Personal Training Policy: No Excuses!

"I am too old to get in shape." "I am too old to lose weight."  "It's too hard to get lean at my age."

How many times have you heard a client say something like this?

Seriously, how many times have you heard that this month even?

And even more importantly, how do you respond?  Do you accept these excuses?  Do you just let it slide?  Do you politely disagree?  Do you validate their excuses!?!

*Be sure to watch the video at the bottom of the post, and send it to any client who says stuff like that.*

Use Written Policy to Set the Tone, Be a Leader, & Destroy Excuses/Negativity

All my clients have to sign an "Accountability Agreement" that outlines the personal training policy of my business.  By having it written, it show them that I am professional, and committed to a certain way of running my business.  By showing it to them before they buy a package, I not only am differentiating myself from other trainer, but also creating clear expectations, so they know exactly what they are in for.

(It is a tremendous sales tool for that reason, and I will send you a copy of the agreement I use in my business if you put your name and email in the box to the right at the top of the page, it is part of my business booster kit.)

One of the policies is "No negative self-talk and lame excuses  in the gym".  If you let your clients focus on problems and negativity, they will not succeed, will not be fun to work with, will end up quitting,  and you will have to find a new client.  By making this clear from the beginning of the relationship, and then enforcing the rule (not like a jerk, but politely), you can create a positive and supportive environment relationship, without letting them undermine their own efforts.

Don't get me wrong.  We are not licensed psychologists.  And they can still self-sabotage with their thoughts and actions outside of the gym.

That is not the point.

The point is that when they are in the gym, they are following your leadership, and you make the rules, especially if they help empower the client.  If they can start to master their thoughts and actions there, it will spread to every other aspect of their life outside of the gym.

That is the power of personal training policy :-)

Exceed their Expectations & Help the Client Shift Focus

Of course, people have more health issues as they get older.

But you reap what you sow, just look at Jack Lalanne.

And remember the difference between causation and correlation.  Sure, studies show people lose muscle mass as they get older.  But old does not equal unfit.  The issue is that people become more sedentary as they get older!  You can't keep muscle if you don't use it!  So MOVE IT OR LOSE IT!

One way to over deliver and exceed the clients expectations is to not only help them shift their focus from something powerless (i can't help it, I am too old) to something powerful (I reap what I sow) by providing tools and video that are fun to watch to help inspire them and confront their inaccurate assumptions and excuses.

You can educate and inspire them while entertaining them.

And when you do it "on your own time", in other words, when you are not in the gym, it will show them you really care.

For instance, watch this video, and send it to any clients who could use inspiration, and send it out every time you here someone blame their age!

It is a video of a 73 year old break dancer.  Seriously.



Thanks to Wess Murray for posting.

I mean come on!  This is a break dancing senior citizen, and you are trying to tell me you can't lose 10 more lbs?  Ya, right.

Call Your Client Out on The Lies They Tell Themselves!

One of the most satisfying things is helping clients get in the best shape of their life.  One of my clients is 49 years old, and is bench pressing more than when he was in the "best" shape in college.  And yet, the other day he tried to tell me "but I can't lose this weight because of my age".  I called him on it!

Really, you think you can get stronger than ever, but not leaner than ever?  How does that work?  Your body only lets you adapt one way but not another.  That is how persistent this lie is!  Even someone who has seen proof that it is not true, will still lie to themselves and blame their age.  But they can't lie to me.  My job is to hold up the mirror of truth.

And so is yours :-)

Leave a comment?  Do you write out your personal training policy?  Any special policies you have?  Any challenges to enforcing policy or questions?  Leave them in the comments!

Until next time, keep your business fit.

Johnny Fitness