How to Painlessly Fire Your Personal Trainer
Firing someone, even a fitness trainer or personal trainer, is difficult. You have invested a lot of time and energy in this person. So when you need to break up, it actually feels like you are breaking up with a very close friend. Nobody wants to be the “bad guy,” but if that person no longer fulfills your needs, here’s how to end it (without feeling like an ass).
The unfortunate fact is that not all fitness trainers are created equal . In fact, a lot of them suck. Sure, you sincerely want to be successful, but a passion for fitness, a commitment to action, and a little pixie dust make squats to meet your fitness goals. Your fitness trainer must have certain qualities to help you succeed, but obviously not everyone can do the job. Your personal trainer friend is no exception.
Signs That You May Need To Fire Your Coach
Agree, the coach-client relationship is not always purely business. If that were the only way , it would be easier to just shrug at the first sign of tension and peace. If you’re afraid of breaking up with a friend or coach, use these signs to reinforce your conviction to fire them.
- Your coach doesn’t want to know about you. A good coach-client relationship can be pretty personal because your well-being is … well, personal. If your coach does not know or does not want to know about your lifestyle, your aspirations, how you think and what motivates you, then he will not be able to help you form habits and make choices that will help you achieve your goals! Your coach should listen to you and ask questions for a long time. If not, but they seem to have all the answers, then there is a problem.
- You don’t communicate often, or your coach never speaks to you. In many ways, your coach is also your confidant, your best fitness partner on this emotional fitness journey . Ideally, you should be very open and honest with each other. They should be clear about what they are doing (for example, why he would prefer you to continue the program for another two weeks, even if it seems to you that it is not working). If a coach doesn’t give you updates or feedback on a regular basis, that’s a sign that he doesn’t seem to care about you or his profession. Often your success is also your coach’s success.
- Your coach is not working with your individual needs. Good trainers will tailor your workout to suit your preferences, fitness level, life circumstances, goals and constraints, if any. This means you won’t be given a cutter plan that all of their clients follow, despite their different goals. This is a sign that your coach is more interested in just getting a check, or just jumping quickly to other issues that don’t concern you.
- Your coach is not paying attention. Trainers need to be aware of your limitations (such as gym resources) and preferences, adapt programs to your needs, and make adjustments often as needed. If your coach will never look at your measurements and the progress is confusing when you send your figures neglects making any adjustments (even if the measurements or other reviews over the past few weeks suggest that they should do it) or prescribe exercise that you cannot do because of a previous injury or because of the lack of this particular equipment – even after you said so – it’s time to throw them to the curb.
- A relationship with a coach is exhausting for you. Understand that prolonging and tolerating the burden of a doomed relationship can paradoxically harm your fitness goals (and long-term mental health) anyway. These are hidden stressors that can lead to emotional distress, inadequate sleep, and poor diet . Plus, it’s as if you voluntarily enter a vicious circle of poor quality workouts, get little or no feedback from your coach, and potential stress eating with only marginal results that can be demonstrated for your hard-earned cash. – No. bueno.
- Your coach doesn’t respect you. Unfortunately, too many personal trainers lack professional tact, such as canceling classes at the last minute, accidentally arriving late for appointments , not answering your calls or emails, or constantly texting in the middle of a workout. These are crimes against courtesy and etiquette between a paid professional and a client.
- You are not getting the results you want. You want simple and straightforward results, but it can also be a bit of a gray area. Results do not always indicate a coach’s incompetence, as other factors, such as your own adherence (or lack thereof) to the recommended exercise and diet regimen, may come into play. But if you do get the job done without making any noticeable progress (physical, mental, or otherwise), you might want to try another trainer who may be more specialized to suit your needs (like a strength coach to help you get more squats). …
- It drains your personal finances. Real Conversation: Personal training is expensive, so you can skip it when money is tight.
These are fairly general but compelling signs, but in some cases there may be compelling reasons why a coach chooses to do what they are doing. Ultimately it all comes down to communication and how you feel about working with them.
Don’t be a trifle: state your needs
If you really like your personal trainer but feel a little out of place, express yourself ! Be honest with what you expect of them and your time with them. This may have been due to a misunderstanding of your needs, because if you don’t speak up, your coach will never know if the workout is hard enough or just doesn’t work (heh).
Talking to a coach who turns out to be a friend is a whole bunch of cracked eggshells that you can tiptoe over. But friend or not, it is best to view your coach as a professional who works for you to help you achieve your goals. As a paying client, there is no reason to weaken “your friend” by letting slip away from his unprofessionalism and low-paying results. You have every right to declare this a dismissal and tell them that he is just out of sorts.
On the other hand, a personal trainer friend who offers their services at a discount or even free can really confuse things. Maybe they feel that the “free period” has lasted long enough, and they want to start charging you, but express this desire by distancing themselves. Try to approach this as a conversation, not a confrontation.
However, remember to treat them like professionals: be polite and kind, but also frank and unwavering about why you fire them.
Be honest and give them tough love
When asked how they would like a client to fire them, the personal trainers I spoke with wanted honesty.
Hunter Cook , a southern California-based personal trainer, says they hate it when people try to apologize about money when the real problem may be different. “I just want people to tell me, ‘We don’t fit.’ or “This is not for me.” Brian Crane , a longtime personal trainer and online trainer, said something similar:
I take pride in being completely honest and professional with my clients. I would like them to be honest and professional with me in return. There is never any offense – I just want to see my clients succeed!
Sometimes, however, the point is that the relationship with your coach has exhausted itself – perhaps your goals have changed and you want to move on. If so, be honest! If you are unhappy that your coach never shows up on time, say so. If it’s a budget issue, say so, but make sure it’s really your cause. If the person really sucks, say so, but offer constructive criticism.
Most fitness certifications are easy to obtain for anyone with a little time and money. So it’s no coincidence that gyms are teeming with seemingly qualified people who can actually be really really bad at personal training … and not be aware of it. Trying not to hurt their feelings can actually prevent them from improving their skill.
Don’t let them lure you in with empty promises
Personal training is a tricky business, so when coaches are on the verge of losing a client, many of them may try to lure you in with discounts and other awesome bonuses. Stand firm and ignore the charm of these shiny items. The point here is that you still need results in terms of your time and energy, as well as a coach who will direct his energy and attention towards that goal.
Giving your coach another chance also depends on their reaction. “Let’s reevaluate your plan and goals and move on.” it’s a much better indicator of what’s to come than “I can change!” is an.
Ask your gym manager to do it for you.
If you’re really really uncomfortable confronting your personal trainer (because he’s a tough boob who can break a barbell in half or something), you can also ask your gym manager to fire him for you. This is not an excuse in itself, as many commercial gyms require you to go through a roundabout process to sign up for personal training anyway.
However, while this path is easier for you, it can end up hurting the personal trainer as a professional, as he will not have constructive feedback that would enable him to work better or differently with future clients.
Deal with the consequences
Now that you’ve “parted” from your personal trainer, you can:
- Deal with the awkwardness at the gym: Look, we’re all adults here (hopefully). If you were straightforward, outgoing, pleasant, and firm, your coach might have been taken aback at first, but eventually things will work out and you can still exchange pleasantries at the gym. “If the client was honest, there shouldn’t have been any inconvenience,” says Hunter.
- Get out on your own: If the main reason you wanted to leave your personal trainer was because you “outgrew” him or changed goals, that’s cool too! Remember everything you have learned and do the workout program yourself if you want. Personal training should generally be used as an aid to your fitness journey, not as a crutch.
- Find a different personal trainer, if you want to find another coach of the same gym, take a moment to observe how other coaches work with their current customers. Feel free to approach them for fear that your former coach will get angry. The key to finding a coach who will be with you is to “look closely.” For coaches, this is a harsh reality, but client retention and client loss is hard to come by.
Throughout all of this, it should be understood that the coach is not 100% to blame for what you are unhappy with. It’s a hard pill, but your coach can’t get you to do the job, eat well, or spoon feed the healthier habits you know are best for you.
Regardless, you still have every right to stand up for yourself and decide to fire your coach. Your health, your time, your energy and your money are at stake , so it’s a good idea to be selfish and be open about your needs.