Episode Details

This Week in Coaching: What Went Wrong (That Didn’t Have To)

This episode is a bit different.

I’m pulling straight from my week, because what shows up in coaching isn’t random—it’s patterns. And most of the time I’m sitting there thinking…

👉 this didn’t need to happen.

Three situations stood out this week. Different on the surface, but all pointing to the same thing: a gap between what people are doing and what their body actually needs.

⚠️ The Machine That Keeps Hurting People

Let’s start in the gym.

The rotary torso machine—the one where you sit down, lock yourself in, and twist side to side with resistance.

It looks targeted. It feels effective.

👉 That’s exactly why it’s misleading.

Your spine is not designed to repeatedly twist under load. Your upper back can rotate, but your lower back is built for stability. Its job is to transfer force, not generate it through rotation.

And the SI joint? It barely moves at all.

So when you’re locked into a machine and forced to rotate, you’re pushing movement into areas that are supposed to resist it.

That caught up with one of my clients this week. She trains consistently, does everything right—but added this into a run of hard sessions.

👉 Result: irritated SI joint and a miserable few days.

Not just the machine—but very likely the tipping point.

What I hear all the time is, “but it helps with golf.”

No, it doesn’t.

A golf swing is a coordinated, full-body movement. This machine removes that coordination entirely. It isolates something that shouldn’t be isolated.

And then there’s the real reason most people are on it…

👉 they want to lose fat around their waist.

That’s not how fat loss works.

You can’t target it. And ironically, overloading the obliques can actually make the waist look thicker.

So you’ve got a movement that doesn’t match the body, doesn’t match sport, doesn’t achieve the goal—and quietly increases injury risk.

🍩 When “Free Food” Works Against You

The second situation is completely different—but just as frustrating.

A client working in an environment where food is constantly available. Breakfast, lunch, snacks, drinks—everything is provided.

Sounds like a perk.

But when you look closer…

👉 it’s a setup.

This client is trying. They’re training, engaged, sending me photos of what they think are solid choices.

And I can see the effort.

But the options?

“Healthy” snacks loaded with sugar. Nuts coated in maple. Jerky with sugar as a main ingredient. Meals that sound clean but aren’t doing what they think.

So now you’ve got someone doing the work…

👉 but stuck in an environment pulling them backwards.

And then comes the question:

“Why would I bring my own food when it’s all here for free?”

And I get that.

But at some point, you have to call it what it is.

👉 It’s not free if it’s costing you your progress.

🚨 The Conversation That Should Have Happened Years Ago

The third situation is the one that really stayed with me.

A client who’s been in and out of hospital repeatedly with severe digestive issues. Ongoing pain, disruption, and now surgery being discussed.

We were talking after a call, and she casually mentioned:

👉 “It got worse after my gallbladder was removed.”

And that stopped me.

Because no one had explained what that actually means.

The gallbladder stores bile. Bile helps digest fat. When it’s removed, that system changes completely—there’s no storage, no controlled release.

Now layer a higher fat diet on top of that…

👉 and you’ve got a problem.

And yet, she was eating exactly that—higher fat meals, foods that would be completely normal with a gallbladder.

No one had told her otherwise.

So now you’ve got repeated