First Posted: 4/6/2015
Do this, not that?
Being a personal trainer for just about 19 years, I have seen my fair share of success stories.
People achieve success through all different methods, but there are always similar underlying commonalities each client possesses.
As a coach, I often forget what it’s like being in the clients’ shoes and I think about how they must feel physically and emotionally.
After all, it’s easy for us trainers to spout off rules like you must work out 3 to 5 days per week and not just exercise, you got to work hard. You also have to eat well. And not just well, if you want results you got to eat almost perfectly. You have to sleep 8 hours a night, food prep, manage stress, drink liters of water, take your vitamins, count your calories, weigh your food, track your workouts, give up your favorite treats and avoid socializing.
No wonder most clients quit. It’s freaking overwhelming.
For the trainers out there, if you want more compliance from your clients (and for the clients, if you want more compliance with yourself), go back to the drawing board to re-work and re-think your approach.
In order to increase your clients’ chances of success, they need to feel:
• Safe and secure
• That what they’re doing is relevant and has purpose
• That they can go at their own pace
• They can choose their path with guided expertise
Being successful with body transformation is, of course, about exercise and nutrition. But, I feel you increase your success rate if the focus is on:
• Building skills and crucial behaviors
• Being consistent with these behaviors
• Understanding the difference between healthy and unhealthy behaviors
It doesn’t matter if the trainer has designed the most awesomest work-out and diet plan. If the client can’t or won’t do it, it’s not going to work and they won’t be successful.
Clients have different skill sets, different lifestyles and different needs.
The underlying common denominator in the vast array of approaches is typically the same — remove the clients’ limitations and identify their weaknesses. Success will follow.
