ACE Personal Trainer Manual 5th Edition Chapter 3: Communication and Teaching Techniques Lesson 3.2

After completing this session, you will be able to: LEARNING OBJECTIVES After completing this session, you will be able to: Use and apply motivational interviewing techniques to establish rapport Identify different learning styles and implement teaching techniques with clients List and discuss the three stages of motor learning Incorporate effective modeling strategies to build credibility with clients Give appropriate feedback Design behavioral contracts for clients Develop communication strategies to help build rapport with clients

MOTIVATIONAL INTERVIEWING TECHNIQUES Unless a client has made a decision to change, his or her exercise attempts are likely to fail. Motivational interviewing: Refers to a method of speaking with people in a way that motivates them to make a decision to change their behavior Is designed to show supportive concern while challenging a client’s current behavior May help clients feel the need to become more active and make a decision to start exercising Is used by a personal trainer to create awareness in clients that a sedentary lifestyle will likely cause health problems Occasionally, personal trainers may find themselves working with clients who are not ready to commit to an exercise program. They may have been pushed into trying a personal-training session by a friend or family member, or they may know they should exercise but be unwilling to exert the effort required to become more active. While it is tempting to forge ahead and tell these clients what they should be doing, the personal trainer’s advice may be wasted on clients who have not yet made a commitment to exercise.

MOTIVATIONAL INTERVIEWING TECHNIQUES Using direct questions, the personal trainer can make clients realize that good health is important, and that a sedentary lifestyle is actually dangerous to their health and well-being. Personal trainers who use motivational interviewing will be most successful if they: Ask probing questions Listen effectively Provide educational information Keep the conversation friendly Build self-confidence Encourage clients to generate ideas A personal trainer should monitor clients’ responses to motivational interviewing attempts. If the personal trainer senses that the client has stopped listening, it is time to stop talking. Instead, the personal trainer can ask clients what they are thinking about or if they have any questions. A motivational interview can feel somewhat uncomfortable for personal trainers who tend to avoid conflict, but mild discomfort may help clients feel the need to change. The personal trainer’s job in a motivational interview is to be supportive of the client (he or she is okay), but to challenge sedentary behavior (the behavior is not okay, and could be harmful to his or her health).

ENHANCING CLIENT SUCCESS Once the client is ready to begin exercising, the personal trainer can enhance client success in many ways: Setting up self-monitoring systems Using individualized teaching techniques Allowing clients the opportunity for focused practice

ENHANCING CLIENT SUCCESS One of the most effective ways to support behavioral change is by self-monitoring. A personal trainer can support self-monitoring by: Offering the client a system for recording supervised and unsupervised exercise sessions, such as a workout card or electronic system Recording the exercise, resistance, repetitions, and sets of a workout, and/or the time, intensity, or heart rate Self-monitoring also: Gives clients a more objective view of their behaviors and increases self-awareness Enhances client–trainer communication as the personal trainer reviews the workout record and asks questions about what is or is not working .

ENHANCING CLIENT SUCCESS Understanding how people learn most effectively can help personal trainers provide sound instruction to diverse groups of clients. Trainers should provide individualized teaching techniques: Auditory learners may like a lot of explanation or ask several questions. Visual learners learn by watching and appreciate longer demonstrations with less talking. Kinesthetic learners learn by doing and needing to feel the movement before catching on. Once a trainer learns what works best for each client, he or she should emphasize the preferred learning style. Additionally, teaching pace should also be modified for each client. While some catch on to new skills quickly, others do so more slowly and require more patience and support on the part of the personal trainer. .

ENHANCING CLIENT SUCCESS

ENHANCING CLIENT SUCCESS Tell me and I’ll forget Show me and I may remember Involve me and I’ll understand --Chinese Proverb Tell, show, do approach Motor skills will be taught most effectively if the following points are kept in mind: Remind beginners that it takes time and practice to improve motor skills Introduce new skills slowly and clearly: Keep explanations short and clear. Briefly demonstrate the skill and allow clients time to watch. Allow clients the opportunity for focused practice: Once the personal trainer has “told and shown,” the client is ready to “do,” or perform the motor skill. This proverb should be understood by all personal trainers as they teach exercises to clients. Motor learning is the process of acquiring and improving motor skills. Many adult clients are quite self-conscious in the motor-skill domain, especially if they have had little experience with sports and physical activity. Personal trainers with a strong background in physical education and sport are often surprised at the lack of motor ability they see in many adult clients. Many clients new to exercise feel self-conscious participating in a personal-training session. They may feel out of place, awkward, and clumsy. The personal trainer must help new clients feel at home in the exercise environment, and reassure clients learning new skills that it is okay to be a beginner, and that with practice they will eventually feel comfortable and competent. A personal trainer may often combine the telling and showing phases of skill introduction, demonstrating while explaining the skill. When describing certain movements, the personal trainer should focus on explaining the goal of the movement rather than giving distracting details.

“TELL, SHOW, DO” By using the “tell, show, do” method, teach a friend, family member, or client an exercise he or she has never performed before. Ask the client for feedback on the experience and brainstorm ways to improve this aspect of your training sessions.

GIVING APPROPRIATE FEEDBACK Once a client has tried the skill, the personal trainer should respond by giving helpful feedback. The feedback should do three things: Reinforce what was done well Correct errors Motivate clients to continue practicing and improving When providing feedback, keep these points in mind: Correcting the more “negative” points should be sandwiched between reinforcement and motivation. Limit feedback to a few simple points and avoid information overload. Correct the most important errors first: Those involving safety Those that occur earliest in the movement sequence Those that are fundamental to the exercise Phrase feedback positively; tell clients what to do instead of what not to do: “Keep breathing” rather than “Don’t hold your breath” Use tactile (touch) feedback with permission as appropriate or necessary.

EFFECTIVE MODELING STRATEGIES Personal trainers should model the same healthful lifestyle advice they are giving to their clients: Enhances credibility of the trainer and promotes the notion that physical fitness will deliver benefits that are worth the cost Promotes the attitude that physical activity can feel good, reduce stress, and build confidence Emphasizes exercise as a means for improving health rather than as punishment Emphasizes improvement in the quality of life, rather than exercise being something painful one must do to lose weight or look better Emphasizes self-acceptance along with self-discipline Promotes a healthy attitude when working with younger and often impressionable clients

Contracts can also be problematic: BEHAVORIAL CONTRACTS Behavior-change contracts may be motivational for some clients and typically spell out the behavior the client is expected to perform: Contracts that offer extrinsic motivation, such as a reward, are helpful to get clients started. Contracts with process goals work better than those with product goals. Contracts can also be problematic: May instill a sense of frustration when high expectations are not met

STRATEGIES FOR EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION Cultural competence can be defined as the ability to communicate and work effectively with people from different cultures. Personal trainers: May find it takes more effort to build trust with people who differ from themselves in terms of age, gender, ethnicity, size, socioeconomic status, educational background, ability, and fitness level Can develop cultural competence by taking time to learn about clients’ beliefs, attitudes, and lifestyles Can improve their rapport-building ability by learning as much as possible about each client, and by trying to understand clients different from themselves

STRATEGIES FOR EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION Building rapport with some clients may require extra effort: Those reluctant to begin exercising Clients who are afraid of getting injured Those who are depressed or anxious about their health Clients with negative experiences, prejudices against athletes or physical educators Some clients may have less trust in young people, old people, women, people who appear to be overweight, or people of a different ethnicity Nevertheless, personal trainers who behave professionally and try to understand their clients often win the hearts and trust of even the most reluctant clients. Personal trainers should mention their certifications, credentials, various training programs, and other continuing education opportunities they pursue or have completed.

STRATEGIES FOR EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION Empathy and rapport evolve over time from good communication between the personal trainer and client. Personal trainers develop empathy with a client when they put themselves in the client’s position: Willingness to try to understand is usually appreciated by the client An attempt to understand is conveyed through: Effective listening with an open, non-judgmental mind Asking questions Paraphrasing, reflecting, and summarizing what was heard

STRATEGIES FOR EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION Understanding empathy and professional boundaries Empathy: Occurs when a trainer demonstrates understanding and acceptance toward the client Can be demonstrated without leaving one’s role as a professional Personal Involvement: Occurs when a trainer becomes friends or enters into a romantic relationship with the client Causes difficulty in maintaining a client–trainer relationship The professional effectiveness of a personal trainer is undermined when he or she becomes too personally involved. The client–trainer relationship should cease immediately if a romantic relationship has developed. Over time, personal trainers develop certain boundaries that allow them to behave professionally and express empathy without becoming best friends with clients. When personal trainers and clients work together for an extended period of time, it is normal for each to experience a feeling of friendliness toward the other. What is appropriate professional behavior for one trainer may not feel right to another. For example, should a personal trainer attend a party given by a client? Most personal trainers could participate professionally in such a situation, while others might feel uncomfortable, or at least unable to really enjoy the party. In general, personal trainers should express empathy for situations and information pertaining to the client–trainer relationship. When clients start chatting about intimate issues, trainers can keep their distance and not feel compelled to show understanding or even a strong interest, especially if a client is particularly talkative.

STAGES OF LEARNING Personal trainers must learn to provide helpful direction to clients through the three stages of learning: Cognitive stage of learning: Occurs most frequently in the early stages of the client–trainer relationship Clients are trying to understand the new skill Movements are often uncoordinated or jerky Be careful to not overwhelm clients by teaching too many new skills Use the “tell, show, do” teaching technique Associative stage of learning: Clients begin to master the basics and are ready for specific feedback to help refine the skill Balance giving an appropriate amount of feedback Autonomous stage of learning: Clients are performing motor skills effectively and naturally Teach less and monitor more

CONTINUED CLIENT INTERACTIONS Personal trainers must continue to build productive relationships with clients throughout all of their daily interactions by using the following techniques: Periodically reinforce credentials to help clients perceive personal trainers as educated and competent. Prepare for each session by cultivating a mindful focus: Review the materials on upcoming clients and set goals. Allow for effective listening and fresh energy with each client. Ask clients for feedback. Use electronic communication channels with discretion: Give clear directions for contact. Maintain all social media sites or pages in a professional manner. Ensure training sessions are fun and enjoyable, though playfulness should never “cross the line” or detract from the exercise plan.

SUMMARY Successful personal trainers consistently demonstrate excellent communication and teaching techniques throughout the various stages of the client–trainer relationship. Personal trainers who work with clients who differ from themselves can benefit from developing cultural competence and learning about their clients’ beliefs, attitudes, and lifestyles. Trainers must become adept at developing an empathetic understanding of their clients while maintaining professional boundaries. Personal trainers must learn to provide helpful direction to clients through all the stages of learning and incorporate effective communication and teaching techniques into their daily interactions with clients.