Being the Best Personal Trainer You Can Be
Your clients want more than just a good workout. They want a personal trainer who motivates them, cares about them, and sets a good example. When all else is equal, your professionalism, your attitude, and your knowledge of business etiquette are what will put you ahead of the pack.
Don't be a know-it-all
You're having a conversation with a new acquaintance at a dinner party and he starts talking about the works of Umberto Eco. Instead of saying, "Who in the ever lovin' world is Umberto Eco?" you nod along, pretending that you're deeply familiar with The Name of the Rose and the other works of whatshisname.
C'mon, you know you've done this before. We all have.
Although you may get away with this tactic at a dinner party, you won't get away with it as a personal trainer. If you give false information because you don't want to look stupid in front of your client, you can do more than get found out — you can injure the client.
Be there for your client
Being there for your client doesn't mean you have to trail her, handing her warmed towels when she gets out of the shower and feeding her chicken soup when she has a cold. You do have to put your own ego and wants aside and focus completely on the client.
Don't ever take your eyes off your client during a session. A trainer who's looking around the room is thinking about himself — how bored he is, what he'll be having for lunch that day, how much he likes that hot trainer across the room — rather than about the client.
Your job is to be the most motivating, inspiring trainer you can be, and to set a good example for your client. That requires you to put yourself aside and be there for your client.
Stay within the boundaries
You have your personal self, and your professional self. Your professional self does not offer relationship advice, does not eat candy bars in front of the client, and does not make comments about the client's home or its contents.
Personal training is just that — personal. Your client may come to think of you as her friend. That's a good thing, but it also invites unprofessional behavior. If a client starts, say, complaining that her husband doesn't pay attention to her, you need to draw that boundary line. Say, "I hear you, I understand" — but don't offer advice or tell her what a jerk her husband is. If a client asks you to train her for an extra half-hour free of charge, or to drive 15 miles outside your regular area to train her daughter, tell her you can't do it. If you do, the client may come to expect this from you all the time — and it can hurt your business.
Do what you say, say what you do
When you tell the client to do something, you should do it. Sounds simple, right? Well, you'd be surprised at how many personal trainers forget this simple concept.
The best way to keep your word is to be prepared, to always be on time, and have your bag and files ready ahead of time. To make sure you always have a program ready for the client, have the client's file with you when you need it, and have a place where you can work — a place with a desk, adequate lighting, and all the tools you'll need to stay on top of things. And be sure to have access to all the health information you need so that if you tell a client you'll bring her a recipe or a new exercise or information about heart disease, you can have it ready the next time you see her.
Showing clients you care
Care is more than just a four-letter word. It also stands for "Clients Are Really Everything." You may know everything there is to know about personal training, but you wouldn't be much of a personal trainer without your clients. Clients can make or break your business. That's why you have to care about them.
Here are some tips for showing clients that you care:
- Return phone calls promptly.
- Follow up with your clients to make sure the sessions are working for them.
- Send your clients thank-you cards for doing business with you.
- Always be sympathetic to your clients' complaints.
- Keep individual files on each client so you can track them and create the most personalized programs for them.
Always be on time
Being late shows a lack of respect for the person who is waiting. Not only that, but if you have a personal training session and you show up late, what are your choices? You can either cheat the client out of a few minutes of training so she can be done at 5 p.m., or you can run late — which is annoying for a busy person (and who isn't busy?).
If you're always late, ask yourself why and come up with a solution. Do you get stuck in traffic? If so, find alternate routes or leave earlier. Do you have trouble getting yourself out the door? Have your bag, your client folder, and everything else you need ready by the door early in the day so you can grab it and leave when the time comes. You can even buy a shelf or hook to keep your stuff on — it may motivate you to use it.
Dress professionally
Here are some dress-for-success tips:
- We'll say it again — no skintight spandex!
- Don't wear jeans and a T-shirt, no matter how comfy they are.
- Make sure your clothes aren't too baggy. If you demonstrate a machine, your clothes may get caught.
- Women, don't slather on the makeup. (Guys, this goes double for you!)
- Keep jewelry to a minimum. Long, dangly jewelry can get caught in the machines.
- The same goes for long, loose hair. If you have long hair, you may want to pull it back.
- The best uniform may be a collared polo shirt, well-fitting sweatpants, and good-quality exercise shoes.
Stay educated
Personal trainers need to stay up-to-date in medicine, fitness, business, and even psychology and nutrition. These fields are constantly changing, and researchers are uncovering new information every day.
Here are some ways to keep learning:
- Attend continuing education courses.
- Talk to other personal trainers.
- Go to conferences and workshops.
- Read health, fitness, and business magazines (many are available at the local library).
Fitness Glossary
aeroboxing, kickboxing
A class that takes the moves of a kickboxer’s training and choreographs them to music.
Fitness Glossary
anaerobic threshold
The point at which your body switches from using oxygen as its primary source of energy to using stored sugar. When you’re in poor physical shape, you hit your anaerobic threshold while exercising at relatively low levels of exercise.
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barbells
The larger weights (for power lifting in a weight training program) that include a long bar with weights added to each end. You need to use both hands to lift a barbell.
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Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis BIA
A method of measuring your body fat in which you lie on your back while a signal travels from an electrode on your foot to an electrode on your hand. The slower the signal, the more fat you have.
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blood pressure
A measurement of how open your blood vessels are. Low numbers mean that your heart doesn’t have to work very hard to pump the blood through your blood vessels.
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body composition
How much of your body is composed of fat and how much is composed of everything else. Your body composition is also called your body-fat percentage.
Fitness Glossary
body mass index BMI
A way of relating your height and weight to estimate how fat you are. You can use a simple formula to determine your BMI.
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body sculpting
A non-aerobic, muscle-toning class, usually focused on core strength.
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BOSU
A domed, flexible apparatus that helps to improve balance and can be used in a step aerobics exercise routine. BOSU is an acronym for Both Sides Utilized.
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cardio
A term (short for cardiovascular) that is often used interchangeably with aerobic. Aerobic exercise is any repetitive activity that you do long enough and hard enough to challenge your heart and lungs.
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chi
Otherwise known as "life energy," this is the life force that pulses through your body and keeps you vital. Blocked chi can cause sickness or unhappiness.
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circuit training
A fast-paced class or exercise routine in which you do one exercise for 30 seconds to 5 minutes and then move on to another exercise at the next station. Combines cardio exercise with strength training.
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core
The abdomen, obliques, lower back, butt, and so on, that form the midsection. Many forms of exercise focus on strengthening the body's core.
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core conditioning
A non-aerobic, muscle-toning class, usually focused on core strength.
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cross-training
A method of varying your workouts to take your fitness to the next level by adding new forms of training to your current routine.
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Dual-Energy X-ray Absorptiometry DEXA
A method of measuring your body fat that also determines where the fat is located on your body, a more relevant health indicator.
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dumbbells
Smaller weights (for a weight training program) that you can lift with one hand.
Fitness Glossary
elliptical trainer
The hottest trend in cardio machines, which is part stair-climber, part treadmill, part stationary cycle. Your legs travel in an elongated circular movement, and, on some models, you pump arm poles back and forth for an upper-body workout.
Fitness Glossary
exercise ball
A large plastic ball that is an excellent tool for doing challenging exercises (with or without weights) that require varying forms of strength and control.
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Fartlek
A type of interval training program that doesn't use an exact measure of time or distance. You just do your intervals whenever you feel like it. The term Fartlek means "speed play" in Swedish.
Fitness Glossary
fitness walking
A faster and more intense walking technique than casual (lifestyle) walking that burns more calories and helps you lose weight. When you fitness walk, you generally move along at a brisk pace of 3.5 to 4.3 miles an hour, covering a mile in 14 to 17 minutes.
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flexibility
The range of motion or distance you can move a joint through. Stretching is the key to maintaining your flexibility.
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free weights
Portable weights used in a strength training program.
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freestyle
The traditional type of swimming movement that uses the front crawl.
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heart rate
The number of times your heart beats per minute.
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high-impact aerobics
A traditional dance-inspired routine that involves jumping or hopping and moves at a slower pace than low-impact aerobics. High/low combines the two types of routines.
Fitness Glossary
in-line skating; Rollerblading
A type of skating in which you wear skates with urethane wheels that enable you to glide, sprint, curve, turn, and spin.
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interval training
A training technique in which you alternate short, fairly intense spurts of exercise with periods of relatively easy exercise.
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kickboxing; aeroboxing
A class that takes the moves of a kickboxer’s training and choreographs them to music.
Fitness Glossary
lifestyle walking
A casual walking technique that is low to moderate intensity and relatively slow paced. Most lifestyle walkers walk an average of 2.5 to 3.5 miles per hour, which means that they walk about 1 mile every 17 to 24 minutes.
Fitness Glossary
low-impact aerobics
A traditional dance-inspired routine in which you always have one foot on the floor — you don’t do any jumping or hopping. High/low combines the two types of routines.
Fitness Glossary
marathon
An organized 26.2-mile race for runners and walkers.
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maximum heart rate
The maximum number of times your heart should beat in a minute without dangerously overexerting yourself.
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meditation
A mental process involving focused attention, or calm awareness, which is also called mindfulness.
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mountain bike
A fat-tire outdoors bicycle with upright handlebars that is built to withstand rough terrain.
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multi-gym
A home gym contraption that looks like a bunch of health-club weight machines welded to each other.
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muscular failure
In a strength training program, the point at which your last repetition with weights is so difficult that you cannot perform another repetition.
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orthotics
Fitted shoe inserts designed by a podiatrist that correct weight distribution along the foot.
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periodization
A method of organizing a strength training workout program into several periods, each lasting about four weeks. Each phase has a different emphasis.
Fitness Glossary
Pilates
A form of exercise that emphasizes correct form using your body’s core. Pilates is named after its inventor, Joseph Pilates, who invented the technique for injured dancers.
Fitness Glossary
plantar fasciitis
An inflammation of the tough fibrous band of tissue that runs the length of the bottom of your foot.
Fitness Glossary
pulse
The number of times your heart beats per minute.
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Qigong
An element of a T'ai Chi practice that covers many different types of movements that involve using and feeling the body's energy.
Fitness Glossary
recumbent bike
A type of stationary bike with a bucket seat that provides back support so that you pedal straight out in front of you.
Fitness Glossary
repetition rep
One complete motion of an exercise, often used in reference to strength training.
Fitness Glossary
RICE
An acronym that stands for Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation — common treatment methods prescribed for runners with training injuries.
Fitness Glossary
road bike
The traditional type of outdoor bicycle with curved handlebars that is built for speed.
Fitness Glossary
rolling stair climber
A cardiovascular machine that resembles a section of a department-store escalator. A set of stairs rotates in a circle so that you climb continuously, but never getting anywhere.
Fitness Glossary
rowing machine
A cardiovascular machine that increases stamina, upper body endurance, strength, and flexibility by mimicking a rowing motion. Also called a rower.
Fitness Glossary
set
A group of consecutive repetitions in a strength training program.
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Spinning
A popular group studio cycling program invented by ultra-distance cyclist Johnny G. and licensed by Schwinn, which manufactures the bikes used in these classes.
Fitness Glossary
stair-climber
A cardiovascular machine that has two foot plates you pump up and down to mimic the action of climbing stairs. Also called a stepper.
Fitness Glossary
stationary bike
A cardiovascular machine that comes in two styles: upright bikes and recumbent bikes.
Fitness Glossary
step aerobics
A choreographed routine of stepping up and down on a rectangular, square, or circular platform.
Fitness Glossary
strength training
A type of workout that uses any combination of weight machines and free weights (dumbbells and barbells) to build muscle strength.
Fitness Glossary
stride frequency
The number of strides that a runner takes over a certain time period.
Fitness Glossary
studio cycling
Group exercise classes that are taught on stationary bicycles.
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T'ai Chi
An ancient martial art focusing on smooth, slow movements that cultivate inward focus and free energy flow. T'ai Chi is properly pronounced tie-jee.
Fitness Glossary
target heart-rate zone
A range that is between 50 percent and 85 percent of your maximum heart rate that can tell you what heart rate to aim for during a workout.
Fitness Glossary
treadmill
A popular choice for a cardiovascular machine in a home gym if you enjoy fitness walking and jogging (or running).
Fitness Glossary
upright bike
The traditional kind of stationary bike, which resembles a regular bicycle.
Fitness Glossary
walk-run
A workout in which you alternate walking and running. By sprinkling running intervals throughout your walking workout, you can spike up exercise intensity and burn more calories.
Fitness Glossary
water aerobics
Aerobics classes that do traditional workouts in waist- to neck-high water in a swimming pool. The resistance of the water makes the workout feel far more intense, while the water cushions you from the impact.
Fitness Glossary
weight machines
Stationary equipment mostly found at gyms that are easy to use and help you to safely and quickly advance through a strength-training workout.
Fitness Glossary
weight-bearing exercise
A type of exercise in which your skeleton is supporting any sort of weight, as it does when you walk, run, or lift weights.
Fitness Glossary
Wushu
The “martial art” or traditional self-defense activities practiced with or without weapons (includes T'ai Chi).
Fitness Glossary
yin and yang
The terms for opposites that are opposing yet complementary. A concept used throughout all of T’ai Chi and Qigong.
Fitness Glossary
yoga
A series of poses (known as asanas) that you hold from a few seconds to several minutes. The moves — a blend of strength, flexibility, and body-awareness exercises — are intended to promote the union of the mind, body, and spirit.
