A while ago, I wrote “Don’t be that Guy,” and “Don’t be that Girl” from a coach’s perspective. I know, however, that there are very annoyingly counterproductive things that coaches do, as well. Nobody is getting off the hook here!

Without further ado, Introducing the 7 Deadly Coaching Sins:

Don’t be that Coach

7). Blitzkrieg Coach: Your idea of coaching is to blurt out 10,000 corrections all at once like you’re invading Poland. In one breathe, you cue your client to, “Keep your knees out and stay on your heels, and get your elbows up and don’t round your back and get under the bar faster and don’t land in such a wide stance. Oh, and you’re not getting full hip extension and you didn’t lock out at the top.” Don’t be that coach.

6). Obliviously Long-Winded: You’re the coach who has a veteran group class in front of you but you still insist on taking 10 minutes breaking down the burpee and another 15 minutes explaining the movement standard of a box up. Don’t be that coach.

5). Obliviously Short-Winded: You’re Obliviously Long-Winded evil twin. There you are with a group of newbies, and today’s lesson plan is clean and jerks. You announce to the class, “We’re doing a 10 minute EMOM of three hang power clean and jerks. Pick a load that is 75% of your 1RM. We’ll go in 3 minutes. And…go!” Don’t be that coach.

4). Multi-Tasker: You’re the coach who keeps your phone in your hand as your coach. You listen to your messages, surf Facebook, and respond to any and all text messages as you’re correcting the squat form on an athlete in class. You’re also the coach who spends as much time in the office as on the floor as your athletes are working out. Don’t be that coach.

3). Snooze Button Coach: You constantly hit the snooze button and forget to move on to the next thing. Often, you let your athletes squat for an extra 15 minutes than time allots, and now you have 10 minutes left in the hour to explain the workout, and get everyone set-up before beginning the 20-minute AMRAP. Don’t be that coach.

2). Training for the Games Coach: You’re training for the Games and think that’s likely what most of your clients aspire to do one day, as well. You only want to work with “serious athletes,” and you promote a 100% Paleo, 0% fun lifestyle, so going out for drinks on a Friday night is strictly prohibited. Don’t be that coach.

1). Missing the Point Coach: You don’t know the husband or wife’s name of a single one of your clients. You don’t know what they do for a living, whether or not they have children, or whether they prefer women to men. You have successful clients who are musicians, but you’ve never been to one of their shows and you’ve certainly never had a client over for dinner. You think the purpose of a coach is simply to provide technical corrections to your athletes and to collect their money each month. Don’t be that coach.