Entertaining the client or training the client?
1/1/2010 10:18 PM
My work enables me to visit and train at many gyms the world over, and to interact with many top trainers and strength coaches. Many of these individuals are well paid, and many produce excellent results with their clients. I say this because these accomplishments are not necessarily dependant on each other – there are many people in this field who are making a lot of money while doing little for their clients.
Most trainers are not aware that the business of personal training has roots in the need to train actors for Hollywood productions. The greatest pioneer in that respect was Vince Gironda, who trained scores of silver screen stars such as Clint Eastwood – for more details about Vince’s life, check out Muscle, Smoke & Mirrors: Volume I by Randy Roach. In those days, the trainer had to produce results in terms of gains of lean body mass and fat loss.
What’s ironic is that rather than working with entertainers, personal trainers havebecome entertainers. Just watch this video, which is a hilarious reflection of the industry nowadays.
A typical scene I see the world over goes like this:
A personal trainer with the calf development of a parrot and the shoulder width of a cigarette is working with an obese, middle-aged man. The trainer has his client jumping sideways while holding onto a stretch band with the left hand that is attached to a Bosu ball, then has him perform a half dumbbell press with the right hand. In the meanwhile, the trainer is sipping on a Frappuccino and making comments about his sex life which as interesting as watching a National Geographic on harvesting mushrooms in the Galagapos Islands. While this circus act is entertaining, does the client make progress week after week? Not quite.
Is this personal trainer busy? Yes! Why? People are not interested in hard work that produces results. They would rather brag to their friends that they have a personal trainer, proving they have disposable income, and yet they make no progress. Can the personal trainer sell his business? No. He has no record of progress.
A few months ago when I was in London, England, one of the leaders in “circus” personal training gave a seminar to personal trainers about his methodology. He told the audience that you should not care about achieving progress but rather focus on entertaining the client. The legitimate trainers in the audience walked out at the first opportunity.
Now, like in any other industry, the top 5 percent make the real money, and they have this in common:
- They make the clients achieve results in body composition, which in turn gives them referrals.
- They sell packages of 12 weeks or longer, payable 100 percent upfront. They get it, because they are known for results.
- They are learning on average 8 hours a week, whether it is by reading, taking seminars or hiring consultants.
- They attract pro players, Olympians, movie people – all because of the above.
Just looking at the top trainers I know, in terms of results, I can tell you that their revenues match their results, because they do all of the above. This list includes:
Nick Mitchell, Tom Crudgington, Wolfgang Unsold, Damien Maher, John Connor, Eoin Lacey, Clare Rooney, Joe Dowdell, Juan Carlos Simo, Michael Pellegrino, to name a few. All of these outstanding trainers started small, but through the knowledge they acquired eclipsed their colleagues who stick to circus training – and now they all have dream clients.
Having dreams is the start; working on them is what turns them into reality. These trainers are even smarter to turn their staff on to our classes. Why? Better staff leads to increased revenues, and a business you can sell!
15 comment(s) so far...
Re: Entertaining the client or training the client?
Charles, your example of the PT is spot on when it comes to the gym I attend! Most do not have any insight into basic muskuloskeletal anatomy and spew all sorts of rubbish...then again, by the sounds of it this may be endemic of London!
By Dingo on
1/7/2010 2:39 PM
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Re: Entertaining the client or training the client?
How funny is that!! I have an open mind to all areas of performance and understand the need to work on all biomotor abilities to achieve a higher level of sports performance, i have attended CHEK courses and also the FMS stuff with Gray cook, this has provided me with a good base of knowledge, i have read numerous Poliqiun books and articles and continue to learn from the best.. I live in Cambridge England and I don't know any other trainers who would even know where to start when it comes to performing the big compound strength moves. If it doesnt use a swiss ball they are screwed!!! Reality check required!!!!
By steve on
1/22/2010 11:16 AM
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Re: Entertaining the client or training the client?
I have to say that my own gym has had a right few personal trainers who have been all too obsessed with swiss & bosu balls, you look over & trainer x has some 20 stone woman balancing on one leg doing a single arm cable row, its pretty funny yes but you have to sympathy for the client who is wasting their own money to be trained by some moron. Excellent video, my wife is sleeping beside me & I laughed out loud a right few times.
By Brian on
1/22/2010 11:16 AM
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Re: Entertaining the client or training the client?
Great wake-up call.
By Kat Eden on
1/22/2010 11:16 AM
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Re: Entertaining the client or training the client?
I'm right there with you, Charles. Moving one step forward, I'd say that professional professionalism stands out as well. You can do all these steps and still fail at retaining clients and getting results if you're an asshole. I took your recommendation in reading "The Compassionate Samurai" and think that this a great code-of-conduct for trainers.
By Jeff Prusmack on
1/27/2010 3:35 PM
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Re: Entertaining the client or training the client?
I made this video on Entertainment Training last year:www.youtube.com/watch?v=DltljnsBqlM
I forgot to credit Charles, but he was my inspiration.
By Andrew Dixon on
2/4/2010 10:34 PM
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Re: Entertaining the client or training the client?
Exactly. I mean how many trainers have people taking high amounts of good quality supplements like fish oil, mutli-vitamins, vitamin C, and CoQ10? How many trainers put their clients on a low carb low GI diet with a good amount of healthy fats and protein? How many trainers help their clients gradually lose fat while maintaining or building muscle week after week? How many trainers get that guy that wants to get big and strong get a 500 lb squat or deadlift? Not many. You're exactly right Charles. I think the problem comes that many trainers also view it as a job and not something they could actually care about. It's a job to them, not a passion. So the people who are passionate about it will (usually) be the ones to get success. While the other ones that view it as simply a job will be stuck in some town training 50 year old fat people, but never getting tangible results.
By Bryan on
2/7/2010 4:55 PM
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Re: Entertaining the client or training the client?
Quality! This is spot on! It is easy to get distracted by all the 'circus tricks' around and be tempted to incorporate that stuff into your routines to attract client because some people find that impressive, but the best way to get and keep clients is with results, and compound movements are the keys to results.
As always, brilliant Charles.
By Scott on
2/8/2010 10:15 AM
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Re: Entertaining the client or training the client?
I understand what you are saying about trainers within the fitness industry. If
there just new to the game they just need to be put in the right direction when
it comes to programme design, diet, etc and should work on themselves as much
as possible to in order to walk the talk, as we all should. But it's another
thing when they have been in the industry for 10-15+ years and doing the same
thing which is not working and looking the same.
Personally after studying Paul Cheks work, Kinesiology, Metabolic Typing, soft
tissue work, bit of Gary Grays, Boyle, McRobert and now you stuff since August
and much more, it does makes you so more effective as a trainer / therapist / athlete
knowing this stuff.
By Joe on
2/8/2010 2:17 PM
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Re: Entertaining the client or training the client?
I can testify to the rate at which ones quality of business increases after your courses. It's been only 5 or 6 weeks since finishing BioSignature and I have now doctors, the local police department, strongmen, etc as clients. I only worry about aquiring knowledge and the clients seem to find me. I don't have to whore myself out like others for business
By jance footit on
7/2/2011 9:10 AM
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Re: Entertaining the client or training the client?
Truely amazing Charles. I've been in the industry for 8 years now. Sadly I have to admit I've only know of you for about a year. In that year however I've learnt so much from your articles and books. In November last year I booked on you April (uk) biosig course. I increased my client base by 50% by end of january usingbthe information I'd simple rea. Now, 2 1/2 months after the biosig and most recently after studying Trigenics I'm earning twice what I was a year ago. My clients are getting the results they deserve. Clients that "have more excuses than a pregnant nun" get given to other trainers as I wont train them. Clients I have that try to mess me around get told to shut up and stop whining or find another trainer. They tend to shut up, do what they're told and get their results. I currently work for a gym who take over half of what I earn, only through the knowledge I've learnt' and learnt to apply have I reached a position where I know I'm capable of moving on and striding toward being in that top 5%. hopefully see you in the years to come and many courses.
By Steve Farrell on
7/2/2011 10:24 AM
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Re: Entertaining the client or training the client?
Time and time again i see this in the gym where i work. On top of the training on unstable surfaces, long slow distance cardio and 'effective' core training bullcrap that some PT's make their clients do they seem to be very unknowledgable in basic nutrition.
By Chris on
7/2/2011 11:27 AM
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Re: Entertaining the client or training the client?
Thank you for making me laugh so hard, I'm so lucky I train at Nick Mitchells gym. The other day at my local FF a female PT had her client jumping up and down on the spot holding a medicine ball..???
By Helen Milton on
7/2/2011 12:55 PM
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Re: Entertaining the client or training the client?
Glad to say I don't fall into the circus variety. My top exercises are deep squat, deadlift, an upper body press and the good old pull up. Personally, I snatch too. For cardio I stress HIIT. I read constantly and attend seminars when possible. But I have an open mind too. Also, I tell every client that I am not there to entertain them. I'm there to get results.I also tell them that THEY have to do the work, not me.
By John Stack on
7/2/2011 2:26 PM
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Re: Entertaining the client or training the client?
I really cannot express enough how much I LOVE your stuff.
I am a recent Psych graduate, apprehensive as hell about becoming a PT. The reason I am considering it is because I love the gym, I love the science.. & quite honestly, I spent more time researching & learning about getting in shape during my psych finals, than I did my actual degree.
Anyway: I'm apprehensive because I know how much competition is out there.
But the more I read (like this article)... the more I realise what I take for common sense is not in fact common practice in the industry. & the fact is I have no doubt I will be one of the great ones simply due to the fact that I'll do it right.
My sincere thanks for writing. You've really helped tipped the scales on my career choice.
By Pete on
7/18/2011 4:49 PM
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