How to Train New Personal Training Clients - (ADVICE For New Personal Trainers)

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Advice for new personal trainers on how to train brand new clients so they get results and so you don't look like a brand new personal trainer.

In this video, I talk about what I would say to my younger self if I were just starting out again as a brand new personal trainer working in a big box gym.

How would I train new clients so they get results?

What could I say to my younger self or to brand new personal trainers?

00:00 - Intro

01:30 - What is the First Thing I Would Say to Myself as a Brand New Trainer?

“Don’t get caught up in all the fancy tools and gadgets. Keep it simple.”

If you don't want to look like a fool as a new trainer, don't do all the stupid, dumb exercises that brand-new personal trainers do. Help your clients build real strength, help them burn fat, and help them move better.

You don't need to use all of the gimmicky tools in the gym when you're a brand-new trainer. Stick to the basics with dumbbells, barbell lifts, some bodyweight movements, kettlebell swings, etc.

02:08 - The Best Thing I Did When I Started PT

Hire a personal trainer. Having a coach will accelerate your learning curve.

02:39 - Master the Basics

Most clients need to move better and get stronger.
“For most people most of the time, the basics are more than enough.”

03:17 - How to Structure Training Sessions for New PT Clients

Step 1: Run them through a basic movement assessment. I recommend the FMS level 1 course by Functional Movement Systems.

Check it out here:
https://www.functionalmovement.com/St...

Step 2: Train them based on the “5-Quadrants” program. This is a program based on full-body workouts that focus on big, compound movements first.

FOR THE RECORD - I AM AWARE THAT 'QUAD' = 4, NOT 5.

I HAVE SINCE CHANGED THE NAME TO '5 ZONES', BUT FOR THE SAKE OF THIS VIDEO, I'LL LEAVE IT AS 5 QUADRANTS IN THE DESCRIPTION.

If you can get your new personal training clients great at foundational, multi-joint compound movements, they will see results FAST and love their training with you. Here’s how it works...

The “5-Quadrants” Program:

Upper Body Quadrants:

Q1 - pushing exercises
Q2 - pressing exercises
Q3 - pulling exercises

Lower Body Quadrants:

Q4 - knee dominant exercises
Q5 - hip dominant exercises
Clients at least need 1 compound movement in each quadrant for their workout.

NOTE: Clients do not have to do 5-Quadrants in the order listed above. I recommend shuffling upper body, lower body like this

Exercise 1 - Lower Body Quadrant
Exercise 2 - Upper Body Quadrant
Exercise 3 - Lower Body Quadrant
Exercise 4 - Upper Body Quadrant
Exercise 5 - Upper Body Quadrant

I recommend structuring the program in such a way where clients have Workout-A and Workout-B, and they alternate on a 3-day schedule for training. If your client trained Mon/Wed/Fri it would look like this over a 2-week period:

Week 1:

Mon - Workout-A
Wed - Workout-B
Fri - Workout-A

Week 2:

Mon - Workout-B
Wed - Workout-A
Fri - Workout-B

Repeat for 6 more weeks, adding in isolation/accessory movements and core strength and stability exercises after the 5-Quadrants have been complete.

05:52 - Examples of Exercises

Hip Dominant Exercises:
deadlifts, hip thrust, glute bridge, back extensions.

Knee Dominant Exercises:
front squats, back squats, split squats, lunges, step-ups, leg press

Upper Body Press:
BB/DB/KB Overhead Press (standing or seated) or Push Press, etc.

Upper Body Push:
push-ups (all variations), BB/DB bench press or incline press, dips

Upper Body Pull:
Vertical Pulls: chin-ups, lat-pull downs
Horizontal Pulls: barbell rows, dumbbell rows, seated cable rows

Core Stability Exercises:
planks, side planks, Palloff Press

Core Strength Exercises:
curl-up on a swiss ball, hanging leg raise, reverse crunch on a bench.

08:55 - How to Get New PT Clients in a Big Box Gym

Learn how to prospect the gym floor. Run people through one or two free workouts based on the 5-Quadrants program. Get them to sweat, get them to feel the difference of working with a personal trainer.

Talk to people on the cardio machines at peak hours. These are potential clients who are 9 times out of 10 just wasting time in the gym, not getting results. Get them off the cardio machines and in the weight room with you.

11:25 - Summary

What's the main piece of advice I could brand-new personal trainers and myself?

Focus on what you know and what you’re great at. Follow the 5-Quadrant program, get great at the basics, get clients moving better and get them stronger and building muscle. They will feel results, see results and tell their friends/family.

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