My ‘Personal Training’ dilemma.
Is it a catastrophic error to reframe from using the phrase, ‘Personal Training’, when marketing my business? This might sound like a really stupid questions, but as a Personal Trainer I operate in a different environment to most.
I fear the term has labelled me and therefore isn’t the best description of who I am and what I can offer potential clients or partners. So, I ask the question is Personal Training just a label?
Yes, I am a qualified Personal Trainer, yes, I am registered with CIMSPA (The exercise professional register), but what if my interest lay outside the traditional circle of most personal trainers.
Where do I place myself and how do I label myself that best describes me and what I am about. This is something I really struggle with, hence my motivation to writing this blog.
The phrase, ‘Personal Trainer’, is so limiting. Straight away we imagine what it means, but do we truly know what a personal trainer can do for us? There are so many factors to consider. Knowledge, Experience, Life experience, Interest, Background, Passion, Skill in their niche or craft.
Let’s be honest when you hear the phrase ‘Personal Trainer’ what do you imagine? Do you imagine a gym environment? Do you imagine someone with the ‘perfect body type’? maybe society and social media have painted an image that all personal trainers share the same values and mimic each other?
Or does society and social media show a diverse range of personal trainers, each having their own ability, body type, and ethos? Personally, I believe the latter. Thankfully.
Is there still a stereotypical view on what Personal Trainer looks like, and the environment in which they operate? If you hired one, what would you look for in a personal trainer?
I wonder if the stereotypical viewpoint and label has become a marketing nightmare, especially when trying to articulate and capture the attention of any target audience.
How ‘Personal Training’ doesn’t fit my style.
As a Personal Trainer I want to work in an environment that I find most enjoyable. I also want to encourage my clients to see the potential for growth in their body and mind in a non-gym environment. All this can be achieved through correct wording. I am fully aware of my bias towards working in the environment I enjoy, but I strongly believe I can gain maximum potential for my clients and gain fantastic results.
My style utilises the natural environment, for example the Yorkshire moors and mountainous conditions. I believe we can gain immense personal growth when challenged by the elements and rough terrain.
This all boils down to comfort zone. A cliché it may be, but it is true we only grow once we leave our comfort zones. By pushing beyond our limitations, we test our current abilities and instil confidence knowing we can achieve more than we think. Using the natural environment and the elements is by far the best way to do this.
For personal growth we must first understand ourselves. The only way to do this is by identifying fact about our character. What our strengths are but more importantly what our weakness are.
No matter what your current state of fitness, we can all push our bodies to their limits. Hitting the pain threshold of exhaustion and fatigue, is when we truly understand what we are capable off. Do we stop and give up or do we push beyond and grow.
I’m all about mindset. I wish to demonstrate that exercise and pushing our body physically is a lesson for life. No matter what we are faced with we can all push through and come out the other side better, wiser, stronger, and equipped to making our dreams come true (Yes, I believe exercise can help us achieve our dreams).
So, when you think of personal training, does my style come into your mind? My guess is, ‘no’.
How my ‘Outdoor Personal Training’ might compare to traditional PT.
I would describe outdoor sessions as,
1. Rugged
2. Unpredictable.
This is due to the weather and terrain. Also, we don’t know how we are going to react or feel at certain times during a session. The main focus is to prepare us for the unknown and learns ways in how we can mentally tackle these situations.
By doing this we will build confidence in our ability to withstand adversity. This is life session worth having. Not only do we build confidence, but we are also enhancing our physical body too. Our body builds in fitness and strength, but so does our mind.
Our body will take us so far, but our minds will take us beyond what we thought was our breaking point. If I was to use a fitness related word to describe a session, I would use ‘Fartlek Training’. This means random, sporadic burst of energy. Used to increase cardio and tends to be high intensity. This doesn’t mean my outdoor sessions are high intensity, it just means there will be times during a session that you will be working harder than other times.
Ideally, my marketing needs to capture the right clients who understand the above and whose goals are not only fitness related but someone who is looking to change their lifestyle in more ways than one.
When thinking of traditional Personal Training, I would describe a typical session as,
1. Organised.
2. Controlled.
3. Clean.
4. Precise
5. Measured.
6. X number of reps/sets with an emphasised-on techniques.
Just to be clear this is how a traditional PT session should go, it should be organised and controlled for safety. Each exercise should be in line with the clients’ goals. You can write on paper exactly how a session will go, and this is normally what will happen.
However, you cannot write on a piece of paper what will happen during an outdoor session, and that’s where the fun and adventure comes in.
For more information on what MYM can offer you visit and/or get in touch.
Call/Text/WhatsApp 07592759159
Email: garyandrosanna@outlook.com
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