Fitness Coach Vs Personal Trainer: Psychology In The Gym
Although the Personal Trainer is known as a reference figure in the fitness sector to optimize physical results, a new trend is beginning to make its way, the Fitness Coach or Wellness Coach healthy lifestyle coaching.
The fitness coach helps you and inspires you so that you can set your own goals and achieve them, generating powerful and creative conversations that invite reflection and help you find a way achieve your goals and maintain your new healthy habits forever
In the sessions, various topics are worked on such as food, exercise, sleep, stress, emotions, weight, tobacco…
You can find the Fitness Coach in your gym, but their work and results go beyond the fitness rooms. The Fitness Coach fits perfectly in modern gyms where the new trend,wellness (wellness), proliferates, and as a consequence, instead of finding rooms full of machines, we are now moving to centers where there is not only a space to train muscles, but also relaxation activities (such as spa, massage rooms, saunas ), group classes (yoga, pilates, tai-chi…) along with leisure and rest areas (cafes, hairdressers and beauty salons).
To this day, there are still many interpretations regarding the definition of fitness and wellness. HeFitness we could consider it as a equivalent of “physical condition” or “being in shape” Fitness is based on two fundamental pillars: physical activity and healthy eating It allows the person to improve cardiovascular resistance, flexibility, muscular strength and endurance, provides more agility and balance, speed, toning; all this accompanied by a correct and balanced diet. If necessary, consuming the appropriate supplementation in each particular case, but never anabolics. Sometimes, fitness is confused with bodybuilding, but the latter focuses on achieving extreme muscle definition and volume in symmetry, sacrificing the person’s overall well-being and functionality.
On the other hand, the Wellness concept or philosophy is considered a more global term. It would not only encompass fitness as the improvement of physical condition, but it goes further and uses physical condition as a means to improve health, providing longevity, quality of life and beauty That is, wellness as a synonym for physical, mental and emotional well-being It is no longer just interesting to be in shape, but it is also interesting to find a balance between body and mind.
The staff of fitness rooms and gyms has grown in recent years with professionals with degrees in physical activity, sports or health sciences.
At the end of the s. In the 20th century, personal trainers relied on their knowledge of physical activity and biomechanics, believing that they were enough to keep clients adhered to their programs and get them to improve their lifestyle. As time has passed, many have realized that instruction and technical support are not enough to cover the diversity of client schedules and the need for individualized client treatment. If you want to maintain customer commitment, other variables must be taken into account, especially psychological ones
Research on the factors that influence exercise led experts to explore emotional and nutritional needs, and often revealed lifestyle patterns that were unhealthy, behaviors that were addictive, and personal and family challenges that interfered with achieving goals Regarding these aspects, it was necessary that they be redirected in order to continue the training successfully. Even before psychology and coaching appeared in fitness centers, personal trainers were already aware of the need for communication skills and intervention models in these areas.
The inclusion of the Fitness Coach in fitness rooms has given access to the appropriate methods to work with clients in these aspects. Two questions then arise regarding the Fitness Coach and the Personal Trainer: “Which method works best?” “Are both methods equally effective for all clients?”
In order to answer these two questions, you must understand how both models work.
Fitness coach vs Personal Trainer
Clients who want to hire a fitness coach instead of a Personal Trainer should know what they will find two work methodologies and two different communication techniques s. The Fitness Coach will prioritize relationship building and communication. You will focus on clients’ stories and strategies, and provide motivational and supportive messages (for example, using NLP techniques). Although some coaching schools recommend giving advice, Most coaches encourage the client to come to the answer alone using powerful questions (Socratic questions) that challenge and confront their self-perceptions and limiting beliefs
It is a process of personal research and discovery to help the client become more aware of, identify with and take responsibility for realistic goals, with a focus on strategies, actions and feedback.
He personal trainer may have similar aspects, but is more focused on instructions and technical information In addition, he uses a more practical approach by guiding the client during exercises and training, with a directive style of communication, and creating a relationship of dependence on the person he guides. Personal trainers are more concerned with defining their role as experts in physical training and biomechanical knowledge, but they do not encourage personal growth or ensure that the client learns the authentic concept of well-being.
Now, after knowing that coaches and personal trainers rely on different work methodologies, it is time to answer the second question I posed previously: “Do the two methods work the same for everyone?” To answer this question we need to understand the client, since each person is different, has different objectives, unique past experiences and needs that may vary from one to another.
Therefore, to better understand customer needs, you must understand the Self-efficacy Theory of Albert Bandura (1977) which emphasizes the role played by what one tells oneself during the process of acquiring the objectives one intends to achieve, and determines the behavior and way of acting in each situation.
Self-efficacy: The key to meeting long-term goals
The Self-efficacy is the judgments and beliefs that a person has about his or her abilities to successfully perform a given task and, therefore, directs the course of his or her action These expectations determine the preference for certain activities, motivation, persistence in said tasks, and emotional responses to various situations. Furthermore, and very importantly, self-efficacy expectations are variable and specific to each context. For example, beliefs will be different when it comes to swimming or when preparing to run marathons. Self-efficacy beliefs are affected by one’s own past achievements, vicarious learning or observation of the behavior of others, verbal persuasion, or level of emotional arousal.
Some clients may arrive at the gym knowledgeable about nutrition and exercise, but are unable to adhere to a training plan or diet. Others, however, will know absolutely nothing about the exercises they should do.
The first example refers to people who master self-efficacy related to physical activity, but may have cognitive and emotional difficulties when designing, implementing or maintaining behaviors related to the acquisition of goals. The second example refers to people who need instruction to be able to start exercising and, therefore, will need a directive style to be able to get off to a good start, achieve quick results and not get injured.
Observing clients’ Self-efficacy from different angles will allow us to identify people who must improve their physical ability to achieve their goals, or it will give us information about people who need to improve their cognitive and emotional skills to successfully manage the transitions necessary in a change process.
Conclusion
In summary, people can have skills and competencies that are a necessary condition, but not sufficient to achieve the objectives. One of the variables that influence the acquisition of goals is the perception of self-efficacy, that is, the expectation of success that the person has when faced with a particular situation, depending on the resources they believe they have and the characteristics of the situation and the context
A person can avoid situations in which he doubts his ability, no matter how suggestive a certain objective may be, by believing that he does not have the necessary resources to achieve it. The perception of self-efficacy is key in the coaching process and is necessary to achieve long-term goals. The Personal Trainer can have very useful tools and so can the Fitness Coach. The ideal to be a good professional of this field is to possess the necessary skills to be able to use both ways of working depending on the client’s needs
