This is an interesting question that definitely explores the psychology aspect of our role as a trainer.  Initially, you might think “why would anyone be resistant to achieving their goals?” However, I’ve seen it so often with clients, potential clients, people that aren’t even my clients, etc.… it’s a common issue that is sometimes erroneously perceived as a lack of motivation.  However, emotional resistance is something that goes deeper than motivation.

A client can be motivated to change but, simultaneously, emotionally resistant.  For example, I’d be willing to bet that most trainers reading this have worked with a client who had New Year’s resolutions to get in shape but it somehow fell flat.  The motivation was there… the client took that all important step to approach you. Whether they recently had a health scare/wake-up call, wanted to get rid of the spare tire around their belly or incorporate more healthy habits into their lifestyle, they knew they needed to take steps towards their goals.  They may not have known what the next steps were (which is why they came to youJ) but they knew they had to take them.  HOWEVER, their level of motivation was not as strong as their power of emotional resistance.  In other words, their motivation to change was not enough to elicit change…

A former client of mine used to put so much faith into her scale to “hold her accountable”.  One problem with that, however, is that she allowed the scale to determine her outlook and mood.

I remember her telling me, after a couple of months of training together (and following my direction to not weigh herself during this time), that she was feeling so good about her progress… her clothes were looser, she had more energy, she was feeling stronger… UNTIL she stepped on the scale and saw that the number hadn’t really budged much from the last time she stepped on it.  Her good mood went out the window and she immediately became discouraged.

This can be a very real challenge to have, especially when you first start working with a new client and you haven’t developed that client/trainer relationship yet.  Not knowing how your client ticks could make it difficult to differentiate between an overtrained person and someone who is simply training hard.

Overtraining is defined as excessive frequency, volume, or intensity of training over an extended period of time, resulting in fatigue (which is also due to a lack of proper rest or recovery).  It can cause significant performance decreases in clients of all training levels.  If you have your client on a realistic, properly designed program and you suspect him or her of being overtrained – or, more likely, of ‘overreaching’ – it could potentially be due to their lack of self-care (sleep, nutrition, hydration, etc.) outside of the time spent with you.

Great question! Client referrals can be tough to come by, especially if you are just starting out in the personal training industry. However, word of mouth can be one of the best promotional strategies for building your business. Here are a few key things you can do to jumpstart (and maintain) the client referral process…