Coaching the kid that knows everything.

[BrytonZ]

I am a trainer at The Summit YMCA in Toledo,Ohio, and I have been teaching your system to everyone I train. It has been very well received and has given everyone a tremendous passion for training! The people I have had the most trouble with are younger athletes, well not younger like below 7th grade but more like kids 7-12 grade. They think they know eeeverything, they know everything about the exercises but really have no clue about proper form and spend the whole time defending what they know. Do you have any advice for making kids more coachable? Anything that has worked best for you?

[Mark Rippetoe]

Yelling works best. Then, after the yelling has accomplished it's purpose and gotten them to actually do it correctly, the smarter ones will see why. The stupid ones you can't do anything about.

[Mark E. Hurling]

I run into this with some kids and a few adults when the black belts have me assist in the instruction in jujitsu, I'm only a brown belt. We don't do an MMA or BJJ form, but a strictly self defense form. I'll just bet that the kids you are having a hard time with have some of the same characteristics that I see like the MMA boxing bounce, or a what if this? scenario. A simple physical demonstration of how what they think they know is wrong has always worked well for me and it has been effective for all ages. A bouncy and springy stance gets a foot sweep that ends with the bouncer ricocheting off the mat. A "what iffer" is told to demonstrate their what if, and then you stop their attack and drop them. Not necessarily hurt them, mind you, but a good graeco-roman shock when terminal velocity deceleration ends in contact with the floor usually results in a few rearranged brain cells.

I'll bet with a little thought on how to demonstrate form and showing the bad effects of doing it wrong to affected body parts will make the worthy see the light. The persistently stupid might need culling from the herd.

[Colin]

What Mark said. They won't respect your knowledge until you demonstrate that you know more. The understanding that whoever you are asking to coach you knows more than you do

is fundamental to the whole relationship, regardless of what is being taught. Beating them about the head and shoulders works well in the interim though.

All in all, there is so much bunk information on everything training related, you've got an uphill battle no matter what.

"But coach, a guy on yahoo answers said I should avoid squats, deadlifts, presses, bench presses, rows and squats cause they are bad for my _____." (I know, I said squats twice. I like squats.)

All goes back to the fact that teaching isn't just about knowledge and talent, its about handling people too. The best way to work with anyone is find their "button", and jump up and down on it until they come into line with your point of view, or rather believe you are the one that can help them get what they want. The kid wants to get stronger right? He's an invincible teen, so harping on form isn't going to work, as he's not even worried yet about longevity or injury, he just wants to put up 300 and be the big guy in the gym. SHow him how the form you are teaching gets him there faster, i.e. full squats build more mass than partials, etc. I'm not a trainer of any kind, but i do have to handle people quite often, and this is a good way of looking at it.

[Mark Rippetoe]

No, Colin, I think you are a trainer. And a pretty good one.

[Mark E. Hurling]

You could just keep an eye on them with regards to doing dangerous/stupid crap, and otherwise leave the mto whatever they know is best; after a month or so, they shoulde see that whatever they're doing really isn't working as well as your system does with your trainees.

Ah, if only. Too often left to their own devices they lapse into an OCD loop of the pure definition of insanity. Repeating the same things again and again and expecting a better result. Convert them early or quickly or cull them and move on to the receptive. It's called training by triage wherein you don't try to save everyone. Otherwise it's like trying to teach a pig to sing, you won't succeed and it just annoys the pig.

[Mark Rippetoe]

after a month or so, they shoulde see that whatever they're doing really isn't working as well as your system does with your trainees.

Right. That's what always happens. They SEE FOR THEMSELVES what works and what doesn't. Especially the younger ones.

[BrytonZ]

Great advice! Thank you Rip and everyone else who contributed. I will put my yelling muscles to good use.