Home » The KIPS Podcast » Motivational Strategies to Improve Training Efficacy feat. Anthony Wall, PhD

Behavior change is a complex process for personal trainers to navigate, making it an important topic to explore as you progress in your journey within the fitness industry.

Motivating your client as a personal trainer is essential for building a strong relationship. Clients have various motivating factors, and it’s crucial to remember that most do not enjoy exercise. Therefore, your goal is to make training sessions as enjoyable as possible. By doing so, you can improve training effectiveness and retain clients who are likely to purchase personal training packages again.

Returning guest Anthony Wall, Ph.D. discusses motivational strategies that personal trainers can implement immediately and discusses various client scenarios that can prepare trainers for tough conversations. Dr. Wall is the Senior Director of Global Business Development and Professional Development at the American Council on Exercise (ACE), one of the top fitness education companies worldwide. His job with ACE takes him to various countries, where he presents on multiple topics and grows the brand.

Your Personal Training Style
Finding your style of personal training comes with experience. Watching other personal trainers or enrolling in an onboarding program can expose new fitness professionals to different ways of cueing an exercise. As Dr. Wall discusses, each personal trainer has its own “flavor” or training, and finding your way as an instructor will separate you from your peers.

A common question new personal trainers ask is whether they should train their clients as they train themselves. The quick answer is no, but there will be similarities. Clients will range in fitness level and goals, and their goals will help you tailor your programming. It’s essential to remember that this is a service business, and your client’s goals should be at the forefront of your programming.

A definite outcome of personal training is getting your clients to try new exercises, but that takes trust. Trust is built by listening to your clients and building relationships over several sessions. Once clients trust your programming, they will happily try new exercises and take on new goals.

Harnessing Client Motivation
A motivated client is a great situation to be in as a personal trainer. It motivates you, the personal trainer, to be the best possible instructor and allows you creative freedom with your programming. But what about clients with wavering motivation or changing goals? As Dr. Wall shares, an in-tune fitness professional will be actively listening to their clients and be able to adapt their sessions if they feel like their client’s motivation is changing.

Developing your soft skills as a personal trainer is crucial for enhancing the client-trainer relationship. Clients often want to share their personal stories and stressors that affect their training outcomes. It’s vital to listen and take notes to explore these stressors further and adjust your programming accordingly.

Expanding Your CPT Education
A new personal trainer will often refer to their CPT education to motivate their clients to new fitness levels. However, personal trainer education programs are usually rigid and don’t provide adaptability when conversations take a turn. Dr. Wall shares a client-centered approach to help guide a fitness consultation. The consultation is an optimal opportunity for potential clients to share their motivation to join a gym and any barriers stopping them from signing up for personal training. Personal trainers must actively listen to provide follow-up questions that dive deeper into this conversation. This can help shape the conversation and make the closing sales pitch easier.

Summary
Personal training is a business built on relationships and communication. Leveraging your soft skills can help fitness professionals enhance client-trainer relationships and cultivate a growing client base. Behavior change is a complex process for personal trainers to navigate, making it an important topic to explore as you progress in your journey within the fitness industry.

As the National Spokesperson and Global Wellness Ambassador at the American Council on Exercise (ACE), Anthony J. Wall, PhD, serves as the company’s forward-facing representative, speaking nationally on health & fitness topics. Additionally, Dr. Wall is a member of the Physical Activity Innovative Collaborative of the National Academies of Medicine and serves on the Education Committee for the Medical Fitness Association. With over 25 years of experience in the fitness industry, Wall shares his expertise at workshops and conferences worldwide. He also frequently serves as a media expert for respected national outlets, including The Washington Post, Good Life, Real Health, and Women’s Health.