What Trainers Actually Do vs What Clients Wish Trainers Will Do

Many individuals can benefit from the services of a personal trainer just like we all need mental and behavioral health training or help or even self help book suggestions at times to help us navigate through life’s winding road.

Energy Fitness really understands the concept of reaching out to a professional to get the best results possible and to invest in yourself.  A shift in the mind is imperative when we want or need our bodies and/or habits to change. I ask our clients all the time “What you are willing to do to create a lasting change?” Too many people are want results overnight or a quick fix. This of course is what leads to many with yo-yo dieting or frustrations that change isn’t happening fast enough.

When hiring a personal trainer and nutrition coach it’s interesting that different people have different ideas as to the extent of what we can do for them. Since we have trained well over 3000 clients in the past 19 years and counting, these are the top ones that come to mind.

What we believe as personal trainers we actually provide at Energy Fitness to our clients:

• ACCOUNTABILITY
• expertise
• creating realistic goals
• coaching
• form correcting
• motivation
• inspiration
• functional movement analysis and fitness assessments (height, weight, blood pressure, resting heart rate, flexibility, upper body strength, pics against posture grid, and other custom evaluations as necessary)
• supplement recommendations
• look at blood work, suggest nutritional changes
• perform a BIA (bioelectrical analysis) testing bodyfat, hydration, BMI, bone mineral content, basal metabolic rate
• injury management (Prehab & Post Rehab)
• fun (although not everyone thinks working out or changing their meal plans are fun)
• new ways of fitting exercise and healthy nutrition into your lifestyle and new ways to move your body
• progressive & customized programs based from assessments
• myth busting, keeping up and passing along current research, \habit change suggestions
• a sounding board/listener for barriers/obstacles/excuses that keep clients from reaching their goals
• adjust cables, machines
• demonstrate/explain how to do an exercise / movement
• stretch clients – sometimes, depends on trainer
• spot client
• genuinely care about the health and well being of the client
• have a passion for helping others

What some clients wish we provide: (this varies greatly across clientele)

• quick fixes
• 20 pound loss in 2 weeks
• just tell them what to eat (we give guidelines & meal plans. some follow and some don’t)
• rep counting (I don’t have 3 degrees to count to 12 !, let’s call this client works on cognitive training)
• dumbbell valet (part of the workout) get and put away your weights/toys/mats
• clean / disinfect after they sweat on machine (no body likes to swim in your sweat or cooties)
• that we will be the magical answer to all their health and fitness woes
• provide will power
• tell them exactly what cardio to do every time they do cardio on their own
• mind-reading of their goals (these change as client change in age and ability)
• that the session can be social hour with trainer or other clients while they barely do any work but yet expect amazing transformation
• diagnose, treat or prescribe injuries, conditions, diseases
• psychological counseling (this is outside scope of practice)

Some of these may be funny to some and eye opening to others. Remember, when hiring a personal trainer, nutrition coach or massage therapist that they need to stay within their scope of practice and knowing what they can and cannot do will help you get the most of our their services. Many can obtain additional certifications and training or cross over into two fields of study such as myself while others get what we like to call a weekend certification. In the end, research who you hire to be a coach for you and your body.

If you don’t hire a personal trainer/coach then all that a trainer does for you falls on YOU, which is why many invest in themselves and just do it. Otherwise, the very first item listed above
(ACCOUNTABILITY) is what you have to be for YOURSELF.

Find your goals, hire a coach if you can, focus and start working towards them one day at a time.

Update on video on demand platform: I have uploaded all the PDF’s that go with both the follow along workout programs and the ones that have video demonstrations of how to do the programs. Still can’t believe I had a whopping 120 videos that will be available on the new online platform to be released this month hopefully. Once the company uploads videos via batch all I have to do is pair them and release the link so you can find one or many that you can purchase. You will find many options for your fitness level and what equipment you may or may not have as well as easy on the joint exercises for novices or those of you needed to work around injuries. I have also created a done for you 12 week transformation plan that includes typed workout programs with videos, etc. You can even track your reps and sets on workout cards.

In the meantime you can find Tonya online with Zoom personal training/coaching or hire her to write a program for you with your own personalized 4-6 minute demo of each of your custom workouts included.