Matt Jansen explains why his goal with coaching in bodybuilding was never to be called a guru.
In bodybuilding there is a term for certain high profile coaches. That term is guru and is often thrown around a lot. Sometimes, to some people, it’s used to liberally to describe all bodybuilding coaches. Matt Jansen is a bodybuilding coach who prefers to avoid using the term guru. In our latest GI Exclusive interview, Matt Jansen explains why he doesn’t want to be called a guru and what his methods are for success in coaching.
Matt Jansen is a bodybuilding coach that wants you to know he has no problem with people using the term guru. But he also would prefer to not call himself a guru personally. The reason? He understands the passion that goes into the sport – and why many would use the term guru to coaches they admire. But for Jansen, coaching is a life long endeavor of learning. He’s a student himself and would never want to consider himself a “master” of sorts.
Of course, many people would consider Matt Jansen a master. He’s a successful bodybuilding coach in the industry and one that many athletes trust. A huge part of that is the relationships that Jansen forms with his clients.
Matt Jansen doesn’t consider coaching in bodybuilding as just a job. He understands that success as a coach means more than just knowing the right training routines and diet plans. It’s also about forging a connection with the athlete. The closer and deeper you know a client, the more you can gain insight into their mindset and how their body works. It builds a strong bond and trust that allows for more candid conversation. That can lead to better results.
Watch our latest GI Exclusive segment with Matt Jansen above!
When Matt Jansen is called a guru – he tends to avoid the term. That’s because he thinks it has a “know it all” feeling behind it. Jansen believes that he is constantly learning as a coach. He learns from the different athletes he works with. He learns from the new concepts and knowledge he studies year after year. Like the old saying goes – a true master is a life long student.
The number one goal for a coach, Matt Jansen believes, is effective communication. It’s key towards ensuring that both coach and athlete are on the same page and work towards success. A coach cannot be successful without an athlete. And an athlete might owe a lot of success to their coach’s insights. Jansen points out that effective communication is key in any relationship. So why would that not be true for coaches and their athletes?
“I think that every coach is given their opportunity by somebody.” Matt Jansen states in our interview. What he means by that is – a coach isn’t simply great by design. They are great due to the athletes that put their trust in a coach. Jansen feels grateful that he was able to start coaching with some truly genetically gifted athletes. Those athletes eventually went pro. That helped him build a bigger roster of athletes.
Of course, Matt Jansen will stand behind his passion and knowledge as a coach. But he also is humble in understanding that his success is not simply because he’s a master or a guru. It’s because of the relationships he forged with athletes. How they trusted him. How he trusted them. And that helped lead to his success.
You can watch Matt Jansen talk more about his beginnings as a coach and his tactics in our latest GI Exclusive interview segment above!
