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Is your Trainer setting you up for Success?

There are many reasons a personal trainer is a tremendous asset to your program. I recently blogged about it. I myself have what I consider 3 "trainers":
  1. Samantha, the CEO of Core Expectations who trained me in the Tupler technique- I consider Sam to be my personal ab rehab trainer. She checks me when I see her to help me gauge my progress, and she motivates me with her constant reminders to pay attention to my core and get my ab rehab sets in.
  2. Zuzana from Body Rock TV- Although I have never met Zuzana in person, her blog inspires me with creative exercise combinations and routines, as well as exercise and diet challenges to help keep me on track.
  3. Myself- I am my own best client :)
OK so everyone can agree that trainers have value. The reality is that most people cannot afford to train frequently with a trainer for an extended period of time. I love the clients with whom I meet every 4-6 weeks to monitor progress, and modify the program for appropriate progression. I also love the clients with whom I meet once/week to spot form and keep the weekly routines interesting. Still further to that I do love the clients with whom I meet 2-3x/week to really coach and motivate- but with this last category of client my goal is to set them up with momentum so they can keep themselves motivated. 

It is ironic that my goal is to get my clients to the point where they don't need me as often, but there you have it. I figure there are always people out there who need help, and my roster of intermediate clients can grow immensely, as sessions are less frequent. I love it. So my question is- what is YOUR trainer doing to set you up for success over the long haul- your fitness for LIFE?

Here are some tools that I use to set my own clients up for success:
  1. Handouts! All of my workouts come with comprehensive handouts which include program guidelines, detailed exercise notes, sample weekly schedules to follow, and include all 3 components of physical fitness- flexibility, cardio & strength/plyometrics.
  2. A comprehensive warm up (dynamic) and cool down (static) flexibility routine with handouts.
  3. Follow up notes post session to cover any points that came up in the workout.
  4. Periodic emails/calls for updates and progress check ins.
  5. Requesting feedback on the program so I can keep it interesting and appealing, as well as challenging.
Is your trainer doing this for you?

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