Personal training isnt rocket science. In fact, its essentially a very simple process. Personal trainers work with their clients to get them as fit as possible and to help them achieve their personal goals. The ultimate goal is to get clients to their ultimate destination, and thats the place where all the objectives they set out to achieve have been reached. Personal training is a means to an end. To get there takes effort obviously, but theres more to it than that. It also requires a strategy. Personal trainers understand that this strategy needs to be carefully considered and planned. So what is this strategy, and how will it help clients to get supremely fit?

Planning
Theres no point planning a journey if you dont have a destination. If you know where you want to get to, then its easy to plan an appropriate route. Personal trainers work out a suitable plan in conjunction with their clients that will help them get to where they want to be. Whats more, this plan will be structured and will set realistic and measurable short and long term goals to help their clients see just how far they are progressing. In the event of an occasional hiccup, a personal trainer will have alternative ready to help the client overcome any obstacles they might encounter. All clients respond in different ways to training: some may benefit more from a different stimulus.

Charting progress
Its difficult to know where youre going if youre not exactly sure where youve been. Clients need to have some visual and measurable record of what progress theyre making. A clients progress will be charted so they are able to see what theyve achieved and how far theyve progressed. The trainer will keep a record of the weights used, the number of reps completed, the sets, the tempo and the form shown during exercise sessions. In that way clients will be able to see just how well they are doing.

Nutrition
Most personal trainers will get their clients to start a food and nutrition diary or log. Good nutrition is vital for the body, but its especially important for a body that is being trained. Theyll advise clients about the sorts of foods they should be eating, and let them know exactly how many calories theyll need to reach their optimum weight, whether theyre bulking up or trying to slim down. The one constant in personal training is that anyone who exercises must ingest an appropriate number of calories to achieve the desired result. This result can only be achieved if the client knows how many calories theyre consuming, and appreciates the importance of the ratio of macronutrients that form these calories.

Intensity
Whilst its good to have a happy relationship with a client, a personal trainer also knows that its part of their role to dish out a little tough love on occasions when the client isnt necessarily pushing themselves as hard as they should be. Its essentially being cruel to be kind. The intensity of the session will generally determine whether the goals set are achievable at the end of the day. Personal trainers have no desire to flog people until they drop, but they understand that what is required is a consistent level of intensity in each and every session.

Consistency
Personal trainers know that any client who wants to achieve results and build the optimal physique has to maintain a habit of consistency. They need to train on a regular basis, and in each of these training sessions, they need to push themselves. This is why personal trainers set out plans before the training commences, so that the client knows whats expected of them. Theres no point planning an exercise strategy that builds in 5 sessions a week if the client can only attend 2 sessions regularly. Equally theres absolutely no point just factoring in 1 session of personal training a week: this level of exercise will never help the client achieve their goals, and will only just about count as maintenance training at best.