Of the many services a personal trainer offers, designing programs for his or her clients is one of the most important. Well-designed programs lead to better results and a more enjoyable training experience for the client. As a personal trainer, you are your most important asset, it is up to you to create programs that provide value to the people who pay you for your services.
You must ensure each program has long-term goals, short-term goals, and meets the needs of your clients but is still fun enough for them to keep coming back. In doing so you can help ensure their success and your continued employment. Therefore, this article will help you understand the simple steps to designing a fun and exciting program that improves your client’s health and fitness.
Make It Simple
People like easy, people like simple, and people like things that make their life easier. If you can create a program that is easy to understand and does not require your client to purchase an encyclopedia of exercise equipment they will be more likely to use it. According to some of the best fitness YouTubers, creating simple 21 minutes long HIIT workouts that you can do in the comfort of your own home is enough for anyone to get started. It will also encourage those who don’t have enough time to work out to find a way to fit in a simple and effective exercise. Not to mention that high-intensity interval workouts are proved to be more effective than low-intensity steady-state cardio. Making your program simple and easy to follow will encourage compliance and ensure you stay employed for a long time.
Personalize It
One of the easiest ways to ensure people stick with your program is to make it about them. Therefore, for you to create a personalized program that they will stick with you must begin by learning everything there is to know about your client. Sit down and talk to them, ask questions, take notes, get the paperwork done, figure out their food preferences – do whatever it takes so that no stone is left unturned. If you think this might be too much work then refer back to the first point which encourages simplicity overcomplicated programs. Once you have learned about your client’s personal preferences it’s time to study what works best for them.
If your clients are beginners then chances are they don’t possess much strength or stamina so creating a program that focuses on those areas would be the most beneficial. However, if your client is a trained athlete then chances are they want to put on as much muscle as possible and sculpt their abs into oblivion. Both goals can be achieved through weight training but focusing on one goal at a time will help give you a better outcome.
Keep It Challenging
Clients must never get comfortable with your programs or else they will stop using them and begin looking for another trainer. If they feel like no matter how hard they try nothing seems to change then they will lose interest quickly. If you want to keep your clients interested in your services then the best thing you can do is constantly change up your workouts and challenge them.
For example, if a client was training for a marathon but has already finished it, don’t just stop working out with them because chances are they will get bored and look elsewhere. Instead, focus on other areas that might interest them such as weight loss or becoming more toned. They have completed their goal so now it’s time to help them work towards a new one that still gets them excited about coming back each week. In this example maybe they would enjoy trying to lose ten pounds before summer comes around or tone up enough to fit into their pre-pregnancy jeans again. Their desires might remain the same but the process towards them achieving their goals will be different which will make your program exciting for both you and them.
Offer A Reward System
If you want to keep people coming back and completing your workouts as often as possible then offering them a reward system might be the key. It doesn’t always have to be something material like an equipment upgrade or clothing line (although those are nice too). The best type of rewards are things that will make your client feel good such as small fitness lessons, chances to take part in contests with prizes, etc. If you’re not sure what would work for your clients then ask them! They will most likely be more than happy to share the things that interest them so that you can incorporate them into your reward system.
If you want to ensure that your clients stay with you for the long run then make sure to keep these tips in mind and keep your clients happy by doing whatever works best for them. Just remember to keep your workouts fun and focused on the client’s desires and interests so they continue coming back and spreading good words about you to their friends and family!
