What That First Date with Me (As a Trainer) Is Like

When I see a client for the first time, I have a routine.  We talk through why the person is there.  Sometimes it is about general fitness or weight loss.  Other times, the doctor or a spouse or loved one has expressed concern.  Some new clients want to work at improving after an injury or want to take performance to a new level.

Then I gather a bunch of information.  I ask nosy questions about blood pressure and cholesterol and breakfast.  I get out some tools:  a scale, a tape measure, a gizmo that measures body fat percentage, a timer, and a few other things.  We take a snapshot of this place, this starting point, including a little bit about how this person moves.

After we have collected all that, we get down to the business of actually sweating.  The workout I use for new clients (with appropriate adaptations based on what I hear about injury history when we meet) not only gives them plenty of exercise, but it also gives me a lot more information about how they move, what is challenging for them, and how they approach new or hard things.  Meanwhile, new clients get a chance to figure out if I am someone they want to see ever again.  Not all trainers are the right ones for all clients.  Any trainer who claims otherwise is nuts.  Trying out a new trainer is kind of like a first date; the chemistry has to be right (but not that kind of chemistry; that is unethical.).

At the end of that first session, my potential new client will have a bunch of information about me, what I know, what I can offer, and how I work.  That person can then make an informed decision about whether or not to work with me.  If a person chooses not to work with me again, she or he has invested no money and about ninety minutes for some data and some sweat.  If a person does choose to work with me, we have just started a new relationship of growth.