Documentos de Académico
Documentos de Profesional
Documentos de Cultura
To me, thats just lazy and cynical: are fitness professionals really supposed
to work only with the easy clients, the ones who need the least help, while
refusing to help the ones who need it most?
Each of these types has specific needs and the ability to make dramatic
change.
Learn the coaching methods for each group and you will start to see
success with EVERY client that comes to you for advice.
Of course, this is the type of client that many people suggest you fire. Just
one small problem: this type also happens to be the vast majority of all
personal training clients.
Many trainers write the Low Compliance client off as unmotivated, but
with some help changing habits, this type of client can see amazing results.
So be cautious when giving advice, because its far easier than most
coaches realize to give advice that is essentially impossible to follow.
The solution? Make it easier too easy, in fact. Advise only the
smallest possible behavior change that will yield a noticeable and
significant physical result.
2. Ask the client to tell you how confident they are that they can
do it. On a scale of 1 to 10, how confident are you that you can do that
every day for the next two weeks?
Why it works:
By simplifying and clarifying the habit, you can help your clients feel bigger
than the challenge ahead.
And as their confidence increases, their compliance and rate of change (fat
loss, performance, health markers) will increase as well. Then you can
challenge them with incrementally bigger habits, and the results build on
themselves.
A High Compliance, Low Results client follows the program but isnt
getting optimal results.
In our online coaching programs, a high compliance client does more than
80% of the habits and workouts we prescribe but falls below our body
transformation targets. With clients working on fat loss, for example, we
look for those losing less than 0.6 percent of their body weight per week
(for guys) or 0.5 percent of their body weight per week (for women).
[One caveat: fat loss isnt always linear, and progress may be made in fits
and starts. But on average, over time, the above numbers are what we aim
for.]
Now, this type of client can be just as frustrating as the first group, but for
a different reason: they seem to be doing all the right things, but the
results just arent coming. But lets not fire these clients yet either. They,
too, can be helped.
The goal with this type of client is to have them lose weight at or above the
target rate of weight loss, which will also increase confidence and
motivation. And we use two approaches to help boost their progress.
For example, at Precision Nutrition, our target rate of fat loss is 0.6% of
body weight per week for men, and 0.5% of body weight per week for
women, on average.
Results higher than that are fantastic clients are doing the program, and
getting the results they want. However, they still need your cautious
attention.
When the going is good with this client we recommend two things:
congratulations and a new challenge.
In the end, the method doesnt usually matter the fact that you recognize
their hard work and progress, either privately or publicly, does.
As for the challenge, consider giving them a similar but new and
more challenging habit to follow. Thats assuming, of course, that
theyre still 9 or 10 on the confidence scale. And as time goes on,
choose habits that build lifelong nutrition strategies and allow for
imperfection.
For example, if clients have a history of binge eating, habits might include
weekly hunger management or appetite awareness practice; if a client has a
tendency to be obsessive about food, habits might work on eating healthy
while relaxing the rules a bit.
I cant tell you how many times other fitness pros have told me, Man, I
envy you. You have the best clients. If I could get clients like you have, Id
love my job.
But we start out with the same mix of clients that every other fitness pro
starts with. The difference is this: we know that each type of client can
climb the ladder and move up to High Compliance, High Results.
We start with a belief that every client can become the perfect
client, and were constantly testing new strategies to make it
happen.
The key is the ability to identity what type of client someone is right now,
how we can help them, and what specific steps we can take to get them to
that next level.
That is the job of the elite fitness professional and with a little effort, its
a skill you can learn. If youre interested in learning how, well teach you in
the Precision Nutrition Certification.