The 10 Commandments Of A Personal Trainer

Here are 10 points all Personal Trainer need to consider and then reconsider!

All Cert III and Cert IV students in our Personal Training courses are made very aware of all these points.

Punctuality: Clients are paying you for a specific time slot. Be professional by arriving on time. It is very frustrating waiting for an appointment. (Think of a Doctor’s surgery) Avoid this at all costs!
Role model: Practice what you preach. Lead a healthy lifestyle. Eat a healthy diet and get regular exercise. As Personal Trainer you cannot expect your clients to do this if you’re not practicing it yourself.
Knowledge: Continually update your knowledge. Strive to absorb as much information as possible. Never stop reading, listening and learning. Subscribe to trade journals and publications, attend conferences and workshops, and listen to other Personal Trainers. This is your career, treat it as such or be left behind.
Attention: Give your undivided attention to your client at all times. Remember that your client is paying for your time. You need to give them 100% attention to this. The rule that we like to use, is that you should be so focused on your client that the building could be burning around you and you wouldn’t even notice.
Honesty: Be honest towards your client. You will not know all the answers to your client’s questions. If you do not know the answer to a question posed to you, admit it, and say that you will try to find out. Sometimes clients believe their Personal Trainer possess infinite medical knowledge. It is always good to have a doctor whom you can call with such questions. Such an alliance will benefit you, the doctor and most importantly, your client.
Record keeping: Each session should be recorded with notes. This allows you to track your client’s progress and ensure they get the results they want. This also becomes crucial when it’s time for them to renew their sessions. Print them up a certificate showing them their improvements. Also make notes on important personal information such as birthdays, medications, injuries, goals etc. It is extremely important for his information to be at your fingertips.
Listen: Most people like to talk about themselves and things they are interested in. In today’s busy world people are very rarely get listened too. Don’t talk about yourself, your role as Personal Trainer is to listen, not to get too involved or too personal. It is your client’s time. Keep the relationship on a professional level and at an objective distance at all times.
Gossip: Don’t talk about your clients to others. Clients, often tell their Personal Trainer extremely personal information, which should never be discussed with anybody. They should be comfortable knowing that what they tell you goes no further than the two of you. Respect their privacy.
FUN! It is not uncommon to see a trainer with a client and the trainer looks like he/she would rather be anywhere but there. Who would want to pay hundreds of dollars to spend several hours a week with someone like this? Some clients don’t want to go to the gym in the first place and they will definitely not want to pay to train someone they don’t enjoy being around.
Feedback: Ask yourself. What am I doing well? What could I improve? This process of constant feedback ensures that you are constantly improving.