Choosing a fitness goal to pursue
We like to begin this discussion with new clients by asking them why they decided to seek help and come to the gym. Often people will have wishy-washy responses. Once you dive in and get to the bottom of it, you will have a clearer idea of what the client wants. Maybe they want to increase their strength because they don’t feel strong. Perhaps they aren’t happy with how they look and want to improve their muscle mass and decrease body fat. There are a million and one reasons why they might have started.
Once you have uncovered their why it will be clear what it is they are looking to achieve. The important thing for clients to remember is that each goal cannot be tackled all at once. Sure, you may be able to build muscle and lose weight simultaneously, but this will only really happen as a beginner and for a short amount of time. We call this beginner gains when the novel stimulus you are now placing on your body will result in really responsive results at a fast rate. However, once this phase ends, it becomes harder and harder to tackle two goals at once.
The beginner gains phase is now over; we need to choose a primary goal.
Is it strength? Is it Hypertrophy? Is it fat loss?
To maximize results in each aspect, we must focus our attention on one at a time, not to say we cannot change the goal once one has been achieved. Once the client can decide what they want, you can tailor their program and calories accordingly- because the nutrition must match the training goal. More on that later.
Based on what the client wants and what the coach feels they need- a goal will be set in line with both. Now, we will focus on one at a time because each plan’s caloric and macro needs will be different. If the goal is fat loss, we will require an energy deficit. If the goal is strength or Hypertrophy, we will require an energy surplus – meaning we are giving our body more than what it currently needs to facilitate that new muscle tissue growth or increase in strength.
We now have a specific goal with a specific training program and calorie / macro plan. From here, the main difference between a successful and unsuccessful phase is client compliance. Compliance, consistency and transparency are the keys to hitting any goal- big or small. A plan is only as good as it is executed. Trusting your coach’s knowledge and sticking to the plan long-term is what will make or break your goals.
About Turnfit Personal Trainers
TurnFit Personal Trainers is founded by David Turnbull or “Coach David” – an experienced and successful Personal Trainer who strives to build happier, healthier lives every day.
With a focus on holistic health, we pride ourselves on making a difference and were recently awarded the 2019,2020 & 2021 Top Choice Award for Personal Trainer in Vancouver.
TurnFit’s Mission:
Heath is essential to living an optimal life with the most positive experiences you can have. TurnFit helps you extract your true why from your goals. By asking the right questions, we learn as much as we can from our clients. We understand the genuine need, not just the wants. We create a total wellness program that includes the days when you meet with us and homework on your own time. The key to success is proper programming and consistency. It’s easy for us to keep our clients consistent when we know their deep motivation for their goals. We know their is so much misinformation on health and fitness that it can be overwhelming when trying to level up your health that some people don’t know where to start. We will not only empower you to start but give you all the tools and knowledge that you can do it on your own anytime you choose. We love to laugh and have fun with our clients feel their workouts are the highlight of their day. You will look forward to every workout.
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We look forward to hearing from you!
