I've seen many a strength coach (including me) moan or bemoan the fact that champion powerlifters get all the clients despite maybe not being a very good coach.
Hell, I've seen it myself, someone wanted to train with me then they went to someone else who is a champion powerlifter or record holding trainer.
You can use this to get you down.
You can stress out. (I let this happen to me numerous times)
You might even give up on powerlifting coaching because you know you aren't going to get any records any time soon.
When I first had the idea for this article I wanted to have a passive aggressive go at someone.
I wanted to tell each and every coach who thought like this to shut up moaning and to up their game.
But then I remembered how much it hurts when a client leaves you to train with someone else especially if that person is better than you in someway even if it isn't actually their coaching ability.
It can suck, I totally get it.
However.
YOU CAN BE A THOROUGHLY AVERAGE LIFTER AND BE A THOROUGHLY SUCCESSFUL POWERLIFTING OR STRENGTH COACH.
How do I know this?
Because that's exactly what I am.
I've lifted all of my adult life and I've managed to scrape into a couple of National Championships where I totaled well over 120kg less than the eventual winners. I'm the eternal optimist but I never see myself taking a British Championship unless I'm the one survivor of a nuclear attack on the world.
I have a feeling that wouldn't be worth it.
So what should you do?
You should compete.
You should adopt and help lifters who are by themselves and terrified at competitions
You should start or take part in a powerlifting club at your own gym
You should start talking to the people in your gym who you think would be good at powerlifting
You should gradually build a reputation for being a great competition day coach
You should concentrate on being the very best coach you can be
And finally as Molly Galbraith of GirlsGoneStrong recently said
"A great perspective change for me was believing that instead of [someone else's achievements] diminishing my accomplishments, they were showing me what's possible...paving the way, so to speak."
When a champion gets clients because of a successful lifting career it's because they've put it out there in the public domain.
Learn from that and showcase your skills.
Become one of the best coaches in the world.
Out-coach those who out-lift you.
Out-support those who train the champions.
Learn to coach in a conscious empathetic way that get results.
The very best coach delivers for the lifter. It doesn't matter if you a champion yourself if you are the best at building up your athletes from where they are now to a higher level.
Don't use your non-champion status as an excuse. Use other people's achievements to show you a way to succeed.
Get out there and make it happen.
By Chris Kershaw
Chris is a Personal Trainer, Strength Coach, writer, man of small stature and reader of The Discworld Series with a decade in the industry.
He trains everyone from beginners to high level athletes. His favourite clients are people getting into the gym for the first time because they can make the biggest changes in their lives.
You can reach me through the email address Chris@kershawstrength.com
My Instagram is Chris_Kershaw_Strength.
Thank you for reading!