What is Your Commitment to Personal Training?

A few days ago I remarked in passing to a bodywork client that a couple of months ago my Iron Maiden and I had started working with a trainer on a weekly basis. My client seemed confused as to why we would work with a trainer and I explained that this trainer had different skill sets and we wanted to learn from them. They were also surprised that we worked with them on a weekly basis and I explained that to me this was the bare minimum commitment of working with a trainer and that I was planning to schedule a regular second weekly session as soon as possible.

In my years of being in the fitness industry I have had clients come and go. They will call me and set up an appointment and I’ll meet with them, talk with them about their short and long term goals, taking notes from which I create an individual program tailored to their goals. I then present them with their program and encourage them to open a dialogue with me, to communicate with me on a weekly basis and also offer them the chance make an appointment and work with me at The Crucible.

Rarely will I will back hear from them. On occasion I will hear from them, perhaps a question or two are directed my way, a single training appointment will be made but it is often hit and miss and because I feel that the role of a trainer is not to be a babysitter I don’t call and bug them or send cute little postcards offering a “come back and see me” personal training special so often it is the last I will ever see or hear from them.

And more often than not people will continue to use the same program week in and week out even though I tell them and write on their program that if you do a program completely through it should be changed up every 6 to 8 weeks. IF YOU FOLLOW THE PROGRAM THROUGH. However I have come to find that programs are seldom followed through and maybe that’s why that program always seems new to them and is also why they don’t seem to be getting anywhere.

I do know that you need to practice in between your sessions with a trainer. Every day - not just the day before your session - not skipping the day after your session either. As Pavel says you need to “grease the groove”. And take some notes and read them. And change your program after you completed and mastered the one you began.

And when your trainer corrects you or makes an adjustment don’t stand there and argue with them. Take a breath, connect your mind to your body and do it again, right. Our trainer told me that my Iron Maiden’s technique in some movements was better than mine and I didn’t pout or say he was playing favorites – I simply “manned up” and applied.

When it’s time for your session arrive on time and prepared. And arriving on time doesn’t mean if your session begins at 7 am that you arrive at 6:59 am. It means that you do like we do, arrive at 6:30, open the gym (we have a key to the gym) and warm-up, stretch out and get out the gear you want to be trained with. To be prepared means having your own towel and waterbottle, a notebook and pencil, an open mind and a willingness to apply. Plus a checkbook or cash because trainers have bills to pay too.

Anything less is an insult to yourself and your trainer.

We train at a gym that is home to a MMA club. As we were setting up our weekly session there was a retired UFC fighter who now coaches in there working out. Our trainer offered a time that was in my Iron Maiden PhD’s work window. She said she would schedule the session into her work day and the UFC fighter looked up and simply said “Nice. You don’t see that kind of commitment very often”.

No, you don’t.



.