Fitness Professionals always “stay on the job” to assure our clients are on track towards their exercise and fitness goals to get results. Even during holidays, vacations, and stressful times in life. Here are a few tools for trainers to stay on the mission no matter what time of the year.
Determine Body Composition (Body Fat and BMI levels)
A majority of trainers use weight to determine their client’s progress or lack thereof. However, weight simply expresses someone’s total mass, by going further and measuring a client’s body fat level and body mass index you are better equipped as a professional to gauge any progress being made.
There are tools, such as, a skin-fold caliper to measure one’s body fat or the portable body fat and BMI device that measure both body fat and BMI (Basal Metabolic Index). BMI is the measure of body fat respective to your gender, height, and weight. Hence, one pound gain isn’t just “one pound gained.”
With the tools mentioned above, we can record whether a client is progressing with that one pound gained being muscle or losing progress with that one pound gained being fat. Being mindful of this is key so that your client(s) are aware that the number on the scale is just a number and body composition is a better tool and indicator in tracking fitness progress.
Record your Client’s Prior Exercise Progress
With the year waning and the new year quickly approaching it is really effective to look over any notes, records, or videos of a client’s fitness growth and exercise improvement over the course of the year, especially for long-term clients. This allows you to make any necessary changes in workout programs.
The holiday season and new year usually bring the onset of mental and physical fatigue for clients as many of life’s demands piles up. By tracking the performances of clients you are better able to assess any changes to be made. Routines may need to be changed or something as extreme as taking a totally different approach with clients so that further results can be made and exceeded; thus reducing or eliminating any mental and physical wear and tear and preventing plateaus.
Set a Short Term Fitness Goal
What’s a fitness journey without an actual goal in mind? During these final months of the year and into the holiday season it is a great idea to challenge clients. Maybe they were not able to complete those 20 burpees in under 30 seconds as you hoped, or run that mile in under 10 minutes as planned.
Now is a fine time to push the envelope that much more and remind your client that in a matter of weeks their favorite holiday will be here or their best friend will be in town visiting.
This sets the tone for reinvigorating your client’s drive and motivation to meet and surpass these goals as now the reason to do so is much bigger than them. This in turns solidifies in your client that you are committed to them and their progress and grows your relationship.
Personal trainers can challenge clients to drop those 30 seconds off their 10:29 mile time to finally break 10 minutes or squeeze in three more burpee reps. What better way of motivating your clients other than food, friends, and festivities!?
There is no need for fitness professionals to fret or feel down because we fear that our clients may lose their hard-earned results because the year is ending. Yes, this is time for excitement, enjoyment, and closeness but that does not mean we can not use this to our advantage and as a motivating factor in continuing to provide quality services and produce results for our clients!
How do you get results towards the end of the year despite life’s demands?
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