How a Personal Trainer Can Keep Clients Motivated
Bergen County Personal Trainer can build a regimen that meets your goals and takes into account your medical history. They can also help you stay on track by motivating and advising you in person during sessions.
Consider a trainer’s certification, experience, and specialization before hiring one. Then, look at their business policies for services, costs, cancellations, and refunds.
One of the main ways personal trainers can help clients stay motivated is by setting attainable goals. Goals should be measurable, specific, and time-bound. For example, rather than saying a client wants to be stronger, a more specific and measurable goal would be being able to do 30 push-ups in one minute. This way, the client can measure their progress and feel encouraged as they make progress. It also gives a sense of urgency that can be motivating and help keep the client from slacking off. This is why a lot of people hire a personal trainer – to provide them with the structure and accountability they need to meet their goals.
Having the right mindset is another important factor in helping to motivate a client and reach their goals. According to the journal Psychology & Health, finding a workout routine that your clients enjoy is a great way to get them to stick with it. This will increase their chances of success, which can make them happier and healthier in the long run.
The last piece of the SMART fitness goal puzzle is making sure that the goals are actually achievable. This is important because a lofty, seemingly impossible goal could actually discourage your client instead of motivating them. For instance, a client wanting to lose 10 pounds in three weeks is not realistic and will likely derail them from their goal. A more realistic and attainable goal might be losing 5 pounds in three months or increasing their bench press by 50kg in four weeks.
Another thing that personal trainers should keep in mind is if the goals are relevant to their clients’ lifestyle and financial situation. For example, a client with an injured knee may not be able to train as hard as someone with no injury. This is why a good personal trainer will ask about a client’s schedule and financial situation before creating a training plan for them.
One of the biggest reasons why a trainer should be able to set realistic goals for their clients is because it helps to prevent injuries. Putting too much pressure on a client to perform can lead to them getting frustrated or injured, which can ultimately hinder their progress.
The key to becoming a successful personal trainer is not solely in having the right skillset and credentials, but also in being able to convey that your passion for fitness and desire to help clients achieve their goals is genuine. This is important for getting potential clients on your side and building trust. To do this, make sure your website has a clear and concise mission statement that clearly explains your motivation for pursuing a career in personal training. It should also include your qualifications, such as any certifications you hold, any internships or apprenticeships you have completed, and any notable achievements in the fitness industry that speak to your experience and expertise.
Speaking at local events is one of the best ways to get your name out there and draw attention to your personal training business. Sponsoring a local event can be especially effective, as it can show you’re invested in the community and that your business supports other health and wellness activities. Consider sponsoring a charity run, health fair, sports tournament or other event that aligns with your target audience and brand.
It’s essential to have a system in place to keep accurate reports of your client’s progress. This can be as simple as using an Excel spreadsheet or more sophisticated software programs, depending on your preference. Be sure to keep track of the client’s progress as well as your own, so you can see how much your services are helping them achieve their goals.
When you meet with a prospective personal training client, begin by letting them know you’ll be asking about their lifestyle habits, exercise history, current diet and any physical limitations they may have. This will give you a better idea of what their goals might be and if they’re realistic for them to reach on their own.
Whether they’re new to working with a personal trainer or have been training on their own for years, a recent study found that people who work with a certified professional perform significantly better in terms of strength gains and workout intensity than those who don’t. In addition, people who train with a qualified trainer are more likely to maintain a regular exercise routine.
Even the most dedicated fitness enthusiasts struggle with motivation at some point. A personal trainer can help clients develop a healthy fitness mindset that nurtures intrinsic motivation rather than relying on extrinsic factors to drive their fitness journey.
Clients might lose their motivation to exercise for a number of reasons, including a reversal in fitness progress, injury recovery or a hectic schedule that makes it difficult to carve out time to workout. When this happens, it’s important that personal trainers take a direct approach with the client and ask about their level of motivation. This avoids assuming what the reason is and gives you the opportunity to provide an empathetic listening ear while helping them problem-solve ways to get back on track.
Many personal trainers use the “don’t sell packages, sell results” mantra to guide their business and keep client motivation high. However, some trainers fall into the trap of over hyping the results they promise their clients, which can actually decrease their motivation to stick with the program.
It’s also important to keep the client motivated by providing them with plenty of short-term goals to achieve. Achieving a goal every three to four weeks provides the satisfaction of making progress and keeps them looking forward to the next milestone. This is especially true if the trainer helps the client set SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time-bound) goals, which ensures that the goals are realistic and achievable.
Keeping the client engaged by providing new routines and workout sets is another key to keeping their motivation up, especially if they’ve started seeing a lot of progress in their fitness level. Using social media to post photos of their progress can further boost their motivation by showing them the positive changes that they’re making.
A good way to increase motivation is by encouraging your client to workout with a friend or join an exercise group. Research shows that exercising with a partner or group can improve the benefit-to-concern ratio and boost the feeling of success after reaching a workout goal. This will make them more likely to stay committed to their workout routine when the motivation lulls.
People looking for personal trainers have different needs and concerns, so getting more specific in the services you offer can attract new clients. For instance, you may want to create a series of blog posts on healthy lifestyle and nutritional advice that you can promote through your website or social media accounts. This demonstrates your expertise and shows potential clients what you can do for them.
You can also use email to reach out to prospects with a special offer or free trial session. This will give the prospect a chance to see if they get on well with you and can help them make up their mind whether to hire you or not. Of course, you should always make sure you have clear permission from your clients to share testimonials in this way. You should also avoid being pushy, or you might damage the trainer-client relationship.
It’s also a good idea to get more specific in the assessments you conduct with your clients. You can include a health screening questionnaire and other assessments that assess posture and movement, balance, core function, cardio-respiratory fitness, muscular fitness, body composition, and skill-related parameters (e.g. agility, speed, coordination). Using these data points can help you tailor exercise programs and support goal achievement for your client.
Another thing to do to attract more clients is to ask your current ones to recommend you. This can be done through email or even through a referral network with other wellness professionals in your area, such as physical therapists, complementary therapists, and nutritionists.
In addition, you can advertise your services at local health days and other events that are geared toward a fitness-minded audience. This can be a great way to meet people that are interested in working with you and start a conversation.
If you’re serious about your training career, it’s important to stay up-to-date with your certification. For example, you might want to consider adding a specialized certification like the CSCS or CES. Studies have shown that having a more specific certification can improve your chances of employment. You should also ensure you have an accurate bookkeeping system in place to track your business expenses and keep on top of your tax payments.