An Approach to Effective Coaching
Which type of athlete are you?
Answer three quick questions to determine what training means to you.
What drives you to train?
What’s your biggest obstacle right now?
When you finish a workout, what matters most?
The Five Training Archetypes: Find Yourself in How You Move
Why This Matters
Training isn’t just about how you move — it’s about why you move.
Some people are driven by structure and measurable progress. Others crave strength, freedom, stability, or mastery.
Over the years, I’ve noticed that almost everyone falls into one of five distinct training archetypes. Each one carries a different strength, a different trap, and a different way forward.
When you understand yours, you stop fighting your nature and start training in alignment with it — not just how you train, but how you consistently grow.
The Achiever — Progress Through Precision
The Achiever thrives on discipline and measurable progress. You love the process — tracking numbers, perfecting form, and building momentum. Progress fuels you.
But when results stall, frustration can set in. You might overtrain, under-recover, or move the goalposts too soon.
Core Traits
- Loves structure, plans, and data
- Motivated by improvement and mastery
- Struggles to rest or accept “maintenance”
How I Coach the Achiever
For Achievers, I build systems that reward discipline without punishing slowdown. We use structure to create freedom — emphasizing planned recovery, progression, and data that supports longevity, not burnout.
This is where discipline becomes sustainable.
The Builder — Capability Over Cosmetics
The Builder trains for durability — to feel grounded, strong, and capable for life. You’re less focused on aesthetics and more on function: moving better, living pain-free, staying active for decades.
Builders thrive on consistency but sometimes forget to evolve. The same workouts, while comfortable, can lead to movement inefficiencies.
Core Traits
- Motivated by function and long-term strength
- Steady, reliable, consistent
- Can resist change or variety
How I Coach the Builder
For Builders, I focus on progressive resistance and joint integrity — lifting patterns that build strength and longevity.
The goal is a foundation that never cracks, and the confidence to move through life without hesitation.
The Sustainer — Consistency Through Constraint
The Sustainer trains to stay steady when life doesn’t slow down. You’ve got a full plate — work, relationships, commitments — and energy comes in waves. You’re not chasing perfection; you’re fighting to stay consistent when time and bandwidth are limited.
Your challenge? All-or-nothing thinking. When life gets chaotic, training is often the first thing sacrificed — even though it’s the one thing that makes everything else easier to handle.
Core Traits
- Values sustainability and real-world balance
- Motivated by how training improves energy and resilience
- Struggles with rigid plans or unrealistic expectations
How I Coach the Sustainer
I design low-friction, high-impact plans: two cornerstone sessions per week (30–45 minutes) that keep you progressing, plus short, modular “micro-sessions” to plug in when time allows.
This approach honors your season of life. It’s about finding consistency inside the chaos — and realizing that showing up imperfectly still moves you forward.
Your strength is the fact that you keep coming back.
The Explorer — Freedom Through Movement
The Explorer moves for the joy of experience. You train so you can do more — hike, surf, travel, play. You crave variety and freedom, not rigid schedules.
Your challenge? Consistency. When things feel repetitive, motivation fades.
Core Traits
- Energized by novelty and adventure
- Prefers adaptable routines
- Can lose direction without feedback or goals
How I Coach the Explorer
For Explorers, I design adaptable frameworks — not fixed plans. Whether you’re in a hotel gym, on a trail, or pressed for time, your training moves with you.
You train for freedom — not limits.
The Architect — Calm Under Load
The Architect treats training like craftsmanship. You think deeply, move intentionally, and seek mastery through control.
You value quality over chaos — but perfectionism can slow progress if you wait for every variable to be perfect.
Core Traits
- Motivated by mastery and efficiency
- Precise, detail-oriented, and reflective
- Can get stuck in analysis or hesitation
How I Coach the Architect
For Architects, I bring structure to creativity. We use tempo, breath, and awareness to build power through control — and let movement become meditation.
When precision becomes instinct, progress flows naturally.
Every Type Evolves
You’re not just one archetype. You’re all of them — at different points in your training journey.
The Achiever learns recovery. The Builder learns adaptation. The Sustainer learns to protect their time and energy. The Explorer learns focus. The Architect learns flow.
That’s the goal of good coaching — not to change who you are, but to expand who you can be.
