MATT ROBERTS | TRAINING ARTICLES

SIX STRATEGIES FOR OPTIMUM RESULT

By Jordan Callaghan

1) Setting both realistic and measurable short term and long term goals. If you don't have a destination in mind then how can one plan an appropriate journey.

2) Planning the journey start to finish in advance- no matter how far away the destination may be. Sure you may encounter obstacles along the way or realize that you respond better to a different training stimulus but that's the beauty of it.

3) Keep a training journal- how do you know where you are going if you do not know where you have been e.g. weights used, reps completed, sets, rest and tempo. In order to progress you need to be aware of where you're progressing from.

4) Address nutritional habits. Engrain the importance of keeping a food log into your clients, at least initially. Regardless of the goal, there's one constant, you must ingest an amount of calories within a certain range to achieve the desired result. How can you expect to do this, if you have no idea how many total calories you're consuming and equally as important the ratio of macronutrients that form these calories?

5) Intensity. I'm not telling you to be rude to clients or others in the gym nor am I telling to you to act like a robot. Fact is clients will be more inclined to renew if you get them results rather than simply entertaining them for the hour. It's not to say you can't have fun during your session just be aware that the intensity of the session is relevant to the goal and remains consistent.

6) Point five leads me to the final strategy consistency!! If you want to achieve your desired results and optimal physique, quite simply, don't miss a session! I appreciate everyone leads a different lifestyle, which is why strategy number one is so important, don't plan five sessions a week and only make two. Equally tell your clients that doing solely an hour of personal training a week and nothing else is barely maintenance training at best. I'm gearing up to go to the gym as I write this, make sure you are too...!!!