Some thoughts and discussions from me.
4 Lessons I Learned the Hard Way as a Personal Trainer
In my 6+ years as a personal trainer, I’ve experienced learned so much. And I’m still continuing to learn, and will continue to learn as long as I’m coaching clients to lead healthier, happier lives through health and fitness.
Luckily, I’ve been able to obtain invaluable knowledge through continuing education courses, webinars, additional certifications, and a thirst for industry research and news. Additionally, I work with incredibly talented trainers at my gym, and learn from them every single day. Sometimes I’ll even show up early to train a client, just to watch my knowledgeable co-trainers train their clients!
However, there are some things that I’ve had to learn on my own – the hard way. I’m not regretful for this, as every experience – good or bad – builds character and helps one grow as a responsible, contributing person in society.
Of course, I’d rather learn things via reading or watching or learning from others’ mistakes, which is why I’m sharing with you all 4 lessons I learned the hard way as a personal trainer.
1. Not to Take it Personally if You Don’t Become BFF’s with All of Your Clients.
I absolutely love it when I immediately click with a client. During our initial consultation and first session, one of my goals is to connect to my client on an interpersonal level. Not only does it make our hour-long sessions a little more fun, but it also allows me to feel like I’m truly able to motivate and affect her healthy behaviors the other 165 hours in the week when she isn’t with me.
In my first few years of training, I’d let it really affect me when a client would be standoffish, answer in short, one-word answers to all of my questions, or completely avoid all conversation with me that didn’t directly relate to the workout during our training sessions.
I can remember a few years back, and I’d been training a client for around 6 months, and almost dreaded our sessions because of the painfully awkward silences between sets. At the end of each session, I’d sigh with relief that it was over, and wonder if she even enjoyed training!
However, she was making progress with her goals, and kept paying me to train her, so I did. Then, one day I got an email reply from her after sending her some mobility exercises she should be doing on her off days. It read that she would read through the exercises and begin to implement them in her routine, but then at the end of the email, she wrote that had been going through some very tough personal problems at home, and she really looked forward to her time with me in the gym, where she could focus on her workout and feel good about herself. From that day on, I looked at our time together in a completely new light.
2. It’s OK to Break Up with a Client.
A few years ago, I was working with a client 3-4 days a week. We’d meet together every week for about a month, and then she’d miss a week or two. Then we’d meet again for another month, and then she’d flake again on a few sessions. All the while, she wasn’t making any progress with her goals, workouts outside of our sessions were not being completed, and she wouldn’t comply to the nutrition plan we built for her together.
I worked with this client for 11 months before I realized that it just wasn’t working out with us. In my eyes, I wasn’t right for her because I couldn’t get through to her about what she needed to do in order to complete her goals. So, I sat down with her, and told that while I’ve appreciated our time together, I think it’d be best for her if she spent her money elsewhere.
It’s not because I couldn’t have used the money. It’s because I couldn’t respectfully taken her money, knowing that I wasn’t doing my job, which was to get her to reach her goals. Additionally, I pride myself on helping my clients move toward their goals, so it was starting to affect me emotionally and mentally, as well.
3. Trust Your Gut About Where You Train.
I have been lucky in that three out of the four gyms I’ve trained at have been well-respected, stand-up facilities. I stayed at my first gym for three years, and even became the gym manager there. When I moved, it was a rough go at the beginning. I started working at a gym where, from Day 1, I had a funny feeling in my gut that it wasn’t the gym for me. Now, I’m smarter than that to bash a gym on a public venue, but it took me four long, miserable months to call it quits at that gym.
Don’t be wishy-washy or quit without giving it a really good try, but trust your gut. And read the small print. You know yourself and how you work better than anyone else. I should have known when I sat down in the office that very first day that gym wasn’t for me, but because of that experience, now I’ll never make that mistake again.
4. Have a System, and Stick with it.
In my first year of training, I lost so much money because I didn’t stick to my policy of charging clients when they cancelled last minute. Now, I let my clients know that I’ll give them one freebie. Otherwise, if they don’t cancel by 8:00 the night before, they’ll be charged for their session.
Personal training is definitely not your typical 9-5 job. It extends from the wee hours of the morning, to emailing clients back right before hopping into bed. It’s difficult, if not impossible to “leave work at work,” and it’s a lotof work. But, it’s the best job in the world, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything!
Have you had to learn lessons the hard way in your career? Did it make you stronger because of them?
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In many ways these are the same lessons that I’ve learned as a counselor. Some people you really click with more than others (obviously- we all have different personality types), and that’s ok.
Caroline @ Fighting For Wellness recently posted…I’ve Been Nominated!
Yes! I’ve learned to make the money part of working with clients as non-personal as possible with signing a policy before our first session with the cancellation policy and expectations. I don’t want that to get in the way of working together. At first, I also had friends who turned to me expecting somewhat of a free session, but it took up my time/energy. Eventually, I just had to explain that this is my job and send them to my blog or to another dietitian I trust if they really wanted nutrition help (I don’t typically work with close friends/family because it can get tricky/too personal at times).
Lauren recently posted…Why I’m Giving up Real Food
All great lessons to be learned. So happy that you love doing what you do : )
Jenn@Mark My Miles! recently posted…Life Lately
This is a great post! I wish you lived closer so you could be my personal trainer! haha
Amen to all of this!!! Yes, yes, yes! I think becoming a trainer has actually made me smarter about my own workouts too. As crazy as that seems, but I feel so much stronger now than I did before. Not because I do more either, but because I workout smarter.
Sarena (The Non Dairy Queen) recently posted…Bob’s Red Mill Giveaway Winner!
So I found this through fittin pretty, but had to comment and say YES! I teach classes so its a little bit different, but the students who I haven’t seen in a while I always like to connect with on facebook and see how they’re doing and if they need a different class or time.
Katie recently posted…Yogatta Try This: Part 5 of 6, Teaching 1 Year
love these! especially number 2!! had to do it a few times.
Lindsay @ Lindsay’s List recently posted…wiaw – food blessings
1 and 2, yes!! i’ve totally been there and learned the hard way. but i learned. we need boundaries
lindsay recently posted…Working Balance into Strength Training
Love this post! It reminds me of some of the tricks I had to use to remain sane while teaching junior high kids:-) For example, I learned to have special homework deposit areas and never, ever took an assignment in my hands. I didn’t have a germ fetish, but when I asked a student for a missing assignment, they could never say, “I handed it to you!”
“Try again,” I’d say. “Look in the homework pile,” I’d suggest. I already knew it wasn’t there:-) They either didn’t do it, or sometimes, they would find the paper in their notebook.
And, all in all, I love teaching; it is very rewarding! However, like you, I had a few “clients” that I wished could have been placed with another “trainer.” But I’m over it 🙂
You sound like a great trainer. I’ve worked with several trainers in the past and I feel some (not all) just have a workout of the day that they put all their clients through. I like #2 above that you feel responsible for your client meeting their goals.
Thank you, Miki! Unfortunately, this is all too often the case. A good trainer realizes that their job is to write programs….not workouts.
Definitely can relate…and should have done #2 a few times and haven’t. Love these fitness- and personal trainer-focused posts! (also love your personal life posts too) 😀
Bonnie recently posted…Vegas & Back: OMG 2014
Thanks, Bonnie!
The very first point you described here is what happened between me and my Coach until I too explained to him that I see our sessions as a time when I switch off from my personal life. And that I enjoy it more if we talk about sport and exercise. Since then we clicked on this level 🙂
blackhuff recently posted…How I managed the climbs in my ride yesterday
I’m learning to stick to my guns about my style of teaching. I just don’t come across as genuine when I try to subscribe to the way they think I should teach. I take their feedback and integrate it and show them I can follow their prescription but I’ve been slowly integrating more and more of my style and it’s paying off. In the end, no one gets the full benefit I can’t be me.
Katrina Ninjarina recently posted…Race Day Recap | Home With Heroes 5k Run N’ Gun
I haven’t been a trainer for too long, but I definitely haven’t broken up with somebody….I think that sometimes it takes people a while to catch the bug and really start to make it a habit.
Laura @ RunningJunkie recently posted…New Items for Me and a FREE Race Entry for YOU!
I’m glad you haven’t had to do this with a client! It’s a very tough decision – and not a fun one. I don’t take it lightly.
Good sugestion, You should have a system and still hold on this. I agree.
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