The Strength Of Persuasion…Another Strength Coach Characteristic!

Being persuasive takes skill. Sticking the finger in the face and just “telling folks how it is” isn’t really an effective approach when it comes to convincing others. The power of persuasion can completely change lives. Depending on who is doing the persuading some can be for the better and some can be for the worse. Either way I want to dive a little deeper into this and also look at how this is part of the strength coach’s role as a strength and fitness professional. So keep reading NOW…I meant to say if you’d like to learn more then I’d love to invite you to continue reading! 🙂 I think you got my point.

The Strength Of Persuasion…

So the week before last I just started watching the final season of one the greatest TV shows to ever hit the airways. The show Breaking Bad starring Bryan Cranston is really intense and coming to an epic end, but it’s looking like it’s NOT going down without some guns blazing I promise you that! So without giving too much away while also addressing the show why am I bringing this up in today’s blogisode? Just be patient because I’m getting to it.

Well for starters the main character Walter White (Bryan Cranston) has made one hell of a transformation in his character from the first episode all the way to now. If you’re not familiar with the premise I’ll give you the short sweet version. Essentially White is a high school chemistry teacher who also happens to be way overqualified for his job because in reality he’s a genius when it comes to chemistry.

In addition to this he finds out that he’s become sick with cancer, his wife gets pregnant, and their upside down in their house. He sees an opportunity with an old chemistry student of his Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul) to start a partnership cooking meth with himself handling the production of the drug while Pinkman handles the “business side” of the operation.

Being that he’s a genius chemist he happens to produce the most pure form of crystal meth the streets have ever seen so the product goes into crazy demand! This quickly starts the ball rolling for the tremendous transformation of Mr. White by setting him on a path of  Ozymandias-like proportions! Check out the Breaking Bad piece on that poem by clicking here because it rocks!

Wow, I know if someone stumbled onto this blog they would think I was some kind of Hollywood blogger or something…OR not! Anyways the point of that poem is to point out the inevitable decline of all leaders regardless of how big a kingdom one has built. That comparison is certainly accurate when looking at the house Walter White builds with his dangerous path to becoming a drug Kingpin.

Anyways I can obviously be a bit of  a geek when it comes to certain movies and shows that catch my attention. I’m picky about what I like so I guess that means if I put my stamp of approval on it then it must be cool, right? 😉  All jokes aside, once again Brandon why are you telling us about Breaking Bad?

Well the reason I’m telling you about Breaking Bad is because of Walter White. You see it occurred to me the other night during the final season premier that most anyone associated with him in that line of work eventually becomes aware of the risks and dangers involved with what they are doing, yet Walter is able to persuade them to continue moving forward in the operation at hand. He has a brilliant way of persuading others to carry out certain things that he needs to get done both in times of good and especially in the bad times!

This show definitely points out the strength of persuasion and he generally doesn’t do it by merely sticking a finger in someone’s face and telling them it’s his way or the highway! As a matter of fact, he is so good at persuading them he does it by simply presenting them with the situation that they are in and lists out the other options of “their reality” in the matter. From that point whoever he happens to be convincing simply feels that there is just no other option other than the one Walter wants to persuade them to take. Yep, he’s a genius in the art of persuasion as well as being a genius in chemistry.

Now to build on a bit more to the point I’m trying to make the other day I wrote a blog post on the MMA altitude training mask. You can see that post here.  I didn’t want to, nor did I intend to come across in that blog post by telling fighters, or other athletes, to NOT use the device simply because I’m the coach and I say so. No, I simply presented them with the facts and injected some logic into the matter and from there presented them with the alternative of NOT using the mask. I’m trying to put my own Walter White on the topic, but in this case I’m pointing out how the situation of NOT doing something IS actually beneficial for them and NOT risky.

You see I believe as a strength coach there is a time to drop the hammer and rule with an iron fist, but I also believe that with several trainees we should present the facts and then allow the trainee to make the choice based on the evidence that is presented to them. The reality is that unless you’re disciplining your own kids by just flat out telling people to do stuff it’s not going to be an effective tool in persuading them over to your line of thinking.

As a strength coach I find myself searching for various ways to persuade others over to my line of thinking all the time. The issues vary, but I always try to present them with the evidence and then allow them to make the choice for themselves. Individuals MUST own their decisions, which is sadly something that society is lacking this day and age to a large degree. Another example of this can be seen with me as a strength coach dealing with having to administer advice to some younger trainees about Training Intensity. I did a video on that very topic a couple months ago. Check out here.

Now was I convincing to you on the matter of training intensity? Maybe I was or maybe I wasn’t, but either way if this topic applies to your training situation you now know and understand the facts given to you from the perspective of a strength coach. Now whatever you choose to do based on your training intensity (whether it is too much or too little) you WILL own!

If you want additional perspective for your strength and conditioning program then make sure to get yourself a copy of my Brandon Richey’s Better Than Steroids ebook right here.

If you enjoyed today’s post and want to leave some of your perspective on the issue then drop me a line in the comment box below this article. Remember that most anyone can train hard, but only the best train smart my friend!