Choosing the Right Coach with Zeke

Today we got with us Ezekiel Fecher, a colleague of Coach Mauro. They share their experiences in the coaching and fitness space, and discuss what defines good coaches.

Zeke started his fitness journey being an overweight kid growing up. Around the time of the Atkins Diet, his uncle took him under his wings at a local YMCA gym. This new lifestyle led to him showing up to school the next year that much leaner. Which set off a cascade of events. including switching gyms, learning some powerlifting, doing his first meet, and discovering his affinity for strength., and studying exercise physiology while in college.

Zeke opines that those looking for online fitness coaches need to educate themselves to be able to cut through the noise because otherwise, you can't tell the difference between the good coaches and the bad coaches. In choosing a coach in-person training, Zeke believes it's a gray area if your trainer is not keeping track of your workouts, they're not timing rests and if they're talking too much. He suggests it’s because they're trying to distract you from their bad training.

As for the future of coaching, he believes it's going to change drastically with the pandemic. A chunk of people that were going to the gym are not going to go back because they've either given up, or they've gotten some sort of routine going. They got some equipment for themselves, or they've got some online videos, or something like that. And they made a routine out of it. And are very likely to stick with that.

For someone who just wants to be able to keep up with their kids, lose 10, 15 pounds and just feel better, Zeke suggests you learn how to move properly, go back to the fundamental movements and focus on the simple things. With your workouts and nutrition, forget the fancy stuff and make your life easier.

Mauro and Zeke discuss clients who don’t do their homework and trainers doing some more continuing education to work on their understanding. Join in on the laughs and the light-hearted conversation in getting to know some of the insights coaching for over 20 years combined has afforded these two.

EPISODE TIMESTAMPS:

[00:39]  Zeke growing up and introduction to the  fitness world

[03:47]  Powerlifting tutelage and switching gyms

[11:56]  Coaching and mentoring people

[16:57]  What to look out for in  a fitness trainer

[18:09]  Difference between Intense workout and working out with a plan

[22:59]  Social Media coaching facade

[26:40] Covid, Quarantine and Pandemic workouts

[30:00] Keeping and losing fitness clients

[40:00]  Bullet points for anyone wanting to lose 10, 15 pounds 

[51:01] Micromanaging clients

[54:15] Trainers taking continuing education

QUOTES:

“ ...you've been in debt for 10 years, years. You've been adding five pounds of debt, which is like the equivalent of, you know, adding five pounds of body fat every month.”

“So you've been going $5 or $5 in debt every month for 10 years. And now you're like 10 grand in debt. And okay. Now you're going to get out of that debt. You're just going to start working 70 hours a week, 80 hours a week, 90 hours a week nonstop. Like sure. You won't get burned out. “

“If you want to deadlift 500 pounds, where are you now? You need to work from there. You're not going to just slap 500 pounds on the bar and eat, trying over and over. And it's not even budging off the ground. “

“...just keep everything simple when it comes to your eating, especially I, you know, I've always preached like simple with your weight training and your cardio and stuff..”

“ Well, my big bullet points are just getting them. To learn how to move properly, I always go back to the fundamental movements, right? Push pull engine squat. You can throw a couple more in there. You don't want to get specific, but I try to keep it really basic”