Did you know that many personal training certification courses can be finished in only one or two days?
Do you think it is possible to become a qualified personal trainer in just two days?
In contrast, education for our team of Singapore personal trainers is “life long”. Our senior team builds up junior coaches. Instead of competing with them for clients.
This long term mentor-ship and continuous improvement is what I believe gives us the edge in delivering results. And results mean more satisfied clients.
Technical subjects like anatomy, physiology, exercise technique and nutrition are certainly part of our personal trainer development school – Genesis Academy.
But coaching is not just about knowledge in our heads. It’s all about how we help personal training clients overcome obstacles and achieve their fitness goals.
A big part of this is matching our coaching style to a clients’ personality and training background.
Our personal trainers tend to see 4 typical types of clients. And each type requires a slightly different coaching style to get the best possible response from them. Here is how we work with each type or personal training client.
Which type describes you?
Type 1: Low Motivation + Low Skill
These clients may be shy, quiet, perhaps lacking confidence and natural athletic ability. Perhaps they have never trained in a gym before. Or may feel intimidated by the “big guys” in the free weights section of the commercial gyms.
Excitable, shouting, “tough guy” coaching methods are unlikely to work with this kind of person. And may actually discourage them.
We need to be more quiet, personal and careful so that this person doesn’t feel targeted by our questions or coaching.
These clients may take more patience to work with. But there is great satisfaction in helping them achieve things they might have thought impossible for themselves. I believe the important coaching style for these clients is to educate and “enable” them so that they believe that they can do it!
Type 2: Low Motivation + High Skill
These clients are technically or physically talented. They are just good at all the things we ask of them. Training and exercise come naturally to them.
But sometimes being talented can be a “curse”. Sometimes they may not focus enough, or be as consistent as we would like. Perhaps they were forced to come by their parents or spouse! Perhaps results came easily for them in the past, but are not so easy now as they get older.
The problem for many of these clients is that things are not hard enough! the coaching style I like to use is to “inspire” or “challenge” them. This gives them the focus and motivation to maximize their natural talent and results.
Type 3 is High Motivation + Low skill
These personal training clients may not have the best genetics, but they have great attitudes, want to get better and try their best day in and day out. They just need extra guidance on technical skills. Perhaps an adjustment on their nutrition plan. Or a bit more precision in their exercise technique.
We need to be energetic and eager as coaches to help them become technically proficient and boost their skill level. The key word for the coaching of these clients is “guide”. Energy, enthusiasm and personalized education seem to work really well for this type of client.
Type 4 is High Motivation + High skill
The aim of all our personal trainers is to get our clients, into this “high motivation + high skill” category. From a person lacking confidence and motivation, to one that is both intrinsically motivated, and high in skill.
One thing our team tries to avoid is too much “babysitting” of these clients. Instead, high motivation high skill clients need to be give more ownership, more discussion, more feedback, and more “empowerment” for their own development. This is not lazy coaching, this is teaching a man to fish when he is ready. In fact these clients tend to stay on at Genesis gym for a long time.
There we have it, part of my learning as a (still learning) coach and fitness professional. This is what works, and this is how we treat clients differently so they can get the best possible results.
If you want guidance on how to implement a customized training and nutrition plan for yourself. Then we welcome you to join what is probably the best personal training programme in Singapore by clicking the button below.
The Genesis Gym personal trainers will design the nutrition, lifestyle and fitness plan for you and guide you to your fitness goals.
To your continued strength, health and happiness,
Coach Jonathan Wong
Director,
Genesis Gym Singapore