It’s hard as a coach.
Especially when you care.
When you’re invested, when you want things to be right, when you hold yourself to a high standard—it’s easy to look at a session that feels off and immediately think:
“Something’s wrong. I need to fix this.”
But early on, I learned something important:
Before I ever change a program…
I need more information.
Don’t Assume—Ask
Any time something looks off, my first move isn’t to rewrite the program.
It’s to reach out.
Not with panic.
Not with blame.
Not with “this isn’t working.”
But with curiosity:
- “How are you feeling?”
- “How does the program feel right now?”
Because the goal isn’t to diagnose immediately.
The goal is to understand.
If I come in too fast and say something is wrong, the athlete might take that personally. And that’s not what this is. This is information gathering.
Go Back to the Thesis
Every program should have a purpose.
A thesis.
What are we actually trying to develop?
So when something feels off, I ask:
Is this athlete struggling because of what we’re trying to build?
Or is something else going on?
If the challenge aligns with the goal, maybe it’s not a problem.
Maybe it’s just part of the process.
But if it doesn’t… then we start digging deeper.
Look Outside the Program
Before I ever change training variables, I look at everything around it:
- Sleep
- Nutrition
- Hydration
- Stress
- Bodyweight changes
If those aren’t in a good place, the program might not be the issue.
It might just be the wrong time for that level of demand.
And yes—sometimes we still adjust.
But now we’re adjusting with context, not guessing.
When It Is Programming
If everything outside the gym is steady…
Then it’s on me.
Now I need to look at:
- Volume
- Intensity
- Movement selection
- Progression
That’s when we can make real changes.
Not emotional changes.
Not reactive changes.
Informed changes.
Communication Is the System
When I’m unsure, my athletes know it.
Because they’re hearing from me.
They’re getting check-ins.
They’re getting questions.
They’re part of the process.
And that’s not a weakness.
That’s coaching.
Because the more information I have, the better decisions I can make.
Sometimes You’re Not Pushing Enough
I had an athlete tell me recently:
“I don’t feel like I got enough out of this block.”
That’s not an attack.
That’s feedback.
So I stepped back, re-evaluated, and realized:
I wasn’t pushing hard enough.
So we adjusted.
We removed a week.
We rebuilt the block.
We ramped things up.
And everything moved forward.
Programming vs Coaching
There’s always a balance:
- Programming
- Coaching
And they don’t always fail at the same time.
You can have:
- A good program, but poor communication
- A great relationship, but poor structure
The goal is to understand how they work together.
Because at the end of the day, the program doesn’t adapt.
The coach does.
Especially With Developing Athletes
If you work with younger athletes, this matters even more.
They’re going to improve.
They’re growing.
They’re adapting.
They’re maturing.
Your job isn’t to create magic on paper.
Your job is to:
- Keep them healthy
- Keep them engaged
- Push when it’s time
- Pull back when it’s needed
That balance matters more than any perfect program.
Check Your Ego
Sometimes coaches don’t change programs because they don’t want to admit they were wrong.
That’s the fastest way to miss.
If something isn’t working, you should be able to say:
“Hey, that wasn’t right for you—right now. Let’s fix it.”
Because this isn’t about you.
It’s about them.
Final Thought
Before you change a program, ask yourself:
Do I actually know what’s going on?
Or am I just reacting?
Because the best coaches don’t rush to change what’s written.
They take the time to understand what’s happening.
And then they make the right move.