Are you a Trainer, or just a Spotter? Let us identify the difference between the spotter & trainer. The spotter keeps helping the clients in only lifting weights and a trainer assists the clients in achieving the fitness goals after properly understanding the challenges and expectations. So, the first step towards becoming a successful trainer is all about understanding the fitness objective of the clients.

UNDERSTAND THE TYPE OF GOAL & CORRECT AS NEEDED

The most important thing to be understood in the goal of the client is that whether it is a specific short term goal or a lifestyle long term goal. The fitness is at boom now; people want to be fit. But the difficult part here is that fitness is conceptualized as a lean figure for women and muscular & bulky body for men.  So that myth is to be broken here by the trainer firstly. Make your client understand that fitness is a continuous process & it is to be followed as a lifestyle and the short term result expectations are only the part of it. This will help to encourage the development of behaviour of a client which supports in achieving the ultimate fitness objective. Always remember and make your client understand that short term results are not always in the control of the client but positive behaviours definitely are.

THE FOUR STEPS TO BE FOLLOWED TO UNDERSTAND THE GOAL PERFECTLY

1. Know the Client:

The first thing to do is to have a healthy & frank communication with the client about what their challenges are. Most of them would plot things which are transient & have no connection with the fitness objective. It is the trainer who needs to find out “WHY” that is a challenge for them. Try finding out the positives & negatives, what encourages & discourages them, the likes & dislikes etc. Try finding out all the possible things that help you understand their behaviours & short term results’ expectations.

2 . Make the client understand that short term results are part of the ultimate fitness objective:

Once the objective is set about the fitness, the vital part you need to do is to convince the client that the short term objectives are the part of their journey and if the fitness is accepted as a lifestyle then the results will be achieved on its own. And it will be your job to help them identify what are the things under their control which will achieve the objectives for them.

3. The Methodology:

The most important features of the goal shall be following;

• Specific
• Measurable
• Achievable
• Reward based
• Time bound

4. Recognize & overcome the difficulties:

The small but important thing to recognize is; what are going to be potential & future difficulties that may hamper the path of success achievements? We, being in social culture in India, there are rituals and processes to be followed for certain things and lot of people firmly believe the same so it will be your accountability to identify them and customize the schedules and programs accordingly that they are overcome with the least effect on the client’s achievements.

Make sure that you differentiate yourself by following above steps and not restricting yourself up to the boundaries of a spotter.