How to be a great personal training client

After 15 years and more than 23,000 personal training sessions trained, I've had great clients and not-so-great clients.

What I've found is that my most successful clients have had very different attitudes and habits than their lesser successful counterparts. If you are currently working with or planning to work with a personal trainer, adopting these good practices will help you get the most from your experience.



Come ready to train

Come to your session 100 percent ready for the day's training. Lock all of your personal problems and day's stresses in your car before you meet your trainer. Don't worry, they'll be there waiting for you when you come back.

Although trainers tend to have to play therapist at times, doing it too often drains the energy of what should be one of the best parts of your day. Bring the energy and positivity and your trainer will be better able to give you a great fitness experience. The more you give, the more you'll get in return.



Be totally compliant

If you aren't ready to make massive changes in your lifestyle to achieve the results you want, don't hire a personal trainer. Personal trainers live and die by their client's success, so it is extremely frustrating to constantly have to deal with a non-compliant client who has excuses on standby.

Physical change is very difficult. The science of it is simple, the execution of it pits you against years of cultural programming, and bad habits that can be reversed. Giving 100 percent progressive compliance to your trainer's expert advice is the key.


Communicate ... often

Regular communication with your trainer is an absolute necessity. I've had clients who were afraid to tell me about problems they were having in their fitness efforts out of fear. They were ashamed to tell me that they had fallen off the wagon, so progress slowed, stopped or even went in reverse.

It always comes out on evaluation day, and that isn't a good day for both parties.

In order to best serve you, your trainer needs constant feedback about what's working, what isn't working and why. Your trainer can then plot the course for what's next to keep you progressing closer to your goals.


Adopting these good practices with your personal trainer will help ensure that you get the most out of the time and money invested in "Project: YOU." Hiring a skilled, experienced fitness professional is more than "renting a friend," It can be a life-changing experience, the fruits of which will pay dividends for the rest of your life. Hire the best trainer for your needs, and be the best client you can be.

That's when the magic happens.


Chad Smith is a Hagerstown personal trainer, and co-owner of Home Team Fitness LLC. Visit his website, www.hometeamfitness.net, or find him on Facebook www.facebook.com/hometeamfitness.