Introduction
Nowadays, a good personal trainer is far more than someone who just knows what they’re doing in the gym. Their role involves helping their clients achieve long term and sustainable success, which is made possible by placing key focuses on education, relationship building, long term health, and adaptive strategies. This article will break down some of the key things that good personal trainers should do.
Personal Trainers should focus on building strong relationships
A personal trainer to client relationship is in every case built on trust, communication and alignment of focus. Good personal trainers must ensure that their clients feel heard, understood and supported throughout the process of being coached, with effective trainers prioritising clear communication to manage expectations and address any concerns the client might have. They use relationship building skills to build a strong foundation where goals, setbacks and progress can be discussed transparently.
PTs must be a guide, challenger and supporter
Whilst many people may believe that a PT is predominantly a guide to taking clients through their workouts, this isn’t necessarily the case. A PT should also be a challenger to their clients, pushing them to step outside their comfort zone and chase growth. Great PTs know that this doesn’t come from being relentless or pushy. They understand the balance between when to challenge and when to offer support. The right balance of all these things can be incredibly powerful to keep clients motivated and consistently progressing.
Personal Trainers must be agile in approach and strategy
No two clients are the same, and so personal trainers must approach strategy with this at the forefront of their minds. Instead of taking a one size fits all approach, good personal trainers are agile and adaptive in their strategies, in order to meet the specific needs of each client on an individual basis. Whilst it may sound obvious, it is an important point to make, as this isn’t just about being flexible on a client by client basis, but also on a day to day with each client. Being agile in your approach also means that you must be responsive to change in your clients’ lives, for example if they become injured, less motivated, or even have a stressful day. The most skilled personal trainers can adjust plans on the fly in real time.
Personal Trainers must be a consistent holder of truths
Again, this might sound like an obvious one, but good personal trainers tell the truth. You shouldn’t make unrealistic promises or guarantee specific outcomes for your clients, instead you should focus on helping clients celebrate wins and experiences when they come, and help them understand that progress isn’t always linear. PTs should maintain a standard of transparency in communication, whether it is discussing expectations, goals, setbacks, injuries or progress.
Long Term Health is a Key Focus
A key sign of a good personal trainer is that they always have their clients’ long term health at the forefront as the main focus regardless of the client’s immediate goals. Good PTs understand that whilst short term goals such as losing weight or building muscle can be motivating, the goal should ultimately be to promote and emphasise sustainable practices which will continue to benefit the client far into the future. The best personal trainers ignore quick fixes and fads, and instead build a strong base with sustainability and longevity at the core. This helps clients avoid burnout, stay healthier and ultimately keep training and working towards their goals for a longer period of time.
Good PTs are Education Centric
Education should be at the centre of every good personal trainer’s practice. Instead of just telling clients what to do, the best PT’s will help their clients understand the why behind what they’re doing, which gives a level of ownership back to the client and allows them to independently make informed decisions. The goal should never be to have the client be reliant on the trainer indefinitely, but instead to develop skills, knowledge and understanding so that they can maintain a healthy lifestyle on their own.
The best Personal Trainers don’t fix, they facilitate
Rather than positioning themselves as ‘fixers’ the best personal trainers look at themselves as facilitators of their clients’ growth. As a PT, you should encourage critical thinking and problem solving, helping your clients to work through their challenges without you and avoiding creating dependency on you as the trainer. Clients will actually appreciate this as you teach them to overcome obstacles by themselves without just offering quick solutions, as it helps them to continue to make progress even when you are not around.
Conclusion
This article has gone over best practices, behaviours and things good personal trainers should do. If you’re interested in reading more on this, be sure to check out our article on the qualities of a good personal trainer. If you’re interested in becoming a personal trainer, then be sure to check out our level 3 personal trainer course, as well as all of our personal training courses.
If you’re looking for a career in personal training but not sure where you’re up to or where to start, take a look at our article on personal trainer levels explained.