Offering stand-out personal training programs begins with the trainers in your facility. At the Deland Branch of the Volusia Flagler Family YMCA in Florida, all trainers are certified with at least a bachelor’s degree in the area of kinesiology, sport, health and/or wellness.
“I would always put a higher priority on quality of our personal trainers than quantity,” said Tatjana Magoc, the wellness supervisor at the Deland Branch. “Our best practices for maximizing the effectiveness of our personal training are to create a safe, effective and productive environment.”
Because clients come from diverse backgrounds with all different goals, needs and abilities, Magoc’s trainers always begin with a safety checklist:
- Every client must complete an informed consent/waiver form.
- Every personal trainer must have current CPR/AED certifications.
- Clients with chronic disease or moderate musculoskeletal problems must have a signed medical release form to participate.
One of the challenges with personal training programs is building a client base. To combat this challenge, Magoc first aims to educate members on the effectiveness, positive awareness and impact of the program.
“We try to offer a free personal training session, as it is one of the best ways to market yourself,” said Magoc. “During that time, the client will know what you’re doing or not, and they will experience your training — sometimes you need to give up your time in order to prove you are really worth it.”
An additional challenge of building a client base is not only selling the training program, but also selling the trainers . And personality is a large portion of the job. “Over time, trainers figure out what methods are comfortable and work for the client and trainer at the same time, and which ones just do not fit their personality,” said Magoc.
Because a personal training program is, well, personal, there’s not always a formula that will work for every member. Stand-out programs begin with the trainers who are correctly certified, observant of the member, and willing to learn with them. “This is a very specific job where you have adequate personality and energy, or you don’t,” said Magoc.
