Lazy clients...do you make the workouts easier and easier for them?

[ThaiFighter_83]

A problem that I sense in lazy clients is that I will put them through a workout, and then outline what they should do the rest of the week diet wise and workout wise...and then the next time I see them, they either don't improve or they actually perform worse than the previous week. And I know it's because they didn't follow the diet, sleep habbits, and workout guidelines that I outlined for them.

And I think that's what makes them lose motivation. And then they don't want to workout anymore.

What would you do in this situation, where you know the client is lazy and won't do the homework you give them? Do you give them the same workout each week and watch them stay the same or get worse? I'm starting to think that some trainers will actually make the workouts easier just to make the client think they are getting better...just so they'll stay motivated to keep paying the trainer. Do you see anyone who does that?
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email: thaifighter83@yahoo.com

[Keltron]

I make them see me at least thrice per week. Part of the reason many people get trainers is for that extra little push that they won't have on their own. If it's not financially feasible for them, I'll take them down to half sessions.... I'd rather work out w/them more frequently but w/less time than do a full hour just once a week.

And if the work out is truly too hard for them, I'll scale it down a bit. But if they're just being lazy, I'll keep it as is...

[Halothane]

I usually make the workout harder, they have to get out of their confort zone and I don't care if they give up.

[bigfrog]

I make them see me at least thrice per week. Part of the reason many people get trainers is for that extra little push that they won't have on their own. If it's not financially feasible for them, I'll take them down to half sessions.... I'd rather work out w/them more frequently but w/less time than do a full hour just once a week.

And if the work out is truly too hard for them, I'll scale it down a bit. But if they're just being lazy, I'll keep it as is...

This.....^^^

[ThaiFighter_83]

I make them see me at least thrice per week. Part of the reason many people get trainers is for that extra little push that they won't have on their own. If it's not financially feasible for them, I'll take them down to half sessions.... I'd rather work out w/them more frequently but w/less time than do a full hour just once a week.

That doesn't apply to me because I don't do sales at the gym I work at. It's a seperate staff. So they're stuck with me just once a week for a half hour if that's all they could afford.

And if the work out is truly too hard for them, I'll scale it down a bit. But if they're just being lazy, I'll keep it as is...

Sometimes, when I keep it as is, they still get worse. They really treat their bodies that bad, and they won't workout on any other days than when they see me. I'm wondering if some trainers are so concerned with just keeping the client that they'll just keep making the workouts easier and easier in this case...tricking the client into thinking they're making progress, so they'll stay motivated and keep paying to come back.

[flexapeal]

Having a lazy client is like trying to get a kid to do their homework. Sometimes you have to make it interesting and fun. You almost have to trick them into doing it without them actually knowing what they have done. Maybe shortening the workout time works too. You can always do an easy week then a hard week the next week. If you make it too easy , hey whats the use.

[Keltron]

That doesn't apply to me because I don't do sales at the gym I work at. It's a seperate staff. So they're stuck with me just once a week for a half hour if that's all they could afford.



Sometimes, when I keep it as is, they still get worse. They really treat their bodies that bad, and they won't workout on any other days than when they see me. I'm wondering if some trainers are so concerned with just keeping the client that they'll just keep making the workouts easier and easier in this case...tricking the client into thinking they're making progress, so they'll stay motivated and keep paying to come back.

Well, I personally wouldn't trick them into making them think they're making progress when they're not but at the same time, I don't feel bad for them being tricked either because they're being lazy and not doing what their trainer is telling them is necessary.

[Simmo0508]

Personally, i can tell the difference between a potentially lazy client, and a person who just needs a kick up the bum verbally etc.

If i see someone's just a lazy person full stop, and isn't doing things to change their life and putting in the effort, then i'm not gonna put effort in either. It's a 2 way street. I don't wanna work with people who don't put the work in, because it makes me look bad as a trainer when they don't get results.

They can bother another trainer for all i care. I'd rather work with people who are passionate about changing and are mentally focused, or at least trying to. I don't care if someone fails at something, i do care however if someone doesn't try at all. If someone fall's off, i wanna see someone get back on.

[Mr_Kinney]

I don't usually don't have a problem with my clients because the doctors that send them to me have usually scared the @#$% out of them first with talks of pre-diabetes classes and hypertention prevention lectures etc.

It's a good filter to ensure that each client is commited.

[laz76]

There's not a whole lot you can really do. You can try to motivate them to work harder, you can try to push them, but unless you're a drill-seargant type of trainer (in which case they probably won't go to you in the first place.) they're going to just keep being lazy. What usually happens is they start getting frustrated with not getting the results they want, and you just remind them about their nutrition, cardio, their own workouts, etc...

I know what you mean though. The worst is when they don't want to superset or they want to eat up alot of the session time now working out, so they just start talking. I have a girl who I'll try to superset or circuit train with and after the first exercise, when I say "OK, now 20 jump lunges..." she stands there, pauses, and then goes "Did I tell you about what happened to me at work this morning?" and I'll say "After the jump lunges..." and she'll ignore that and just start telling me about her day. I stopped supersetting as much and just have her do extra-long sets, like 25-30 reps at a time. She'll stop short anyway, but she'll stop at 20, where if I told her to do 20, she'd stop at 12 and say something was hurting. Does it almost everytime.

[ThaiFighter_83]

There's not a whole lot you can really do. You can try to motivate them to work harder, you can try to push them, but unless you're a drill-seargant type of trainer (in which case they probably won't go to you in the first place.) they're going to just keep being lazy. What usually happens is they start getting frustrated with not getting the results they want, and you just remind them about their nutrition, cardio, their own workouts, etc...

I know what you mean though. The worst is when they don't want to superset or they want to eat up alot of the session time now working out, so they just start talking. I have a girl who I'll try to superset or circuit train with and after the first exercise, when I say "OK, now 20 jump lunges..." she stands there, pauses, and then goes "Did I tell you about what happened to me at work this morning?" and I'll say "After the jump lunges..." and she'll ignore that and just start telling me about her day. I stopped supersetting as much and just have her do extra-long sets, like 25-30 reps at a time. She'll stop short anyway, but she'll stop at 20, where if I told her to do 20, she'd stop at 12 and say something was hurting. Does it almost everytime.

I had a client who would cancel the session, because he didn't get enough sleep the night before from playing videogames until 4 o'clock in the morning. Now THAT'S LAZY!

[tbrady12]

it's a tough situation with lazy clients. I just keep on em about what they should be doing and how everything is going. I always try to make the workouts tough whether there doing the workouts or not. If they lie then there only hurting themselves. I tell them I can lead a horse to water but i can't force it to drink. We give them the tools they have to build the house. However, I can see the point of looking bad when your clients dont get results. At the same time there paying you for your knowledge and time. I'll give them my knowledge, effort, and time. In the end if they want to pay me and not do what I say and just talk thats there fault.

[pantha266]

Personally, i can tell the difference between a potentially lazy client, and a person who just needs a kick up the bum verbally etc.

If i see someone's just a lazy person full stop, and isn't doing things to change their life and putting in the effort, then i'm not gonna put effort in either. It's a 2 way street. I don't wanna work with people who don't put the work in, because it makes me look bad as a trainer when they don't get results.

They can bother another trainer for all i care. I'd rather work with people who are passionate about changing and are mentally focused, or at least trying to. I don't care if someone fails at something, i do care however if someone doesn't try at all. If someone fall's off, i wanna see someone get back on.

I have to co-sign this. I had to refuse to train one young lady after 2 weeks. It was like pulling teeth to get her to do anything. I also feel like a client is a reflection on me.