As a personal trainer in Singapore for many years now, I’ve met many types of potential clients. Some want to lose weight, while others say they just want to stay fit. There are those who want more definition in their muscles, and I’ve worked with football players who want to be better at their game. I generally discuss fitness goals with potential clients, and during their sessions with me I continuously give them instructions, tips, advice and words of encouragement.

But while many of my potential clients tell me what their fitness goals are or what they hope to achieve in a few months, there are also those who simply say: “I just want a workout.”

On the face of it, it’s a simple request. It’s like I was being asked to write a generic workout program which can then be published on a website or a magazine. The workout will include the exercises to be done, the number of sets and reps, the amount of time needed for rest, and their schedule for each week.

They do the program on their own and they don’t have to bother me.

Various Hidden Meanings

When a client tells me this, I always dig deeper and ask why? There are several possible reasons, and each one requires a somewhat different response.

• They don’t want to relinquish control. This is a very popular attitude, especially among alpha males who have this inherent need to be in charge all the time. The problem is that they often don’t want to be coached at all, and this can be detrimental when they absolutely need coaching.

For example, I often coach my clients about proper form. If they don’t learn it, any exercise they do won’t do them much good. In fact, they can even get hurt. When they keep on doing back squats without the proper form, it can end up with a serious knee injury.

So now I have to present him with two options. One is that I recommend they just learn how to workout on their own by browsing online and try out whatever program they can find. At least this way, they can save money.

Or, I ask them to trust me even for a set period of time. Perhaps I can convince him to try coming in and taking my instructions for an entire month with 3 sessions a week.

The point is they have to trust me. If they don’t, then the program won’t work. As time passes and I see the weekly results, I can then tweak the schedule and the workout to make it more effective.

• They’re not entirely sure they can comply with the requirements. This is another type of potential client that’s very common. They just want a program so that no one will nag them to do this, or to do that. No one will see if they’re following the schedule or doing the workouts correctly.

But part of my job as a trainer is to motivate my clients. This is especially true for weight loss programs, because for some reason a person who doesn’t have the discipline to cut back on their junk food usually doesn’t have the determination to exercise regularly.

So I can’t just give him a program and wish him good luck. I have to be there to make sure that he’s following the instructions according to our schedule.

• They think their success depends on their workout program. Some people believe that a fitness program is the key to their success in fitness. Sure it helps but it’s not the end all of any fitness endeavor. On the other hand, the program is also not entirely to blame if you don’t succeed.

The problem is that often the program isn’t the problem. The issue is that the person doesn’t have the proper form, they don’t workout consistently, or perhaps they don’t have the right diet plan. As a personal trainer, one of my tasks is to find out what’s keeping my clients from achieving their fitness goals and correct it.

• They want to save money. This reason is very common too which is why I always point out to potential clients that paying for programs that don’t work will cost them more in the long run.

My Response

I don’t simply give anyone a workout program. For me, doing so is just a waste of time and effort, and it’s a waste of the client’s money too.  At the very least, I try to convince them to work with me closely for at least a month, until I can tweak the program and and until I am confident they can continue the training on their own. I owe it to my clients to offer the very best instruction and that’s exactly what they’ll get from me.