What are the top five lessons you've learned as a personal trainer?

1) Clients want to be listened to and paid attention!
2) The language you use whether it's technical or more layman depends on the client.
3) Motivational techniques vary from client to client.
4) Clients need praise, even if it is just for making the session on time.
5) If I know who I am training, we will both be successful

Do assessments always so you know what you are dealing with and if they have medical issues.
It is about building relationships.
It is about making your client feel comfortable with you and building trust.
Be attentive and let it be about the person you are training and about helping them reach their goals.
Be professional and keep up with your certification and changes in the industry. Learn all you can learn.

1) clients don't care about ME, what I've accomplished, what magazines I write for, how many times I've been on TV/radio/etc. Their #1 concern (and rightfully so) is their own progress.

2) as important as it is to understand the 'technical' side of fitness, it's even more important to be good at marketing and sales

3) it's okay to turn prospective clients down or fire clients who don't/won't/can't adhere to your 'rules.'

4) Sell something different. Any trainer can sell an 'hour' or a 'session' (or a package of hours/sessions.) Instead, sell the result; 10lbs lost, .2 off your 40yrd time, etc. Clients will value your service so much more.

5) Never stop learning.

1. Every client is his/her own body expert. Understand and respect that e.g., if someone says, "I can't do lunges, I have bad knees". Respect that, but find a way to politely probe what the real issue is and how it may be resolved or at least modified. Once a client knows you care, he/she will eventually learn to trust your judgement and not dismiss an idea at the outset.

2. As corny as it sounds, clients are people too. A cookie-cutter approach to designing programs will ultimately fail because it will expose the laziness of the trainer and his/her lack of respect for the client.

3. Be open to constructive criticism and unsolicited comments. I've learned that being defensive halts what could be productive dialogue. As long as the comments are well-intentioned, they should be welcomed. If they are not so, take a deep breath and try to find out what is bothering them (it may not be the issue at hand at all).

4. Take care of thyself! You can't be everything to everybody. Clients can relate to this and will appreciate your honesty. That is, assuming you're not taking off for 1 hour massages every third week during their training session:)

5. Keep things simple, safe, appropriately challenging, fun, professional, respectful (not necessarily in that order).

Lesson #1. You NEVER know everything- you are always learning no matter how long you have been in this business (industry).

Lesson#2. Clients have goals, different personalities, feelings and their own lives. Know this, understand this, be sensitive to this but don't let it over take you - be respectful, kind and Professional...always.

Lesson #3. Yes you can have a bad day just don't let the client see it, feel it or hear it.

Lesson#4. Take care of yourself and be aware of burnout. It can come over you fast without you even knowing. Take TIME for yourself because if you don't you are NO GOOD to anyone else. SELF CARE.

Lesson#5. If you lose your Passion GET OUT.

1.-Look always like a trainer, fit, clean basically look like a million dollar executive.
2.- Be profesional, always on time, be polite and listen what they need in their fitness program.
3.- Your clients are part or an extension of your life,they are your friends and they relay on your expertise to help them look or feel good that is why they stick with you for years and years.
4.- If they pay top dollars for your services make sure you have the best knowledge in as many areas as you can learn to be a better an unique trainer.
5.-Be energetic, be a role model, be an inspiration.

1. Never work without insurance
2. Be where the client is and take them to the next step, not to where you think they should be.
3. Resist the desire to become friends with your clients- don't share personal information
4. If you are not prepared to spend more time marketing yourself than you do training, you are probably not going to be successful. Really- being a great trainer will not be enough. There are plenty of starving artists.
5. Teach your clients to forgive themselves by having them say to themselves "oh, how human of me!" This humorous statement creates an acceptance that we all make mistakes and have bad days.

I have learned so much! The top five are:

1 make sure the exercises are safe for the client
2 it is all about them
3 don't be too lenient - people need structure and you need to make a living
3 people cannot out exercise bad eating choices - not matter how hard they want to believe it
4 don't get too personal - clients sometimes see trainers as therapists
5 keep them challenged and having fun - make them laugh

1. Keep in mind that they are your clients not your friends.
2. Stay focused on the client.
3. Attend educational seminars to keep abreast of the latest
4. Offer variety only after achieving success, BUT, if something doesn't
work don't stick with it.
5. If you see another personal trainer doing something unsafe or coachng an unsafe exercise, refrain from commenting out loud. Speak privately. If questioned by your client, have literature to back up your position.

1. Be professional!
2. Be supportive but firm.
3. Educate your clients so they understand the importance of what you are teaching them.
4. Follow the rules of good business.
5. Show each client that you truly care- I don't treat this as a job but as the opportunity to live my passion.

1. Remember that you are there for your client. Pay attention to their form, etc. I have seen so many trainers texting, looking around, etc. while training.
2. Be professional. Keep your relationship with your client friendly, but never cross the line.
3. Stay on top of industry changes. There is always new research, etc. and we need to be in the know.
4. Love what you do. Your passion will show.
5. Be thankful that you are doing something that you love and are helping helping others.

1. You can't do it alone- you need support from other professionals around you at all times
2. You don't always know it all- you have to keep educating yourself and learning new ways of doing things
3. Some clients just want to be known- let them know you care for them and listen to their needs
4. Not all clients are the same- there is no cookie cutter routine for everyone
5. There has to be trust and mutual respect for eachother in the relationship- this is how I have retained clients for some long periods of time

1. The most important component of an exercise is FAILURE & then the speed to which you perform the exercise. Do yourself a favor & get a copy of BODY BY SCIENCE by Dr. Doug McGuff, it's a great starter book for EVERYONE! You can also find videos on youtube on Body By Science. W/o musculature failure u do not reach inroad (complete weakening of the muscle) which
2. Flexibility is an overrated aspect of fitness & muscular strength is underrated, poorly understood & somewhat feared. Ex: An elderly man who shuffles as he walks wld b considered to have lost his flexibility, but by placing him on a strengthening program using the crudest of resistance tools & exercises such as squats, deadlifts, overhead press etc he beomes dramatically stronger & will regain most, if not all, of his functional flexibility! Again read BODY BY SCIENCE!
3. Most, if not all, "cardio" (aerobic) exercise lacks efficient mscular loading, is nonprogressive & causes all sorts of bad conditions due to its excessive & repetitive force levels.
4. There's a misunderstanding between exercise & recreation. Exercise is a serious matter that, properly applied, is to be perfomred devoid of the fun & social aspects. Trainers ought to have the same length of education/training that Dr's go through. We are part of preventative "medicine" how is it that a PT cert is so easily obtained? Serious injuries can occur if not properly trained/taught how to instruct someone not only how to perform an exercise, but also on what's the best type of exercise protocol for the safety of the client.
5. Ken Hutchins - Super Slow protocol/philosophy is Science Based/backed & is the most effective, efficiant & safe way of reaching optimum fitness!

Numbers 1-4 quote a lot of what I'm learning through Body By Science, as well as, Ken Hutchins

1. Listen to the client
2. Listen to the client
3. Listen to the client
4. Listen to the client
5. Listen to the client

1. Respect the client and their time.
2. Listen to what the client really wants.
3. Go above and beyond call of duty.
4. Keep learning
5. Be genuine

Patience - understand that they don't always understand the work ahead.
Listen to what is not being said
Reinvent your delivery
Always maintain your boundaries, whatever you determine them to be.
Be present

"are you training or draining your client" Paul Check, How many FT ask themselves that question before every training session?

Don't take on clients who can afford you or can't pay based on a reasonable schedule (at least, don't take them on and expect to be paid.)

Specialize.

Study business, sales and marketing with the same enthusiasm you study exercise.

Leave time to work on your business as well as in your business.

Don't be afraid to say "no" when your gut tells you to.

Its not just about training, you have to be equally versed in business to be successfull.

I will never know enough about anything.

The initial interview is as much for you to find out if you want to train them as it is for them if they want you as a trainer.

Everybody will want free information...turn it into a blog or newsletter

There is a lot of psychology in training a client successfully

You will always need to learn more.

Listening to the clients wants/needs likes/dislikes are as important as the program itself.

Find a way to make yourself appeal to all walks of clientele.

Always be on time and prepared for any and everything.

You are there for moral support and need to build mental strength as well as physical strength.

1 There is ALWAYS more to learn.
2 The clients goal is your goal.
3 Never assume, always ask and educate
4 Encourage, encourage and encourage some more
5 Never be afraid to admit that you don't know

As a personal trainer & fitness studio owner with 30 years in the biz, there are hundreds of important things to know and do to be the best at what you do.

*. Make your client feel comfortable..remember for the majority of people new to training with a trainer, they feel awkward, uncomfortable & nervous.

*. Validate your client by hearing what they are saying.

*. Speak clearly and slowly so you give your client time to hear what you're saying while not overwhelming them with fast talking and lots of words just telling them what to do.

* Remind your client that you will be repeating what you're saying/teaching so they don't feel like they need a pencil and paper to "remember" what you are teaching them.

* As a GREAT TRAINER..refer back to Basic Fitness 101 with NEW clients while you continue to train your more advanced clients. Nothing worse than a trainer who can't "go back" to the basics to teach.

1. Take care of yourself first. It is not possible to be on top of your game is your are unwell.

2. Make it a goal to progressively increase your knowledge base.

3. Make it a habit to use evidence-based science and research when training your clients. In this way you won't have to guess.

4. Understand what motivates your client. This will facilitate client retention as well as client accountability.

5. Love what you do and this industry can take you too retirement and beyond.

1. Listen to clients
2. Prepare for clients.
3. Continued research.
4. Be flexible, adapt and create space.
4. HAVE FUN!