Nothing says “boring” like doing the same workouts day in and day out. Sadly, familiarity can become a personal trainer’s worse enemy if he tends to stick to what he knows best. That ladies and gentleman is called “The Comfort Zone.” Let’s look at a few ways to break away from the monotony that may plague you as a trainer in order to grow your clientele.
Varying Indoor and Outdoor Settings
When most people think of personal training they may envision the trainer and his or her client in a facility surrounded by a slew of gym equipment. This is not inaccurate by any means but personally, I like to switch things up with these locations to add some spice to our session:
- Beach: Great change of scenery and a change in tempo by working out on the sand.
- Park: Awesome if there is a measured running trail and workout stations to add some structure and add that “gym” feel.
- Gym: I currently hold my sessions at our privately own facility but we lack the wide range of equipment so it’s great when I can train with clients at a larger facility with more equipment available.
These are great ways in which to add variety to your workouts by mixing up a bit with indoor and outdoor training. By mixing up your workout locations this tells your clients and prospective clients that you are accommodating and versatile with your training methods.
How long should these sessions be held? Let’s take a look.
Mix up Workout Duration
A common question clients tend to ask during our consultation is “how long are the sessions?” It is actually quite difficult for me to give a set time when this question is asked. I typically tell my clients “Anywhere between 45 minutes to an hour.”
A slew of variables are taken into consideration: warmups, stretching, the actual workout, breaks, and the cooldown process. A rule of thumb for me is going through the motions as the session progresses and hit all of the target areas I intended to.
I remind clients that our session may even last 30 minutes or may exceed an hour; as long as all bases are covered and I am confident that the clients exercise experience was satisfying then we have ourselves a winner.
I find it more exciting as a trainer when the workout length isn’t set in stone but rather unfolds “organically”. This, in turn, keeps the element of surprise and spontaneity high which can help you retain clients and spread the excitement and quality of your services via referrals.
Train With Your Clients
Working out was originally a hobby for me, which turned into personal training to help others, to now being a career and way of life. As professional trainers, our job is to guide our clients and curate a quality workout session. Training is so embedded in me at times I put myself in my client’s shoes and join the workout that I carefully crafted just for them.
I do this not to necessarily show them the correct form or show off my abilities in any way but to make the workout experience more personal and exciting for them. Also, a great deal of my current and past clients have mentioned that having a trainer is intimidating because trainers are experts yet the client themselves are novices.
Some of these same clients expressed to me that working out would be so much easier if they had a workout partner…well, voila! They have me. This is a surefire way of not only retaining and growing your clientele but it also shows that you’re passionate about what you do. It’s a win-win!
These are all great ways to add variety to your workout sessions with clients to help grow your clientele. Personal training is being taken to new levels every day. Which steps can you take to spice up your clientele and business?
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