
If you’re looking for better stability in your business, accountability can get you there in more than one way. What does the word accountability really mean? Let’s break it down…
#1 Account
This word can mean an actual account relating to banks and finances or it can mean “to monitor” or “to keep track of”; to be responsible for something. Either way, there is a sense of responsibility attached to the word.
#2 Ability
This is all about having the knowledge or skill to perform a certain task.
Bring those words and meanings together and we have “Accountability”, voila.
How does this tie into being a personal trainer? First of all, responsibility has been placed in the hands of the trainer to take the necessary course of actions to deliver results for a client. All in all, this helps to foster and improve the trainer/client relationship and related interactions in helping them achieve what they seek.
Become a more accountable personal trainer
There is only so much you can control in regards to your client’s fitness journey. Speaking from personal experience, as a trainer, there’s a weight of pressure that is placed on me whenever I acquire a new client. This client sought my expertise out of all their possible options. Whether it be to shed a few pounds or firm that mid section we as trainers have the responsibility of assuring that this client’s goals are met.
As a trainer, you can program a certain amount of weight for your client to lift, along with the rep range and break time in between working sets. From then on you can monitor and make sure they are using proper form and gradually increasing in weight, intensity, and duration as their fitness improves. This is the part that we play as trainers, being accountable and providing your expertise and knowledge in attaining specific goals for your client.
Help your client become more accountable
As a personal trainer, you carry the responsibility of helping a client reach his or her fitness goals. On the other side of the spectrum, the client also has the responsibility of taking heed to any orders or advice deemed pertinent in achieving said goals. Thus we have a two-way road in that both the trainer and the client are holding each other accountable for the ultimate goal of whatever the client is aiming for.
How do we integrate the same level of dependability for the client? We, as trainers, can give clients tasks to adhere to and goals to achieve to keep them accountable. A task as simple as keeping a good log to track foods eaten through the days of the week or a running log to track distances covered and calories burned during certain exercises. These tasks can then translate to such goals as minimizing the amount of fat client eats throughout the days which goes a long way for toning up that midsection.
In addition, a client can be given the goal of running a certain distance on a particular day or over the course of a week or month, which also plays a role in achieving that goal physically. These are certain ways a client can be held accountable, thus making your job a trainer easier, all the while streamlining the results they are looking to achieve.