Training coach Don Salidino explains how responsibility lies 50/50 with a bodybuilder client’s health.
In the bodybuilding world, a guru, coach, or trainer is vastly instrumental to the daily routine of a bodybuilder. They offer detailed instructions on how to train, how to eat, and what supplements to take. In cases, they may also suggest performance enhancing drug protocols to take as well. If a bodybuilder is injured or suffers damage to their health under a coach’s instruction – does that make the coach or trainer responsible? In our latest GI Exclusive interview, Don Saladino explains how there’s a 50/50 split on when a coach should be held to task for an athlete’s health.
We’ve interviewed a wide variety of athletes, coaches, and gurus throughout the years. When discussing the topic of a coach’s responsibility to their athlete – we’ve heard a mixed bag of reactions. Some thing that a guru or coach is fully responsible for the health of their client. Others think that the client has a mind of their own and should know their own limits. Clients should always question the advice of a coach especially when it comes to the shadier area of PEDs.
So what does training coach Don Saladino think? Saladino stays completely away from the PED world and refuses to learn or recommend any illegal substances to his clients. But he does still understand the care that a trainer must have when working with their client. So is a coach responsible for the health of their client? Don Saladino think’s it’s a 50/50 crapshoot. Sometimes it’s the coach’s fault. Sometimes it’s the athlete’s fault. It all depends on the situation.
Don Saladino goes on to explain a scenario where a training coach would need to take responsibility for their client. If a bodybuilder is showing obvious signs of strain doing a routine that the coach designed – it’s the coach’s job to notice, ask questions, and adjust the routine accordingly.
On the other hand, sometimes an athlete will get injured by a freak accident or random chance. If a bodybuilder is showing no signs of strain but suddenly hears a pop during a workout, there’s no way that the coach could have seen it coming. It wasn’t an issue with the coach’s recommendations. It was a freak accident or an underlying issue that wasn’t seen on the surface.
At the end of the day there is a certain randomness to life that none of us can control. There is no sweeping answer as to who is to blame when painting the discussion with a wide brush. Each case is different.
You can watch Don Saladino’s full response in our latest GI Exclusive interview segment above!
