Horsham-based female personal trainer, Becky, helps clients of all ages and abilities to progress on their fitness journeys. But should a personal trainer set goals for you? She answers here…
Are a client’s fitness goals the choice of a personal trainer?
No.
Hmm. Short blog, that. Better expand…
When I have initial conversations with prospective clients, it’s common for them to think that it’s me who decides what they achieve and when. It may work that way with some coaches, but it’s not how I run my service.
Because what you want isn’t up to me. I can tell you whether it’s realistic. I can tell you whether I’m the one to help you. But I can’t be the one to tell you what you want.
I think that, sometimes, this assumption comes from the client not being certain of what they want. It could be lack of knowledge – I certainly relate to that, having walked in as a total beginner myself and not knowing a deadlift from a squat (true story) – and that’s a useful thing for me to know. And it doesn’t mean that I should take responsibility for deciding.
As with all things in life, when it comes to what you want out of physical activity, the choice is yours! I can absolutely help you to make that choice. I can guide, and provide suggestions. I can check in to ensure that you still want what you originally said you did. I can help you to change the plan, or push further. What I want is completely irrelevant – you are paying for your sessions, and you are using your body, so it’s about what you want and need.
Your goals also don’t need to be a specific type. It’s of no surprise to me that I’ve yet to work with a single person who wants to run a marathon, or swim the Channel. There’s nobody on my books who’s aiming at an Olympic medal, or to row across the Atlantic. Some of my clients literally want to have sessions in order to ensure that they do, in fact, exercise. For the majority, that isn’t the only goal.
Of course, a lot of them want to lose fat, or gain strength. They might want to sleep better and have more energy – both things that exercise can help you to do. They use exercise to manage medical conditions, and their mental health. They come to me to have some time prioritising themselves and their body. They want to feel more confident in the gym environment. They want to learn new things, and appreciate what their body can do.
And all of those are things that they chose, those aren’t agendas I’ve set for them.
Due to my cancer rehab specialism, I have a cohort of clients who want to regain function and nerve sensation. They also often want to be able to resume activities they’ve had to temporarily leave behind. A lot of the time, they don’t even say when they first come to me that they want to start doing those things again – typically, they’ve given up on that dream. Gradually, as they recover further from treatment and start to feel better, they tend to start hoping again. And, when they understand that I’m patient and compassionate and willing to support them, they start to say those things out loud: “do you think I could? Maybe next year. I think I’d like to…” and off we go from there.
It always comes from them. I may well know that someone is an avid winter sports fan or cyclist, but I wait for them to tell me that they want to do those things, rather than me suggesting it. It’s not up to me, you see. It’s their body, and their life. If I think that they are capable, and could proceed safely, they’ll have my full encouragement and support.
When you train with me, the goals are always your choice.