Recharging Trainers From the Inside Out

Nothing is more rewarding than seeing clients smile—and not because they lost weight or improved their fitness, either. When clients exude confidence that comes from having adopted a healthier outlook on life, it is because their transformation was more than external—it came from within.

Personal trainers strive to deliver programs that impact clients from the inside out. So why shouldn’t professional development conferences do the same for personal trainers? 2013 IDEA Personal Trainer Institute™ East did just that! More than 800 attendees turned up in Alexandria, Virginia, from February 28 through March 3, to develop their expertise, further their skill sets and enhance their business acumen. Below are several themes that surfaced at this sold-out fitness event:

• Holistic assessments. Client assessments extend beyond traditional metrics like height and weight or a series of cardio and strength tests. More trainers are mapping training to clients’ lifestyles, personalities and behaviors. Assessment protocols that also consider happiness levels, sleep patterns, digestive function and physical activity preferences may have greater influence in future program design.
• Stability and mobility training. Fitness pros are training more clients debilitated by physiological pain, emotional stress, obesity and chronic disease. Conventional exercises may be too complex or challenging for these people. Presenters stressed stability and mobility training, demonstrated effective regression or progression techniques and shared best practices for training foundational movements.
• Focus on behavior change. Trainers are aligning programs with behavior change processes in hopes of influencing clients before, during and after their sessions. Session topics included motivation techniques for nonexercisers; the effects of exercise on the brain; integration of fun and play into programming; and use of social media to promote adherence and overcome relapse.
• Professional partnerships. Personal training skills are highly versatile and transferable to other settings and industries. The transitions from commercial to corporate wellness, on-site to online trainings, and private to group programs were among the trending topics within the business and marketing track.

Demand for personal training services is growing, and fitness pros are always looking for effective ways to improve their programs and differentiate their services. Both presenters and attendees who participated in 2013 IDEA Personal Trainer Institute East addressed “real-world” approaches during their sessions, elevating industry discussions and creating meaningful experiences.

Want further insights from the sessions at 2013 IDEA Personal Trainer Institute East? Check out the daily recap from Biray’s blog or watch one of 18 sessions that are now available as CEC/CEU courses on DVD. For more information, visit www.ideafit.com/fitness-products/sessions-from-2013-idea-personal-trainer-institute.

If you missed this fitness event, you still have the chance to experience the same caliber of programming—and many of the same sessions! Come to 2013 IDEA Personal Trainer Institute™ West in Seattle, May 2–5, 2013. See www.ideafit.com/fitness-conferences/idea-personal-trainer-institute-west.