How responsible should I be for what my clients due in the time they are not training with me?
My clients are all over the map with what they are able to accomplish in fitness during the week between our sessions… with both injury prevention in mind and the clients’ desire for change and growth, it is paramount to keep the sessions challenging and yet safe. Are most trainers providing “home programs” for their clients? And if so, is this customarily a separate charge?
Ultimately, we can only do so much, and the choices our clients make can only reflect what they know. My mentor always taught me to try to teach myself out of a job-which of course never happens, as the more I teach clients / participants / staff, the more they want! Though you can’t be there every step of the way with your clients (thus are not responsible for the decisions they are making), you can be the voice of reason in their head if they’ve heard you say something to them before-whether its about something they’re about to eat, or a workout they’re debating over watching TV.
As for part 2 / home programs / charging: I think it is imperative to get credit and paid for any work you do, so yes you should charge. I’ve seen some use a session for this, and others develop a separate fee. But your knowledge of the person, their goals, and their history all go into making one of these plans, unlike something they find for free on the internet, so charging for the personalization isn’t asking for too much.
Best of luck!