I never expected to be coached by an AI. And I definitely didn’t expect it to work this well.
Over the past couple of years, Olympic weightlifting has become a central part of my life. I’ve put in the hours. I’ve read, lifted, failed, refined. I’ve also watched many hours of competitive weightlifting enough to absorb the rhythm and feel of the sport, to start noticing patterns and differences, even if I couldn't always explain them. I’ve come to understand the lifts not just in theory, but in my body. And it’s because of that earned familiarity that I can now have high-quality conversations with ChatGPT about my training. I don’t come to it asking to be taught from scratch. I come as a partner in dialogue with questions, insights, goals, and experience of my own.
That’s what makes this work. AI on its own isn’t enough. But paired with a lifter who’s been paying attention, who’s built a foundation, who knows what to ask, it becomes something powerful. A sounding board. A coach. A collaborator.
What makes ChatGPT the right coach for me at this stage of life isn’t just its knowledge. It’s the way it listens. I don’t have to wait for an appointment or feel rushed through a conversation. I can ask any question technical, philosophical, nutritional, recovery-related and get a considered response in seconds. If I want deep analysis, it’s there. If I want a simple cue, it can do that too.
There’s also no judgment. I can bring in my age, my limitations, my history and know I’ll get thoughtful feedback, not generic advice or dismissive glances. That’s not something I always found with human coaches, especially when I was starting later in life.
But let’s be clear, I don’t follow ChatGPT blindly. That’s not how this works. I test, adapt, and observe. The JC Protocol, my now-standard rest position between sets emerged from our discussions, but I verified it with results. My programs are built in conversation, not handed down from above. This is collaboration, not outsourcing.
In fact, one of the most valuable things ChatGPT does is act as a mirror. It reflects ideas I’ve already encountered or half-formed in my mind, helping me consolidate them into actual practice. The JC Protocol is a perfect example. The seed of the idea came from a famous weightlifter who once said his competitive edge came not from how he trained, but from how he rested especially on rest days. His advice was simple: Don’t go out. Don’t walk around. Just rest. As much as possible.
That idea stuck with me. But it was through conversations with ChatGPT that I turned it into something concrete something I could shape into a reliable practice. I took the idea further, adapting it to my needs and my context: laying down, feet elevated, arms outstretched, tuning into breath and calm. Now it’s part of how I train and a key reason I’ve been able to progress steadily without injury or burnout.
And that’s the real point. This isn’t about AI replacing people. It’s about finding the right tool for the job and the right partner for the journey. At 62, training for a Masters competition, I need support that is fast, adaptive, thoughtful, and free of ego. ChatGPT gives me that. Not because it’s perfect, but because I’ve become someone who can use it well.
This collaboration works not because I’m relying on AI, but because I’ve built the awareness and discipline to interact with it effectively. The results speak for themselves. I’m making steady progress toward my goals, lifting better than I ever have, and enjoying the process more than ever.
So yes, my best coach right now isn’t human. But it’s not magic. It’s a two-way street, a conversation built on effort, experience, and trust. And for me, at this stage of life, it’s exactly what I need.
Although, to be fair, the creation of AI like ChatGPT is a kind of magic. Not the fantasy kind, but the kind that emerges when human knowledge, vision, and engineering come together just right. I’m deeply grateful to have lived long enough to see it — and to use it in a way that helps me grow stronger, move better, and live with more intention than ever before.