Make Sure These Attributes Come Across When You Work With Personal Training Clients
Anyone who wishes to be successful as a personal trainer needs to not only have a high degree of technical know-how but also be able to be a likable person for his or her clients. Successful personal trainers are commonly upbeat and positive, which is important because they'll occasionally need to play the role of cheerleader for clients who are discouraged about their lack of progress. Beyond being supremely positive, here are some other personality attributes that you'll need to excel in this profession:
Non-Judgment
You won't make it far in the world of personal training if you have a knack for being judgmental. While TV trainers may use their inner drill sergeant to scold people for being overweight, this isn't an approach that works in real life — and will scare clients away from you and quickly give you a bad reputation in the community. The best personal trainers aren't judgmental; this makes clients comfortable around them. No one wants to feel shame for being overweight. It takes enough courage to visit the gym and book a personal training session, and finding a non-judgmental trainer will make people happy and eager to get started.
Human
It might seem silly to say that you need to seem human, but this is an important trait to remember. Some personal trainers have a superhuman approach — in other words, they're people who can lift a seemingly infinite amount of weight, never fall victim to a junk food craving, and so on. When you show that you're a human being, personal training clients will have an easier job connecting to you. When they struggle, you can detail your own struggles. This will help the clients to avoid feeling discouraged enough that they quit trying to get in better shape.
Approachable
You also want to show that you're approachable to your personal training clients. If not, they won't develop the close relationship with you that is pivotal to finding success. For example, if you don't seem approachable, your clients may not feel comfortable divulging a struggle that they've had when attempting to perform a certain exercise at home. Instead, they may bluff that everything is going OK, even when it is not. Over time, this can leave the person falling short of his or her fitness goals and not feeling overly interested in continuing to be a client. Conversely, being approachable encourages your clients to share everything with you.
Contact a company like Paragon Strength and Fitness for more information and assistance.