Summer is starting to feel like it’s here to stay (at least for the next few months) and with temperatures set to scorching, more of us will be baring our skin to enjoy the warmer weather. Lots of us may be reluctant to flaunt our flesh this season – worrying first about squeezing in a few extra sessions in the gym to get ‘beach ready’ and feel more confident.
As a personal trainer, your clients look to you to help them transform their body – that could be weight or mass gain, weight loss, specific or general toning or even to improve their mental health and energy levels. They’re putting their trust in you to help them achieve those long and short-term goals – sure, your client is sweating it out in the gym, but without your guidance it would be hard to achieve.
We’re in the throngs of summer, so it’s likely you’ve had a few people approach you asking to get them in shape for the summer season. You yourself may want to shed those extra pounds or firm up a little. If you fall into one of those categories (or anywhere in between), we’re here to help! Here’s your handy guide to get your clients, or yourself, in shape for summer!
Don’t be tempted by quick fixes like slimming shakes. Like most quick fixes, they’re a temporary measure and they’re really hard to maintain. As soon as you revert back to your normal way of eating, you’ll pile all the weight you had lost back on. That makes you feel worse and puts you a step back on your healthy journey.
If you’re a personal trainer, it’s almost certain you’d warn anyone off losing weight this way; you understand it’s not healthy and it rarely sees long-term results. Weight loss and muscle gain come with hard work – but trust us, it’s worth making healthy changes now that become good habits for life!
Do get your heart rate up with training! Whether you (or your client) prefer weight training or cardio, elevating heart rate improves fitness, burns calories and makes you feel great! Hitting at least 20-minutes of cardio a day will not only keep your mood sky-high, but will also help you burn calories and get your fitness levels up, pronto.
You don’t need your running shoes to peak your heart rate – HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) combines cardio and body weight training in as little as 30 minutes! If you’re a personal trainer, recommending low impact, high intensity workouts can help your clients see results quickly. Bonus if you offer these classes yourself! If not, it’s worth looking into
CPDs that help boost your skills.
Don’t compare yourself to others. We all function differently, we all look different and we all achieve our goals at a different rate. If you see Susan losing that 4lbs in her first week, or Brian sculpting his six pack in less than a month: don’t fall into the trap of comparing your progress to theirs. We all see weight loss, mass gain or toning changes at different stages in our fitness journey.
Personal trainers will often encourage a bit of healthy competition though! They might encourage you to bring a friend along with you to training sessions – it’s a great way of keeping clients on track, and if you see your best mate smashing through the deadlift reps, it might make you up your game! As a personal trainer, you’ll help keep your clients on track and make sure the focus is on what works for your client.
Do celebrate your achievements! So, your goal was to fit into those size 12 jeans…yes, they’re still a bit of a squeeze, but wait…didn’t you do 5 push-ups yesterday? Weren’t you struggling to do a single press up 2 weeks ago? That’s an awesome achievement!
You should be celebrating every achievement especially if you haven’t reached your main goal just yet. That way you’re measuring every little change, that together culminates in your overall goal. This not only keeps you on track, but makes your fitness journey much more enjoyable!
Don’t get hung up on being ‘beach ready’. Looking a certain way is not nearly as important as
feeling great. Although having a goal is a good start, getting ‘bikini ready’ shouldn’t be the sole reason for getting healthy. There are certain things that change our way of thinking about our bodies – exercise is one of them. It’s a fact that exercise makes us feel great – getting hot and sweaty and flexing those muscles releases happy chemicals which stimulates the feeling of happiness and pleasure.
Your clients don’t need to exercise for hours every day to feel great – as little as 30 minutes can do wonders for their goals, esteem and mood. Get some workout inspiration with the
30-minute workout of the week.
Do keep it fresh in the kitchen and in the gym! Routine can seriously damage your productivity – mixing up your workout routine can help keep you on track. If you rock spinning every Tuesday, yoga every Friday and HIIT every Sunday it might start to get a bit boring after the 3
rd month. Every 2 to 3 weeks, why not try changing up your routine? That could mean going for a run instead of spinning, or hitting the gym floor instead of yoga. You’ll be surprised how a change up in your routine will make you feel!
Freshening up what you eat can give you a new lease of life too! It can be easy to get into a food rut when you’re watching what you eat, but healthy eating doesn’t have to be boring! Base your food shop by what’s on special offer to force you out of your shopping habits. Or you could invest in a cook book for some foodie inspiration. You’ll be less likely to cheat if you’re keeping it fresh in the kitchen!
Thinking of making more out of your fitness hobby?
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