If you have been in fitness for a few years and got yourself results, great job! Now, if you are thinking, “This is easy, I want to help other people do the same!”. Let me stop you right there.
I want to tell you that yes and no. It is easy and no, it is a lot of work.
If this is your passion, then it should not be work for you. Obviously, because you love to do it. But if you think that it is all going to be rainbows and butterflies and think that these clients will come to you because you have a desirable physique? You need to reevaluate why you want to become one.
A few things you need to understand is that people do not think like you. Many people put their health 2nd or 3rd in their list of priorities.
If you think they will always be receptive and cooperative, you are fooling yourself. Actually, in any industry, you will almost always have people who will be stubborn. It is life. That’s how it was and how it always will be.
But that is why you need to be able to handle yourself and hold yourself accountable before being able to do that for others.
Here is something that you don’t know.
Most personal trainers think that it is all about lifting weights, and how you lift the weights, or how many reps, or how long, etc. In reality, that is the easy part. The challenging part of a personal trainer is how to handle clients who put themselves down. The ones who think they know everything. The ones who are too attached to their old habits. The ones who have no guidance whatsoever.
If you encounter clients who are negative and pessimistic, be careful how you handle them. They can be your best or worst clients. But understand that your mental health is much more important than a bad review.
It is really draining if you give too much of your energy to people who aren’t really willing to put in the work. All you can do is come from love and compassion. The best thing to do is to come up to those clients and let them know, “Hey, maybe this isn’t right for you right now. But in the future, you will be much more prepared to do the assignments given to you.
You can hold people accountable, but you can’t do the work for them.
Being a personal trainer is almost like being a life coach. You will encounter numerous types of personalities.
That is a good thing! It is an opportunity for you to learn from each and every one of them. You will learn about who they are, where they come from, and why they do what they do.
The other part is the client’s documents. You need to make sure that you are tracking all of their goals and making sure you are always shifting the plans based on their progress. If they are making progress, then there is not much change that needs to happen.
If they are making slow progress, you need to figure out what is effective and ineffective.
Understand one thing though. There will be times where you will get frustrated because there will be a lot of clients who don’t make much progress. But let me tell you right now, that it is 99%, not your fault.
If you gave them the (correct) tools, resources, and nutrition advice, then the clients need to meet you in the middle. If you know that they are not following what you say, then it is no more your responsibility. But if you are not in integrity and tell them false promises just to have them as a client then that is obviously your doing.
If you give your clients your best self, then you will attract the best clients. You will be able to surround yourself with inspirational clients who you can learn from and grow with!
Personally, it is such a beautiful experience as a personal trainer knowing that you are helping people get healthier physically (and sometimes mentally.)
The point is, make sure you can handle yourself before handling others. I encourage you to keep growing as an individual if you want your clients to grow with you.
Your clients are your fanbase. If they cheer you on, they will follow everything you say. Happy people love other happy people. If you are on a growth journey, your clients will be really curious about what you do and where you are going in life.
