As a personal trainer, it is important to give your client a workout that is both effective and fun. Fun varies by the client. A client that is results-driven will find a workout that optimizes to their goal fun, while a client that enjoys movement might meander more to keep the exercise engaging. Meanwhile, it is important for the trainer to not impose their own ideals onto the client. For example, a trainer that is results-driven should not impose their own beliefs onto the client and vice versa. These are some confessions of a Personal Trainer.
Train for every type of client
Personally, I have met many trainers in my years of experience that do impose and reflect their own training style onto their clients.
This may lead to connecting to a particular demographic of clients very well while alienating a contrasting group entirely. I confess to having felt the trap of imposing my own belief, but that realization and adaptability afterward have defined the trainer I am today.
Today I utilize my knowledge of anatomical structures and biomechanical movement patterns to accommodate a wide range of clients. From someone interested in optimizing their golf game to a middle-aged client looking to move with more freedom and mobility, I continue to put in the intentional effort to be the trainer for a variety of clients.
As a result, my specialty is not just in a sport, movement pattern, or demographic but in the science of the neuromuscular system that we all have and how to use it to strive for a goal, any goal.
Pursuit of the Best Version of Yourself
The fulfillment of redefining client happiness and goal success is magnified when the client is unlike the trainer in every way that is more satisfying.
Over time, working with someone with similar goals or mindset becomes a mutual partnership, but an antagonistic client is a fulfilling task that leads to individual growth and expertise. In juxtaposition, working with a client that has goals so far away from your own puts you in a position to think critically and grow as a trainer; the value of that experience is both rewarding and satisfying to commit to.
The term “expanding your toolbox” was mentored to me over the course of my evolution as a trainer, cultivating a trainer that grows and evolves methods instead of just relying on less-efficient approaches. The confession of this particular personal trainer, myself, is a confession of human beings; that when we get out of our comfort zone and explore the unknown with stern curiosity we may find a sense of fulfillment that was previously unattainable. In order to become the best version of ourselves we have to look from within and recognize that each person is different, unique, and wonderful. And that is where the fun and growth are.