Every personal trainer has made mistakes. No matter if you are just starting out or if you’ve been a trainer for the past 20 years. You either have or will make a mistake. It is inevitable. The difference between mediocre trainers and successful trainers will come after you make those mistakes. What do you do about them? To become successful, you need to change something when you make a mistake. We’ve compiled five of the biggest mistakes personal trainers make to try and help you avoid these common pitfalls.
Not offering a truly personalized program for clients
Every trainer suffers from this at some point. Everyone trains his or her clients according to their own personal bias. Some may think heavy weights are everything, while another may think that stretching and balance are far superior. You need to make sure you are offering your clients what they need, not just what you’re comfortable with. Every client will be different and so should their workouts.
Not conducting a proper initial fitness assessment
For first-time clients, you NEED to assess them! Without this assessment, they can easily become injured from pushing too hard or trying exercises they simply cannot do right now. Make sure and find a reliable assessment tool and run every one of your clients through it.
Not taking advantage of continuing education
You want to be a successful trainer, right? Well then do something to better yourself! There are endless opportunities for you to learn something new through continuing education. NFPT alone offers specialty courses and continuing education courses. We also have approved providers who have tons of other courses! What do you want to learn more about? There is most likely a course you can take that is relatively reasonably priced for the knowledge you will walk away with.
Not being fully focused on the client
Not paying attention to a client is a detrimental mistake. You need to be fully focused on the client at hand. Watching carefully for correct form, appropriate breathing and gauging their energy levels. Not only do you look like you don’t care, but it is also not safe for your client. Your clients are paying you for your attention and expertise, not so you can check your cell phone and talk with your friends. Give them the respect they deserve.
Don’t get a big head!
This is a very counter-cultural statement to say in this industry. Yes, you need to know and believe you are a great trainer. You are always on display and need to be at your best when training your clients or when you are just at the gym. Being confident is a good thing. But, there is a difference between being confident and being cocky.
This is by no means an exhaustive list of mistakes to be made. We believe these are some of the biggest ones trainers make. Stay as far way as possible from these five things, and you are on the right path. The path to success! Remember that making mistakes will be unavoidable. It is how you respond to those mistakes that will make you a great personal trainer or keep you a mediocre one.
