Before I launched Mia Brazilia in 2004, my passion for physical fitness led me into the field of personal training. The communication skills and development gained from serving as a fitness instructor has proven invaluable for my new iteration as a fashion designer. The building of customer relationships for sustaining the success of any business necessitates an understanding of the motivations and desires of the individual consumer. A significant segment of my loyal, Mia Brazilia customer base is derived from personal trainers and other professionals in the fitness industry. Often, these trainers ask me for any feedback that i can provide them to navigate their profession with greater anticipation and precision for the needs of their customers. While there is certainly no "one size fits all" template to become a successful personal trainer, the following concepts serve as an instructive, beginner's guide for any profitable, personal training practice:
1.) Break the fear of the gym
1.) Break the fear of the gym
- While many of us have visited the local gym for years going back to our childhood, it is important to remember that for a beginning client, his/her session with you might be the first time ever stepping foot in a gym. Naturally, the resulting fear and trepidation will be quite real for the novice visitor. To allay some of those concerns, it is imperative for a personal trainer to serve as an understanding host and begin by taking the beginner on a tour of the gym and calmly relating how to use the equipment in a non-threatening manner. When designing an appropriate fitness program for each customer, avoid any unfamiliar jargon or terminology and keep the thesis of the program simple and clear. Initially, avoid taking the client to a section of the gym where many people might gawk and stare, since this creates an intimidating environment for the client. Since most of your training commands will be unfamiliar to them, it will be expected that each client will need some time to learn proper technique for each training station. Personalize your relationship with the client by bringing up your first experiences in the gym and the failures that you experienced experimenting with myriad training styles. This emotional sharing will reassure the beginning client that his/her original circumstance is no different than any other person embarking on a personal training program for the first time.
- Develop an appropriate program sequenced to an accurate, "level of difficulty" for any beginner seeking to achieve improved fitness and health through personal training. Some personal trainers know what "works" for them and will mistakenly apply these advanced trends or techniques to their novice client. This is a mistake, since creating too much stress initially may inhibit the client from rapid recovery and retard any progress toward the goals targeted in the individualized program. Start light and work on similar movements at first to avoid getting your clients overly-sore and decommissioned. To facilitate permanent change in your client's body, the qualified trainer must create a stress-inducing environment that compels the body to adapt to these new stresses, while also giving it time to recover adequately. A properly-attenuated workout for the beginner will enable you as a personal trainer to elicit quicker recovery schedules for your client and schedule a greater number of weekly workouts. After the client has unequivocally adapted to the stress of his/her earlier stage, program schedule, then the savvy trainer can slowly integrate more challenging protocols and stations to demonstrate the continuing evolution of his/her client's fitness and cardiovascular level.
- In today's Internet world, it is easy for beginning consumers of personal training to feel overwhelmed by a surfeit of information available to the general public. Thus, it is vital for the personal trainer to act appropriately as a professional tour guide through the maze of fitness propaganda out there. The experienced personal trainer should operate as a helpful filter, separating the legitimate information from the debunked scam, and giving clarity for each client in regard to goals that are INDIVIDUALLY appropriate for each customer. Personal fitness goals are far more achievable if they are carefully tailored to the immediate needs of each customer, not the abstract findings from the Internet or favorable trends of the day. After each month of personal training with you, sit down with each client and refer to his/her individualized training log to point out how far he/she has progressed. This progress report and update will motivate the beginner and instill confidence in your professional aptitude and knowledge of personal training principles.