What do you think about systematizing trainers programming is it helpful or does it take away creativity?
Hi Matt,
that depends to which degree you take the ‘systematization’. If you have a number of trainers working for you, then there should be some standard of documentation and intake procedures. For example, you may decree that body composition, anthropomorphic measurements, and certain parameters of a musculoskeletal assessments should be part of the initial meeting with the client.
After that, it gets more murky. Inexperienced trainers would love nothing more than a blueprint (I used to be one of them, so this is nothing but retrospection). But clients come with different needs and wants, and they would be poorly served with a systematized approach. To say nothing of the experienced trainers; I would hit the ceiling if somebody told me how to train a client.
Of course, this presents the dilemma that different trainers do different things, and, in a gym setting, this does not go unnoticed. But as long as the trainers are all qualified, this may even be a plus because some clients may be drawn to some trainers more so than to others. You may end up with a good match between trainer and client if you allow for flexibility.
Hope this was helpful.
Karin Singleton
www.meltnc.com