new client....

[marilyn]

ok, so not a competitor, and no pics, but still a funny story..........

I meet with a new client yesterday..very nice lady...Im asking some rapport building questions, a bit of personal chat...getting her to relax and open up.............

I start asking her questions about some of her goals..she was pretty quick to answer them..........

clearly I can see she needs to lose about 30-40 lbs........BUT she quickly says oh, 5-10 lbs...she says, I want to get rid of this, and she rubs her hands on her large middle area......

so, i say, oh, ok....well, whats your ideal weight?..when were you at your best, your happiest weight?

she quickly says oh, ummm at 169 lbs.......ok....so you are 179 today......and you want to lose only 5-10 lbs, and want to get rid of this area correct?

she quickly says yes.........ok, so then I ask. well how long do you think it will take you to lose this.....I gently point out the area, like she did as to mimic her own gestures, again softly.........

her response......oh, ummm, you know, about a month or less................

again, i can see at least 30-40 lbs....she was a bit shorter than me too....

very nice, but so in denial........this is what Im getting lately.....not real lady is what I wanted to say................

 

[Benches]

All business is good business! Help her accomplish her goals and possibly end up with a few more referrals

 

[Phidias]

clearly I can see she needs to lose about 30-40 lbs........BUT she quickly says oh, 5-10 lbs...

.....oh, ummm, you know, about a month or less................

That or your typical 250 lbs fat/bloated dude that has never competed, yet thinks he's so big in shirt that he's gonna do some damages in a national level show as a SHW...

Hey bro, i've got news for u... you may compete in that show indeed, but it's gonna be as a middleweight if u manage to get lean, and as a light weight in the highly improbable event you stick to ur diet hard enough and accept to loose a bunch of weight in order to shred them glutes...

 

[SecondAct]

With all the eating disorders that girls have, this is the faulty logic that results. I know a lot of couples where the guy is 5'11 and the girl is 5'4 and the guy thinks his ideal weight is 165 and the girl thinks her ideal weight is 155 lbs. I'm talking normal people, not those into bodybuilding. Educating kids on the BMI charts has led to a whole generation of girls thinking 5'5( which is usually exagerated by an inch) and 150 is ideal, and has men thinking they need to get to 160 lbs when they already are fairly slim at 185.

The whole Jennifer Lopez to Kim Kardashian trend about what's considered beautiful hasn't helped. Girls are wanting to get curvy. Those girls are relatively fit and curvy naturally, a lot of girls are looking to get curvy when they are intended to be 130 lb girls. They end up going to 175 lbs to achieve what they think is ideal, when in reality, they are simply sloppy.

 

[RESTLESS1]

i hear alot of people make comments in the gym that i believe are unrealistic.....i agree with you marilyn.....alot is definitely denial......alot of people are just at a loss when it comes to how much they really need to lose to achieve there goal....they just dont know what is best....i also believe its a liitle(maybe alot for some)intimidating looking at you......they probably already feel a little inferior......ive also noticed alot of times some people just dont want to put the work in or change the lifestyle it requires to make such a change....anyway im just rambling.....good luck with your client....i wish her the best...

 

[richiec]

With all the eating disorders that girls have, this is the faulty logic that results. I know a lot of couples where the guy is 5'11 and the girl is 5'4 and the guy thinks his ideal weight is 165 and the girl thinks her ideal weight is 155 lbs. I'm talking normal people, not those into bodybuilding. Educating kids on the BMI charts has led to a whole generation of girls thinking 5'5( which is usually exagerated by an inch) and 150 is ideal, and has men thinking they need to get to 160 lbs when they already are fairly slim at 185.

The whole Jennifer Lopez to Kim Kardashian trend about what's considered beautiful hasn't helped. Girls are wanting to get curvy. Those girls are relatively fit and curvy naturally, a lot of girls are looking to get curvy when they are intended to be 130 lb girls. They end up going to 175 lbs to achieve what they think is ideal, when in reality, they are simply sloppy.

X2, but these women that are "curvy" are also airbrushed extensively in magazines to cover up their cellulite. Girls don't get to see those pics

 

[Johnny Smiles]

people love numbers lol

when i was a trainer and even on this bpard SO MANY people are so concerned with numbers, ie. numbers of sets, numbers of times they eat, numbers on how much they weigh, numbers of how much weight to lose or to gain numbers of bodyfat etc etc etc.... they pick magical numbers and think if they fall short of that they have failed. NOT TRUE.

people just need to eat right wk out smart and let the body do its thing. Genetics will ultimately decifer what numbers you will achieve. like many people, i got into this sport cuz i liked the control i thought i had over my body BUT when i learned to let that control go and simply eat right and lift right i enjoyed this sport and lifestyle even more.
don't know if that made any sense, but it does to me...
-JS

 

[marilyn]

all my ladies lately have all started with......"I eat healthy" all of them have said this early in conversation......I say, oh, great


before our appt ends, they revealed more food secrets............oh, I can't give up sweets......oh, and eat alot of pasta, oh I drink reg coke, only 2 a day.....snack on crackers and cookies, love chocolate...........

same story, same goals, same initial statement.......I eat really healthy.

But I make them feel like they can accomplish their goal, but it will take time, work, and commitment, and $.....so far they want to come back

I hope to make a difference in peoples lives in this industry.

 

[Johnny Smiles]

good luck

i quit being a trainer cuz i prolly had 1 out of every 100 clients at most that actually changed LIFESTYLE. they never "got it."
i became bitter and felt my job was useless.
i still train people on the side sometimes and just have em pay me all up front and say i will help them for 6 months for a VERY low price but they gotta pay up front. and after they pay me i usually never hear from them after the first week cuz almost NO ONE sticks to theri goals. i accept this now. too bad...

just dont get down if they don't stick to their goals is what i am trying to say. its not your fault people just don't "get it."
-JS

 

[marilyn]

thank you for the advise..............I don't usually let that kind of thing get to me personally, but it might happen...........thanks again JS.

 

[mo chuisle]

The whole Jennifer Lopez to Kim Kardashian trend about what's considered beautiful hasn't helped. Girls are wanting to get curvy. Those girls are relatively fit and curvy naturally, a lot of girls are looking to get curvy when they are intended to be 130 lb girls. They end up going to 175 lbs to achieve what they think is ideal, when in reality, they are simply sloppy.

I disagree that the definition of "beautiful" and "curvy" that Jennifer Lopez and Kim Kardashian exemplify isn't helpful. I love seeing curvy girls in magazines! It's a nice change from seeing stick thin twigs modeling clothes that just hang off their skin-and-bones frames. How realistic is that body shape?! As a female, I find it refreshing to see models in mainstream magazines who look more normal than the average skinny "supermodels." I do agree, though, that "curvy" can be misconstrued and mistaken for "fat."

Marilyn - Good luck with helping your client achieve her goals. Maybe after working with you for awhile, her goals will evolve into something more realistic yet satisfying for her. Also, I hear ya bout people saying they "eat healthy" ... and then you find out that their definition of "healthy" includes alcohol on the weekends, pasta (whole grain, of course) for dinner, and only a small cup of low-fat yogurt for breakfast.

~ Mo

 

[cpesloco]

ok, so not a competitor, and no pics, but still a funny story..........

I meet with a new client yesterday..very nice lady...Im asking some rapport building questions, a bit of personal chat...getting her to relax and open up.............

I start asking her questions about some of her goals..she was pretty quick to answer them..........

clearly I can see she needs to lose about 30-40 lbs........BUT she quickly says oh, 5-10 lbs...she says, I want to get rid of this, and she rubs her hands on her large middle area......

so, i say, oh, ok....well, whats your ideal weight?..when were you at your best, your happiest weight?

she quickly says oh, ummm at 169 lbs.......ok....so you are 179 today......and you want to lose only 5-10 lbs, and want to get rid of this area correct?

she quickly says yes.........ok, so then I ask. well how long do you think it will take you to lose this.....I gently point out the area, like she did as to mimic her own gestures, again softly.........

her response......oh, ummm, you know, about a month or less................

again, i can see at least 30-40 lbs....she was a bit shorter than me too....

very nice, but so in denial........this is what Im getting lately.....not real lady is what I wanted to say................

Marilyn,
I need to lose 5-10 lbs in a month...can you help me too?? please

Tell Tony I said hello!

 

[JETHRO TULL]

Well, I used to get comments like that.

The truth is...I'd much rather work with women. Most men think they know everything and don't listen. Women seem to actually listen and improve. I only did the personal training thing for a year while I was on sabatical, but I got very tired of the delusional thinking. Some of it was funny though.

One of my favorite comments was when a prospective client would point to a picture of a professional bodybuilder and say: "I don't want to get that big".

I would think to myself: Well that guy has devoted his life to this pursuit, eats on a schedule, counts his nutrient intake, takes supplements,trains hard and makes every effort to improve and recover, studies and applies all the knowledge possible to muscle growth, etc...Don't worry you won't accidently look like that guy.

I didn't know you were doing the training thing, Marilyn! Share more stories as they happen. Should be entertaining!

 

[thebrick]

Marilyn, I think her thinking sort of alludes to how the new "normal" is being overweight. So if you can lose a few pounds, heck, mission accomplished! I remember reading that some clothing manufacturers were even labeling their clothing a size smaller than it really was. Marketing research was showing that if a woman feels good about the clothing, she is more likely to buy it, and she is more likely to buy it if she thinks she is smaller than she really is.

Phidias, your post reminded me of something that happened to me a couple weeks back. I saw a guy at the gym I have not seen since last year. We always kind of hit it off because of our lifting styles. However, this guy is the type that reads only the scale as his guide. In other words, the more he weighs, the bigger and more muscular he thinks he is. Last year he was weighing around 230, not cut at all, but fairly solid. Well when I saw him, it was very obvious this guy had put on a lot of weight (and not the type of weight you want). Well he proudly announced to me that was was now almost 260. All the time I was thinking to myself, man, you just look really FAT. I guess in some ways, I have been there myself in the past.

 

[lynx]

all my ladies lately have all started with......"I eat healthy" all of them have said this early in conversation......I say, oh, great


before our appt ends, they revealed more food secrets............oh, I can't give up sweets......oh, and eat alot of pasta, oh I drink reg coke, only 2 a day.....snack on crackers and cookies, love chocolate...........

same story, same goals, same initial statement.......I eat really healthy.

When you let people just talk they reveal a lot more than they wanted to in the first place. Lol!

 

[Ash2021]

One of my favorite comments was when a prospective client would point to a picture of a professional bodybuilder and say: "I don't want to get that big".

I would think to myself: Well that guy has devoted his life to this pursuit, eats on a schedule, counts his nutrient intake, takes supplements,trains hard and makes every effort to improve and recover, studies and applies all the knowledge possible to muscle growth, etc...Don't worry you won't accidently look like that guy.

Now that's funny.

Of course you get a fair amount of girls that don't want to touch a weight because they have this image that suddenly they'll look like a female body builder. uhhhh yeah, no.

Then there is my neighbor who has been going to the gym with me. I am not exaggerating; he weighs one forty something. He's always saying how he doesn't want to get any bigger, and he is just focus on losing his "gut"
He doesn't really listen to much and likes to hit the cardio where he runs on the treadmill as fast as he can for a tenth of a mile or two, walks a couple tenths, wash rinse repeat until he's hit his mile or whatever he is shooting for. Then he only wants to work arms. Only Bi's. And really only cable curls.
When he gets on the scale he's super happy that he is down 2 lbs or whatever. I keep telling him he needs to be putting on muscle, but he doesn't want to get any bigger, just have big arms, and only big bi's.
I kind of just do my own thing now, and if he is there and wants to do a set in between mine or whatever, fine. If not, fine. Doesn't really make a difference. I was trying to help him, it's not like he is going to help me. It's not motivating to have to empty the bar every set to load it up for a 25 lb plate on each side for his 6 reps. Funny thing is, he actually has decent sized calves for being so small- of course that means he doesn't work legs, cause he already has huge calves. Believe me, I hear about them all the time.

Of course he just got back from his beach trip the other day, so my bet is he'll be done with the gym now and never really get back on the schedule. Oh and forget the weekends cause he stays out drinking all night at the same lame ass bar by us and then sleeps all day.
Why do we even bother trying to help people who don't even really want to help themselves?

 

[oldfella]

The truth is...I'd much rather work with women. Most men think they know everything and don't listen. Women seem to actually listen and improve. I only did the personal training thing for a year while I was on sabatical, but I got very tired of the delusional thinking. Some of it was funny though.

One of my favorite comments was when a prospective client would point to a picture of a professional bodybuilder and say: "I don't want to get that big".

I would think to myself: Well that guy has devoted his life to this pursuit, eats on a schedule, counts his nutrient intake, takes supplements,trains hard and makes every effort to improve and recover, studies and applies all the knowledge possible to muscle growth, etc...Don't worry you won't accidently look like that guy.

I didn't know you were doing the training thing, Marilyn! Share more stories as they happen. Should be entertaining!

Yes we all know this Fact JT. That's why you have a woman training you isn't it? She lloks like she knows what she is doing too! Keep up the good work Lynx LOL! You just might make a Body builder out of him yet!! OH and JT, no need to worry, you won't get that big!! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

 

[ironone1]

I know right? Keep it real lady....

 

[marilyn]

they seem excited to come back to meet me after the first visit, once they feel comfortable....I make them feel great, eventhough they are much larger than me now, but Im not like the others.....Im older, patient, calm, but enthusiastic about what they can accomplish if they really want it and believe it..... I put myself in their shoes, feelings wise..maybe not in being very over weight, but its easy to find commonality in other ways, make them feel good while they are with me.

 

[marilyn]

I didn't know you were doing the training thing, Marilyn! Share more stories as they happen. Should be entertaining!

JT, yes, for a little over a month now.........and I will...its been really cool so far..I've only been there about a month, but members know me already and no joke, some days someone yells my name across the gym....so I think thats how others get to know......oh, wait it's my giant name tag, lol.......MARILYN.

ok, the truth...Im just new..........and they are large and very old.....love that crew though, they always end up being my buds...they are known as " The Silver Sneakers".........you will never see them there at night....as they do not drive at night.............and some no longer drive........some may not even see as well.........but they are the silver sneakers, lol...btw, they a tough bunch....

at my other gym for years now a few of them come up and want to chat, and chat, and chat, and.......................chat.


My first Silver Sneaker client forgot to tell me one more thing the Doctor said NOT to do................kneel down...............

She couldnt get up for 25 minutes

I was not going to get anyone to help me get her 289 lbs of sweet ladiness up......it took me a while, but she got back up...............after finally listening to my instructions,as a bench was right there, almost on her butt already......she is now my new buddy and calls me all the time..........too bad she cannot afford training, because she wants it