Personalize feedback by addressing individual movement patterns and biomechanical considerations, empowering clients to tailor their approach for optimal results.
Recognize that there is not always a one-size-fits-all approach to exercise form. Be prepared to adapt exercises to accommodate individual needs or limitations. Offer modifications and alternatives that maintain the essence of the functional movement while ensuring safety and comfort. This flexibility demonstrates your commitment to personalized coaching and can help ease tensions when opinions on form differ.
-
Dr. Nisha Kanabar PT
Posture & Movement Expert | Founder of PhysioHealer| Corporate wellness Coach| Physiotherapy educator| Health and Fitness Expert| Certified Mulligan and NLP practitioner| Consultant Musculoskeletal Physiotherapist
Encourage clients to communicate any discomfort or challenges during exercises, allowing for timely adjustments to ensure they remain within safe and effective ranges of motion. Incorporate variability in equipment usage, such as resistance bands or stability balls, to provide alternative ways to perform functional movements while accommodating different fitness levels and abilities. Utilize periodization principles to progressively adjust exercise intensity and complexity based on clients' evolving capabilities and goals. Foster a supportive environment where clients feel empowered to explore different variations of exercises to find what works best for their bodies and objectives.
-
Mohammed Ziauddin
High Performance Analyst: Sport Physical Therapist: Assistant Professor: Sports Scientist:
Understand that exercise form isn't always the same for everyone. Be ready to adjust exercises to fit each person's needs or limitations. Provide modifications and alternatives that keep the basic movement but ensure safety and comfort. This flexibility shows your commitment to personalized coaching and can help reduce disagreements about exercise form.
-
Saul McNulty
Owner of CS Coaching - Weight loss / Muscle gain / Stress reduction / Health improvement
Giving the clients or members of your session time to improve on their technique will increase their acceptance to it. Opposed to trying to get the form perfect within 1 session, it’s better with some people to allow 3-5 sessions to get the form correct. This can give them time to unlearn what technique they have previously used and learn the proper technique
Lastly, as a coach, you must maintain authority in your functional training session. While it's important to listen and adapt, you also need to make final decisions on exercise form to keep the session productive and safe. Use your expertise to guide the session confidently, making clear judgments when necessary. A balance of assertiveness and empathy will help you navigate conflicting opinions effectively while maintaining the respect of your clients.
-
Saul McNulty
Owner of CS Coaching - Weight loss / Muscle gain / Stress reduction / Health improvement
A lot of people will actually have illnesses and injuries they won’t tell you about pre class. So you must take care during the class to ensure they are doing what their body allows and not forcing them into the “right form” immediately.
Rate this article
More relevant reading
-
Functional TrainingBalancing teamwork and individual progress in Functional Training: How can you achieve both effectively?
-
Functional TrainingHere's how you can excel in Functional Training: key qualities and characteristics for executives.
-
Functional TrainingYou’re looking for a functional training coach. How can you find the best one for your clients?
-
Personal CoachingWhat do you do if your personal coaching clients are draining your energy?