Personal fitness training at NAIT has taught me one really important lesson; Every client is unique and should be treated in this manner. No two programs should be identical to one another as each person has different goals, past medical conditions, injuries, and overall fitness levels can vary. I always ensure to incorporate the 'personal' in personal fitness training.
“I want to inspire people. I want someone to look at me and say, 'because of you I didn't give up.'"
Fitness is a Journey not a Destination
It's always exciting meeting a new client for the first time. A fresh start. The initial meeting is one where I usually fill out some paperwork (ParQ+, Informed consent etc.), as well as gain some knowledge about their background (training history, medical conditions, injuries). After listening to my client about their stories and gaining a better insight as to what made them decide to change and come to see me. Once I've learned a bit more about them and what is important to them/what motivates them we develop a goal together. SMART goals are my best friend because it is something that can always be referred back to and it can be modified/advanced at any time throughout the time my client and I have together. I often find myself remind my clients that this is for them. This goal is about what they want and what is going to make them their best self. Personal training is something that isn't necessarily trainer driven, we are only here to help guide our clients in the positive direction and give them the tools to be successful. Ultimately it is the client who has to make the change that they wish to see in their lives. As a trainer, we only see our clients maybe 2 times a week (potentially more if we are lucky) for an hour each session. That is such a small portion of our clients lives. They have 166 hours other hours in the week to make their own choices. From doing workouts on their own, to making healthy choices in terms of their food they are all on their own for those hours so it all comes down to how well they can train themselves to make positive choices. As a trainer we can only help guide in the right direction and like I said earlier, provide the tools to do so.