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Trainers are suffering from OCD! Stop it!

One big problem that I have noticed is that trainers seem to go from one extreme to the other. They either know nothing and do not cue during a session or they suffer from OCD (over cueing disease). I know people are happy when they learn new techniques or ways to train but keep the cueing to a minimum. No client wants to hear you yap for the whole session about how to do the exercise. They just want to do it. My theory is talk for no more then a minute on how to do the exercise and then cue a few points during it. You might not be able to fix everything in one session. The key is to fix what they are majorly doing wrong and fix the finer details later on.
The next issue I want to address is along the same line of the OCD trainers; it is talking over the clients head. I believe every trainer should study anatomy and physiology but most clients do not know the name of every muscle, origin, insertion, nerve innervation, fascial line, ligament, tendon, aponurosis, process, foramen, etc. So why as a trainer would you use these terms to cue them, other then to show how smart you are. I live my life by the KISS principle and this is how I cue clients. Keep it as simple as you can. Save the medical talk for when you talk to doctors.
Trainers also need to learn how to balance the amount of cueing with praises as well. What I mean is that if you tell them what they are doing wrong while you cue,you must also tell them things they are doing right. No one wants to be corrected all workout long on how bad they are doing. Remember you are there to empower them, not make them feel like they can't do anything right.
If I had to sum it all up in one sentence it would be; Watch the OCD, keep it simple and show Love.

-FLO

Comments

  1. RichMejiasJuly 23, 2011 at 1:21 PM

    Well said...I don't even name the muscle groups when talking to a client...All they want to know is how this is going to help them get to their fitness goals. It goes back to the old "K.I.S.S." principle..."Keep It Simple Stupid"

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