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After more than a decade in personal training in London and Essex, there are definitely clients who stand out as having achieved fantastic results. They all defined their successes differently, for example:

• Improving training consistency;
• Setting powerlifting/Olympic weightlifting personal bests;
• Feeling stronger for day-to-day life;
• Weight loss and muscle gain;
• Improving sports performance;
• Returning to training after an injury.

Regardless of these goals, my most successful personal training clients had these three things in common.

Note: you could be nailing all of these habits, but if your trainer cannot match your values, your training relationship will not be as good as it could be. That’s why it’s so important to choose the right trainer for you.

1. Give Us Your Input

It’s reasonable to assume that the whole point of hiring a personal trainer is to out-source the training process. After all, good personal trainers love getting knee-deep into the nitty-gritty of training, and finding solutions that match your circumstances.

However, in my experience, the most successful clients bring their own input, too. Here are some examples:

• Sending feedback from solo workouts – this set felt really heavy, I really like this exercise, etc.
• Asking questions – literally ANY questions – trainers love questions!
• Volunteering some of your own experience – your lived experience is incredibly valid, and will provide perspectives that we don’t always have.
• Doing some of your own research – we may not agree with everything you’ve read online about training, but it’s a great way to generate more discussion about your training.

There’s a myth that trainers are in charge of your workouts, and that you should just shut up and trust the process. But the reality is that most trainers are dying to hear more from you!

2. Tell Us Your Personal Training Deal-breakers

When you tell a trainer what your goal is, chances are that trainer has a shortlist of methods they’ll employ to reach that goal. If you want to lose weight, a trainer might suggest calorie tracking or mindful eating strategies. If you want to get strong, they might want you to squat and deadlift. If you want to be more athletic, they might recommend Olympic weightlifting.

However, these shortlists are NOT exhaustive. In fact, there are so many possibilities in the world of fitness that we usually benefit from learning what your deal-breakers are, as this will narrow down our options. There are almost ALWAYS alternative approaches for reaching your goals.

This doesn’t just apply to your workout methods either. Some people want a tonne of contact between sessions, whereas others already have enough emails and phone calls to be dealing with.

If something isn’t working out for you, tell your personal trainer. Chances are, they will have an alternative for you to try – it just might not be the first thing we suggest when we’re meeting you for the first time.

Successful training and lifestyle changes are all about reducing friction. If you hate doing something, then every time you have to do it you will be burning through your supply of willpower. Good personal trainers don’t want you to get by on willpower alone. We want you to love your fitness journey.

3. Be a Good Human Being

I’ve been incredibly lucky that my personal training clients have been inspiring, caring, funny, driven, and just genuinely good people. However, it’s sad to say that I’ve known both trainers and gym-goers who have been put in awkward situations because the person they’re working with has done something tacky or immoral.

The key word in “personal training” is “personal”. When you buy personal training you’re not just buying an end result; you’re buying into a collaborative process. This process will be ten times harder if the trainer-client relationship is strained or uncomfortable.

Concepts of good and bad behaviour are obviously up for debate, but I believe there are basic standards that both trainer and client should adhere to when working together.

• Politeness;
• Patience;
• Honesty;
• Inclusivity;
• A non-judgemental attitude.

It’s only human to have bad days, but this is no excuse to treat others poorly in the gym (or anywhere!). Your personal training relationship will yield far better results if you’re respectful, punctual, pay your fees, and do the things you’ve agreed upon outside of your session.

Summary

The personal training relationship is complex, and there are many facets to making it work. If you have your own ideas about what makes a successful personal training relationship, why not get in touch and let me know! I’d love to do a follow-up blog post with your suggestions.

Do you think we sound like a good team for personal training? I’m now a freelance personal trainer in the Liverpool Street area of London. Check out my client testimonials and get in touch on that page if you’d like to know more about my services.