Why don't men hire health coaches as much as women?

[gm0nkx]

@gamebancadoithuongonline

We also avoid instructions. Point is we don't love being told what to do lol.

ha yeah same as refusing to ask for directions when lost

 

[gamebancadoithuongonline]

@gm0nkx You get it haha

 

[dawn16]

@gm0nkx Because 95% of the time, coaches are garbage and novice level lifters themselves and they pander a lot more to female demographics because on average, females who lift are not as invested or egotistical about their training compared to males

 

[lanman87]

@dawn16 While I don’t disagree with this entirely (watch Dr Mike react to celebrity trainers), I would say guys just are more likely to believe they can do it themselves as good or better.

The reality is that it seems based on so many questions that pop up here, that people that figure they can do it themselves are very likely wrong, as wrong or more than if they had a trainer showing them.

 

[catz]

@dawn16 I think this is partly it. Men take lifting and other such physical hobbies bit more serious (not that there are not serious women) so they’re often performing above the beginner / novice class style. The inverse of your data sample could be seen at the competitive level. Often male dominated when you look at those who are hiring coaches to become IBFF pros.

 

[sharkbait13]

@catz If you look at the extremes of anything you're going to often find dudes.

If men, the median male, took it more seriously than the median female, they would spend more, but they don't according to this post and it seems people's anecdotal evidence. So in fact it seems the median female does indeed take it more seriously.

 

[sharkbait13]

@dawn16 You have it backwards. They "pander" to the people who show up and pay. That's not pandering, that's knowing your customer. And for the exact reason you mentioned "not as ... egotistical". Not sure why you think they aren't as invested when they are literally paying for these services... perhaps you mean invested in the outcome... but then again... aren't they if they are literally spending money on this?

 

[dawn16]

@sharkbait13 A lot of people pay coaches to agree with their shitty mental fortitude and half assed ability in training so they don’t beat themselves up at night for their lack of trying

 

[gm0nkx]

@dawn16 possibly. i do a lot more than "lifting" coaching but yeah I could see skepticism there. I think to be honest with you ego is part of that reaction. I find it interesting you think 95% of coaches are garbage without knowing their credentials!

 

[dawn16]

@gm0nkx Credentials are usually pointless if they lack the experience to back it

I say this as a coach myself

If a coach has a basic ass CPT, that can easily be achieved within a week of studying, and no impressive personal fitness accomplishments, then they are essentially inexperienced novices to me

Unless they have a portfolio of athletes they trained who’ve achieved impressive fitness accomplishments themselves.

Like my coach. He’s not a powerlifter, but he trains powerlifters. His lack of hands on experience is dismissed since he has a history of training multiple athletes who are national level competitors for the sport

 

[gm0nkx]

@dawn16 agreed. credentials are different than certifications.

but to be honest with you (I can't turn my coaching brain off, i'm sure you can relate) your gut reaction is that "almost all coaches are garbage" I think that says a little about your willingness to trust someone else to help you/know more than you.

I'm right there with you! Not throwing stones. It helps answer my original questions.

 

[dawn16]

@gm0nkx More so that I’ve only found a few coaches who are actually worth a damn and knew more than I did

The rest were casual lifters with certs who preached the same bullshit they watched off AthleneX rather than putting their own effort into practice

 

[edram]

@gm0nkx Can you post your social media? It would be interesting if you are appealing more to women by your marketing possibly?

I clicked your profile on here and can't find your website either.

 

[gm0nkx]

@edram yeah i'll send it to you. reason I don't have anything listed is because I don't want this to seem like self-promotion. I know redditors can smell that from a mile away lol. would love any advice though

 

[edram]

@gm0nkx Totally respect that you didn't advertise it. But I would like to try to help. I still have not received it btw.

 

[josipa]

@gm0nkx I did CrossFit for years and the main gender difference I noticed was women are generally far more concerned about form, usually went way lighter than they needed to and almost never got injured but progress slower. Men on the other hand would care a lot less about form, start with weights higher than they should and still add more the next set and have higher rates of injury.

I’m a man btw, not hating, just something I’ve noticed.

 

[aaronkfwill]

@josipa I’m a woman getting back into the gym and love having my trainer for that reason. I did some damage to myself lifting wrong years ago and want to avoid that again. Your comment is spot on.

 

[rayofhislight]

@gm0nkx You know this is kind of a great topic. There are a bunch of reasons I can think of that have probably already been mentioned, but I will give an example as to how stupid the mindset of most of us men is.

I started playing guitar when I was maybe 13 years old. I played in bands in high school in college and I toured after college for a few years. I have continued to be in dad band over the years. In short, at 54, I have been playing guitar for about 40 years, some of it professionally. I e been BUILDING guitars for years also.

I recently started taking guitar lessons for the first time in my life. It turns out, there is a lot more about the guitar that I did not know than I did know. For me, the mindset is very similar to exercise. I need to work my brain. I need to forge new pathways in my body, or at least maintain some of the ones that I have. Having a scheduled lesson every week makes me show up and it makes me commit before the lesson to do whatever I was supposed to do after the last lesson.

The improvement has been remarkable.

Even knowing all of this, I would almost never consider joining the type of group that you teach, I have a weight rack in my house and I’ve been exercising forever.

In short, I am still an idiot.

 

[gm0nkx]

@rayofhislight Fantastic response.

I’ve hired many health coaches but refuse to go to therapy. So I get it.

 

[drakim]

@gm0nkx Because why would I pay tons of money to get something I can find online for free?

I can see paying someone to induce a motivational aspect, but there are hundreds of programs just a click away—finding a routine isn't hard, it's just the sticking to it that's difficult

A lot of the personal trainers/coaches I've interacted with have simply spouted a lot of broscience or 'inspirational' platitudes anyway