Introduce today’s workout and give them a brief. “Today we are sculpting your thighs. After your warm up we’ll dive into to the paper plate exercises and round off the session with some relaxing stretches.” Be genuine! This is the make or break of your client-trainer relationship. A client can immediately sense when you are not being authentic and come across as rehearsed. It doesn’t matter if you are just starting out as a trainer, be your unique self. Don’t be afraid of making mistakes. You can always correct it. Laugh it off, but always show that you are in control. Be dependable. From body language (strong yet friendly) to reassuring words, encouragement and flexibility; show the client you care and that they can rely on you. Be respectful and never get personal or argue. Limit information about yourself or your achievements. Sharing a bit is good but not too much. Be smart with use of compliments or correc-
tions. Give appreciation when it is genuinely required. Let go of some mistakes that don’t potentially harm, saving correction for those that do. Space out your corrections over different sessions in order of priority. Don’t feel compelled to talk all the time. Give your client time to feel the exercise in silence. Make it fun! Think of ways to make this the best part of your client’s day. Chatting a bit, cracking a joke, using music they love lightens up the mood. Be warm. Show them you love to train them. Finish your session by telling them what they accomplished and if they must watch out for any soreness or fatigue. Also tell them you look forward to seeing them for their next workout and what they will be working on. Part 3: After Training Check in with your client in the evening or morning after, to see how they are doing. Send them a high five or give them tips to relax the sore muscles. Send them information they are interested
in or were asking for, even if it isn’t fitness-related. Celebrate! Birthdays, Christmas, other holidays are a great time to show the extra care. Send them a card and a small gift. Use the holiday theme in your workouts. For birthdays, do exercises that spell out their full names. As an example, for “Jane Smith” you could do jumping jacks for the J and alternate lunges for A… and so on. Do their favorite workout or skip the session & take them for a tea or coffee! For Christmas, do a stretch segment to Christmas music. Send them an annual thank you note and gift. Get creative, make your own swag! Soon you will see — applying these tools will make all the difference in the world. Your clients are going to love you!
Brinda Desai has been in the fitness field the past 23 years as group fitness trainer, head of group fitness department, personal trainer (ACE) & fitness author & writer. Her book is called Secrets to Being Quintessentially Svelte.
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