This past weekend, I attended the Perform Better 3-day Functional Training Summit in Chicago. It was a fantastic conference, and I was able to see some really informative presentations, as well as meet a lot of great strength coaches and trainers. I also got the chance to remind Eric Cressey that the Patriots lost Super Bowl XLII, you know, just in case he had forgotten.
One of the standout presentations was given by Juan Carlos Santana, MEd, CSCS,*D, FNSCA. In his presentation, JC spoke about what motivates our personal training clients, as well as what their true goals are when hiring a trainer/coach. Our clients may set weight loss or muscle gain as their primary goals, but according to JC this isn't really true most of the time. The fact is, many of our clients aren't just trying to change their bodies, they are really hoping to change their lives.
Let's face it: life isn't always so easy. So many of us may go to the gym thinking that we want to simply "get fit," but in truth we bring so many more issues and concerns through those health club doors, from low self confidence and fear of the gym because of the way that we might feel that we look, unfulfilling personal relationships or marriages, or unsatisfying jobs and careers, to name just a few.
Looking good may not be what a client actually wants in the end, JC argues: that client really wants to be happy, and believes that joining a gym and hiring a trainer will somehow deliver that happiness.
In my own experience, I have seen a number of clients achieve their fitness goals, only to feel even more lost or unhappy afterwards. Without even realizing it, these clients thought that the key to their happiness somehow was correlated to a number on a scale. Instead of being proud of their efforts and accomplishments, they were left only seeing the failings in their lives and the unhappiness that remained after the weight had been lost.
With my own clients, I often warn them about this possibility. I encourage them to enjoy the journey of their workouts and weight loss, and to use the positive experience of their hard work to spread throughout the rest of their day. Losing weight may not actually be the goal that they are looking to achieve, but exercise can become the means by which they ultimately do achieve it.
So what are your goals? Do you know what you are truly hoping to accomplish? Are you trying to lose weight, or are you really trying to gain happiness? By understanding yourself and working on every aspect of your life and not just the physical aspects, you can achieve your goals...all of them. Losing weight is a wonderful experience; Gaining happiness is sometimes something very different. By knowing and understanding that difference, you really can make all of your dreams come true.
-Jonathan
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One of the standout presentations was given by Juan Carlos Santana, MEd, CSCS,*D, FNSCA. In his presentation, JC spoke about what motivates our personal training clients, as well as what their true goals are when hiring a trainer/coach. Our clients may set weight loss or muscle gain as their primary goals, but according to JC this isn't really true most of the time. The fact is, many of our clients aren't just trying to change their bodies, they are really hoping to change their lives.
Let's face it: life isn't always so easy. So many of us may go to the gym thinking that we want to simply "get fit," but in truth we bring so many more issues and concerns through those health club doors, from low self confidence and fear of the gym because of the way that we might feel that we look, unfulfilling personal relationships or marriages, or unsatisfying jobs and careers, to name just a few.
Looking good may not be what a client actually wants in the end, JC argues: that client really wants to be happy, and believes that joining a gym and hiring a trainer will somehow deliver that happiness.
In my own experience, I have seen a number of clients achieve their fitness goals, only to feel even more lost or unhappy afterwards. Without even realizing it, these clients thought that the key to their happiness somehow was correlated to a number on a scale. Instead of being proud of their efforts and accomplishments, they were left only seeing the failings in their lives and the unhappiness that remained after the weight had been lost.
With my own clients, I often warn them about this possibility. I encourage them to enjoy the journey of their workouts and weight loss, and to use the positive experience of their hard work to spread throughout the rest of their day. Losing weight may not actually be the goal that they are looking to achieve, but exercise can become the means by which they ultimately do achieve it.
So what are your goals? Do you know what you are truly hoping to accomplish? Are you trying to lose weight, or are you really trying to gain happiness? By understanding yourself and working on every aspect of your life and not just the physical aspects, you can achieve your goals...all of them. Losing weight is a wonderful experience; Gaining happiness is sometimes something very different. By knowing and understanding that difference, you really can make all of your dreams come true.
-Jonathan