Lift The Bar

We all want to be good coaches and that often drives us in our pursuit of more technical knowledge.   To understand the perfect form, the most effective programme, how to tweak positions to maximise the stress on a particular muscle over a specific angle and more.

However, the truth is that, for the majority of clients, the things that make the biggest difference to their results, and their enjoyment, have nothing to do with advanced technical details.

The items below may seem simple but they are the most underutilised tools of coaching and the things that really separate out the successful from the unsuccessful. If you want to keep your clients coming back week after week then check out the following:

 

 

Plan for the outcome you want

When we plan for a session we normally think about the programme and that makes sense.  After all, we need to know what we are going to get people to do when they are with us.

What we don’t tend to think about is how we want them to feel, or how they want to feel.  If you were to approach a session aiming for it to be the best hour of their day / week, thinking about them leaving on a high and feeling good about themselves, then what would you do differently in your session?

We aren’t aiming to completely disregard the basics of programming, we still want the client to make progress, we just want them to feel good too.

 

Here are a few ideas of things that can help clients feel good about a session.  There are lots of other things you can do so spend a few minutes thinking about what you would add to the list too.

• A finisher that the client finds fun or that focuses on a body part they like to feel they have worked.
• Playing upbeat music they enjoy.
• Including exercises they enjoy and providing alternatives for exercises they don’t like.
• Ensuring they know how they are making progress on things that are important to them -  Whilst we can influence some of the things our clients appreciate over time, we need to be aware of where they have no interest in the stuff we are celebrating.

 

 

This all means you have to know what your clients like, what their goals are, how they feel when they arrive and how they want to feel at the end of the session. Think about what you already know, what you need to find out and what you need to ask about every session.

Understand how to adjust / have alternatives in the back of your mind for circumstances where a client arrives run down, tired or injured vs when they are fresh and full of energy.   Different choices for if they have niggles, a “not that exercise again” response to the programme or just want something different.

Then, during the session, pay attention to their body language and facial expressions.  Ask questions based on what you are observing and make changes as needed.  Listen to what they are saying.  Often we dismiss throw away comments clients make but they can provide valuable clues to how the client is feeling. 

Be aware of how you present yourself

Over time we tend to get comfortable with clients and coaching.  Familiarity blurs the lines, clients already know what they are doing so we don’t need to coach in the same way as at the beginning and we can find ourselves sat down watching them work out.

Think about how you are when you are with a new client or look back on a session that you are really proud of and think about how you presented yourself there.  How do you act when you are energised vs when you are feeling drained?  Are your clients aware of what kind of day you are having from the way you coach or do you present a positive energy irrespective of what’s going on with you?

Generally, you should be aiming to be upbeat and bring your positive energy to the session.  This doesn’t mean you need to turn into a different person but be the best version of you.  

Think about things you can do to lift your mood, increase your energy levels and bring the best of yourself to sessions.  Come up with a plan for how you get these into your life.

Be present – don’t sit down to watch the session, stay engaged, move around to watch from different angles, correct technique, tweak positions and offer specific positive feedback on what they are doing.

Be aware of your own body language as you move around the session. This is doubly important if you work in a commercial gym or a facility where others who aren’t in the session can see you as you work but even in a 1:2:1 setting where there is no one else around have a think about how the way you are presenting yourself could be coming across.

 

Be in control of the session, don’t let your client(s) wander from one thing to the next with minimal interaction with you.

 

 

Verbal Communication

The way we communicate will also impact the way the session is perceived.  This means that it is a good area to review and improve if you want to deliver fabulous sessions.

We want to use the client’s language, listen effectively, be present and steer clear of technical terminology, unless they are the type of client who has an interest in it.

Don’t give too many instructions / cues.  Give clients time to try things and adjust themselves without speaking.  When you are coaching, use cues and analogies that are meaningful to the person you are talking to.   

Add a very short snippet of information on why you are doing something and how it leads to the outcome they are after, so that they can understand the point of what they are doing and that it is leading them in the direction they want to go.

Use specific feedback rather than generic. So instead of saying “well done” include the information about the element of the movement they did well. E.g. “great spine position, you’re keeping your chest up”.   This increases feelings of competence as well as reinforcing the behaviours you want them to do.

Ask for their feedback – how the movement felt, how they feel towards the end of the set, how many more they think they could do and whether they would like to make it more challenging.

Ask permission before giving corrections or pushing harder, offer meaningful choices and let the client be the ultimate decision maker. It can be easy to see our role as one of encourager and always push clients to work harder or do more but if they get through the session only to cry on their way home because they were feeling rubbish and have given more than they had then they won’t be having positive feelings about your service and may well stop coming when they aren’t feeling on top form.   

 

Coaching groups

All of this applies to groups as well.  Whilst you can’t build a session around everyone’s preferences you can ensure you are being present and all attendees feel like they are being seen and heard. You can still provide information, ensuring everyone is aware of their options and how what they are doing links to the things that are important to them.  Watch out for the quieter people and make sure you aren’t being overly influenced by the people who speak loudest.

 

Review and reset

Spend some time thinking about how recent sessions have gone and what you could do to improve them. Make this kind of review a regular thing you do and use it as a tool to ensure you continue to offer the same service, with the same energy, regardless of whether it’s your first session of the week or your last.

 

LTB members can watch the “so you’re a personal trainer who wants to run an incredible session” webinar or work through the communication courses to learn more on these areas.   If you are new to LTB, you can access these resources and hundreds more covering all aspects of being a PT on our 2 week free trial.