Selective hearing. It is our duty as personal trainers to make sure our clients are getting as close to their fitness goals. Whether it be weight loss, toning, increasing muscle mass, improving athletic performance, these are all what clients come to see us. We must listen closely what they want out of the experience. “I want to look the best for my wedding.” So we come up with strategies (exercise programs, meal recommendations) to provide what’s the best solution for the client. Even though we are the experts in exercise, there may be things that clients see or hear that puts distractions. As a result, a client may develop selective hearing. Let’s take a look at why this can happen.
First, is confusion. There’s a abundance of information on the web and its hard to distinguish which is right or wrong. There may be one article that states that bananas are the worst thing for you and another that says it’s good for you. So which one is right? The answer relies on what you think is right. Even though I may believe that bananas are good for you, it would be hard to convince someone who doesn’t. People have their own beliefs in what is right or wrong. When it comes to anything fitness-related, I explain both sides (pros and cons) and let the client be the one to decide what makes the most sense. My job isn’t to convince someone to believe in what I believe in, its to find a way to get clients get to their goal in the best way that makes sense for them.
People want to believe there is a shortcut.
Secondly, people want to believe that there is a shortcut. Why do you think there are so many ads that claim, “lose x amount of weight in x days.” However, reality is quite the contrary. Exercise is one of those things that requires effort, and I mean A LOT. Building lean muscle mass, losing body fat, increasing strength, getting flexible, all these take time. So I remind clients that anything that you want to last (I use relationship as a example) takes effort, time, and commitment. Next time you think there is a shortcut to fitness, think again.
Lastly, is that exercise science is a ever-evolving field. A client may see the newest method of stretching and we must stay up to date on current research. Otherwise, we may lose respect as professionals because we are outdated. Our industry continues to do research on what the effects of food or a particular exercise has on the body. What used to be labeled as “healthy” or “good for you” has been proven wrong in studies. With this in mind, we have to be aware with the newest diet trends, food, exercise programs because we never know if the current trends will be outdated.
Ultimately, communication is the most important thing between a personal trainer and client. We earn trust from clients through our knowledge and ability to provide results. So if there is any confusion or doubt, we must figure out ways to re-establish our trust. Otherwise, a client may develop selective hearing; wanting to hear only things he/she wants to hear. Hope you liked this week’s blog. Stay tuned for more next Wed……………….Kei