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What Style to Use?

By Jonathan Wong

I have been asked quite often by many different people what "style" of coach I am. Since they know that I have a background in many sports, some powerlifting, some Olympic weightlifting, sprints and even some middle distance running during my time in the military. The answer is not so easy. I would say that I just aim for a style that gets results.

One of the things I try to do in life is to be continually improve, to be better at the end of the day when compared to the beginning. This applies very much as a fitness professional. I want to constantly improve so that my clients get better and better results, more and more consistently.

One kind of athlete that I have been influenced by is the Mixed Martial Artist. In mixed martial arts, the best athletes have a large set of skills. It used to be a sport where different "styles" were pitched against each other. Boxing vs Karate, Muay-Thai vs Wrestling etc. But the sport has advanced in a good direction.

Now there is no way to excel without knowing ALL the skills. Fists, feet, knees, elbows, wrestling takedowns, judo throws, armlocks, leglocks, choke holds... and the list goes on. If a fighter has a deficiency in using or defending these techniques, he is likely to be on the losing end alot of the time.

I am going to relate this to working with clients. I try to have as many skills, or "tools in the toolbox" to get them results as fast as possible. There is a tendency in the fitness industry to fall into different "camps".

"Oh Pilates is the best way"... or yoga, or powerlifing, or Olympic weight lifting, or kettlebells, or bodyweight only training, or swiss balls are the best, etc. This "camp" situation is hurting clients, and thats what I want to avoid. Because in this case it is the clients who are at the losing end.

The mobility a person can gain from yoga is good, the maximal strength from power lifting is good, the strength-speed from Olympic lifting is good, the convenience from bodyweight training is good, the coordination and unique balance of the kettlebell is also good.

Get my point? It's all good, its just how I, as a fitness professional use the training effects to get clients results. There is no need for "cult-like" devotion to a certain style when all that does is limit the possible benefits that a client can gain!

So, match your goals to your methods.

If your goal is fat loss, make sure you are doing some resistance training with low rest intervals.

If its improving your performance in sports, make sure you are becoming strong and fast through explosive lifting.

If its to gain muscle, make sure you are training with enough volume (total weight lifted) to stimulate growth.

To maintain mobility, make sure you are doing your foam roller (self-massage) work and static stretching of tight muscles.

In Strength And Health,
Coach Jonathan Wong

About the Author:

Jonathan Wong is a certified Personal Trainer and Sports Conditioning Specialist located in Singapore. Clients from all walks of life come to him for fitness solutions. His passion is to ensure that his clients get the results they desire. His website is http://www.coachjon.com.