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FBC TRAINERS


BY JOHN PAUL CATANZARO A


ll personal trainers are taught that they must complete a thorough assessment with each client. The more information they gather, the better. Well,


after 17 years in this business, I do far less assessing and far more guessing – not to be different, but to be efficient. I have found that many similar patterns


exist among individuals, and through the years I have developed systems of training that produce reproducible results. Often, assessments can be conducted during the training process, rather than in a separate appointment on its own. This can save the client time and money and can actually lead to better results. Insisting that each prospect have an as-


sessment can be quite disturbing to some people. In fact, some gyms insist on an ini- tial assessment to highlight potential clients’ poor health and fitness levels and to show them how much they need personal train- ing. It’s a dirty little sales trick. I find that most sedentary individuals re-


ally don’t care where they stand compared to others. They simply aren’t numbers-orient- ed—they just want to get better themselves. Really, the whole practice of assessment leads to neuroticism where clients concen- trate on the outcome rather than the process. Instead, I think we should encourage clients to focus on self-improvement rather than how they stack up against the norms. I do think it is useful to generate a base-


line with regards to body composition. Anthropometric measurements should be taken initially, but the extent of these mea- surements depends on the individual. I know the second a client walks through my door how I will measure him or her. For a seden- tary individual, the body mass index (BMI) dictates the measurements I take:


30 Fitness Business Canada May/June 2013


FOR FITNESS STAFF, INSTRUCTORS, PERSONAL TRAINERS & REHAB, SPORT & WELLNESS PROFESSIONALS


Work Within Your


Scope Of Practice Personal trainers should train not diagnose!


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