pro advice from certified personal trainer ryan crawley—Just because someone passed a test and became certified does not mean that they are all set as a personal trainer.
I used to go to a very well-equipped gym that had many quality members. It was the type of gym that everyone wishes they had in their neighborhood.
However, most of their trainers were not ones that I would hire for various reasons.
Below is a list of things to keep in mind when you set out on landing your own clients and start becoming the best personal trainer that you can be.
Practice What You Preach
In about half the gyms that I have frequented, there have been personal trainers that I had to do a double take on for all the wrong reasons.
They are either noticeably overweight or clinically obese.
f I was a guy off the street and just signed up for a personal trainer where I was paying $60 an hour, and the trainer comes out and looks worse than I do, I would think I was on some hidden camera show.
Keep that in mind during your personal training career because your body is sort of like your resume in this industry.
Listen to the Goals They Would Like to Achieve
Too many trainers just have a set routine in place for all their clients. It is like Personal Training for Dummies.
Instead, the very first thing you should ask your new client is what their goals are. Then you can tailor-make their routine according to the goals they have in mind.
If their goal is to lose 40 pounds and become more toned, it would be a mistake to have them focusing on heavy strength training exercises only.
Too often do I see someone that needs to lose serious weight, but the personal trainer does not work in aggressive cardio.
Provide Them Information on Healthy Diets
The old saying that you can’t out-train a bad diet is correct.
Your clients may be getting quality workouts with you showing them the way, but the results will not appear until they have made the lifestyle changes needed.
Make sure they understand what they are consuming every day is just as important as what they are doing in the gym.
Look Professional
It would be very hard to take someone seriously if they showed up to train someone in spandex and a belly shirt or maybe they have holes in their shorts and stains on their shirt.
Appearance means a lot in this world, and the fitness industry is no exception.
Have a professional look to yourself that will automatically gain respect from your clients.
Have a Social Game
You don’t have to become your new client’s best friend, but at least make the effort to be social during the training.
So many personal trainers just stand quietly off to the side as their client completes their sets.
Be a bit of a cheerleader and show some excitement as they improve week to week.
A little encouragement can go a long way.
Put Your Phone Away
When did it become acceptable in society to take out your phone and start casually looking through it when you are in the midst of a conversation with someone?
I always heard you should look someone straight in the eye when speaking to them.
I’ve seen numerous trainers play around on their phone while their clients are busy exercising.
If I was a person paying $60 an hour to a personal trainer, I would not be pleased when they were spending part of my hour sending texts and answering emails!
