As you could read in this previous article, creating the best training plan for your client starts with 3 fundamentals.
A personal trainer is also someone who helps his or her clients to reach their goals by measuring their strengths and weaknesses, creating exercise plans, leading exercises, and providing motivation. Because a personal trainer works with clients from all walks of life, and because individual goals vary, it is important to utilize several strategies for building effective personal training programs.
Understand The Client’s Goals
Before developing a program for a client, the personal trainer must first understand the client’s goals. People seek personal trainers for many reasons, including weight loss, strength gaining, overall fitness, cardiovascular health, and even preparation for an athletic event. As such, the program that best fits a client’s needs is one geared toward his or her goals. For example, while weightlifting is a worthwhile activity, it is better suited for someone who wants to build strength than for someone who wants to lose weight.
Consider The Client’s Capabilities
Another strategy to keep in mind when building personal training programs for clients involves assessing that client’s capabilities and limitations. Someone who has never worked out a day in his or her life is likely unable to start jogging two miles each day, whereas someone who is relatively fit may need more strenuous activity. What’s more, many people have physical limitations brought about by medical conditions. Someone who has a heart condition, for instance, may need a training program that follows along with his or her doctor’s orders in terms of strenuousness. As time goes on and the client’s health improves, it is necessary to make changes to the program in order to work toward the end goal.
Keep The Client Motivated
One of the biggest roles a personal trainer plays in the fitness of his or her clients is that of the motivator. A physical trainer must push his or her clients to succeed, and the best way to do this is to keep track of personal achievements and keep the end goal in mind. Keeping a log of a client’s progress may not seem like fun, but in a few weeks, when that log clearly shows a decrease in weight or an increase in strength brought on by hard work, it motivates the client to keep going.
Develop a Nutrition Plan
Although personal trainers often focus on the physical activity side of fitness, it is also important to provide nutritional advice. Everyone’s needs are different; a client who wants to lose weight will need a different diet than a client who wants to pack on lean muscle. These clients look to their trainers for advice, and while a nutritionist may be a better solution for clients who have very strict dietary needs, the personal trainer should be able to provide simple guidance in terms of the right foods to eat and the foods to avoid.
In short, building effective personal training programs for clients comes down to understanding the clients goals, assessing the client’s limitations and strengths, keeping the client motivated to reach his or her goals, and advising him or her regarding diet and nutrition. The combination of these things will help clients achieve their goals.
How do you create the best training plan for your clients? Share your tips below!
