“What Does This Exercise Even Do For Me Anyway?”
Questions like this can feel abrasive, overly direct and rather imposing for someone to ask their personal trainer. More often, questions like these go unasked and unanswered, which can lead to someone feeling disconnected from their training program and eventually seeking something new. Questions like these can indicate a lack of understanding from the client, a lack of clarity from the trainer or a downright terrible exercise selection leading to poor results.
As a personal trainer, I love when folks ask questions like this, mainly because it ends a negative feedback loop and can start a positive conversation about improving their training program. Questions can certainly be asked in a kind and empathetic way as more often than not your trainer is working their tail off trying to help you get results.
It is very important that the question gets asked. If you find yourself frustrated with a certain exercise and want to ask a question about it, ask away! It can feel intimidating to “challenge” the authority of your personal trainer and their exercise selection. I assure you, not only is it welcome, it makes our job easier to pick good exercises and cues for you!
Below are four questions that I wish got asked to me more often:
Why am I not training that hard today?
This question usually is a result of someone showing up in a state of poor readiness. This could mean a lack of sleep, inadequate nutrition, high acute stressors in their life, dehydration, recent injury or a combination.
If there is a reason you aren’t training hard today, asking this question can help your trainer explain what their expectation is and how you can show up ready to rumble. This can make it more clear for you in getting to that hard and badass workout that you might be looking for.
This question could also be the result of a “stale” training program, where a trainer hasn’t progressed an exercise or workout enough to create a new stimulus for you. By asking the question, you give your trainer the opportunity to provide their justification and perhaps an opportunity to adjust your program to more accurately meet your current training ability.
Either way, it’s a win for you!
What does this exercise have to do with my goals?
This question gives your trainer the opportunity to present their reasoning for why they chose the exercise that they did. It can start a conversation that allows you to understand their thought-process and also give you a chance to provide some feedback concerning your goals.
Goals are very dynamic and have a tendency to change as people train more. If this is the case, asking this question can start the conversation of reevaluating your goals (which hopefully your trainer is already asking you about) which can lead to a program that is more accurate to your current desired training outcomes.
Why am I not seeing results from this exercise program?
This question could result in a trainer diving a little deeper to help you find training outcomes. It could also start a helpful conversation in what’s commonly termed “the other 23 hours”. You may get some helpful recommendations from your trainer about what to be doing outside of your training program to find results, like sleep quality, stress management, nutrition and physical activity recommendations.
It may also lead to your trainer taking a hard look in the mirror and writing a better program for you!
Is it ok to try fitness classes somewhere else?
Sometimes this question can be hard as it may feel like going behind your trainers back to find more fitness options. How could you!?!
In all seriousness, many trainers sign up to be trainers to help people find healthy routines in their life. If you are interested in joining a crossfit class down the street, or a pilates workshop this coming Saturday or maybe trying a general gym membership to crush some workouts on your own, bring it up to your trainer and they may have some helpful recommendations for you!
Training on your own or outside of your scheduled personal training times is encouraged. If your trainer knows about it, they can help you find solid options in line with your goals. It also gives your trainer a chance to adjust your training program to be complementary to those other activities that you want to be doing so you're not crushing legs three straight days in a row!
Asking questions can be challenging in any relationship, let alone a relationship where the person you’re asking is deciding between asking you to do back squats or burpees. What’s important is establishing a relationship of trust where there is enough comfort to ask these questions and speak openly about the answers in a non-confrontational way. If done well, this level of communication can lead to a far better training experience for both you and your trainer.
If you are interested in working with one of SOMA VT’s coaches, please reach out for more information.
