Do you help beginners or other trainees too?
I’m going to share one training secret with you: how to tell who is taking this seriously and who is simply wasting your time. I call it the Mr. Miyagi test, and it’s guaranteed to work at least 95% of the time.
In fact, the test has two parts: one concerns helping with diet, the other concerns training. But before I explain what it’s all about, a quick word on who Mr. Miyagi is.
Mr. Miyagi – a bodybuilder?
No, Mr. Miyagi was not a bodybuilder. He’s the sensei in the Karate Kid films. When Daniel came to Mr. Miyagi asking for help, wanting to be taught how to fight, the sensei instead had the boy do ordinary household chores. He had Daniel paint the fence, wash the car and wax it properly. Mr. Miyagi did this because he wanted to test how willing Daniel really was to learn, and whether he was prepared to put up with hardship, effort and unpleasantness.
Over the years I’ve invested quite a lot of time in helping beginners and, so to speak, people in need of help. That covers both nutrition plans and training plans. My conclusion after all those years of work is that at least 80% of beginners who start out full of enthusiasm and drive drop out pretty quickly. Excuses appear, and they want changes, yet another new program or nutrition plan.
I used to always go along with these requests, changing and modifying both the training and the nutrition. But I discovered that very soon they would want something to change again, to be more interesting or different. Always new changes. And more new changes. And I can’t recall any of these “demanding” trainees ever getting anywhere.
On the other hand, the second “breed” of trainee takes my advice and recommendations and acts on them. It makes no difference what I ask them to do; they simply listen and do what I’ve given them. Quite a few trainees with remarkable results have grown out of this “species”. Of course, not every serious trainee has panned out either. But if you look at the statistics, the vast majority of those who did serious work and didn’t demand changes too quickly have gotten somewhere.
What does this have to do with Mr. Miyagi? Plenty. It’s a very effective way to find out which of the people seeking help have serious plans and which are more about chasing away boredom or simply looking for an adventure.
The two-week test…
So, to make sure whether an interested person has serious intentions, I’ve adopted a couple of tests to run in advance. With people asking for a nutrition plan, it’s quite simple. First, for two weeks I have the interested person add up the calories they consume every day and record their weight every morning. “Collect this data for two weeks, then come back, and after that we’ll start adjusting your nutrition.”
If the person seeking help can stick it out and get through it without any excuses, there’s a high likelihood they’re ready to work toward more serious results as well. If they don’t do it, whine for some kind of changes, or can’t even manage to weigh themselves and write down their meals during this trial period, that’s a serious sign of their real capacity for commitment.
Of course, you can’t claim that 100% of those who seem ready for the work won’t let you down, or vice versa. But I can confidently say that those who can’t even survive the trial period are hardly going to be able to follow their plans and stay committed later on.
Whether to help those who fail is up to you…
The same kind of experiment can be set up with training. For anyone who truly wants to do it, following the classic 3-workouts-a-week program is very easy. It’s the typical approach for beginners, and it requires no miracle methods or special exercises. You simply have to focus on hard work and the basic exercises, and strive to progress in them. The “red light” comes on when, after just 3 – 4 weeks, the new trainee comes asking for changes to the program, whether in volume or exercises. If they can’t focus even in the early phase and can’t progress with dedication and consistency even on a basic program, there’s nothing more to talk about…
Gut instinct is a good helper here too. Casual trainees soon start bargaining, wriggling, looking for excuses or asking for changes. Something always bothers them…
Most of the time they’re thinking about their aching muscles and exhausting workouts, about just how hard it all is. They can’t wait for rest days and deload periods. As a rule, they also have a whole list of demands of their own, covering both training and nutrition, that my plan, as the expert, helper and specialist, has to meet.
And then finally, after 22 changes in 3 weeks, when you’re convinced you’ve nailed down the best possible plan for “them”, they ask you: “But what do you think of Wendler’s 531 or the Russian system…?”
Be a wise sensei…
It’s time to think about yourself too and be a wise sensei. Your time as a coach isn’t infinite either, and it’s worth something. When someone asks for help, give them a plan they should follow unconditionally for a while. If they can’t do that, then…
Just get on with your life and let it go…
And you’re not being mean, arrogant or unfair by acting this way. Some people simply aren’t ready for certain things yet. Besides, not everyone can be motivated and made to want it. It’s simply not possible.
Most people like the idea of results, but the reality is that they’re nowhere near ready for the work that reaching their goals demands. That’s why almost every home has an exercise bike or some other cardio machine standing in a corner somewhere.
There’s a high likelihood that if your protégé passes your test, they’ll still be at it a year or more after starting training. If they start messing around and “slacking” already during the trial, they’ll be aimless, uncommitted and flighty later on too.
From the translator: I’d sign this story with both hands, 5 times over. That’s exactly how it is, and a trial period like this works very well!
Author: Janar Rückenberg (translation)
Come and work out! ArtGym
