Are you a “Good” Trainer

What makes a "good" trainer?

This topic has been swirling around my head for several months now. Recently the question was asked on the CrossFit Affiliate Blog and received some pretty great responses. http://www.crossfit.com/cgi-bin/moveabletype/mt-comments.cgi?entry_id=2436 The reason I have been thinking about is so much is to grow my business and expand in need instructors, great instructors. The one key characteristic of a "good" trainer is that they have clients. End of story.

All of the list of fine aspects and skills distil into one objective measurement of effectiveness: Money. The same way we measure the effectiveness of training, power output, income is the measurement of the effectiveness of at trainer. How good is the food at an empty restaurant?

When all is said and done, the invisible hand of the market determines whether you are good or not. How long you last in the market place, the number of referrals your clients give you, the turnover rate of clients are determining factors whether you are better than your competition or not. Other factors effecting "good" are the soft items above as well as price point, communication of value and social skills will effect whether a trainer is good or not. (The ability to earn)

Let's break this down on a continuum: On one end is the pure charismatic leader type who could have a class do Burpees for an hour every day and people would love them. On the other end is the technically savvy genius types who and tell the origin and insertion of every muscle on the body as well as being able to describe each stage of the Krebs cycle and all the transitional elements but sits along ready an obscure journal.

Balancing personality and technical skill has long been something that has perplexed me. I knew some trainers who earned a great living (Selling close to 100k in training) and were barely able talk about anything but their next contest or stop flexing the mirror long enough to correct poor technique. I have also known trainers with high levels degrees in kinesiology and certifications who had to leave training and go into management (or other careers) because they could not make a living as a trainer. (This is really common in the corporate gym chains, when you can't do, manage. It is also why Globo gyms are in such trouble. When someone uses they managed at Globo gym as a reason they should be listened to, it is time to turn and walk away since they have just demonstrated their incompetence.) I digress.

Okay in more terms simple terms: Personality type vs. Technical Skill. First, they are not mutually exclusive. The question is which is more important? Take an obese client, do you need to have the skill to teach a clean or snatch when what they need is emotional support and help reshaping the body image. How about the Olympic Coach working with the highest level athlete to get a kilo or two more and help them win a gold medal? In either case, there must be technical skill, but in both cases, it takes coaching to what the human being needs and finding what it takes to motivate them to achieve. It is the difference between a teaching and coaching. You teach a dog a trick, you coach your kids to be more than thought they could.

The EXPERIENCE of training: Whether doing personal training or group classes, the EXPERIENCE the customer receives is really what they are purchasing. What goes into the experience? The facility, the other people around, the instructor, the lighting, the workout and many other factors go into the overall human experience of the workout. (I am not going to belabor the workout, chances are they are doing CrossFit, and then the workout is effective.) Who knows trainers that the first and last thing out of their mouths is about the trainer, not the clients. That trainer never keeps clients. The focus of "good" trainers has to be about the client, not the trainer. The overall experience in American day to day life is bad. The latest shooting, bombing, scandal or financial impropriety covers the headlines. The demands of corporate life with the deadlines, asshole bosses, wage cuts, unremitting pressure to do more with less all create people who are under stress and really have some pretty shitty days. Then they come to work out. The trainer is an upbeat, fun, witty and generally not affected by the daily bullshit. The trainer greats them and gets them to physically do more than the client ever thought possible. The trainer listens, relieves stress, teaches, coaches and basically creates an experience that shields the client from the negative world that is the media driven cesspool of 1000 station cable television Jerry Springer bizarre bombardment they are subjected to everyday. It is an hour of achievement that creates a cocoon for an hour from the outside world.

What a good trainer should earn: The plain vanilla personal trainer working in Any Gym USA should be able to command a premium wage since the value they supply, good health, mobility and increase people's work capacity. Here is the math.

Basic Training Math: If you charge $65 per hour you train 30 hours per week (A truly full time trainers) and you work an average of 50 weeks per year, your revenue is $97,500. (I am not going to try and apply overhead here. How many clients is that? 15! You only need 15 clients to make as nearly 100k per year! The average client trains twice per week, so you need 15 clients to make 30 hours. More simple math, about 6 hours per day. Positively affect 15 people's lives and you can make 100k.

The net result of being a good trainer is reflected in the bank account. When people decide the service you provide is worth more than the dollars in their pocket, then you are a good trainer.

Comments

[Bill Henniger - CrossFit Columbus]

First you should post to the site more often to engage the everyone in discussion about this very topic. When I go to work and have to command 100+ people and I am having an off day guess what my performance sucks. If I go to work and am arrogant, unwilling to listen and/or don't smile so often the performance flounders.

The performance of the people you teach is a reflection of how you hold yourself and what you expect of them. I have watched classes at Hyperfit and everyone is very well aware that quitting is really not in the options.

So if you are a succesful trainer or a succesful manager, it all boils down to metrics. What is the metric at which you judge your training ability, is it you ability to understand all of the muscles used in every movement or your ability to get people to perform in a way they didn't believe possible?

If I tell someone that they need to drop their butt back first in the squat or if Doug tells them to "like J-Lo back that ass-up", which is more effective? I have yet to see a group photo on the site where everyone isn't happy with the ass-kicking they just got(other than jacket of pain), why is that?

I enjoy this point of view because if you aren't gaining more clients or if everyone is discouraged after the first time you are simply not a good trainer! Take my opinion however you would like because I am an engineer and MBA but Doug has hit this dead-on.

[Jon Gilson]

Doug,

Thanks for the valuable lesson.

Best,

Jon

[K Powers]

The only thing forgotten in that math is that the Club taks half of what you charge. So 100K just turned into 50K.