Accountability is critical to success in the bodybuilding sport. This trait can also be beneficial in other areas. You can use the same principles that made you a competitive bodybuilder to help you in other areas.

Among many other attributes, these include accountability, discipline, personal leadership, confidence (EQ), self-efficacy, self-esteem, self-confidence, focus, consistency, and mindset. These characteristics can help you improve your relationships, performance at school/work, finances, and other areas.

We will focus on accountability, closely linked to ownership and personal leadership.

COACHING EACH CLIENT INDIVIDUALLY

Each client is unique and different, so each coach must be able to adapt to their needs. Inspire athletes to achieve their goals; it takes patience, understanding, and empathy. The coach has the same responsibility, but they must also be balanced for athletes to succeed.

The accountability for the outcome falls equally on both the coach and the athlete, regardless of whether it is a win or loss. If an athlete loses, they should accept responsibility for their performance and not take the blame from coaches, judges, or other external sources. The coach must also be open to accepting their losses and taking responsibility for their athletes’ performance.

These are common ways to increase accountability and personal leadership for your bodybuilding clients.

Weekly check-ins

These check-ins should be used to ask open-ended questions (discovery questions).

Ensure the athlete can think for themselves and score their performance against the plan.

Habit tracking

Establish behavioral habits that the client can track, which will help them to be more aware of their daily activities.

Drink > 100 oz of water daily, walk at least 10,000 steps daily, eat every 2.5-3 hours, get 8-hour sleep per night, go to the gym five days a week, etc.

Progress Photos

Weekly progress photos can be a powerful tool to force athletes to evaluate themselves objectively, identify their weaknesses, and consider ways to improve.

Athletes will be likelier to stick with their plans if they do not have good progress photos before the competition date.

Body composition checks are done regularly

I.E., InBody, DEXA Scan, etc.

This strategy keeps both coach and athlete on the same page with precise, actionable results. It forces the coach and athlete to reassess their progress and adjust if they do not see improvement.

By leading by example, you can improve your effectiveness as a coach for bodybuilding and transformation prep coaches. You can take responsibility for the plan that isn’t working. If necessary, go back to the drawing board to reevaluate and adjust. It would be best if you didn’t assume that the client isn’t following the plan. You must take responsibility for your mistakes and communicate often and early to correct them.

These qualities of leadership, integrity, and ownership will make you a better coach. It will also inspire your athletes. Coaching your clients to be more self-aware can help them make better decisions and encourage self-evaluation.

WHAT ELSE DO YOU WANT TO CONSIDER?

Ask open-ended questions during check-ins to ask athletes if they were absent for a week. This will help them think about what went wrong. These are some common questions that can help you improve your accountability.

1. What has happened?

2. What is the reason for it?

3. What will you do to fix the problem?

4. What time will you begin?

5. How can you measure your performance?

Things become tangible when you keep score. Athletes make smarter decisions and more intelligent choices. They also increase their intensity, are more competitive, have greater accountability, and perform better. “What is measured gets done!”