I have a client who trains with other trainers on the weekends. How do I ensure she is getting a well rounded program?
I work in a corporate fitness facility that is only open M-F and I am not allowed to train outdoors on weekends due to liability reasons. My client is very aggressive with her weight loss goals, and after a few months with me she decided to add a "bonus trainer" to meet with her on Saturdays. How in the world do I make sure she is getting a well rounded program and plan our workouts properly? This other trainer has an expired cert and is having her do things I don't agree with. Help!
You could ask for the other trainer’s contact details so you can get in touch and try to ensure your programs aren’t conflicting or putting your client at risk of an over-use injury. Even if you don’t particularly respect the other trainer’s methods, it shows professionalism and care for your own client, and may help with programming.
If you are really concerned the other trainer is putting your client at risk, you could purchase your own liability insurance, and have your client pay you directly for a weekend session. Just make sure you’re not breaking your contract with your fitness facility by doing so.
Another option could be spending extra time writing a program for your client to follow by herself on the weekends. If you’ve been working with her for a while, and feel confident about her form and ability, there’s no reason she couldn’t do some strength training by herself.
Hope this helps!
I agree with Carly- offer to find a way to train her on the weekends, or create a program for her to do on her own. One main goal of a trainer is to teach self-efficacy, so she can perform all that you have trained her on her own. I would encourage her to either work with you or on her own for consistency.
Speak your truth to her. Let her know your concerns and that you want what’s best for her. Let her know that it’s essential that a professional upholds the standard in our industry and that’s important to you…would you consider hiring a doctor who by the way didn’t pass the boards? Just missed a few questions ? Or didn’t see the point since they’d had all that school just the same? Of course not!
Then educate, educate, educate while you’re training her. If you are doing that- even she should spot the difference between a trainer who knows good form and one who does not.
Do make sure that you let it know a difference of opinion is OK. We have to agree to disagree sometimes, there is more than one right answer. But if something is injurious to your client it’s important that you point it out. Your relationship is with your client though- not with the trainer- and if they haven’t sought you out – it’s odd so chances are that they aren’t going to do so.
