Why I Don't Trash Other Coaches (and You Shouldn't Either)

I once watched two trainers at a big-box gym in Omaha get into a heated argument in the middle of the weight floor. One was convinced heavy barbell squats were the only path to real strength. The other swore by kettlebells and called barbell training "outdated." They stood there, arms crossed, raising their voices while a new member stood ten feet away, looking confused and a little scared. That member left and never came back. That's the day I decided I would never trash another coach, no matter how much I disagreed with their methods. And I don't think you should either.

This isn't a post about being nice for the sake of being nice. It's about something more practical: the fitness industry is drowning in noise, and you deserve better. When coaches attack each other, the only people who lose are the ones just trying to figure out how to move without pain or shame. I'm Corey Nelson, and this is my quiet stand against the toxicity.

Why the Fitness Industry Loves a Fight

Fitness content runs on outrage. A trainer posts a video saying "never do this exercise," another trainer responds with "he's wrong," and suddenly everyone has an opinion. Algorithms love it because conflict drives engagement. But engagement doesn't equal truth, and it definitely doesn't equal help.

I've seen coaches build entire careers by tearing down other coaches. They call out "bad form" in other people's videos, mock different training styles, and position themselves as the only source of real information. It's exhausting. And it creates a culture where newcomers feel like they have to pick a side before they've even picked up a dumbbell.

The problem is that most of these arguments are not about what's true. They're about identity. One coach says "compound lifts are king," another says "functional training is the future," and both of them are right for different people. But in the middle of the argument, that nuance disappears.

What 12 Years in a Big-Box Gym Taught Me

I spent 12 years working the floor of a regional gym chain before I went out on my own. I worked alongside trainers who were brilliant and trainers who were still learning. I watched some coaches get results with methods I would never use. I also watched some coaches fail with methods that looked perfect on paper.

Here's what I learned: there is no single right way to help people get stronger. A barbell squat works. A kettlebell goblet squat works. A bodyweight sit-to-stand works. The best exercise is the one a person will actually do consistently with good enough form. Everything else is commentary.

One of my former colleagues, a guy named Derek, was a huge believer in high-intensity interval training. He'd have clients doing sprints and burpees and all sorts of things I thought were too much for beginners. But you know what? His clients loved it. They showed up, they worked hard, and they got results. I didn't agree with his approach for every client, but I never once thought he was a bad coach. He was just a different coach. And that's okay.

Three Reasons I Won't Trash Other Coaches

1. Every Client Is Different

A coach who specializes in powerlifting might not be the right fit for a 45-year-old parent with a cranky shoulder. But that doesn't make the powerlifting coach wrong. It makes them wrong for that particular person. When I trash another coach's method, I'm ignoring the fact that their method might be perfect for someone who isn't my client.

2. Most Coaches Genuinely Want to Help

I've met very few trainers who got into this business to make people miserable. The vast majority are trying to help, even if their methods look different from mine. When I assume good intent, I can learn from them instead of fighting them. Some of the best ideas in my own coaching came from watching other trainers do things I initially thought were weird.

3. Trash-Talking Doesn't Help My Readers

When a coach attacks another coach, the reader doesn't learn anything useful. They learn that fitness is a battlefield and they need to pick a side. That's not helpful. What's helpful is honest, specific information: here's a movement pattern, here's why it matters, here's how to do it safely. If I can't say something useful, I try not to say anything at all.

You Can Disagree Without Attacking

I'm not saying you have to agree with every fitness opinion out there. I disagree with plenty of things I see online. But there's a difference between disagreement and dismissal.

Disagreement sounds like this: "I don't use that exercise with my clients because I've found a gentler variation works better for beginners."

Dismissal sounds like this: "Anyone who does that exercise is an idiot and they're going to get hurt."

One of those statements respects the reader's intelligence. The other one just makes the speaker feel important.

When I see a program or a method I don't agree with, I try to ask myself three questions:

• Is this actually dangerous, or just different?

• Who might benefit from this approach?

• What can I learn from it?

More often than not, the answer is "not dangerous," "someone who isn't me," and "something about how to explain my own position more clearly."

A Story About Choosing Wisely

I had a client named Priya a few years ago. She came to me completely confused because she'd spent six months watching fitness influencers argue online. One said to avoid carbs. Another said carbs were essential. One said to lift heavy weights. Another said to do Pilates. She was paralyzed. She told me she was afraid to eat a banana because some influencer had called fruit "sugar bombs."

We had to undo that noise before we could even start training. I told her to stop watching the arguments and start paying attention to how her own body responded. We did simple things: protein at breakfast, a walk after dinner, two strength sessions a week. Within a few months, she felt better than she had in years. Not because I had the "right" answer, but because she stopped outsourcing her judgment to people who were too busy fighting to actually help.

That's the cost of trash talk. It turns your attention away from your own needs and toward someone else's drama.

Show Up. Sweat a Little. Come Back.

I don't trash other coaches because I remember what it felt like to be a new trainer, trying to figure things out. I remember the members who left the gym because two guys couldn't stop arguing. I remember that fitness is supposed to make life better, not louder.

If you're new here, here's my promise: I will never tell you that another coach is garbage. I will never make you feel like you have to choose a team. I will just give you the best information I have, explain why I think it works, and let you decide for yourself.

That's it. That's the whole post. Now go move a little.