Clients find their way to personal training for all kinds of reasons. Some are referred by friends, while others come to make the decision completely on their own. And while that kind of variety can make your job as a personal trainer a challenge at times, it’s also what keeps things so interesting and exciting.

No two clients are the same. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t some commonalities you can find between them, and more often than not, that little bit of common ground can be found in your clients’ goals. Do they want to slim down, bulk up, compete, regain their health, or reclaim their figure? Depending on the answer, you’ll likely need to take a specific approach, and there will be certain types of training that will work best for each.

To help you quickly identify what types of training are best suited to your different categories of clients, I’ve put together a list of the most common goals you’ll hear from your personal training clients with tips to help deliver awesome, targetting programming through online, in-person, or hybrid training.

Fat Loss

Client Profile

Individuals with the main goal of fat loss are generally beginners to exercise and may struggle with adherence to their workout program and nutrition regimen. Many find themselves frustrated with lack of long-term success from previous diet attempts or struggle to make lasting changes to their lifestyle.

Success for these Clients

Success for the fat loss client revolves around establishing and maintaining an enjoyable regular exercise routine as well as a calorie deficit. Special consideration should be made to help the individual slowly incorporate these changes into their lifestyle so that they can be sustained long-term.

Suggested Type of Personal Training

Fat loss clients often benefit from hybrid training and in-person training. This ensures they learn to exercise safely while also allowing closer monitoring of nutrition and lifestyle adherence when not in the gym.

General Fitness

Client Profile

Individuals that fall into the general fitness category often lack strong weight, strength, or sports based goals but enjoy recreational exercise. Many may express interest in losing some body fat or “toning up” but rarely have an interest in modifying their eating habits or increasing the intensity of their exercise routine.

Success for these Clients

Success for the general fitness client usually revolves around their feelings of accomplishment in adherence to their workout routine and how they feel physically after each workout session. Many of these clients prefer to keep their workouts varied and fun for optimal long-term enjoyment.

Suggested Type of Personal Training

General Fitness clients are excellent candidates for purely online training as they are self-motivated and hard working. These clients may also benefit from group training or fitness challenges to keep motivation high.

Body Recomposition

Client Profile

Individuals whose main goal is body recomposition often lack significant muscle mass but are within a healthy BMI range (or may be only slightly overweight). These people may fall into the “naturally skinny” category as they have no issue maintaining their weight without dieting or exercise. Many may express the desire to “build muscle” and “lose fat” simultaneously.

Success for these Clients

Success for the recomposition client means incorporating heavy weightlifting and increasing strength while maintaining adequate protein levels. They will generally be averaging the same number of calories before dieting, however, the quality and quantity of their food intake may change. Body recomposition often takes months to achieve with little changes in total body weight so using the progress photo and measurement capabilities of Trainerize is a must.

Suggested Type of Personal Training

Body Recomposition clients benefit most from hybrid training and in-person training during the initial phases of their lifestyle change since most lack a weightlifting background. Once they’ve established a routine and are confident in their abilities transitioning to a purely online training regimen can work well for these clients.

Performance

Client Profile

People whose main goal is increased performance are usually professional athletes or highly-trained individuals. They often have no issues with maintaining a proper diet and exercise routine without direction.

Success for these Clients

Success for the performance client can be achieved by increasing their performance statistics. These clients should be more closely-followed to ensure they are increasing their agility, strength, endurance, or other factors in each logged workout.

Suggested Type of Personal Training

Performance clients are excellent candidates for online training as they are highly motivated and skilled individuals. In-person training may be unnecessary for these individuals as they usually have established routines and habits in relation to their sport of choice.

Physique

Client Profile

People whose main goal is to gain muscle or improve their physique often have a background in weightlifting or bodybuilding but lack direction or a solid plan. They may have troubles eating enough calories, adequate protein, or pushing themselves hard enough in the gym to optimize muscular hypertrophy.

Success for these Clients

Success for physique clients usually revolves around getting them on a regimented routine. The focus should be on increasing their strength, increasing total volume, and ensuring progressive overload in their training. These clients may need assistance in regards to their diet to ensure they are eating in a calorie surplus and consuming enough total protein. As with body recomposition clients, expectations should be discussed before training begins as gaining muscle takes months or years to achieve.

Suggested Type of Personal Training

Physique clients may benefit most from hybrid training and in-person training, however, generally need less frequent personal training sessions as they often have a background in weightlifting. In-person training check-ins often provide the motivation these clients desperately need. Like body recomposition clients, they require close monitoring of their diet and measurements to ensure progress since changes happen slowly over months and years.