Today, we take a glimpse into the extraordinary mind of one of the leaders in the gym industry. One strong personality whose mere presence in the past used to intimidate me out of my wits when I just got started in Powerlifting. This was of course before I got to know him as a visionary, the strong leader and anchor that keeps the whole ship grounded that he is. Someone you’d follow into Mordor and back – Managing Director for Kinetix+, Top Dog of Iron Quest Powerlifting, Coach Marlon Lugue.
With nearly two decades of experience in the field, Coach Marlon’s journey has been a triumphant one, developing a growth mindset filled with valuable lessons of strong will, tenacity, and insights that apply to all who seek to trudge the road to success.
Here he reflects on his journey, acknowledging that he has come a long way, and yet it makes him feel like he just got started. Within those years, he’s learned from his past mistakes, constantly evolving and improving day in and day out. With us in this exclusive writeup, he shares some essential points he’s gathered along the way, offering a roadmap he’s picked up from his tenure in the fitness industry, and real-life field lessons that go far and beyond it.
Whether you’re a seasoned professional or aspiring to the ever so elusive, always demanding tangible metrics of success, Coach Marlon’s words are sure to jump out and strike at you. Let’s dive into the invaluable insights he’s gained during his career.
Without further ado, here is one of the Philippine’s Don Corleone’s of strength musings and pointers on the path to excellence.
1. The free stuff you do in the early stages of your career goes back to you tenfold later on. Know your limitations though.
2. Be technical first and foremost. We are in a scientific field so it only necessitates that the amount of scientific stuff you know dictates your value and how effective you are in producing desired outcomes.
3. Accept that sales is a part of our job. Just like any other profession, you must be able to resonate with the end user. People have this idea that selling (the kiss-ass kind) devalues you. In reality, you cannot be the best coach if you only train a handful of clients. Establish your own selling style without being manipulative or being an outright scam. Leverage the technical, retain your soft skills and grow by effectively combining both.
4. Stay in your lane but be ready to pivot. Fitness and S&C coaches often need to acquire sufficient knowledge and skills to make a successful transition to avoid crossing over to an entirely different field. They end up producing half-baked products that leave a bitter taste in the mouth. Prototype, experiment, and study further. There is no rush.
5. Time is your ally. Do not be fooled, it takes time to be an overnight success. Refine, master and then do it all over again. If you can’t wait, you can’t win.
6. Build relationships but don’t rely on them to sustain your business. Be a professional. The moment your client steps foot in the gym the client/customer relationship supercedes everything. You are paid to produce an outcome and deliver.
7. Pick the brains of your successful clients. Learn from them. I often see coaches overstep their boundaries by acting like “life” coaches. Knowing it all forgetting the fact that you are working for some of the most successful people in the country. We have but a basic idea of what it takes to be successful in life. The mere fact that you are working for someone validates that fact.
8. Have a mentor who shares the same values with you. Mentors can come from different fields or backgrounds. What you want from them is wisdom. Knowledge you can get from books or other materials. Wisdom you can only get from people who lived the life. For all you know, you are getting more out of your clients than they are getting out of you. Keep your eyes and ears open.
9. Years of experience is a deceiving credential. You may be doing the same thing for more than a decade but still be mediocre. Recognize patterns and trends. Trust in them. Experience is only a valid credential if there is growth and progress.
10. Lastly, don’t believe everything that you read. Including this litany of do’s and don’ts. Learn to adapt things. We are all different. There are many ways to skin a cat. If you are able to maintain progress, growth, and integrity during your journey then you are on the right path. Otherwise, there is something wrong and you need to change.
