Practice Discipline Every Day

"Success is nothing more than a few simple disciplines, practiced every day" - Jim Rohn

There are a lot of articles about how to choose a good trainer but few on how to be a good client. I understand that not everybody reading this email is a former or current client of a trainer, but if you're planning on becoming a client or are a client, this could help you out. There are two basic roles, the trainer and the client, which we all know. In many ways, the trainer is held responsible for the success and failure of their clients. Whether it is choosing the wrong type of programming, the wrong nutrition, or just being a bad match, the trainer is most often the one to take the blame. At the same time, when things go alright, the trainer takes some credit. Nothing new here so far, right?

 

Here's the twist, we all want you to be successful. Surviving in the fitness industry is done by marketing a successful product, so no trainer wants to see you fail. A failure for you means bad publicity for us. Sometimes things don't work out and the trainer doesn't get you where you want to be. Sometimes they make a bad choice. Sometimes they are "too busy" for their own good and neglect you. Sometimes is has absolutely nothing to do with them.

 

Like I said, we want you to be successful and here are 5 simple things you can do to get the most out of your trainer:

1. Communicate! I've had clients tell me they feel like they're bothering me. Nonsense! It's my job, so send me that text, e-mail, or posted message when you have a question. I'd rather you ask so I can plan and advise you then you guess and sabotage yourself.
2. Be Honest! Not just with me, but with yourself. Our relationship and your success depends on it. Now that you're communicating, make it count so I can adjust to give you the best I can.
3. Give your Best Effort! This is pretty self-explanatory. If you give your best effort, you get the best results you can get.
4. Follow the Plan! Unless your trainer is flying by the seat of their pants or has no progression laid out to reach your goals, improvising or including things they don't know could not just hinder progress, it might stop is altogether. Wanting to participate in your plan is great (and goes with Rule No. 1), but questioning and redesigning every single step is not.
5. The other 23 Hours Count! I get 1 hour to help you get better. You have 23 more hours to rest, recover, eat, and take care of yourself. Use them wisely.

If you're doing these 5 things, you can honestly say you've given your trainer what they need to help you be successful. Now it's time for them to uphold their end.