Being a fitness coach is one of the most rewarding careers that you could have chosen for yourself.
You get the opportunity to witness and help clients turn their lives around by establishing healthier habits. Not only do you help them set goals, you help them achieve those goals.
Still, you might be wondering if there are ways to improve your fitness coaching methods.
Maybe there are some things you’re missing that could prove beneficial to both you and your clientele.
Read below for a few ways you can become a better fitness coach, and how to integrate them into your coaching style.
Table of Contents
1. Make Them Fearless
The biggest hurdle for any client that you’re bringing on board will be overcoming their initial fear of the gym. While it’s a personal struggle that they’re dealing with, there are things you can do, as their coach, to help overcome that fear.
Start by taking them on a tour and describing all of the gym rules as you go along. Take them to every single station (free weights, cardio, treadmills, etc).
As you walk them around the different stations, fill them in on how often they’ll be using that station and what kind of workouts you both will be using them for.
Be conscientious of people they might find intimidating. Introduce them to a few regulars that workout around the time your client will be coming in to do their workout.
2. Form a Connection
Any fitness coach can simply tell a client what exercises to do, when to do them, and how to do them. That doesn’t make you a good coach.
Clients tend to flock to the fitness coaches that form a connection with their clientele. After all, you don’t just want a paycheck, you want to help them turn their life around. Show them that by forming a friendship with them.
Start by getting to know them a bit better through questions. What’s their inspiration for making a change? What would they say their weaknesses are in maintaining a healthy lifestyle? How can you, as their coach, assist them in their journey?
Questions like this that show you’re willing to go the extra mile for them will start to break down barriers.
Most clients will take the time to open up to you. In the meantime, show how much you care by listening to their concerns and giving them the support they need.
3. Invest in a Weight Loss Program
Your client’s biggest obstacle for losing weight probably isn’t their workout routine or even their work ethic while they’re in the gym. It’s what they’re putting into their bodies.
The best way that you can help them with this is by pointing them to a successful weight loss program.
This will serve as the dietary support to the workouts you have them doing while they’re at the gym. If you put them through tough workouts, but they don’t see results, they’ll start to get frustrated.
When clients get frustrated with their lack of results, they give up. Don’t let your members succumb to that impulse.
If you feel that cravings are the client’s vice, then there are options for anti-craving medication that may be suitable for their needs.
4. Don’t Use Fitness Coach Jargon
Many fitness coaches make the mistake of trying to impress their clientele by using fancy medical terms for physical activities.
They think it makes the client feel as if they’re working with an industry-leading fitness coach, someone who’s better than all the other coaches out there.
In reality… it’s doing the exact opposite. You using fitness coach jargon makes the client feel stupid.
For example, telling them to stretch their gastrocnemius, instead of calves, before getting onto the treadmill will confuse them. Then they’ll feel dumb for having to have you further explain what muscle group you were referring to.
Be sure to use the simplest terms when describing workouts, stretches, and eating habits for your members.
Of course, there are always opportunities to open your client’s mind to new ways of thinking or providing more insight into the “why” of certain exercises. Just remember, it’s important to find that balance between being an expert and making them feel stupid.
5. Know When to Shut Your Mouth
As with any other relationship in life, there are times during your meeting with your clients that you need to know when to shut up.
Contrary to what you might believe, the hour or so that you have with your members shouldn’t be filled with you talking. You have to embrace the fact that there will be silence as they perform the workout.
When they ask you questions you should always respond, but be sure not to go off on a tangent. Don’t continuously talk about the methods you use.
As the fitness coach, it’s your job to listen to the client and give your advice when they ask for it. Save the friendly conversations for before and after workouts.
Find Your Path to Becoming a Better Fitness Coach
There is no one set way to become a better fitness coach, but these tactics are a good place to start.
Some of it will just come with experience. You’ll learn through trial-and-error what works best with your clients.
Be sure to read this article on how behavioral modification may lead to more successful weight loss for your clients.
For more inquiries, please feel free to reach out via our contact us page and we’ll be happy to assist you further!