Do you encourage clients to quit smoking?

[KMannCSCS]

I don't bother. I figure when somebody is suffering from an addiction they need help that is above my pay grade. Of course smoking is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease and if need be I may require a medical clearance but I will not play the role of a psychologist. I try to avoid clients who have drug problems whether it be tobacco, alcoholism, meth or anything else. I know nothing I say is going to convince them to stop so unless they're currently seeking treatment then I would really rather not bother training them. I don't like giving people the false hope that they can salvage what little remains of their health by exercising since I know it's not true.

[KyleAaron]

I don't train smokers, I tell them to quit and then I'll train them.

I train people for general health. The very best thing they can do for their health is to quit smoking, if they won't do that then nothing else they do will make much difference, and their progress will be extremely limited. As well, only those who are committed get results, and if they won't even quit smoking then you can guarantee they'll be missing sessions, rescheduling all the time, etc.

[KMannCSCS]

I don't train smokers, I tell them to quit and then I'll train them.

I train people for general health. The very best thing they can do for their health is to quit smoking, if they won't do that then nothing else they do will make much difference, and their progress will be extremely limited. As well, only those who are committed get results, and if they won't even quit smoking then you can guarantee they'll be missing sessions, rescheduling all the time, etc.

Wow, that shows some serious integrity. This is of course a health related field. I think once I'm a bit older and have the years of experience of some of the more seasoned trainers I'll have that luxury. I would love to turn them down but I also have a sales quota to meet for the business I work for. I imagine you're probably independent.

[KyleAaron]

No, I work for a gym. If I don't get PT clients, I don't get an income from them. That's bad enough, no need for some manager to be berating us about some KPIs.

It's not integrity, it's self-interest. You want clients who'll be committed and last. Uncommitted clients who don't last don't get results. As well, the uncommitted clients will because of their lack of commitment and lack of results... quit. So you'll need to find more clients. The hours you spend training clients is paid, the hours you spend finding clients is not paid. Uncommitted clients ---> constantly looking for new clients ---> more time not being paid for work.

There are two trainers in a gym. Jane has 10 clients, and 8 of them have been with her for 12+ months, they're all very dedicated to their workouts, show up regularly and got great results. John has 20 clients, none have been with him for more than 3 months, they miss many of their sessions and none of them are getting results, you always see the trainer standing around waiting for them to show up and they often don't.

You're considering getting personal training, which trainer would you approach and ask? If you yourself are at all intelligent and committed, well Jane the PT with 10 clients just got an 11th, and it required absolutely no effort on her part, you just walked up and asked. Meanwhile John with his 15 clients lost 1 today and has to spend some unpaid hours looking for a replacement.

Quality vs quantity. Aim for quality, and the quantity will come in time. Aim for quantity and you'll never get quality except by accident.

[PeteratCastle]

Quality vs quantity. Aim for quality, and the quantity will come in time. Aim for quantity and you'll never get quality except by accident.

Truer words have never been spoken.

I don't tell people that they have to stop smoking but I will make it clear that they will suffer if they don't. they simply won't get as much out of the programmes if they smoke. It doesn't matter much for the hypertrophy brigade but that's not my target market. The others tend to make it part of their programme and I help them with it by giving general advice.

[Mr.ILL]

Yes.

[SFT]

If someone is trying to turn around their life, then yes I would train and encourage someone to stop smoking. I would treat them just like any other client. If they consistently no-showed, then I would drop them. I don't play the session package game where you buy 15 sessions and you have a year or however long to use them. I make people commit to a certain number of sessions per week.

That being said, I've helped a few people stop smoking cigarettes. While they are seriously addictive, a lot of it is behavior modification, just like we do for exercise and nutrition. In my experience, most people smoke because of social reasons or as a result of stress. For instance, in the younger crowd, they're out with friends and everyone goes out to have a cigarette together. This is a social thing, a group of people doing something together. If you can get that group to not invite you out with them, or to go smoke unannounced, there might be a smaller chance of you smoking. On the stress side of things, if you can handle it effectively through exercise, meditation, yoga, music, or whatever the hell you do that destresses you, then you take away some of that "need" for cigarettes. There are also alternatives to continue getting the nicotine fix and ultimately come off of it without going cold turkey. There are patches and electronic cigarettes.

In my experience, a combination of staying away from other smokers, finding ways to manage your stress, and getting a swift kick in the ass from family members, friends, and significant others can really do the trick. Now I wouldn't try to play mental health professional and I would never market myself as an expert in helping people to stop smoking cigarettes. However, if someone came to me that really wanted to change, and that said that they would make an honest attempt to quit, then I would give them a chance.

[Keltron]

and if they won't even quit smoking then you can guarantee they'll be missing sessions, rescheduling all the time, etc.

I disagree w/this 100%.

[KyleAaron]

I disagree w/this 100%.

*shrug*

It's my experience, and that of every trainer I've ever met in person.

People have a certain level of control of their lives, having their sht together, resolve, whatever you want to call it. This resolve shows throughout their life. For example, people who are generally disorganised will tend not to make their own meals, which is why they buy takeout, which is why they're overweight; this same person will not be hopelessly disorganised with their food but extremely well-organised when it comes to scheduling things so that nothing interferes with their physical training, they'll often be "sick" or late or have to reschedule.

This doesn't mean that all overweight people are disorganised or unreliable. It does mean that someone who is overweight because they are disorganised will not be organised with their PT sessions. This is why we have that first sit-down with the potential client to see what they're like, find out their story. At this stage we decide whether there is a realistic prospect of our being able to help them. If yes, sign 'em up. If no, refer them to another trainer.

That last isn't necessarily malicious. I may not be able to help a particular person, you might be great for them, or vice versa. But there are some people nobody can help. Every large facility has a few clients who've been through every trainer in the joint, always failing, and it was always the trainer's fault.

[Garage Rat]

You can only advise them ,wether they quit is up to them.
You cant be with a client 24 hours a day.
Even if they are training and still smoking that is better than not training.
Quitting smoking would even be better.
Bottom line like you said is you have a choice of who you want and dont want to train.

[MuscledHorse]

As both a certified personal trainer and Dr. of Pharmacy I always suggest that people quit smoking. I make it a point to mention the alternatives to assist them in this process. Quitting smoking is essential to good health but this is not like making changes to your diet or showing up ot the gym, this is a genuine physcial addiciton brought on by the nicotine content in the cigarettes. This is the factor that makes smoking cessation difficult. It is further impacted by the fact that cigarette companies have steadily increased the amount of nicotine in cigarettes over the last 15 years in response to the over the counter market offering gums and patches containing nicotine to help with quitting smoking. So, it is good to remind people quitting smoking is important, but it is VERY ineffective to hound them about it. As with the fitness end of things, when they are ready to quit, they will take action.

[musclesman12212]

No, I work for a gym. If I don't get PT clients, I don't get an income from them. That's bad enough, no need for some manager to be berating us about some KPIs.

It's not integrity, it's self-interest. You want clients who'll be committed and last. Uncommitted clients who don't last don't get results. As well, the uncommitted clients will because of their lack of commitment and lack of results... quit. So you'll need to find more clients. The hours you spend training clients is paid, the hours you spend finding clients is not paid. Uncommitted clients ---> constantly looking for new clients ---> more time not being paid for work.

There are two trainers in a gym. Jane has 10 clients, and 8 of them have been with her for 12+ months, they're all very dedicated to their workouts, show up regularly and got great results. John has 20 clients, none have been with him for more than 3 months, they miss many of their sessions and none of them are getting results, you always see the trainer standing around waiting for them to show up and they often don't.

You're considering getting personal training, which trainer would you approach and ask? If you yourself are at all intelligent and committed, well Jane the PT with 10 clients just got an 11th, and it required absolutely no effort on her part, you just walked up and asked. Meanwhile John with his 15 clients lost 1 today and has to spend some unpaid hours looking for a replacement.

Quality vs quantity. Aim for quality, and the quantity will come in time. Aim for quantity and you'll never get quality except by accident.

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