A Different Approach To Fitness
Evolve
Emerge
We do coaching differently.
If we were to boil down our approach to a few words, we would describe it as goal-driven and athlete-centric. First, we help our clients put inspiring and attainable goals on the calendar. Then, we treat them like professional athletes. We’ve found that this combination is the secret to consistency, and consistency is the secret to results. While most fitness companies are fighting over the definition of parallel squat or the perfect DNA-based diet, we focus on psychology.
The fitness industry has a problem.
Many fitness and nutrition programs fail to get results—or their gains are short-lived. The number one reason for this isn’t “bad programming” (though this is certainly a problem). The biggest problem is that most programs don’t effectively address habit change. You can’t address it by simply writing a series of workouts and macronutrient targets down for a client to follow. Apps and technology can’t solve the problem either. We’re awash in good information, but habits are hard to change.
Habits are connected to your identity.
People prioritize the habits that support their identity. If you think of yourself as a runner, you’re more likely than the average person to run. If you think of yourself as a long-course triathlete, you’re more likely than the average person to prioritize your nutrition. That’s why we stress actions and attitudes that help our clients identify as athletes. It’s the single most effective way to help them adopt habits that will make them healthy.
Am I supposed to just become an athlete overnight?
You can’t rewire your brain overnight, but you can set an inspiring goal and commit to the process. Some call it “fake it ‘til you make it.” It might feel weird at first, but calling yourself an athlete will start to feel natural pretty quickly. And the good news is that we can all inhabit multiple identities at once (and we do); your identity as an athlete doesn’t need to supersede your identity as a businessperson, a mom, a dad, a musician, or whatever the case may be.
get there?
Set inspiring goals.
The biggest difference between how a trainer treats a wellness client and how a coach treats an athlete is goal selection. Wellness clients exercise to lose weight or lower blood pressure. Athletes train to accomplish bold and inspiring physical feats. While losing weight or lowering blood pressure might be good, and necessary, and seemingly more attainable—it focuses on a negative reality. People get anxious about lowering their blood pressure. People get inspired by running their first 5k, or hiking through Yosemite. Would you be more excited to tell folks that you have normal blood pressure, or that you finished a marathon? Most people would answer with the latter. The latter is an athlete. And with a well-structured training plan, executed with consistency, you’re going to hit your general health targets along the way.
At Pallas, assisting our clients with goal selection is one of our most important contributions to their success. A goal doesn’t need to be some big, scary feat. It doesn’t have to be a race or competition. It just needs to be something that you are genuinely excited about training for and will be proud to tell others you were able to accomplish. It must be personally inspiring, bold (relative to the individual), and attainable. A good goal is the first step to achieving consistency. Without it, we all fall off the wagon the second life gets in the way.
The athlete's entourage.
One of the most effective ways to get people to think of themselves as athletes is to start treating them as athletes. Athletes leverage multi-disciplinary, integrated coaching teams with expertise in sport-specific performance, strength and conditioning, nutrition, and physical therapy. These coaches don’t work in silos. They integrate their disciplines in support of the athlete. This is exactly what we do at Pallas. Not only does this produce better results, it provides a level of personal attention that makes our clients feel athletically valued. Having an entire team whose sole purpose is to help you perform your best is motivating.
Habits through knowledge.
We believe that lasting habits are rooted in knowledge. You have to know why it is important to do something and how it connects to your goals to sustainably incorporate it. Our goal is to teach our clients everything about what we are doing, from nutrition to strength and conditioning, so that they can eventually take the wheel and continue their athletic journey on their own.
Go big with Blackbird Mountain Guides.
Got big mountain goals this year? Our partnership with Blackbird Mountain Guides puts backcountry skiing, climbing, and mountain skills education within reach. Sign up for a guided adventure. We’ll take care of the physical training and give you 50% off your first 4 weeks with us. Check out the trips page to get started.
Pick Your Adventure.
Climb Mount Baker. Ski Mount Shasta. Climb an 18k foot peak in Peru. Browse featured adventures on our trips page or visit Blackbird Mountain Guides for a full list of offerings.
1 of 5Plan Your Adventure.
Schedule a call with Andrew to discuss training and preparation. Some big mountain objectives require prior experience. If necessary, we will work with Blackbird Mountain Guides to build a custom progression to get you to your goal.
2 of 5Book Your Adventure.
Book your adventure (or adventures) with Blackbird Mountain Guides and sign-up for either our personal or squad coaching subscription. We’ll give you 50% off your first 4 weeks of training.
3 of 5Train.
Leverage our integrated coaching team to prepare for your trip.
4 of 5Go Big.
Send it in the mountains with Blackbird’s AMGA trained guides.
5 of 5
