28/05/2026
You can open ChatGPT right now and generate:
A HYROX plan,
An ATHX plan,
A marathon plan…
Macros,
Strength sessions,
Recovery protocols,
Pretty much anything.
And honestly…
some of it is genuinely useful.
But I’ve coached enough people now to know that performance rarely breaks down because someone lacked information.
It usually breaks down because emotions slowly take over decision-making.
One bad session and suddenly the plan gets questioned.
One low-energy week and now we’re searching for a new approach.
One race doesn’t go perfectly and we convince ourselves everything needs to change.
Not because the structure stopped working.
Because discomfort creates uncertainty…
and uncertainty makes people reactive.
So they optimise.
Then optimise again.
Then optimise again.
But constant optimisation is often just a form of emotional panic.
And this is where human coaching still matters massively.
Not because coaches magically possess secret information.
But because emotionally involved people struggle to see themselves objectively.
A good coach helps you zoom out when your emotions zoom in.
They stop you making drastic decisions after one bad run split.
They recognise when you’re catastrophising normal fatigue.
They help you separate:
actual problems
from emotional reactions.
That’s why real coaching has very little to do with “perfect programming”.
Programming matters, obviously.
But long-term progress usually comes from:
stability,
perspective,
self-awareness,
emotional regulation,
and consistency over time.
Not endlessly searching for a perfect plan.
I think AI will become an incredible tool in coaching.
I already use it myself.
But tools still need leadership behind them.
Because performance is never just physical.
It’s behavioural.
Psychological.
Emotional.
And most people don’t need someone to give them more information.
They need someone who helps them stay steady long enough to actually progress.
If this hit a little too close to home, that’s probably a good thing 🫡
