Keys To Goal Setting With Clients
Goals are the map that help us get from where we are, to where we want, or need to be. When a client comes to me, they usually have an idea of what they would like to do with their body, and my job as a trainer is to create that map for the client. The following are some techniques for setting and achieving goals with clients.
Why is the client there? This is the first item that needs to be addressed with a client. ”Digging”, as I would tell my students, is the best and usually the only way to design a program that will achieve exactly what your client wants. This means asking a client as many questions as needed to get a very specific idea of what they’re thinking. A client may tell you they want to lose 20lbs, so logically you would suggest a weight loss program. However, if after asking more questions and learning more about the client it turns out they want to lower body fat while increasing muscle mass, a simple weight loss program may not be appropriate.
As the exercise expert, it is your job to educate your clients as to what they can reasonably expect to achieve and how best to measure progress. Once a reasonable goal is set, the process for successful completion needs to be put in place. This is especially important for clients who are new to exercise, or who have tried and failed to reach past goals. The first thing I do after establishing a reasonable goal with the client is to discuss obstacles to reaching those goals and strategies for overcoming such obstacles. Even the most motivated client can become derailed if something comes up that disrupts their plans for reaching a goal. If it is aknowledged that there will be bumps in the road and a plan to continue despite these, a client is much more likely to achieve success. Goals, barriers and strategies for overcoming the barriers should be written down with both trainer and client retaining a copy.
A key, but often-missed feature of goal setting, is having a timeline. A reasonable goal must have a time in which it will be reached with milestones (smaller goals) along the way that lay the groundwork for completion of the overall goal. These smaller goals serve a dual purpose. First, they act as a motivator, helping to keep the client going through the hard and often uncomfortable work of transforming the body. The success of reaching smaller goals along the way makes the larger goal feel that much more attainable. Secondly, the smaller goals allow safe and controlled progress. A skilled trainer will set small goals in a specific order, each one preparing the body to reach the next. This ensures that the client has all the tools they need to continue to progress successfully.
Helping clients set, track, and achieve reasonable goals not only gives the client the tools they need to be successful, but also allows a trainer to do their job better,which creates return clientelle, and increases program adherence.
Once my clients have reached their goal, I get to ask my favorite question, “Now that we have accomplished what you came here for, what would you like to do next?”
