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Online Coaching

The Beginning...
I started off by simply giving advice on my own experiences, giving out free templates to others as experimentation, and just enjoying the process of teaching and passing knowledge.
As I grew my name in the Malaysian powerlifting scene I would casually be approached by others and asked if I provide coaching services. Even colleagues from my corporate job would ask if I did as well!
At the time the answer was a simple no, and I didn’t think much of it.
However, I decided to give it a shot after some talks with the missus and Jerry, who also happens to be a friend and the face of the Breadwinners line🍞 (→ check them out
here
⁠
!)
Naturally, the missus and Jerry became my first “clients.”
This was then followed by the OG batch Amir, Anip, and Zuzu. Interestingly, these 5 are still under my coaching even after joining YEARS back (although some on-and-off🤭)
Eventually, the list kept growing and I’ve been spending my time not only coaching others, but learning as much as I can from their feedback and by keeping up with research from online sources (MASS by Eric Helms, Greg Nuckols, Michael Zourdos, and Eric Trexler is one of my favourites)
The rest is history. An ongoing one.

What’s in a name?

My coaching services never had a name until January 2019, which is a couple years after I started getting payed for doing this. I got the idea during my travels to New York, where the statue of Prometheus located in Rockefeller Center reminded me of the Tale of Sisyphus from way back in high school.
My mind somehow linked it to powerlifting, and I brought this up to Jerry who then helped me brainstorm the name. Ran it through back and fourth with the missus as well, and that’s how the name came to be.

What’s the Tale of Sisyphus? How does it link to powerlifting?

In Greek mythology there was a king named Sisyphus, who through his hubris and trickery of Zeus was punished to repeat an arduous task for eternity. The task - to roll a boulder to the top of a hill only to have it roll back down over and over again. The term sisyphean was then created to describe his predicament.
Our everyday, repetitive tasks such as making the bed, washing the dishes, doing the laundry, etc. can then all be described as sisyphean in nature. In existentialism the philosopher Albert Camus likens the punishment of Sisyphus to the meaningless of life itself. However, he also comments that Sisyphus must be happy. How!? How can Sisyphus be happy to repeat the same task for all eternity?
The answer to the question can be found amongst the devoted lifters. We will drag ourselves to the gym after a long day at work. We will work out until late and experience sluggishness at work. We will work our schedules around our lifting. We develop a need for caffeine and stimulants to get our workouts done. We will injure ourselves, and still find an excuse to keep going back. Family and friends [do they even lift?] will ask “Why do this?”
The pursuit of strength is never-ending, and our peers believe us to be “punishing” ourselves to chase our ideals. Over and over again we lift the iron. However, it is in this seemingly meaningless task of lifting that we find fulfilment. We find joy. We find happiness. Just as Sisyphus himself can be seen as happy with his punishment.
Thus the name Sisyphean Protocol was coined. Not to describe a program, but to describe the way in which we approach training and life. Consistent and resilient, with the intention to keep lifting for the long term. However, as we do not want anyone to twist their tongues pronouncing something seemingly pretentious, you can simply call it - The Protocol or S-phy (s’-fee’).

Okay I get it bro, enough with the mythology lesson. What are your rates?

Alright slow down tough guy, let’s run through this properly...
Who is this for?
This service are for individuals looking for customised programming - either for general strength or powerlifting.
What do you get?
Customised Programming
No templates. The programming given to you will be individualised to meet your goals.
Weekly Form Check & Feedback
Every Sunday you will receive feedback regarding your form and what can be done to improve. Any questions you may have will also be answered on this day.
Charges
Standard Rate: RM200/month
Student Rate: RM165/month
For initial registration a 2-month commitment and full payment is required. The reason for this is as a coach, we require some time to analyse your form and see how you respond to certain training variables (volume, frequency, intensity, etc.)
After the initial two months, payment is to be made monthly within the first two weeks of the new calendar month. Rates will be prorated if the coaching service does not fulfil a full month, e.g. training for a meet that is 10 weeks in length.
Looking JUST for programming?
We have special rates for those that want to do their own thing without a coach whispering in their ears, but still want a bit of direction.
Standard Rate: RM165/month
Student Rate: RM125/month

I’m interested, let’s do this!

Shoot me an email at
sisyphean.protocol@gmail.com,
⁠
or drop me a DM at
@sphy_protocol
⁠
. Let me know which package you want to go with and I will arrange the payment terms.
Alternatively, if you plan to sign up for a longer term (3 months or more), then head on over to
Breadwinners
⁠
and sign up there. You will get discounted prices!

I’m actually interested but cannot afford coaching because no budget / unsure of your efficacy / I don’t like you / bird ate my homework. Anything else I can do?

No worries, I got you fam.
Check out the FREE Templates section for some easy-to-use and follow programs, particularly for beginners and/or those who have just milked their newbie gains and have stepped into the realm of intermediate.
...
What? No longer a beginner or early intermediate but need guidance a free template can’t provide?
My cheapest service that I provide is an online consultation session priced at RM80/session.
If you’re interested, shoot me an email at
sisyphean.protocol@gmail.com,
⁠
or drop me a DM at
@sphy_protocol
⁠
. Once that is done I will have you fill out an Enquiry Form (free of charge) which will ask you some questions regarding the help you require from me.
IF the help you require from me is outside my scope, I will decline your enquiry and we both walk away with our pockets none the lighter.
IF I genuinely believe I can help you, then I will accept your enquiry and I’ll schedule a Zoom call (insert payment here) with you. During this call I will have already prepared material to go over with you based on your enquiry, and also open the floor for questions you may have.
Hopefully one of these options fit the bill!🙏

No face-to-face coaching?

As for now NO, but in the near future? Possibly.
I’m currently in the midst of creating The Work Station and may potentially train clients face-to-face, but there are many considerations I have to make before delving into this route.

Post Payment Process

I’ve made my payment, what now?
For online coaching and programming services...
Upon payment you will receive a confirmation email and a questionnaire. The purpose of the questionnaire is to understand your lifting background and experience, which will allow me to tailor an individualised program for you.

All corresponding follow up regarding programming and feedback will be done through google drive (so you will require a gmail account). Your programming will be shared through google sheets, and any videos or questions you have will be shared through drive/docs.

If you opted for programming only, then no video sharing required. You will receive your new programming on a weekly basis but without feedback and guidance.
Lift and make gains.

For online consultation...
Upon your request you will receive an enquiry form. The purpose of the form is to understand your needs - be it wanting to try out a different training approach, how to approach training after an injury, etc.

After you have returned the form to me I will have a read. At which I will decide if I can help you or not.

If I can help you I will schedule a Zoom call, but if I can’t I will decline. Either way, there is always someone out there that can help you, so do not under any circumstances stop seeking for advice and guidance.

Lift and make gains.
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