[quote]npcaldwell wrote:
First post here on T nation, I love the down to earth no bullshit mentality that is found here in spades. For a little background I’ve competed on and off for years six shows total now, and I’ve always came in well… not “peaked”. I’ve been toying with the idea of hiring a coach/trainer who has the reputation of always placing guys, but have hesitated because part of the fun for me is figuring out what works best for me.
I don’t know about you guys but whenever I approach one of these coaches to talk they clam up, unless you’re going to throw down the cash to hire them. Now I can’t say that I blame them because to some it’s their livelihood, and that wouldn’t be best for their bottom line. I’m not looking for a paint by numbers approach I get so much satisfaction from the learning aspect not just the results.
What are some of the things I can do leading up to my next show myself to learn “how I respond to things”? And then apply it on the big day. That’s what you always hear right “we’ll see how you respond to things”. What exactly are they, the coaches/trainers, manipulating diet and training wise to determine the best course of action? You’d think after 16 years I’d know what makes my body work better than they ever could after 16 weeks, but then again maybe not.[/quote]
Everything you’re saying is showing exactly why you SHOULD hire a coach. Unless of course you simply enjoy banging your head against the wall. You’re obviously fucking up every time you’re competing. I’m guessing you’ve never come close to winning a show. If winning matters to you, hire a coach. At least one time. I get what you’re saying about having fun figuring out what works for you, but based on what you said… you’re not figuring out what works for you. That’s not very fun.
You sound like you’re being very hard headed. And no, I don’t think 16 years of experience with yourself should be more useful than 16 weeks coaching. Think about it. Coaches have that 16 weeks with you AND they’ve coached dozens, maybe even hundreds of other clients for similar 16 week periods. They actually have far more experience than you do.