The bodybuilding coach is the person with advanced bodybuilding and staging knowledge that can help you on your way to success. A good trainer is not cheap, but it is worth the investment, especially if you are thinking of dedicating yourself to professional competition bodybuilding. The coach covers various areas of your bodybuilding career: training for hypertrophy, help building a symmetrical and balanced body, nutrition and supplementation, chemistry (in unnatural bodybuilding), reaching the point of competition, poses and more.
What does the bodybuilding coach do?
Bodybuilding physical coaches are usually professional bodybuilders (retired or active) who have dedicated many years of their lives to the world of competition. This has led them to acquire a great deal of knowledge. In addition, the coaches have a great passion for bodybuilding and a vocation for helping athletes to give their best on stage. Examples of two good Spanish preparers are Fede and Fran Espín .
If you have just started in the world of bodybuilding competition or are considering competing for the first time, surely you have many doubts. It is very rare for a professional bodybuilder to work alone without the help of a trainer. Normally, we do not have an objective point of view about our physique and our progress. You may not know how to achieve competition muscle definition , if you are gaining your muscles symmetrically or how to pose on stage. Here your bodybuilding coach will help you. He will become a friend and an ally. He will be the person with an objective vision and capable of improving your failures and enhancing your strengths. The ultimate goal of the bodybuilding coach is to bring out your best version every time you take the competition stage. To make things perfect, the preparer will help you mainly in the following fields.
Training of a bodybuilding coach
The coach will make the first changes here, which will be very helpful. Trust us! The coach will look for a training to suit you. Perhaps you were overtraining without knowing it, or you are not prioritizing the muscles that are lagging behind. It is true that each bodybuilding coach has a training style. Some pros prefer to train basic and heavy, while others employ more intensity techniques like supersets. In any case, all coaches will be able to design a routine adapted to your characteristics for each stage of the preparation, be it bulking, definition or a strength block.
Keep in mind that coaches mentor athletes from many different categories of bodybuilding. Advising an "open" bodybuilder is not the same as a "Men's Physique". Simply, what is requested on a competition stage will be different in one case and in another. So, your training should enhance your physique so that you achieve exactly the "look" that the judges demand. The coach will design the training so that you improve your weak muscles, which will be given priority. It is difficult to do this by yourself when you do not have the experience.
Muscle bulking stage
How many calories exactly do I need to eat to grow? How to build good muscle volume without gaining excess fat? If you have asked yourself these questions and have not yet obtained satisfactory answers, perhaps it is time to hire bodybuilding coaches in the UK.
The bulking stage of a bodybuilder is complicated. If you don't eat enough, you won't pack on a good amount of lean mass to look great on stage. If you gain excess fat, then you will have to do a very expensive definition phase that could last five months, with the risk of losing a good part of the mass achieved.
Thanks to his knowledge, the bodybuilding coach will propose a healthy bulking diet, with the correct caloric excess and with all the aids so that you can follow it without problems for several months. In addition, your coach will design an adequate bulking training so that you take advantage of the calories in the diet and achieve the growth you are looking for.
Muscle definition stage
You will need a person to guide you to discover all the muscles that you hide under a layer of fat, especially if you want to compete. How to do a muscle definition stage without losing the muscle mass that has cost me so much to gain? The answer lies in a good bodybuilding coach.
Sometimes a bad muscle definition stage can ruin the hard work of a whole year. Don't risk cutting for a competition without the help of an expert! Your coach will control all the variables of the process:
- If you are tired or overtrained.
- If the caloric deficit is being too aggressive.
- Will cardiovascular exercise be necessary? How long to not lose muscle?
- Is it necessary to change the training?
- Can the athlete follow the diet or is it necessary to change it?
The trainer or coach is in charge of making a healthy, effective and bearable cutting diet for the athlete as far as possible. A too restrictive diet is of no use if the bodybuilder abandons the preparation halfway. Also the bodybuilder trainer will adapt the training for the cutting stage. Every professional is good when he gets his athlete to achieve the goal: to show off all his muscles without losing size in the process .
Set up for the stage
This is more than muscle definition. This is the most critical part of bodybuilding preparation and the main reason most athletes seek the help of a coach. One thing is to define the muscles and another is to reach the point that is required for a competition.
Many bodybuilders have learned to define their muscles by themselves thanks to their experience and all the knowledge that is available today on the internet. Bodybuilders have no problem with the muscle definition phase. However, they are not capable of reaching a competitive state, which requires something much more complicated.
Showing a state of competition means keeping body fat even below 7%, dehydrating the body and having skin stuck to muscle. One of the things judges consider the most is physical condition. This is going out on stage with an impressive level of dryness, showing that things have been done well.
Have you asked yourself any of the following questions?
- How do I get to 5 or 6% body fat to go out and compete?
- How many days in advance do you have to cut off the body's water?
- How many grams of carbohydrates should be eaten in the last days of the preparation?
- How to do a loading phase?
- How to make the skin stick to the muscle?
- What should I do to go on stage being hard and rocky?
So, hire a good bodybuilding physical trainer to help you with these issues so that you go to compete in the best condition.
Nutrition and supplementation
It is quite common for bodybuilding coaches to have nutrition knowledge. Let's be honest and clear here: bodybuilding diets (both definition and mass phase) are demanding, extreme and not necessarily the best option for the human body. Forcing yourself to eat a large amount of calories to bulk up or starve yourself to define muscles puts a lot of stress on the body. However, the world of competitive bodybuilding is like that. You have to make certain sacrifices to be the best or just have a chance. Now, the demands of the diet are not an excuse to completely neglect health. In fact, the best bodybuilding coach is the one who does things the way they should be done, minimizing the risks to the athlete's health as much as possible.
Relying on a coach with good nutritional knowledge is essential to have a long-lasting career. A good coach will organize a diet that is as varied and healthy as possible. In addition, he will detect the errors and the things that you are currently doing wrong with your diet. Perhaps you are taking supplements that are not necessary at all. Or you may be depriving yourself of essential nutrients that can make a difference in your training. Always look for a bodybuilding coach with knowledge of nutrition and supplementation for athletes.
Chemistry in bodybuilding
Unless you are looking for a natural bodybuilding coach, know that most professional competitions require the use of drugs if they are to stand a chance. This is, unfortunately, the darkest and most questionable part of bodybuilding.
If your dream is to go far in federations like the IFBB, you will have to make certain sacrifices. As with nutrition, pharmacology or chemistry should be advised by a professional who always puts the bodybuilder's health first. Your bodybuilding trainer should always supervise you through regular medical checkups You should go to a sports doctor to do tests to see how your hormonal profile and the health of your organs are. Never hire a preparer who does not do some preliminary tests before starting any drug.
This is the most delicate part of a bodybuilding preparation. Your coach must have knowledge of chemistry if he advises athletes who compete in federations where the use of drugs is allowed. The trainer has to know each substance: testosterone, growth hormone, clenbuterol... He has to know what each substance is used for. There are anabolic steroids for muscle growth and diuretics for definition or tuning.
We always recommend you to prepare for natural bodybuilding if you like this world, but it is true that the show is (unfortunately) in bodybuilding with drugs, and that the dream of many athletes is to stand out in that show.
Posing
More and more athletes conscientiously demand a coach with knowledge of "posing". This is a beautiful part of the show and quite a challenge. Knowing how to pose is an art that can mark the result on stage. Bodybuilding poses are exhausting, and learning to do them well takes time, discipline, and a lot of patience. It is useless to have achieved a great physique if later you are not able to show what you have . That's what the posing expert coach is for.
The most common poses in bodybuilding:
- Quarter turn.
- Front double biceps.
- Front lat spread.
- Side chest.
- Back double biceps.
- Back lat spread.
- Side triceps.
- Abs and thighs.
- More muscular.
- Abdominal vacuum.
- Moon pose.
There are also the athlete's choreographies and free poses. It is best for your trainer to work with you in person until you master all the poses. Posing is like exercising. This activity is very tiring.
Motivation
It is the last provision of the bodybuilding coach and no less important. The professional, above all, must be passionate about motivating his athletes. The coach has to point out the positive things of a competition, even when the result has not been as expected or the athlete is not able to see his achievements. In bodybuilding, there are many variables that are out of our control and do not depend on us. A bad result does not always mean that the bodybuilder or coach has done the wrong thing.
You have to know how to push yourself without falling into obsession, especially in a competitive world like bodybuilding, where other athletes are also going to give their all. The bodybuilding coach can provide you with enough motivation to keep going when things have not turned out as expected. Bodybuilding trainers should be friends with their athletes. You and your coach are a team.
Frequently asked questions about bodybuilding coaches
We answer some of the most common questions bodybuilders have about coaches.
How much does a bodybuilding coach cost?
The price largely depends on the coach's reputation, years of experience, the services you hire, and the number of athletes he is advising at the same time. Keep in mind that a coach with a high reputation will be in high demand and will not be able to serve all applicants. In this case, the bodybuilding coach will be more selective with his athletes and, therefore, more expensive. In addition, you have to take into account if the service is going to be only online or if there will be a face-to-face follow-up. An online bodybuilding coach will be cheaper.
To give you an idea of the prices, we will use the example of Francisco Espín, one of the best bodybuilding coaches in Spain . Fran Espín charges around €550 per quarter for a service that includes the nutritional plan, the supplementation plan, personalized training, weekly reviews and 24-hour resolution of doubts. The normal thing is that a reputable bodybuilding trainer delegates his services to a work team, since he could not serve all the clients he has on his own. However, the coach will supervise all the work of his team.
Fran Espín also offers an online advisory service for amateur bodybuilders (people without competitive purposes) for €350 quarterly. This service includes the personalized nutritional and supplementation plan, training, review every two weeks and resolution of doubts in 24/48 hours.
It is also normal for bodybuilding coaches to mentor some of the athletes themselves, especially if they are bodybuilding up-and-comers with the potential to stand out. The reason is simple: bringing good athletes to the stage boosts the coach's reputation and fame. One-on-one advice provided by a well-known coach can even cost €500 per month. Of course, this service is much more personal. The prices skyrocket even more if you want to hire a famous coach from the United States.
Broadly speaking, we can say that a good bodybuilding coach costs between €100 and €500 per month depending on the variables that we mentioned.
Can a coach of non-natural athletes advise natural bodybuilders?
Yes, totally. The difference between natural and unnatural bodybuilding is pharmacology. The trainer must take into account more variables in unnatural bodybuilders. These, thanks to the drugs, recover faster, can train longer, eat more and gain more strength. However, the basics of training, eating and supplementation are practically the same in natural and non-natural bodybuilding.
It is much more complicated to advise a bodybuilder who uses drugs. Therefore, do not fall into the mistake of thinking that a coach of drugged competitors cannot help a natural athlete. A drug bodybuilding coach is perfectly suited to mentoring a natural bodybuilder and bringing out the best in him on stage.
Can a natural bodybuilding coach advise athletes with drugs?
In this case, the natural bodybuilding coach should have a solid foundation of knowledge about drugs used in bodybuilding. If the coach does not know the substances, their functions and the protectors, it will be impossible for him to advise a bodybuilder who requires drugs.
What is the difference between a bodybuilder coach and a personal trainer?
Remember this: a bodybuilding coach is not the same as a personal trainer. The professions have similarities, but important differences. A personal trainer is simply responsible for improving the health and fitness of ordinary people. He programs functional and simple training, as well as healthy eating plans to keep the person agile and at a recommended body weight.
For his part, the coach for bodybuilders has the objective of taking a person to the competition. Although the coach must ensure the health of his athlete, the primary objective of the service will be to seek performance and a supernatural set-up on stage. The professional advises to achieve the maximum muscular development of the athlete in his category and the maximum loss of fat. In addition, it is common for the preparer to advise his client on drugs, which are harmful to health. In professional sports, performance and health do not go hand in hand. You don't hire a bodybuilding coach to improve your health, but to pursue a competitive goal.
Thus, while a personal trainer seeks to improve the health of his client, a bodybuilding coach seeks maximum performance and has a competition goal for his athlete.
Who are the best bodybuilding coaches in Spain?
There are several household names that have brought good bodybuilders to the stage. Let's see some.
• Fran Espín : Who has not heard of Fran Espin in bodybuilding ? This professional has more than 15 years of experience in the preparation of bodybuilders (men and women) of all categories. Espín advises amateur and professional athletes. He has had athletes like Ángel Calderón, Maldeman, Jorge Tabet and Kim Angel. Fran has his own website for him, where you can see and hire his services.
• Fede Guevara: Fede is a bodybuilding trainer for athletes like Joan Pradells and Jordi Benlliure. Fede has been training as a bodybuilder for more than 10 years. In addition, his coach was Fran Espín. Currently, Fede competes in the Classic Physique category.
• Jose Antonio García Ruiz : More than 20 years of experience in bodybuilding and a passion like few others endorse this trainer from Murcia. Ruiz has been the first coach of Josema "Beast", a young Spanish promise in "Open" bodybuilding.
Where to find a bodybuilding coach in Madrid?
Some recommended bodybuilding trainers are the following:
• Sergio Dufort : Sergio is a veteran bodybuilder who started training at a very young age. He claims that bodybuilding helped him get off the streets and abandon a life of crime. Today, Dufort is a good coach with knowledge gained from experience. He is the coach of the "influencer" Andrés Suita.
• Rodrigo Bermejo : He is a bodybuilding champion from Madrid with more than 10 years of experience in training and consulting. Rodrigo likes old school bodybuilding. He has a true passion for the discipline of bodybuilding and is currently gaining more popularity and recognition thanks to a YouTube channel where he shares his knowledge.
• Mintxo Lasaosa : He is a teacher with various sports and nutrition studies, bodybuilding coach and competitor bodybuilder. Here you can see a sample of how he works, where Mintxo advises Juanjo Martín from the company "Método en forma" to achieve his bulking and muscle definition goals for several months.
How to hire a bodybuilding coach in Barcelona?
The best option for a bodybuilding coach in Barcelona is:
• Paco Bautista : The biggest bodybuilder ever in Spain. Paco Bautista has been the only Spaniard to reach the "Open" class of the "Mr. Olympia". He has competed with between 120 and 130 kg of defined muscle. Paco has his own gym, Sandow, in Barcelona. He is one of the most experienced and knowledgeable people in Spain. He does consulting where he helps bodybuilders get on stage and helps them pose.
• Juan Marco Herrero : This veteran bodybuilder was the mentor of Paco Bautista and the person who accompanied Paco towards success in international bodybuilding. Juan Marco, however, is known for his rigorous discipline and the harshness of his training. He has decades of competitive bodybuilding experience.
Is there any natural bodybuilding coach in Seville?
In Seville, you could consider:
• Raúl Carrasco : He has been an IFBB PRO bodybuilder. Raúl Carrasco lived a tough youth and bodybuilding saved him from going down a bad path. What he is most passionate about bodybuilding is the study and science behind training, nutrition and supplementation. Raúl has dedicated a good part of his career to sports science. Today he is already retired from the competition, but he continues to work as an excellent coach. He is the trainer of the young bodybuilder Josema "Beast".
• Carlos Javier Mejías Tinoco : This bodybuilding trainer is one of the people with the most experience in training, nutrition, supplementation and pharmacology in Spain. Carlos Javier Mejías is very knowledgeable in the use of performance enhancing drugs (non-natural bodybuilding), although he is also able to prepare natural athletes without problems. He is the coach of fitness "influencers" like Gymsroka (Alex Sroka), whom he advises on unnatural bodybuilding.
Bodybuilding coaches in Valencia
The best bodybuilding trainers in Valencia are Fran Espín and Fede Guevara .
Another online bodybuilding coach
• Marcos Chacón : This bodybuilder is from Granada and has competed since 1987. He has been one of the most important heavyweight bodybuilders in Spain. Marcos Chacón is an IFBB PRO and bodybuilding trainer.
• "El Nota" : This coach has recently become known on social media. He is known as "Luisja" or "El Nota". He is a professor at the National School of Strength and Physical Conditioning, a dietitian, chiropractor, bodybuilding trainer, and a national bodybuilding and fitness judge. In addition, this coach has specialized in "posing", which is in high demand. He has trained fitness "influencers" like Asier "Pico de Oro".
• Roberto Amorosi : Roberto is a powerhouse of 1.88 m and 110 kg. He claims to be a natural bodybuilder. Roberto Amorosi is the founder of the School of Natural Bodybuilding and offers some good free content on his YouTube channel. Roberto has prepared athletes like Adrián Airlines.
So, is it worth it to hire a bodybuilding coach? If you are thinking of competing seriously, having a coach will be almost an obligation. Here we have resolved your doubts about how this professional works, as well as other issues such as how much bodybuilding coaches charge or how much Fran Espin charges. We have also cited different preparers from Spain. With all this useful information, choose how you will follow your path in bodybuilding.
