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Ask a health and fitness-related question and receive answers from fitness experts and professionals
Home » IDEA Answers » What Are Some Fun Exercises For Difficult Clients?
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Question asked by Marlan Eller 2335 days ago

What Are Some Fun Exercises For Difficult Clients?

ExercisesClients

Difficult clients being those clients who don't enjoy physical activity. Suggested exercises should be able to be performed in a gym setting with common equipment (medicine balls, body bars, dumbbells, kettlebells, stability balls, free weights, smith machine, and the like). Suggested exercises should also be engaging and aimed at helping clients to see working out as an enjoyable and positive experience.

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Answers (11)

Answered by Shawn Fears 2335 days ago
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566 Questions Answered, 9 Questions Asked
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I really don't change the exercises but instead focus making it ridiculously easy. I have a current client who is constantly accusing me of sneaking in extra work on her...lol. I believe that if a client's outlook on exercise changes from "this sucks" to "I can do this" then everything changes. I tend to start these types of clients with a single set of exercises or a single round of a circuit then step it up slowly while pushing their tolerance (work capacity) upwards. The client that keep accusing me of sneaking in work on her has gone from 1 set of 10 body weight squats up to using a 25lb dumbell in each hand (50lbs total) for 3 sets of 14, to leg pressing 290 for 3 sets of 8 reps followed immediately by 40 reps with 200lbs with no rest in only 6 weeks. Yes..I have been sneaking in more work on her lol. I love my job!
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Answered by Tania Admans 2247 days ago
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2 Questions Answered, 0 Questions Asked
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By far we get out the boxing gloves! Most people can box, even if the techique isn't there, there's something exciting about letting loose on your trainer. I have come across a few clients who really aren't interested in it though. I also use it to break up a session when the client seems to be lacking motivation.
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Answered by Corey Pearson 2210 days ago
3 Questions Answered, 1 Questions Asked
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With this program you adjust the session duration and the weights, accordingly.

Enjoy!

1. Back
2. Biceps
3. Shoulders
Length:

Exercise 1: Cable Rows wt: _____
Exercise 2: Cable Curls wt: _____
Exercise 3: Cable Frontals wt: _____

Reps

Cable Rows 15
Cable Curls 10
Cable Rows 15
Cable Curls 10
Cable Rows 15
Cable Frontals 10
Cable Rows 15
Cable Frontals 10
Cable Rows 15
Cable Frontals 10
Cable Curls 10
Cable Frontals 10
Cable Curls 10
Cable Frontals 10
Cable Curls 10
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Answered by Karin Singleton 2335 days ago
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2973 Questions Answered, 13 Questions Asked
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Hi Marlan,

you set the bar pretty high. But at least there is hope. After all, the clients came to you because they see the value of exercise. I find that the claim of 'not enjoying physical activity' often stems from an insecurity about not being able to do them at all. And 'dislike' becomes a great smokescreen.

I tend to start with exercises that are non-quantifiable so that there is no 'measure' of achievement (at least initially). You will be able to see very quickly where your clients do well. People like to feel successful, and that's my next order of business. I would hazard a guess that by now the dislike has already decreased and you can start implementing the program which - according to your assessment is the best for the client.

Sometimes we just have to do a detour to get clients to where they need to go.
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Answered by Susan Dalonzo 2332 days ago
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1937 Questions Answered, 22 Questions Asked
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I put boxing gloves on them and have them punch or throw a medicine ball back and forth with me, or bounce tennis balls off a wall and chase them.

When I train super serious clients I try to get them out of their comfort zone by doing balance work with eyes closed.


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Answered by Curtis Cornett 2289 days ago
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124 Questions Answered, 12 Questions Asked
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Adding something different to the exercise routine sometimes help.Rope jumping, medicine ball, step training, resistance bands and balance boards are just a few tools to introduce to client's suffering from boredom or being difficult. Speeding up or slowing down the tempo sometimes helps client's focus better.Or ask the client why they are being difficult ( in your own special way without offending or being wimpy). Maybe this way, each of you can come to a common ground.
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Answered by Kurt Gillon 2265 days ago
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111 Questions Answered, 19 Questions Asked
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I had one client, regardless of what we did, she brought zero energy and was so disinterested I seriously thought about dropping her. But, I decided to challenge her in a way that either she was going to perform or walk away. I had her focusing on cardio drills along with BOSU only exercises. This forced her to focus on her cardio and balance.

After a few sessions of this it was like a new person had come aboard. We never talked about how she was prior to the new change in exercise routine, but I did not care. We overcame a barrier and moved forward.
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Answered by Daniel Kosich 2262 days ago
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How about just getting on a bike and going for a ride around the lake? Sounds simple, but maybe it's more like making it an enjoyable activity instead of an exercise session. If it can be an enjoyable activity instead of a "workout" it may have a greater long-term appeal.

Take care.
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Answered by Mac Dodds 2077 days ago
322 Questions Answered, 4 Questions Asked
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I try to make exercises into a game so they are thinking about the game instead of the work.
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Answered by Harris Sophocleous 1924 days ago
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2722 Questions Answered, 7 Questions Asked
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Punching is always fun and it helps with relieving stress as well.
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Answered by Louben Repke 627 days ago
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28 Questions Answered, 5 Questions Asked
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Like everyone else mentions punching bag/boxing. I have 2 punching bag and majority of my clients love pounding them. I train a lot of doctors, lawyers, nurses and of course everyday people. There is just something about hitting stuff that most people love. Out of my 80 plus clients only about 5 of them don't like the boxing thus I don't make them do it. Most people love it and get a good sweat.

I like to do fun things sometimes with clients with the boxing. I will grab a foam roller and swing at their heads so then they'll squat as I swing it. I yell and say duck first, so they do a squat then I hit the punching bag with the foam roller as they squat. DO NOT HIT YOUR CLIENTS ON THE HEAD. haha. It's just a fun game that I pretend if they don't squat/duck they'd actually get hit on the head.

Another fun game I like to do is challenging my clients. I train a couple clients who used to play baseball, soccer, basketball etc. when they were young. So I'll challenge them by having several cones and we're at a distance away from them. The key is hitting the target and each miss is associated with an exercise. I use my laundry hamper for basketball players, I use cones to kick the soccer at for my soccer players. Baseball, I put up a target and they must throw from certain number of distances and each miss is a workout.

Lastly, I use and create a game using a deck of cards. I assign exercises to different cards/numbers. You can be as creative as you want. Clients pull out cards and must do that exercise (I use jokers as a break from the workout).

I say just be creative and think of other fun games or things you do in day to day and how you can assign an exercise to it.


You can check out my website here http://www.repkefitness.com/ I have a personal training studio located in Severna Park, Maryland.

Louben Repke, RN, BSN, CPT
http://www.repkefitness.com/#!louben-repke/cax3
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