1) Coaching one's parents in exercise is inherently difficult as it inverts the typical parent-child power dynamic where parents are the authority figures. 2) Most coaches and experienced athletes who have tried to coach their parents have failed, as it is hard for parents to accept instruction or orders from their children. 3) The article seeks to understand how some people have succeeded in coaching their parents by exploring what different mindsets may be required of both the parent being coached and the child doing the coaching.

1. Coaching mom and dad: is it possible?
November2015
A few days ago I read a story about someone coaching their mother in powerlifting. And by
powerlifting,here,Imean it lato sensu: including the basic movements of squatting, pushing
and pulling in an exercise program is powerlifting for the purpose of this discussion.
So I decidedtoaskaround and check who succeeded in this very hard task. Most coaches and
even experienced athletes that tried it failed. It is an inherently hard task, since it implies in
inverting the power relation. Mom wiped your ass and Dad helped you with your math
homework. You are still a child to them even when you are old enough to be a parent. It is
hard for them to accept instructions (orders) from their children, since in the great order of
things, they are the ones giving you orders.
How dosome people succeed?Isthere adifferentmindsetrequiredfromthe parent-coachee-
athlete? A different mindset from the son-daughter-coach?
Let us hear what some people who managed to coach their parents have to say.
PLW - Are you a professionalcoach?Have youcoachedolderclients/athletesbefore you
coachedyour parent?
PLW - Whichparentdidyou/ are you coaching?
PLW - How andwho hadthe ideaof startingthistrainingprogram?Whose initiative wasit?
PLW - How doesyourparent deal withyourinstructionstothe exercises,especiallywhenyou
needtocorrect something?
PLW - Didyou everhave tohandle a rebelliousattitude atsome exerciseoractivityyou
thoughtwasimportant?How didyoumanage thissituation?
PLW - What advice doyou have forpeople whowishtocoach theirparents?