I have a bone to pick with doctors.

Don't get me wrong. There are many awesome doctors out there. I have a handful of orthopedic doctors and physical therapists to whom I refer my clients when the pain or injury they're experiencing is outside my scope.

My goal is to help the vast majority of my clients avoid pain and injury in the first place by coaching them through a smart, safe and intentional training program. But despite our best intentions, some of us get injured and end up in the orthopedist's office.

If that's you, let me know if this sounds familiar.

THE CONVERSATION YOU'VE PROBABLY HAD

Doctor: "So what brings you here today?"

You: "Well, I threw my back out the other day and it doesn't seem to be getting any better."

Doctor: "How'd you do that?"

You: "I was at the gym, doing great, feeling amazing. Until I felt something pop on the very last rep."

Doctor: "What exercise were you doing?"

You: "Deadlifts. They're my favorite."

Doctor: "How much weight were you lifting?"

You: "Oh, nothing crazy. Like 185 for sets of 5."

Doctor: "You were picking up 185 pounds five times?! Well, that's our answer. No more deadlifts. Here's a prescription for an anti-inflammatory that will help you feel better in a couple of days."

Have you ever experienced this?

WHY THIS HAPPENS

There's so much wrong with it, on so many levels. But I'm not about to bad-mouth this doctor or any other. They've sworn to do no harm, and they're doing the job they were trained to do.

The doctor's job is to get you out of pain. They have no regard for the fact that you want and need to do deadlifts because you enjoy them and they make you strong.

A coach is not trained or qualified to diagnose illness or injury, or prescribe pain management.

At the same time, a doctor is not trained or qualified to teach you how to do all the activities you love and to do them safely and without pain.

That's where coaches come in.

WHAT A COACH ACTUALLY ASKS

A coach wouldn't just ask about the thing that happened right before the injury. He or she might ask you to place your feet comfortably under your hips, bend forward and reach down. If you can't get your fingertips to the floor without discomfort, we know to elevate your deadlift setup.

A coach would also ask about all the things that happened leading up to your workout. If you only slept 4 hours last night, spent two hours in a car commuting, sat at a desk for 10 hours, and had fast food for lunch because you didn't have time to find something healthy, it wasn't the deadlift that hurt your back.

It was the stress from all the other stuff.

Nothing that happens with your body, good or bad, happens in isolation. Coaches who are educated, dedicated and ask the right questions can become the future of healthcare by bridging the gap between fitness and medicine.

Doctors are amazing and necessary. But sometimes you need a coach to dig a little deeper.