In the first part of this article, I talked about helping clients to envision their workouts as a series branching choices rather than as a static storyline. Instead of putting pressure on a client to do things your way, take the time to get to know who they are as a person so you can help them customize their own workout adventure.

The following are some questions that can help your clients choose their own workout adventures.

Question #1: What type of workout "personality" do you have?

Choices:

a) I like to work out alone,

b) I like to work out with one other person, or

c) I like group classes

The Adventure: I can't tell you how many times I thought about trying Zumba or showing up to a spin class. The truth is, though I'm a social person, my workouts are very personal to me. I enjoy doing my own thing, showing up when I feel like it and listening to my own inner thoughts, along with every track I've downloaded of Eminem. My aunt, however, looks forward to group classes after work three times a week and one of my favorite clients (bless her heart) says she only gets a good workout in when I come to her house to train her.

Everybody's workout style is different and for those who get pressured into attending Yoga with a friend or float aimlessly around the free weights if they missed their favorite class, you're not going to be happy, or even comfortable, if you don't stay true to your genuine workout personality. That's not to say that you can't attend Body Pump on Saturdays if your schedule permits or that you should avoid doing laps around the club pool if you normally play racquetball, but you should never force yourself into a workout solely because it's a trend or you hear a co-worker claim it's the "only thing" she swears by to get her arms toned. Do what you feel like doing and you'll start to feel like doing more, which is the real reason people see results to begin with.

Question #2: What keeps you "pleasantly distracted" during your workout?

Choices:

a) I listen to my iPod,

b) I talk with my friend, or

c) I stay focused on the instructor

The Adventure: Being a writer myself, I like to squeeze in a good novel from time to time as an escape into another existence, but bringing your library books to the gym can get you off track and even get you hurt. The only time I see a book in the gym and don't scream deep down inside is when someone is using a recumbent (a.k.a. "reclining") stationary bike.

In this specific scenario, your legs are doing the moving and if you slip deep into a fiction coma, the chances of you falling off are almost nonexistent. Now, for the rest of you, who like to walk and read, just keep in mind that books and treadmills - much like cell phones and cars - just don't mix. The more you keep your head up, the better chance you have of doing the same with your workout's intensity and, in return, you'll have better results.

On the flip side of that coin, watching TV isn't necessarily a bad idea. Sometimes, when I start my cardio, I'm also catching the beginning of a home renovation on HGTV, which can last anywhere from a half hour to an hour. Getting attached to an episode, or even a series marathon, can make your actual marathon of movement fly by.

In regard to music and chit-chat, do what makes you comfortable without it being a dismal distraction. I have a friend who cringes every time she puts on her iPod because the ear buds aren't comfortable and it keeps her from comparing notes with her workout partner. But no one said you had to be friends with iTunes.

Keep in mind, if you're not in a class, you can do pretty much do anything to keep focused on your workout, as long as it doesn't keep others from enjoying theirs.

Question #3: How do you know if your work out is "working" for you?

Choices:

a) I keep a workout journal,

b) I weigh or measure myself, or

c) I don't… I just put in my time and go home

The Adventure: The gym has always been my "friend" through rough patches and I've escaped there many times, whether it followed a fight with a boyfriend or just a bad day at work. The truth is, sometimes we stayed focused and other times, we just feel okay with going through the motions and then going to sleep. There's nothing wrong with that. You don't always have to follow a plan. In fact, I've forced myself to go to the gym many times thinking I would feel better once I got there and the result was, five or six minutes into a warm-up, I just grabbed my keys and went home.

On the other hand, having a strict workout plan to follow can keep you motivated to come back the next day, even if you have "better things" to do. Knowing that you lifted five more pounds than your last bicep workout can even make you feel like choosing better foods and downing those supplements because you're working towards a bigger goal. Still, the thought of a "plan" can be too overwhelming to fitness newbies or some personalities in general.

Keep in mind that not every client's goal is to lose weight. Some want to be healthy to play with their grandchildren and others just want the satisfaction of trying a new hobby. Please don't take that away from them. If a client wants you to track their progress or feels like carrying around a notebook then encourage that. If they're only focused on how their jeans will fit or what the scale says, let them "try it their way" if you have to before preaching to them that their blood pressure is more important than their waist line.

Each and every one of us has our likes and dislikes in this world. We all have our favorite stores, restaurants and ideas of the perfect weekend getaway. Just like one size doesn't fit all in the dressing room, one workout won't "work" for everyone in the weight room. 

The main goal for everyone is that, no matter who you are, working out is for you. It has to be for you if you want to maintain or improve your quality of life, live longer or take fewer trips to the pharmacy. No matter the path your client chooses to take, make them see that living vicariously through the models of a fitness magazine doesn't have to be their only adventure.

Let them see that, when it comes to fitness, the possibilities are endless. Show them the first path and see where they decide to go from there. If they don't like where that road leads, there's always another day and another workout. You never know, the road that they ultimately choose could lead back to you… and a wonderful new adventure for you both.

About the Author

Sara Garrison has been a Certified Personal Trainer with the NFPT since March 2010. After working as a trainer for Gold's Gym in the Birmingham, AL, area from March - June, Sara started her own in-home training business, Garrison Personal Training, in July 2010. Sara is a member of the National Physique Committee (NPC) and was a participant in the first-ever Indianapolis Figure competition in 2001. She currently writes a fitness blog at www.garrisonpersonaltraining.blogspot.com 

 If you have any questions for Sara, please contact her at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or at the Garrison Personal Training page at www.facebook.com.

View the Author's Profile and other articles published in Personal Trainer Today.

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