2.9 Psychological aspect of personal training
The key mechanism of success in the personal training business is the degree to which a personal trainer is conversant and skilled with behavior modification principles. This means that trainers should not only say what a client should do but also identify how that client should do it (Beedie et el. 2016).
The core role of a personal trainer is to bring about meaningful change in their clients’ health, wellness, and fitness status. This nearly always entails changes in the client’s mind (e.g., knowledge, beliefs, expectations, and perception) and behavior (e.g., improved movement frequency and quality, modified nutritional intake, etc.). A cursory glance at the desired outcomes of training programs depends on such modifications to the clients’ minds and behaviors. Beedie concludes that to be an excellent personal trainer, it is necessary to be a good psychologist. Of course, this does not mean that a trainer should have academic training or clinical experience in psychology, but should at least have some knowledge and skills with the management of the three key psychological processes in the context of personal training: 1) goals and goals setting, 2) beliefs and expectations and 3) emotions, stress, and coping.
Goals and goal setting
Goals motivate behavior. The anticipation of an outcome motivates people to behave in a manner that will allow them to achieve it. Personal trainers who can set appropriate goals, therefore, likely have well-motivated clients, and a well-motivated client is more likely to succeed than a poorly motivated client (Beedie et al., 2016).
People come to personal trainers primarily for motivation and goal setting. Personal trainers help keep clients motivated and help them set achievable goals that they can work towards. They also help clients stay accountable for their progress and provide guidance and support when needed. Trainers are advised to set short and long-term goals with the client, respecting the client’s autonomy. For example, the trainer should allow the client to state the initial goals instead then suggesting them and then refrain or refining them using the SMART model.
The SMART model is to make goals Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Regularly reviewed, and Timed. George Doran designed the model to create practical goals and strategies in coaching. Using the SMART model, a personal trainer can ensure that their clients are working towards a goal that is achievable and well-defined. This can help keep the coaching process on track and ensure that the client is progressing towards their goal (Blackburn, 2023).
The task of a personal trainer is to negotiate a reasonable balance between what is possible and what is likely. Let us say that an overweight, 50 years old client wants to lose 10kg in one month. A personal trainer will explain to a client why this is not possible and make a plan for long-term, more consistent weight loss. This means that a trainer and a client must agree on a specific goal (losing 10 kg) and how that goal is to be achieved (diet, exercise, longer time frame, etc.). Personal trainers should motivate their clients by setting achievable, measurable, and realistic goals, which should be tailored to the individual and specific to their physical and psychological needs.
Goal setting using the SMART system
Beedie (2016) thinks that a goal plan that is well thought out and presented is a powerful tool in terms of both motivation and marketing. It provides a straightforward process for the personal trainer and the client to work from and shows the prospective client the likely scope of the process they are considering undertaking. The client shares what they want to achieve, and the personal trainer maps it out for them there and then.
Self-monitoring
Butryn et al. (2016) hypothesized that there was considerable utility in using new self-monitoring technology for the critical aspects of most dietary-change and exercise/activity behavior programs. Modern technology improves the ease and accuracy of recording several lifestyle metrics (activity, dietary intake), which can improve clients’ awareness of their activity level and nutrient intake.
Beliefs and Expectations
Beliefs determine the client’s expectations, and their expectations determine their actions (Gudhate, 2017). A belief is a mental acceptance of a claim as likely true.
Most people who enter into an exercise program do so with a set of beliefs about the likely result of that program. For example, a person new to exercise or diet might expect almost magical transportation due to relatively little effort. In contrast, someone who has tried to exercise to lose weight several times might have very little change despite a lot of hard work and personal investment (Beedie, 2016). Either way, beliefs, like goals, affect motivation and behavior (Anshel, 2014). Beliefs can also have a placebo effect: great results can be achieved if a client believes the set goal is achievable.
Self-efficacy is an individual’s belief that they have the power or capacity to produce a desired effect (Mendoza, 2022). Research in psychology has suggested that people with high self-efficacy tend to set more challenging goals and pursue those goals more vigorously than those with low self-efficacy. On this basis, increasing clients’ self-efficacy in relation to exercise, diet, and lifestyle changes is likely to increase their motivation in all three.
A simple method that personal trainers can use to modify and reinforce beliefs includes the four sources of efficacy information:
- Previous performance (what the client has done previously)
- Vicarious experience (what something similar to the clients has done in the past)
- Verbal persuasion (the content of communication between the personal trainer and client)
- Physiological and emotional arousal (interpreting the client’s physiological and emotional symptoms).
The most powerful of these is a personal experience. When people do not have personal experience (they have not been to the gym, for example) or have negative experiences, the personal trainers will have to spend much time wither reframing their client’s experiences (essentially turning a negative experience into a potentially positive one), countering a client’s faulty beliefs (for example changing the basis for an attitude) or using vicarious (other peoples) experiences of other to instill a set of positive expectations (Beedie, 2016).
Emotions, Stress and Coping
Emotions can play an important role in a personal training relationship. They can hinder and enhance the client’s ability to benefit from the program. The emotions most commonly associated with exercise are generally positive, such as endorphin high following a session or euphoria and elation experienced at a personal best performance. However, clients trying to adopt exercise habits often experience negative emotions such as anxiety, depression, and guilt (Beedie, 2016).
Therefore, a personal trainer needs to recognize and respond to his or her client’s emotional state to help him or her cope when emotions take over and guarantee a practical and positive experience.
We have discussed stress more thoroughly in the 1st section above. When clients feel overwhelmed by stress, the trainer must provide a supportive and empathetic environment.
It is also vital that the trainer understands how emotions and exercise can interact. For example, a client feeling stressed may be more likely to push themselves too hard during the workout, leading to fatigue and frustration. The trainer should be mindful of this and help the client to maintain a moderate intensity level to ensure progress and safety.
In addition, the trainer should be aware of the potential for emotional triggers during a workout. For example, specific exercises or movements may bring up uncomfortable emotions or memories for the client. The trainer should be prepared to provide a supportive environment and coping strategies.
Finally, the trainer should be aware of the importance of the client-trainer relationship. It is important to develop a trusting and supportive relationship to ensure the client feels comfortable and is motivated to meet their goals. This can be done through regular interactions, such as check-ins to see how the client is doing or providing positive reinforcement.
Conclusion
The job of a personal trainer is more than just providing a client with a workout to complete. It is knowing what the client wants to accomplish and providing a comprehensive plan to get them there. In order to get the individual to their goal, a trainer needs to influence lifestyle behaviors that could hold them back positively.
For this, goal setting is one great tool that will influence your services as a personal trainer in a positive way. It has been shown to increase motivation and facilitate behavior change in individuals. Positive consequences include increased effort, performance improvements, and enhanced perceptions of success and self-efficacy. Goals must also be reviewed and set in an acceptable time frame (Voorhees, 2020).
Beliefs and expectations on personal training can determine the outcome of a training program. Here, efficacy beliefs play a vital role. It is the personal trainer’s job to either reframe their client’s experiences, counter their faulty beliefs or use the vicarious experiences of others to instill a set of positive expectations.
The trainer should allow clients to vent their feelings and provide a safe space. Providing coping strategies such as relaxation techniques, mindfulness, or breathing exercises can also be beneficial.