Why Your Client May Not Be Like You

   Your typical client may not be quite like you! How so?

• Your favorite school subject was phys-ed - Your client hated it and avoided it
• You participated in sports in High School - They ran with a different crowd
• You never smoked cigarettes - Your client lit up like a campfire
• You can't stand being inside on a sunny day - It's too hot outside for them
• You become restless after too long a period of inactivity - They don't
• You see the weight room as a studio in which to sculpt your physique - Your client sees it as a torture chamber
• To you a vigorous run is a fun, invigorating experience - To them it is a death march
• You look in the mirror and feel good about yourself - Your client looks in the mirror and is ashamed and embarrassed
• You look forward to your workouts with anticipation - Your client looks towards the workouts with trepidation
• You can't wait for a weekend off to perform some sort of competition or fitness challenge or that killer bike ride - They can't wait for a weekend off so they can do nothing physical
• You are able to push yourself to a near physical limit before having to back off - You client may back off long before a physical limit is reached

    Of course this is a sensationalized generalization. Your clients and potential clients can come from a variety of backgrounds. Some may have had an active past but fallen into a sedentary lifestyle. If you work with athletes, they likely had similar backgrounds as you. Your clients and potential clients may well be very talented and extremely successful in other fields. Some of them may have attained high financial status. Those are good clients to cultivate.

   However, there is a good possibility that with non-athlete clients you will get a hit on at least a few of the above points. Go by the premise that your client is not quite like you!

   What is important is that they have decided to make a change! They have come to YOU to make a positive change in their life! Remember that. YOU are their lifeline!

   These potential differences are important when designing a training program for a client. Do not assume that your client likes the same modes of exercise that you prefer. Use your knowledge and innovation to create variety. Set up a program that your client will enjoy. Tailor the prescriptive program towards activities that the client is more likely to enjoy. This is more likely to ensure adherence.
    Greg Harvey of Fit' N' Well in Edmonton Gives his clients options besides weight training and stationary cardio machines. Greg offers indoor volleyball in racquetball courts as well as racquetball and squash options. That is an advantage of working out of fitness centers with such facilities. Greg also offers group walking sessions in the river valley on weekends. That is why he is a successful Fitness Trainer The variety allows more activities that may appeal to different people.

On a sunny day you are frothing like a rabid dog to get outside.
Your client or potential client may think differently.
"It's too hot out there. I'm not leaving the couch today!"

 Set your client up for success! 

 Remember, it's not about you.
 It's about them!

Until next time,...... Keep Fit   

Little Bobby Strong!










Links
schwabe27.uwmfatloss.hop.clickbank.net
AudienceBuilder.ca
www.fitnwell.com

Why I Hate the Biggest Loser !

   I hate 'the Biggest Loser" ! I'm talking, of course, about the reality television show.
 The show's premise is that severely overweight people compete against each other for a lucrative cash prize by trying to lose the most weight over a set period of time. The competitors are divided into two teams and individually weighed at the end of each episode. The team that loses the lowest percentage of total poundage must vote to drop one of their lesser achieving members from the contest. The last person standing wins.
   The creators of this program know the T.V. market.

• They create conflict. This makes for  drama and therefore people watch to see what happens.
• The participants are very motivated. Large cash winnings, in this case a  cool million, will do that.
• The show's creators use a variety of challenges to test the participants. Variety keeps things interesting and keeps the participants motivated.

    The show's creators also seemingly try to keep the contest safe.

• Fitness Trainers guide the clients through the weight loss programs. (I do have some serious issues with the credentials and methods of these Fitness Trainers)  
• Nutrition is emphasized as well as exercise. Nutritionists consult with each person individually.
• Medical experts are present to provide support and in case of emergency.

   In order to survive the prime time war, a television show must attract viewers. The more the competing personalities clash, the more drama occurs. The more infighting the better! If one or more of the contestants have an onscreen meltdown, great. Watch the ratings soar!

   However this is NOT the working model that I would use when dealing with my own clients. In fact, if I saw a Fitness Trainer actually acting like a T.V. trainer I would suggest that they have their certification revoked. That person would be a menace in the fitness world! 
   Here are some of the issues that I have with this particular reality show:

1. It can be a case of too much too soon. These contestants are extremely obese as in 300 or 400 pounds. Instead of a gradual build-up of exercise, they are thrown into a competition in which the quickest weight loss is the goal. There is great potential  for overuse injuries and joint problems. 
2. There is an increased the danger of cardiovascular emergencies such as heart attacks when jumping into intense activity after years of a sedentary lifestyle. Thin and active people can drop dead from hidden medical issues during exercise. Obese people are at greater risk! The T.V. show screens the contestants medically and also has access to on-site medical support. If you are working your clients in a similar fashion and speed, your client is at risk and emergency medical help may not be so close.
3. The show focuses on weight loss only. The other parameters of health and fitness are ignored. If the contestants don't lose enough weight, they are failures. We know that muscle is denser than fat. In many cases the person may actually gain a few pounds initially if their body responds by adding lean mass. Girth and Body Mass Index  measurements are a more reliable indicator of progress. For example, The person may weigh the same or slightly more but the waist circumference is decreasing indicating positive progress. In this reality show, the health of the client is basically disregarded. The fastest weight loser wins, not the healthiest contestant. 
4. Sudden drastic weight loss can be a shock to the human body. In real life, gradual progression is preferable to fast weight reduction.
5. What happens when the show is over and the contestants go home? When there is no follow-up guidance, motivation and exercise adherence often wanes. There may be a severe rebound effect with all of the lost weight returning.
6. The reality show Fitness Trainers tend to be extremely aggressive 'in your face' types. Their usual mode of communication is to shout instructions like a marine drill sergeant. This adds to the dynamics of the show. Most non T.V. clients would likely get intimidated or irritated by such a trainer. A few of these trainers are outright guilty of verbal abuse! Is it not possible that some of these contestants may have been victimized by negative taunts and bullying in the past? Do they really need more of this treatment?  Were these Fitness Trainers to try such tactics with some of my former clients, such as Stephen, Mordecai or Charlie, they would get a return blast that would shatter their eardrums!
7. I question the credentials of these Fitness Trainers. Morbidly obese people should qualify as a special population in regards to potential health issues. The Trainers of this show were recruited because they were famous for working with celebrities.  In Canada, Fitness Trainers should have a minimum of a Bachelor Degree in an Exercise Science related field as well as a Certified Exercise Physiologist Certificate in order to work with special populations. The USA has similar standards with groups such as the National Strength and Conditioning Association and the American Council on Exercise. A background search of the Fitness Trainers in "the Biggest Loser' does not reveal any such expertise in working with at-risk individuals. If they do have such credentials, they should list it in their portfolios. This enhanced certification is mostly to appease the insurance companies. The show would be insured and protected legally to the maximum no matter who the trainers are. Reality T.V. is not really that much like real life! 
8. The Fitness Trainers try to induce an emotional breakdown in the contestant. The purpose of this is to get the contestant to admit to some deep rooted psychological issue, a past trauma, or an eating disorder that is at the root of the obesity. In real life such a client should be referred by the Fitness Trainer to a health professional. The actual show does has a staff of such professionals in the background. However the suggestion that the Fitness Trainer deals with this on their own is both misleading and dangerous!
9. Some of the exercises or challenges in the show are outright dangerous for obese people to attempt.  A 400 pound contestant is at risk for joint injuries if subjected to ballistic, explosive movements as is the norm for this show. Likewise would be to have them run long distances. Joint injuries are common and a cardiovascular emergency could be looking for a place to happen.     

   I have already conceded that such a show has the right ingredients to draw a prime time audience. 

That does not make it a model for how Fitness Trainers should operate with their clientele!

Lose a few pounds! Get cursed at by bullying Fitness Trainers!
Do some dangerous exercises! Give up a few of my favorite foods.
I could win this thing!
The million dollar prize sure would come in handy! 

To me, it is too much like watching a
 hockey movie where the actors can't
skate or a running movie where
 someone runs a four minute mile
 with every muscle in their body all
 tensed up. If I can't buy into the realism I won't watch it.   

   If you like watching train wrecks
 this show this show is for you.
 Otherwise turn off the tube and read
 up on the latest Fitness Training

Notice the difference already!
And I haven't even got to the diet changes yet!
A Million bucks - in the jeans!

 research. Do something constructive!

Until next time,......keep fit! 

Little Bobby Strong

  




















Links

schwabe27.uwmfatloss.hop.clickbank.net
AudienceBuilder.ca
www.fitnwell.com

History of Fitness Training: The Lost Muscle Beach Video

   There was a time when when only muscle bound freaks went to the weight room! 
 At least that was the perception by the rest of the world. Surf and sand romance movies of the 1960's pitted the beach blanket bathing suit crowd such as Annette Funicello and Frankie Avalon against the dim-witted Muscle Men. The Muscle Men were depicted as overgrown, slow thinking, oafs!
   The scenario has changed from the 1960's to today. Weight training is now an accepted and encouraged activity for athletes, injury rehabilitation patients, housewives, office workers, seniors and weekend warriors. This was more of a gradual evolution. However could there have been a catalyst - a single moment that helped sway the direction of weight training as a positive fitness tool?
Did two ambitious personalities possibly meet and change the course of history?

   Recently an archaeology student was walking through the sandy ruins of what was once Muscle Beach in Venice California. He noticed a relic protruding from the sand. It was a symbol of a past culture -a VHS video tape. The tape was in in rough condition. However the student had a trump card.
He took the tape to Dan Carle, an Ottawa, Canada based sports media legend and current digital media specialist. Dan the Man was able to restore this historic relic to a presentable state.

 Scroll below to the video and prepare to view something very enlightening and quite peculiar.
You may recognize the Muscle Beach titan in the clip!
Take note also of the undercover Miami Vice cop fashion statement of the Fitness Trainer!
Interesting but strange!  
(Note: For best viewing, click to full screen mode.)

Until next time,........Keep fit!

Little Bobby Strong

!

Links

schwabe27.uwmfatloss.hop.clickbank.net
dan@audiencebuilder.ca
www.fitnwell.com

Sudden Death Syndrome

   Just prior to the 2012 Olympics, a Norwegian world champion and Olympic medal winning swimmer dropped dead in a bathroom from cardiac arrest. Also around that time, a pro soccer player in England keeled over from a heart attack during a game. Luckily, he survived. A Detroit Red Wings hockey player survived a similar cardiac event during a game. A top American marathoner dropped dead during the 2008 Olympic Trials. Jim Fixx, a famous running guru and running author, died from heart failure while out on a run.  These people were all outwardly healthy and fit athletes.
 
   More inactive people die from cardiac and pathological events than active people. While such occurrences with active people are rare, they are also frightening! How is this a concern for Fitness Trainers? Having a client drop on you can be shocking! Having a client die on you could be a career breaker!  If it can happen to an elite athlete then it could happen to your client. I know a running expert/trainer who was advising a woman client. While he was away on holidays she passed away. It most likely had nothing to do with him but it could easily had happened during one of his workout sessions thus putting him in a dangerous light!
A close friend of mine finished some chores, took an afternoon nap and never woke up. He was my age. He had never had any obvious health problems.
   Hidden conditions of concern include:

• Heart abnormalities such as murmurs, valve issues, and overly thickened heart walls.
• Aneurysms and weakened blood vessel walls.
• Potential blockages of blood flow to the heart or brain.

   Even if you have protected yourself with insurance and a waiver, you don't want such an incident to occur under your watch. Your reputation could be history even if it was just a tragic fluke of genetics.
   How can you lessen the risk? Always screen clients thoroughly! Failure to properly screen is negligence. You want to determine the possibility of hidden heart defects. Use the following procedural tools:

1. Verbal consultation. Discuss health and lifestyle history. The client may admit to to a heath concern that wouldn't come out in the open with just filling out forms.
2. The Par-Q form. If the client checks the 'yes' box of any question,  refer the client to a doctor along with giving them a Par-Med-X form. The doctor can screen the client or clear them with  certain conditions attached.
3. Check blood pressure and heart rate. Readings above 144 systolic or 94 diastolic could be due to underlying pathological concerns. Resting heart rates above 100 beats per minute are also reasons for screening. An initial high reading for BP or HR may be only due to anxiety. However consistently high readings should be a matter of concern.
4. Administer some type of sub-maximal aerobic test.  Any abnormal heart rate reading should be a red flag! If the client fails to physically recover in a timely manner that should also be a red flag!

   If in doubt,.....REFER TO A DOCTOR !!!!!  A physician can test a referred client with an electrocardiogram or other diagnostic tools to discover any cardiac issues or physiological concerns. The doctor can then make recommendations for exercise. Some types of cardiovascular irregularities may still slip  through the screening process undetected.  However, at least the risks can be lessened.
   If somehow, despite your stringent screening process, your client still has what appears to be a cardiac or emergency event during one of your sessions you must act with extreme authority. Avoid panic and follow rehearsed scenarios:

• Initiate the emergency protocol at the fitness center where you operate. This should be known beforehand and arranged with fitness center staff. Emergency services must be called whatever the situation. If you work out in an outside environment, carry a cell phone to call emergency services. If you visit clients at their home for training or have your own studio, have a working phone accessible.
• You must have your CPR and Automatic External Defibrillator training current. If the fitness center you work out of has no defibrillator,  pester them to get one. If you have your own fitness studio, a defibrillator is a wise investment. It would be a tax deductible business expense.

   Pray for the best but prepare for the worst.You want your client breathing hard after your training regime, but still breathing.

   Just before Christmas last year a Canadian Greco Roman wrestling champion died suddenly in bed. This athlete was superbly fit and Herculean in strength but some undetected physiological condition may have been lurking. He was only 25 years old. That does not mean that his extremely intense lifestyle hastened his passing. It may have happened no matter what.

Fortunately such sudden death episodes rarely if ever happen during an Olympics.
There are enough risks and hazards at this years Winter Olympics along with the security concerns.
Let's pray that the only sudden death event that occurs will be the gold medal hockey game.
  
In a perfect health care system every citizen would be tested thoroughly early in life for any potential conditions. Then preventive medicine or precautionary lifestyle measures could be put in place. Unfortunately this could  prove to be too costly and too inconvenient to ever become a reality in any society. It would be awesome if it was!

 I would like to conclude with a few excerpts from a poem I memorized in Grade 9 English class. The poem is  "To an Athlete Dying Young" by A.E. Houseman

The time your won you town the race              

Sudden death syndrome leaves a shocking void.
See you all on the other side!

We chaired you through the market place
Man and boy stood cheering by
And home we brought you shoulder high

Today the road all runners come
Shoulder high we bring you home
And set you at your threshold down
Townsmen of a stiller town 

Eyes the shady night has shut
Cannot see the record cut
And silence sounds no worse than cheers
After earth has stopped the ears

Now you will not swell the rout
Of lads that wore their honours out
Runners whom renown outran
And the name died before the man

Until next time,.......keep fit!

Little Bobby Strong

Links
schwabe27.uwmfatloss.hop.clickbank.net
AudienceBuilder.ca
www.fitnwell.com

The Chronic No-Show Client : A Fitness Trainer's Headache?

   If you are a Fitness Trainer it has most likely happened to you! You stand around waiting for a client who does not show. Hopefully they call to let you know that they can't make the session. Sometimes they don't notify you. It can be a hassle - if you let it! 
    If you are running around to different locations only to get an unexpected no-show,  it can lead to a great deal of excess travel.
   On the bright side, it could be a paid break from a hectic schedule! An unexpected void can leave you with time to do certain things such as:

• Catch up on paperwork
• Squeeze in a workout
• Have a nap
• Take a tot tub or a trip to the steam room
• Relax and have a coffee break
• Read a fitness magazine or book

   However, eventually a chronic no/show client may have to be dealt with. An occasional missed appointment might be overlooked and not charged. However a constant absentee client should be charged for the missed sessions.That way you don't take a financial loss for that allotted time slot. Think of it as getting paid for not working. Be sure that it is clearly defined in your client/trainer contract that they will be charged for missed appointments. 
   There is an advantage in being paid in advance for a set number of sessions. Providing the services in advance of being imbursed could prove problematic if the client won't pay for missed sessions. Having to take legal action can be a hassle for something like that! You are better off not to get into such a situation.
   The problem may solve itself if they keep paying for their missed sessions. The client may not renew their training contract leaving you free to fill that time with a more reliable fitness enthusiast.
   The most drastic action may be to terminate the agreement with the client. If you are having to travel to a different fitness center to train this person and they are a frequent miss then it is likely in your best interests to cut them loose. Have this possibility also clearly defined in your client contract!
Greg Harvey of Fit 'N' Well in Edmonton, Alberta told me that he  once reluctantly had to 'fire' a client.
The person was taking up valuable time allotments in which many potential new clients were waiting for spots. An active and participating client is a more probable long term investment of your business time.

A no-show client may give you some unplanned decompression time!
However a chronic absentee client could be an issue that you must deal with!

Nobody said that a Fitness Trainer will not have to make some tough decisions!
It's not always all about pumped biceps  and chiseled abdominal muscles.

Until next time,..........keep fit!

Little Bobby Strong





Links
schwabe27.uwmfatloss.hop.clickbank.net
AudienceBuilder.ca
www.fitnwell.com

Fitness Trainer Hall of Shame - Craig T.

   Fitness Training SHOULD be a respectable line of work.  Unfortunately, sometimes our career choice is viewed to be on the same moral plane as a politician's executive assistant, a snake oil salesman or an unaccredited massage parlor attendant! This is usually because of the behavior of certain individuals that ply the wellness trade in a dubious manner.
  I have decided to start a special category for that small minority of Fitness Trainer's that have left
our profession with a certain taint. I call it the FITNESS TRAINER HALL OF SHAME !

(Publisher's Note: The names have been abbreviated so that I don't wind up pummeled by a 35 pound Olympic weightlifting bar!)

   Craig T. was a world class bodybuilder. He was a USA Professional champion and competed in the Mr. Olympia, the Super Bowl of bodybuilding competitions. He was a Personal Fitness Trainer to some celebrities. One of his clients was a guitarist for the world's foremost heavy metal band.
(hint: they were a 'motley crew' of musicians) He was married to Kelly R., a world class competitor in women's physique contests. Craig T. was a constant feature in muscle magazines. He was under contract to sports supplement companies.
   Craig T. had that California beach look with blonde hair often tied back in a ponytail.
He had muscles like a Greek god. He had the facial features of a movie star. The man reeked of charisma from every pore. He was my favorite bodybuilder of that era. He looked more natural and aesthetic than the current crop of juiced up, sinew popping, vein bulging, mega monstrosities of pro bodybuilding.
Craig T. seemed to be the epitome of  success in bodybuilding, Fitness Training, business, and life!

   Unfortunately, there was also evidence of some troubling character traits.

• Craig T. had a reputation for being a sore loser. He once walked off the stage in protest after finishing only second in a bodybuilding pro qualifier.
• Craig T. was known to go into an angry tirade towards the judges if his wife, Kelly R., was the recipient of a less than expected contest result.
•  He had a reputation as a 'bad boy' with a hot temper, a fast decadent lifestyle and a roaming eye as a serial womanizer.
• In 1995 Craig T. was arrested for dealing ecstasy, a party drug.
• In 1997 he broke probation and was arresting for possession and use of steroids. He did jail time for that.
• He supplied steroids and human growth hormone to his heavy metal rocker client. He even gave the injections.
• I doubt that it was any secret that our golden maned Greek god was also pumping his own body with questionable enhancement products.

   Then the Craig T. story gets very bizarre. Craig and Kelly had a woman living with them who was supposedly their 'personal assistant'. The woman, M.J., was found dead in a burnt out car in the desert near the couple's Las Vegas home. M.J.'s body showed evidence of morphine intoxication, possibly administered against her will. She also appeared to have been severely beaten and tasered. When suspicion fell on Craig and Kelly, they went on the lam, becoming fugitives from the law.
   They were caught and were charged with murder! Apparently one or both of them killed M.J.  and then they tried to cover up the crime. The motive was unclear. Rumors flew of a methamphetamine and booze fueled  love triangle that finally went bad. Another theory was a jealous Kelly killing M.J. because she suspected an affair between the assistant and Craig. Other rumors involve M.J. stealing from her hosts and when they confronted her it turned ugly.
   Craig's version was that he was breaking up a fight between the two women but not knowing his own strength ended up killing the unfortunate assistant. They were confused and fearful due to the methamphetamine use and not helped by the possible hormonal mood swings caused by anabolic steroid abuse.  
   There's more! Supposedly contract hit men were contacted about killing witnesses before the trial!  Eventually Craig and Kelly both pled guilty to some lesser charges as follows:

Craig T. : 2nd degree murder                       

                Kidnapping

                Arson

Eligible for parole in 2026

Kelly R. : Arson

                Battery with a deadly weapon leading to bodily harm

Denied parole in 2011. Next eligible for parole in 2015

(Kelly's mother died of a heart attack while Kelly was awaiting trial)

   There are those that would have liked to see the death penalty for such a heinous crime. Then there are the more forgiving types that would like to see a paroled and rehabilitated Craig T. competing in Master Bodybuilding competitions in 2027.
   Was Craig T. a bad person or was he a victim of the effects of drugs and anger. There may be an argument for this. I worked as a bouncer in some of Edmonton's less reputable bars and observed this:

•  Booze in enough quantity can turn the nicest person into an annoying boor 
• Street drugs can turn the same person into an out-of control hooligan
• Booze, and street drugs can turn this person into a violent devil. 
• Throw steroids into the mix and you can have a pumped up Anti-Christ. 

    Since the early 1990',s Anabolic Steroids have been a controlled substance in the U.S.A. and Canada. This has made such substances more difficult to obtain from medical doctors. The modern sources are often the same same criminal groups that supply illegal drugs such as methamphetamine, ecstasy and cocaine. I can buy into the theory that someone such as a Craig T. could fall under the influence of these accompanying illicit drugs with dire consequences. Steroids have been known to cause 'Roid Rage'! Who knows what 'Roid Rage' and 'Meth Mania' can morph into?
   It should also be noted that professional bodybuilding is not about health and fitness!  It is an extreme lifestyle rife with chemical enhancement and extreme dieting.

      You may buy into the theory that Craig T. was under the control of demonic substances and unresolved anger management issues. Nevertheless, he is still an example of how the profession of Fitness Trainer can be painted with a taint of sleaze. Supplying drugs to clients is a dangerous game!     Being involved in a horrific killing is as bad as it gets!
Craig T. falls far short of the ideal  Fitness Trainer role model. His potential was swallowed up by

An infamous  Fitness Trainer - A celebrity rock star client
Administer some questionable substances
Add a life of excessive debauchery
Throw in a gruesome death
=  A seat of honor in the Fitness Training Hall of Shame  !!!!

excessive vice and poor judgement.

The end result is a seat in the Fitness Training Hall of Shame!

Until Next Time,...Keep Fit

Little Bobby Strong

                

   

Links
schwabe27.uwmfatloss.hop.clickbank.net
AudienceBuilder.ca
www.fitnwell.com

A Fitness Trainer Faux Pas - Standing Up a a Client!

   I work out at a different club than where I ply my trade. They have an enhanced membership section that is exclusive to those who pay elite fees. I must have gotten soap in my eyes in the shower. Somehow I wound up sitting in the enhanced membership steam room. I guess I wandered through an open security door while wiping my eyes clear. Mistakes can happen! They also coincidentally lack such a steamy, soul soothing amenity on the plebeian side of the locker room.
   I overheard one of the enhanced club members complaining that he was stood up by a Fitness Trainer for a weight room orientation.  Since I was persona non grata in that area of the spa my intent was to keep a low profile and just absorb the moist heat. However in this case I just had to get my two cents in.
   "Did the Fitness Trainer call you to tell you that they couldn't make the appointment?"  I asked. The jilted member gave me quizzical look. He obviously didn't recognize me as member of the enhanced steam room old boy's club. He did answer me though.  "No! He didn't call me!"
"Did he call the membership desk to have them contact you!" I continued.  The jilted member still appeared taken aback at my interrogation but still gave an answer. "No! There was no message to the front desk." The jilted member kept eyeing me suspiciously. "Do you have an enhanced membership? You don't look familiar." 
"I better hit the showers." I replied. It was time to flee. My covert steam room operation was about to turn into a burn notice.
   What I had just heard should have shocked me but I have been in the business long enough to know that this was not uncommon. I also knew this certain trainer to be the same one who did his own workout at the same time as he was training his clients. This same Fitness Trainer was often seen arriving late as his clients waited impatiently. I observe a great deal when I am at the gym.
   No-shows with no calls happens more than you would think in the Fitness Training arena! Events can conspire against a Fitness Trainer. Traffic jams, car breakdowns (my specialty), alarm clock malfunctions, and miscommunication can all lead to a no-show. Forgetfulness should rarely be an issue since a modern day Fitness Trainer will have an appointment book or a computer daytime planner page. However there is a possibility of slip ups if your clients are booked through a receptionist at a Fitness Center. I worked for a short time at one Fitness Club where the receptionist/sales rep kept booking clients on days in which I had it in the computer calendar that I was unavailable. It  put me in an unprofessional light since clients would be waiting at the fitness club for an appointment that I knew nothing about. No surprise - I didn't sign any of those jilted members to a Fitness Training package!
   In case of unforeseen circumstances, contingency plans are essential:

• If possible, speak with a prospective new client before setting an appointment. Make it clear that if something causes you to be tardy or miss the session, you will give them a free session as compensation.
• Try to have a contact number for a prospect in case you will be late or unable to make the appointment. For an existing client, you already should have a contact number.
• If you operate out of a Fitness Center, make an effort to let the front desk staff know if you can't make a session. Of course, you should also contact the prospect or the client. The front desk staff are your back-up plan.
• Make certain that the Fitness Center  booking person knows exactly when you are available and be clear that they MUST  notify you well in advance of any clients or prospects scheduled for your services. Your reputation is at stake. 

     
   Your regular clients should be somewhat forgiving if you are consistently professional. They will know that you are not a lackadaisical type of person. The most successful Fitness Trainer that I know is Greg Harvey, the proprietor of Fit N Well in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. According to  Greg  "If I miss a rare session for some reason, my clients are quite understanding. Most of them have missed at least one session during our time together. They are also confident enough to do a workout on their own for that day. They know that I will make it up to them."

   If you are a frequent no-show/no call type of Fitness Trainer, then there may be repercussions. If you have your own business, your clients are unlikely to renew their contract for further training sessions. If you are a frequent no-show and you work for a Fitness Center, it is quite possible that you will be sent packing. There are many other Fitness Trainers looking to take your place. Remember, there are more Fitness Trainers than Fitness Training jobs!
    

A potential client! A no-show/no call Fitness Trainer!
Do you think she will sign on for further sessions? 

   That's just the nature of the profession. In fact, I can't think of any vocation where constant no-shows are tolerated. As for my no show-contemporary at the club where I work out.
I hope you have a back-up career!

Until next time,....keep fit!

Little Bobby Strong





Links
schwabe27.uwmfatloss.hop.clickbank.net
AudienceBuilder.ca
www.fitnwell.com