As a personal trainer, you’re responsible for motivating your clients and seeing their goals all the way through. On the not-so-obvious side, you must lead by example if you want to become and stay successful in this competitive, ever-evolving industry. In other words, practice what you preach and you’ll be sure to inspire your clients. And while experience, education and customer-service skills are paramount for success, if you aren’t training at the same speed and nourishing your body with a clean diet, your clients may follow suit.
Six habits that could derail your personal-training goals, and how to avoid them
1. You train too infrequently
If the only time that you ever step foot on an exercise machine or pickup a kettlebell is when you’re training one of your clients in the gym, you’re likely not putting enough focus on your own physical and mental health—especially since your physique plays a role in your clients’ motivation. Your clients want to work toward something they can envision, and if you can prove your training methods are effective, you will likely build an even larger client base.
2. You don’t make recovery a priority
On the other end of the spectrum, perhaps you are training too frequently and not allocating enough time in your schedule for rest days. In order to ensure proper recovery, you should dedicate at least one day to recovery methods, such as foam rolling or restorative yoga.
3. You overindulge in happy hour
There’s nothing wrong with enjoying a cocktail once in a while, but if you find yourself at happy hour every other day and it starts to interfere with your physical performance you should find a healthy alternative for unwinding after a long day of training.
4. You are too comfortable with each workout
Having a passion for your career can lead to a lifetime of happiness, so is it any wonder why you enjoy each workout? While enjoying your workout is important, you shouldn’t be able to breeze through each one every time you hit the gym. After all, you need to be challenging yourself on a consistent basis if you want to see results.
5. You’re not making a healthy diet a priority
Beyond staying physically active, you must make your diet a priority, especially if you want to achieve your goals. Physical activity and healthy eating go hand in hand. Making small adjustments, such as paying attention and being mindful of ingredients, will dramatically impact your food choices, and of course, your health.
6. You rely solely on the scale
Put simply, the scale lies and often doesn’t drop the way one hopes it will when he or she step on the scale. According to Karen Ansel in an interview conducted by Amy Paturel of Self magazine: “During the day, when you’re eating and drinking, those foods (and fluids) add weight — at least until they’re digested and excreted. Just a cup of water adds half a pound, for example — and 20 percent of most meals are water, which adds up to a lot of extra weight.” If you can’t ditch the scale, weigh yourself first thing in the morning or try an alternative—like before and after pictures or taking your measurements!
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