So you are a personal trainer looking to build the perfect personalised plans for your clients. This blog will guide you with 5 actionable steps high income PTs are already using to create the perfect personalised plans.
But why is personalisation important?
Personalisation is essential for a multitude of reasons. As I wrote in my previous blog - personalise, personalise, personalise. The first reason is that they improve the chance of client success - the primary goal of all good trainers. A personalised program should cater towards all the needs and preferences of the client and thus it can create rapid progress. It also boosts success rates due to engagement. As I am sure you have found, one of my key frustrations as a trainer was when a client just won’t fully engage. They train and just go through the motions and make no effort to change their lifestyle outside the gym. It happens! A personalised program can prevent this as the client will feel listened to and supported - actions speak louder than words and creating the perfect personalised program is the best way to say I am here to help you. All of this, of course, boosts client satisfaction. You know what that means - client retention. Ka-Ching! You know what else that means - client referrals, word of mouth, five-star ratings and raving reviews. Double Ka-Ching!
And why on earth should you listen to me? - a very valid question.
I am the co-founder and CEO of Jump into Motion. A start-up passionate about helping trainers and we are building an innovative marketplace with you in mind. After building a fitness account on tiktok to just over 50K followers I worked as an online trainer myself and to be truly honest, struggled, despite my immense passion. I went on to drop it all to go to university and pursue a more corporate future. I then worked in the industry as the general manager of a premium independent gym which refuelled my passion for everything fitness. During the course of my role at JIM, I have interviewed over 100 personal trainers succeeding in the industry, travelling the world and coaching online to understand how they do it and why all the rest are left struggling on the gym floor. I want to help you do the same.
Step 1: Conduct a Comprehensive Assessment
So where should you start? The consultation - the first point of formal contact between individual client and trainer. Consultations are so essential (a topic for another blog) but the way you do them can really make the difference.
In the consultation you should aim to gain a comprehensive picture of the client, their specific challenges, their history, their attitude towards health and fitness and what makes them tick. Alongside your traditional questions of when and how often they can train, how their diet is and how they've trained before you should also enquire about their medical history, previous injuries, lifestyle factors and anything else they are comfortable sharing. Your relationship with your client is a special one. They are trusting you with their physical transformation - something inherently emotional to us all - taking the time to understand them in every way you can will make all the difference in the quality and longevity of your fitness relationship.
Bonus tip:
Use digital assessment tools to gain concrete data to work with. Consider in-body scans for body composition analysis, fitness testing and apps like MyFitnessPal to get a snapshot of their diet.
Step 2: Establish Clear Goals and Priorities
The next step from here is to establish very clear goals and priorities. As mentioned in my last blog, these should always follow the SMART framework (as outlined below). These should be established in collaboration with your client so they can feel a part of this process and each of you can be satisfied with the ultimate goal before setting the roadmap. This goal should be based on their priorities and motivations - some clients just want to lose weight, others want to gain muscle mass. Whatever it is, create a specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time-bound goal for the client to aim towards. This will form the basis of their personalised program.
Step 3: Design a Customised Training Program
From here you must actually design the program. This should break down the larger established goal into smaller weekly and monthly targets to be used as stepping stones. You should consider all of the information you gathered from the consultation to inform how you build an effective and engaging program for the individual client. You should select appropriate exercises, training modalities and intensity to align with their goals and preferences. Additional factors such as frequency, duration and progression rate should be considered to ensure the program is sustainable as well as effective. High income trainers always balance efficacy, sustainability and enjoyment to ensure the client gains huge value from their coaching.
Step 4: Incorporate Variety and Progression
One of the key points of this program is the variety and planned progression. The program must remain dynamic. Variety in exercise selection is key in preventing boredom and you could consider switching this up every 6 weeks or so. I am sure you understand the importance of progressive overload but your clients may not. Try to guide them by gradually raising the intensity, volume or complexity of their workouts. This is key for preventing physiological plateaus and can also keep your client mentally engaged in the process. The best trainers periodically reassess and adjust their clients programs to allow for this.
Step 5: Provide Ongoing Support and Accountability
Throughout the course of the program consistent support, guidance and encouragement is essential. By engaging in regular communication you not only improve client experience but also gather valuable information to further personalise and develop their program. In order to achieve this you must have a system in place to practically track their progress - this could be via their weight, check in photos, performance in the gym or a manner of other metrics. This is again dependent on the specific client and their goals. For accurate tracking and reporting from the client, I find constant praise and positive feedback works best. No client wants to be told off because they haven’t made enough progress. If the metrics aren’t what you wanted to see, provide encouragement and reassure the client of the plan, the goal and the journey required. Trainers who don’t follow this find reduced client retention, cases of clients lying about their metrics and a lack of engagement in the program. This progress measurement ensures accountability - perhaps the primary reason many seek PTs in the first place.
So what should you take away?
Personalisation is essential to your product as a PT. Always remember - personalise, personalise, personalise.
Always conduct comprehensive assessments in your consultations to fully understand your client.
Construct concrete goals using the SMART framework in collaboration with them.
Consider all elements of the plan when constructing.
Incorporate variety and planned progression to keep clients engaged and on target for their goals.
Continue to provide support and accountability throughout the course of the plan and never stop learning and gathering data on the client.
If you follow these steps high income trainers are already using, you can be sure to create a product and experience second-to-none for your clients.
This will improve your retention and acquisition which, in-turn, will level up your income.
At Jump into Motion, we want to help you achieve this.
Thanks,
Josh :)