This may appear to be a strange question to ask someone who’s paying a professional to help achieve a goal. After all, isn’t it the client that should be asking what is expected of the trainer?

Yes, of course a client may expect competence, skill and attention to his or her needs. But the trainer is an assistant, a guide, and supporter in the journey to your improvement. The key word here is "your." Trainers cannot foster change in someone else’s life on their own. You must take an active and direct role in effecting change. I will be there to educate you and direct you on what steps you need to take, but the responsibility for doing the work is yours.

This is not to scare you or make it sound too difficult. Change can be quite easy and fun if you put your heart into the process. I merely ask my clients to understand that the choices are theirs as to whether they do the steps that I ask, adopt the behaviors that I identify and understand that I cannot do it for them.

So, specifically, what are we talking about here? For starters, you truly have to want to change. Sounds simple enough, but you have to be serious about wanting to modify your lifestyle. It won’t do either of us any good if you ignore my directions and education and force me into "teeth-pulling mode," which never works. But trust me, its not that hard once we team up. You just have to want it.

Secondly, you are expected to be present when I arrive for sessions, and to make your training appointments a priority. I have a very flexible schedule when we arrange our sessions, so we can arrive at a schedule that works out well for you. Once established, we will adhere to the commitment that we made together. I require a 12-hour cancellation notice (most gyms have 24-hour policies). If something comes up and you need to alter the schedule, it won’t be a problem as long as you give me half-a-day’s notice. Failure to do this will result in a lost session.

Another crucial requirement is to be honest with me when it comes time to discuss your goals for the future, behaviors of the past, and current lifestyle. I won’t be able to do my best work for you if I don’t know what’s going in your fitness and dietary life outside of sessions. I definitely understand that it can be difficult to open up to a stranger and discuss your perceived weaknesses and struggles. However, I hope to foster an environment where trust in each other makes such discussions comfortable because only with honest communication can we eliminate negative behaviors.

Finally, I expect you to have fun. This stuff doesn’t have to be drudgery. We’re allowed to enjoy ourselves and I plan to make fitness a satisfying part of your day. If you enjoy something and look forward to it, the odds of that behavior becoming a habit increase. Habits don’t require a lot of hard thought and effort to enact, and thus, living an active and healthy lifestyle becomes second-nature. That’s my ultimate goal.