If you have a client with a specific goal in mind,
such as correcting bad posture due to upper crossed syndrome, do you design a program that focuses on exercises that strictly work the back and shoulders, or do you just give them a full body workout instead? Same question with a client with specific goal in mind, such as tightening up glutes and thighs, do you give them a workout that consists of just exercises for the glutes and thighs, or do you give them a full body workout and just include 1 or 2 exercises that focus on glutes and thighs?
Hi Melissa,
After you perform an assessment on the client, you’ll have a better idea about his/her goals and areas that need the most attention. If a client comes to you with a specific goal or weakness they know needs improvement, then you will have to find the best way you can to help them reach that goal. Once you have done the assessment and you have discovered any weaknesses, inform your client and let him/her know what your recommendations are and go from there. Most of the time, clients have no idea how to reach their goals, which is why they come to us. If you believe that the best way to approach their issue is to target just that specific area, then that might be the best way to go about it. Once you have corrected those specific issues, you can re-assess their progress and come up with a new plan for continued improvement. If those issues can be corrected by engaging in a more general approach then you have to make the call to proceed in that direction. Sometimes, fixing small things first will help clients improve their overall fitness and condition, which will make it easier for you to design a fitness program that will target their whole body. Whether a client comes to me with an imbalance that needs work or an area of their body they’re unhappy with, I don’t think I’ve done my clients a real service unless I’ve taken them beyond working on specific issues or body parts. Having toned glutes for example, doesn’t translate to improved fitness or overall health. Particularly for clients who are self-conscious about specific body parts, I try to get them to take the focus off the body part and redirect it to improved health, diet, cholesterol, etc., and I often get them to do this by suggesting they train for an event.
Best,
Harris