Since qualifying as a Personal Trainer some years ago now the role has never quite sat comfortably with me. I set out to offer something different, and yet once labeled as a “Personal Trainer” I effectively became that person that wrote programmes, counted reps (with varying degrees of accuracy!) and basically instructed people on how to move and what to lift. That is certainly not what I set out to do!
I studied further and qualified as a Coach (Swimming, Running and Cycling; separately with each appropriate governing body). This was better, but still not the role I had in mind but could not articulate. A Coach will focus on athletic performance, measurement and structured training regimes to improve fitness and performance. Did you know that it is quite possible to improve fitness at the expense of health? Fascinating right…
But after much thought, and trying to draw on my wider life experiences, it has struck me that a Fitness Mentor is probably the role I should adopt. If neither a PT or a Coach quite hits the mark for you, then perhaps you are actually looking for a Fitness Mentor? Read on…
What actually is a Personal Trainer?
Before I delve into Fitness Mentoring, it is probably worth considering what are the attributes of a Personal Trainer. We can all describe the person, it’s the man or woman at the gym that works with people one to one, designs their training programme for them. He makes sure his client can do each exercise safely and that the programme is appropriate for the clients aspiration, but more their ability. Let’s put this in a more structured form:
- Focus on Individual Client. Personal Trainers work closely with individual clients to develop personalised fitness programmes tailored to the their specific goals, needs and fitness level.
- Hands-On Instruction. They provide hands on instruction during workouts, demonstrating proper exercise techniques, ensuring correct form, and offering immediate feedback to maximise effectiveness and avoid injury.
- Physical Training Expertise. Personal Trainers are highly knowledgable about exercise physiology, nutrition, and anatomy. They use this expertise to devise effective workout routines.
- Short Term Goals. Personal Trainers often work with clients on short term fitness goals, such as weight loss, muscle gain, or improving overall health and fitness.
Maybe this is for you? It certainly meets the needs of some people and that is a good thing!
The role of a Fitness Coach
Let me start by saying that there is a lot of cross over between a Coach and a Mentor. The key differences are around the intent of the intervention provided and the dynamic of the relationship. If I were to break down the role of a Coach in the same way as I did for a PT then it might look like this:
- Group or Team Focus. This would be a very classic view of a coach and will differ in different sporting contexts. But generally there is a notion of a team or squad, even if each athlete receives one to one coaching.
- Program Design and Implementation. Fitness Coaches design and implement training programmes. These programmes focus on overall base fitness, athletic performance and then targeted sport specific performance improvement.
- Motivation and Support. They provide motivation, encouragement and support to their clients. Helping them to stay focused and committed to their fitness and sporting goals.
- Long-Term Progression. Coaches often work with clients over the longer term; generally several seasons or years. They guide their clients through progressive training phases to achieve sustainable, discipline specific, fitness and performance improvements.
Whilst the term Coach has been adopted widely now (as a mechanism to differentiate between PT’s and something more senior), the reality is that outside of a specific sporting discipline then true coaching is unlikely to be happening. If you are a competent runner, you want to win a particular Marathon next year, then a Running Coach is for you.
But my observation is that for many people interested in improving their overall health and fitness, they select a Coach because they frankly are not impressed with Personal Trainers! They have no desire to be in a gym and neither do they desire the relationship dynamic of working with a Personal Trainer.
Step in to Mentorship
There is a cohort of people that do not fit well with the above described relationships. For them perhaps they seek something more like this:
- Holistic Development. Mentors go beyond the technical aspects of training and focus on the holistic development of their clients or mentees. They address not only physical fitness but also mental, emotional, and behavioural aspects of health and well-being.
- Role Model and Advisor: Mentors serve as role models and advisors, drawing from their own experiences to provide guidance, inspiration, and support to their clients or mentees.
- Personal Growth: They help their clients or mentees set meaningful goals, overcome obstacles, develop resilience, and cultivate healthy habits that extend beyond the gym. They facilitate lifestyle change.
- Lifelong Learning: Mentors promote a culture of lifelong learning and self-improvement, encouraging their clients or mentees to continually challenge themselves, explore new opportunities, and strive for personal growth.
You can see that whilst there will be cross over with coaching, Mentoring is quite district. The nature of the relationship changes. The focus moves away from instruction and measurable performance to one of empowering the mentee to be self sufficient and knowledgeable enough to make informed choices. A mentor enables long term change rather than a short term performance outcome.
In Summary
In summary, while Personal Trainers focus on individualised training programs for clients, fitness Coaches work with groups, teams or individuals to improve overall fitness and discipline specific performance, a Fitness Mentor provides holistic guidance and support for personal growth, development and lifestyle change. Each role has its own unique focus and contributions to the fitness journey.
The concept of providing Fitness Mentorship is new to me! But it does seem to better describe the type of client relationship and purpose that I felt was missing in the “fitness marketplace”. As I start to talk to people about this over the next few months I shall be keen to get their feedback.
If you have read this far, then firstly WELL DONE 😉 and secondly if you have thoughts or feedback then do please let me know.
