Being a personal trainer is one of the most fulfilling jobs someone can have, yet its hard to explain that feeling to people who do not help others reach their goals in the way we do.  So many people in this world talk about things happening, however we as personal trainers MAKE things happen!  Someone walks into our facility and says “I want to lose 10lbs!” or “I want to get stronger!” or whatever else people want, and we can MAKE IT HAPPEN!  How great is that?

Unfortunately, not everyone finishes and statistics say that most people will revert to their previous self whether they meet their goals or not, but that’s not to say this is a battle that cant be won, or atleast shifted in our favor.  With the obvious prevalence of obesity and other diseases of civilization, our profession is going to be relied upon to bring forth the truth in training, health, nutrition and fitness overall.  We have to be prepared!  So where can you start?  Well, we cant cover all of them in one article, but we can tackle things one at a time.  Today, I present to you eight benefits of programming your training.

Save Time

Lets be honest, most of us don’t want to spend a ton of time creating programs for clients, especially when we want to get down and dirty with actual training!  Programming for your clients in advance can set your workouts for a few weeks (more on this later), and of course can be modified along the way if necessary.

Professionalism

A large amount of trainers rely on the “write up the workout on the spot” method of training, and to be honest it is effective.  Why?  Because the training mechanism is placing a stress on the body and the body will adapt by getting bigger/stronger/etc (one of my favorite topics and something I will write about someday).  But from a clients perspective, do they want to walk in and see their trainer making up the workout on the spot?  Or do they want to walk in and see that you have a plan waiting for them?  In addition, are you getting an optimal adaptation from your training?  Well…

Programming adaptation

The first time people do something, their motor control and programming is just LEARNING how to most efficiently accomplish that task, whether its squatting or moving a couch.  If you do it once and never do it again, you have definitely limited your adaptation process!  That’s why couch movers can move couches with such ease while the rest of us bumble around and hit walls and door frames, they have moved couches over and over and over, and have learned the process needed to accomplish moving that couch, and have optimally adapted.  Your body requires the same thing!  Many trainers make the mistake of changing the workout on a weekly basis, but the issue with this style of training is your client has not had a repeated stimulus to adapt to (doing the same thing a few weeks in a row),  and thus have limited their training potential.

"Programming" Secrets!

A little known secret about training that can save you a lot of time and allow you to optimize training for your clients…introductory workouts!  With my training, every person that walks in the door goes on one of two introductory workouts (basic or more advanced).  This goes against everything you have ever heard about training!  Everyone is different and thus require different training, right?  Yes, I would agree with that to an extent.  But everyone is the same in that everyone needs to learn how to squat, how to hip hinge, how to do single leg movements, how to do upper body push and pull movements.  As soon as they finish the 2 week introductory workout card that teaches the basic movements, they can then move on to a card more tailored to their needs.  You can use this same approach in your training!  Having these introductory cards set will provide you with a few benefits:

1. Teach the basic movements that you feel everyone must learn
2. Allow you time to learn more about the client, their needs and wants, and ultimately create a workout that will optimize their results
3. Have a selling tool for people as they walk in!  Explain the learning and training process to potential clients and they will love you for it!

Last, but most certainly not least:

Sales tool

People love their own name.  People love the feeling of being taken care of, and people will pay a LOT of money to have it.  Some of the most famous trainers in the world are most certainly not the best, however they have that ability to connect with clients and provide the “taking care of/looking out for” feeling that clients want.  Something as simple as having a persons name on their workout (and not scribbled in) can change the way they perceive you, your planning, training and ultimately, the number of sessions they purchase from you.

 Final Thoughts

As you can see, proper training should be a win-win situation for EVERYONE.  You, the trainer, get more clients, more sessions per client and more dollars per session.  You have shown results in your clients and have earned it.  The client gets a personal trainer who relies on tried and proven methods of training, avoids current fads and gimmicks, and has structured programs that allow their clients optimal results.  A client should leave the gym feeling great, like they got their moneys worth and that they are better today than yesterday.  The trainer should leave knowing they gave their clients everything they had, and they are actively putting forth an effort to make their clients better.  Win-Win!  Hope you enjoy and keep on the look out for more!