Inside The OPEX Method Mentorship: A Coach’s POV with Dr David Skolnik
This blog will document the 10 week experience of Dr David Skolnik as he goes through the OPEX Method Mentorship. Follow along as we add to this blog each week.
Week 1: Strong Coach- Client Relationships
What makes clients stay for years, not months? In week one of the OPEX Method Mentorship, the focus was clear: build a strong coach-client relationship first, then layer on training. It was a week of big ideas paired with practical tools, and the impact showed up fast. Here are the key lessons, the questions worth asking, and how they translate into better programs and longer retention.
Why the OPEX Method Mentorship stood out
This education hits both sides of the coach’s life. It sharpens how you think about people and it improves how you run your business. The first week set the tone by addressing what keeps clients engaged for the long haul, not just what makes a workout hard.
If you want to see the full scope of the curriculum, explore the OPEX Method Mentorship (CCP Level 1). It is geared toward coaches who want clarity, better systems, and staying power.
Week 1 focus: foundations of the coach-client relationship
The opening week centered on principles that guide human behavior and how they show up in fitness. It took concepts that seem broad and turned them into client-ready tools.
Core values drive decisions
Core values are the filter for decision-making. When a client is choosing between going all-in on training or skipping sessions, their values often explain the choice. A value like “being healthy” or “being reliable for my family” changes how training feels and how it gets prioritized. If you do not know these values, you are guessing as a coach.
When a client’s values are clear, you can match training to what they care about most. That leads to plans they actually follow.
Pleasure and pain motivate behavior
Most choices are tied to either chasing something that feels good or avoiding something that feels bad. In fitness, that often means emotional outcomes more than physical ones.
Pleasure: feeling proud, capable, fulfilled, connected
Pain: anxiety, fear of failing, uncertainty, feeling left out
Coaching improves when you identify both sides. If a client lights up when training helps them join friends on hikes, that pleasure is a lever you can use. If they fear saying no to a bike ride because they cannot keep up, that pain points directly to a training target. Better programs come from understanding both.
Turn big ideas into better questions
Principles only help if they change how you gather information. Week one translated the big concepts into prompts that belong in intake forms and consultations. The goal is simple: learn enough about the person to write the right plan from the start.
Use weekly and monthly touchpoints to track change.
Ask questions that reveal values, motivations, and constraints.
Go beyond surface-level goals to the feelings and outcomes clients want.
Knowing what matters most, and why, makes your programming more accurate and your coaching more human.
Consultations are the linchpin
A key message from week one: regular consultations, often monthly, are one of the best tools coaches have. They support retention, reduce turnover, and improve results. They also deepen trust, which makes coaching more effective and far more rewarding.
Here is what a consistent consult rhythm does well:
Builds a real relationship, not just a training schedule
Reduces client churn and the stress of always prospecting
Helps you adjust training before issues become problems
Creates a clear path for long-term progress
When clients feel heard, they stick around. When you understand them, you coach better.
Example: training for life outside the gym
A recent consult brought this to life. A client shared that she values being healthy, and she feels most alive when exercising outdoors with friends. Hikes and bike rides are her happy place. The gym is great, but its purpose is to make those days outside more frequent and more fun.
If you write her plan without knowing that, you might nail the sets and reps yet miss the point. Knowing she wants to say yes to a last-minute hike changes your choices. You might focus on aerobic base, hill strength, and repeatable effort, mixed with enough strength work to keep her durable. That approach does more than build fitness, it protects what she loves.
The flip side is also useful. A painful outcome for her would be turning down a hike because she cannot keep up. That pain gives the program urgency and focus. You can solve that problem with intelligent design.
Build better intake forms and check-ins
The week pushed coaches to upgrade their questions. The aim is not to make forms longer, it is to make them smarter. Each question should help you write a better plan or make a better decision.
Try prompts like these when gathering info:
What are your top three values right now, and how does training support them?
When you hit your goal, what will feel different in your daily life?
Who will notice or celebrate your progress with you?
What fears or frustrations show up around your fitness?
What would a bad outcome look like in six months if we do nothing different?
What outside-the-gym activities do you want your training to support?
Those questions connect training to real life. They guide session design, recovery choices, and how you progress skills. They also build buy-in, since clients can see how the plan serves what they care about.
Weekly and monthly cadence
Two layers help keep the relationship strong:
Weekly check-in: quick, tactical updates. Energy, stress, schedule changes, wins, and blockers.
Monthly consult: deeper conversation. Review goals, values, new priorities, and any shifts in motivation.
This rhythm gives you signal without noise. You stay close to the person, not just their data.
Early wins after one week
Even in a short time, the approach pays off. Three changes stand out:
Better conversations: Coaching feels more collaborative because the questions invite honest answers.
Stronger programs: Plans reflect values, not just gym metrics, and clients notice that.
More stability: Long-term relationships grow when clients feel known, so business pressure eases.
It is also energizing as a coach. Confidence grows when you can see how your process supports both performance and a fuller life outside the gym.
Practical prompts coaches can use today
Use these prompts in your next consult or intake. They come straight from the week one themes and help you move beyond surface goals.
What part of your life do you want training to enhance the most?
What do you never want to say no to again because of fitness limitations?
When you imagine success, what emotions show up first?
What past programs worked for you, and why did they work?
What would make you excited to train three months from now?
Who benefits when you feel strong, capable, and healthy?
For program alignment, add:
What weekly activities should your training prepare you for?
How much time can you commit, and what days are most realistic?
What recovery practices help you feel your best?
These prompts help you design training that fits real lives, not ideal schedules.
Applying the insights to programming
Translating values and motivations into sessions improves outcomes. Here is a simple path from conversation to plan:
Identify the value: Health, connection, adventure, confidence.
Define the outcome: Say yes to hikes, ride longer with friends, feel steady under stress.
Map the skills: Aerobic base, strength endurance, joint durability, repeatable pacing.
Program for the person: Choose progressions and supports that match time, stress, and interest.
Review monthly: Adjust based on changes in values, schedule, or motivation.
Example: if the client values connection and loves weekend rides, you might build aerobic intervals on the bike, add hill repeats for leg strength, and include mobility for hips and ankles. Strength work supports posture and durability. You check in weekly on how the rides feel and tune the plan monthly.
Resources for deeper coaching practice
If you want more structure and tools, start with the OPEX Method Mentorship (CCP Level 1). For templates and guides, explore the free coaching downloads from OPEX. If you want software designed for professional coaching workflows, try the CoachRx free resources and trial.
These resources pair well with a consultation-first approach. They support clear planning, better communication, and long-term client care.
What’s next
Week two builds on the foundation set in week one. Expect more structure, more tools, and more ways to turn conversations into action. The aim is simple, write programs that fit the person and support the life they want, then keep refining through regular consults.
Conclusion
Strong coaching starts with understanding people, not just prescribing training. The first week of the OPEX Method Mentorship reinforced that core values, pleasure and pain, and monthly consultations are the backbone of lasting client relationships. Use better questions, set a consistent consult rhythm, and design training that makes life outside the gym better. Want to sharpen your process even more? Explore the mentorship, pull a few free tools, and try these prompts with your next client.
Next Steps
Become A Professional Coach.
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