Great programming involves factoring in elements that'll increase the likelihood that your client will stick to their workouts by blending universal training principles with their individual preferences. To accomplish the most with your programming and improve client retention, you'll need to use universal training principles in a way that's sustainable and enjoyable in the long run for each client.
Nick Tumminello is known as the "Trainer of Trainers." He has been a trainer for over 20 years working NFL and MMA athletes, bodybuilders and fitness enthusiasts. Nick is the 2016 NSCA Personal Trainer of the Year, the editor-in-chief of the NSCA’s PTQ journal, and he has authored four books, including the best-selling Strength Training for Fat Loss.
Great trainers can nail down the right training plan for each person by asking these six questions to new clients.
1. How often do you want to train each week? And on average, how often have you been lifting each week?
The best type of weekly training split is determined by how many days per week you're training, whether with a trainer or on your own.
That said, how many days per week you want to train and how many days per week you actually DO train are two different things. That's why the second part of this question is so important, especially for those clients who are excited to start a new training program.
A 2006 study found that participants greatly overestimated the amount of times they would actually go to the gym. Although they expected to go an average of ten times per month, the average monthly attendance over was lower than five visits. So, many people end up going to gym about half as often as they expect.
Now, this study was focused on wasted membership fees, but the results are more about general human psychology and behavior when it comes to making time to exercise. And it all comes down to individual overconfidence.
According to the authors of the paper, "Overestimation of future self-control or of future efficiency is at the root of all findings. These findings are also consistent with findings on consumer behavior in the credit card industry and employee choice of 401(k) plans."
The best predictor of future behavior is past behavior. So, if someone averages going to the gym once per week and all of a sudden makes it a goal to start going three to four times per week, maybe all or some those with a trainer, it's very likely they'll revert back to their normal behavior.
It’s best to help people be more realistic about their goals by taking an honest look at their past training-frequency behavior and creating a realistic goal based upon that. At least, to start.
In that, they may want to train four times per week, but if they've only been managing to do it once per week, it's smarter to making it a goal to train twice per week. Every month or so, add a day.
That's what gradual behavior changes — changes that are much more likely to become habits — is all about.
2. What are your injuries and limitations?
Exercises are general, but exercisers are individual.
Sure, everyone basically does some type of pushing, pulling, lower-body exercises and core exercises. There's absolutely nothing individual about that aspect of exercise programming. However, a great deal of what's individualized about training is what exercises someone doesn't do based on their physical framework, current ability, and injury profile.
When selecting exercises, trainers can use these two simple criteria to make effective choices.
Comfort – The movement is pain free, feels natural and works within someone’s current physiology.
Control – They can execute the proper technique and body positioning (i.e., form). In some cases, you may just have to avoid certain exercises and use other options.
3. What's your training environment?
Where will you be training, and what equipment do you have access to?
This is obvious when you're training at home with limited equipment and space. However, when training at a big-box gym, we're also limited by our environment, but in a different way that's crucial to setting up your workouts.
Many trainers walk into the gym with a workout that looks great on paper, but falls short when they try to use it. So even though you've got access to a lot of different types of equipment, your workouts must be set up with that environment in mind.
For instance, certain exercise paired-sets are a bad choice due to logistical reasons. Lat pulldowns paired with squats are great if you're training at a private gym, but they're a problem in a busy gym.
Paired sets must be designed with the big-box gym member in mind. For instance, pair exercises requiring immobile equipment (squat rack or machine) with exercises using mobile equipment (dumbbells, resistance bands).
This mixture allows you to bring the mobile equipment to the immobile equipment and remain there without having to walk all over the gym and lose the equipment to another member.
4. What areas of your body do you what to focus on most (and least)?
A good workout plan isn't about balance. It's about addressing individual needs and helping your clients reach their particular goals. Your training program should be imbalanced to some degree in order for you to dedicate more overall training to the areas they’re trying to develop most.
Select exercises based on the muscle groups (or lifts) you want to develop the most and give them more overall work volume each week. And make sure you're not spending too much time hitting muscle groups or lifts that need the least amount of volume.
5. Are there any exercises you really love or really hate?
Since we all get excited to do exercises you love, it's important to make those exercises staples in your client’s programs.
By the same token, it's important to either eliminate or at least minimize the use of any exercises they may hate. Unless you're training to compete in some form of lifting competition, there's no single lift you must do to improve because no exercise has magical powers.
Contrary to popular belief, hating certain exercises doesn't mean they're what someone needs the most. There's probably a good reason they hate them and it doesn't necessarily mean they're lazy. It means you need alternatives.
There's no reason to force someone to do an exercise when there are plenty of other viable pushing, pulling, lower-body, arm, shoulder, etc. exercise variations you can choose from.
6. Do you prefer constant exercise variety or a lot repetition?
If someone’s goal is to participate in powerlifting, Olympic lifting or strongman, you certainly need to be consistent with the lifts you must perform in competition. Those require mastery.
But, for the rest of clients who are in the gym for athletic performance, muscle growth and general fitness purposes, some variety is often preferred, and just as effective. In that, several studies show that while both constant and varied exercise programs elicited similar improvements in muscular adaptations, it was varying exercises that had a positive effect on enhancing motivation to train.
Now, there's a big difference between exercise variety and randomness. Randomness is failing to plan, which means you're likely to leave a lot of gaps in your programming when you fly by the seat of your pants.
A good ongoing training program should have enough consistency to allow you to see progress while also having enough variety to prevent staleness and boredom.
