What I Got Wrong As A New Personal Trainer…
So this week, I was chatting a client during her rest periods and it made me remember what I got wrong as a new Personal Trainer.
You see, one of her issues was Personal Trainers expecting crazy commitment from her (train 5 days a week, no more beer or eating out with friends/family, eat chicken and broccoli 3x day, put a poster of Arnold over your bed and say a few prayers to him every night).
And it reminded me of when I first started out…
I expected everyone to love the gym as much as I do
The #1 mistake all personal trainers make starting out.
It’s unfair to expect people to love the gym as much as I do (some days I hate it)
I started out expecting people to be super dedicated, eat tonnes of broccoli and train 5 days a week.
In reality, people have jobs, families and lives to get on with,
They don’t have time to be thinking about the gym all day every day.
People want to train to feel great, look better in clothes and most of all, they want to enjoy it.
They don’t want to be in fear every time they come into the gym.
They want to come in, get sh*t done and get home to the rest of their day.
Another huge realisation was – Not everyone wants to get Abs!
I know right? Those Instagram pics have been lying to us. But yeah, not everyone wants abs. So many are happy to be “in shape”, feel good about themselves and live a more confident life – exactly what we do here.
So over the last 12 months, I’ve really changed my coaching strategies.
Programs are designed to be enjoyable but still get the work done.
Nutrition coaching is a bit more laid back once you’re getting it right 80-90% of the time. We’ll also work in those foods you like at weekends or a few beers and STILL keep you on track to hit your targets.
And I’ve tailored everything to suit each individual.
Most of all, I’ve worked on creating a more friendly and fun environment so everyone doesn’t mind coming in.
(the amount of sh*t talk is unreal)
And to be honest, the results people have been getting the last 8 months are a reflection that it has all been the right moves I’ve made.
Life is about living, I’m not here to deprive you of it by getting you to put your life on hold for the gym.
Yes, if you’re taking the piss I’ll kick you up the arse. But in the grand scheme of things, over the next 6 months you can expect to really see a difference working with us here.
A good place to start can be here:
Now to spend time assessing what I can do to make it even better in 2017.
Colm “results speak for themselves” Duignan
