Who's to Blame?

Accountability (n) - the quality or state of being accountable; especially : an obligation or willingness to accept responsibility or to account for ones actions.

This is a subject that is very near and dear to me. It is a mutual element that must exist between both between trainer and client. Our clientele hold us (fitness professionals) accountable to deliver them to their goals Those goals could be anything from weight loss to completing their first marathon. We as fitness professionals hold our clientele accountable to show up on time, continuing to exercise on days when not with their trainer, and make the right nutritional choices. See the pattern?

Commonly I see the case were the client is unhappy with his/her results and/or progress that they have made. They start to get discouraged because they “expected more” from their trainer or they feel that the trainer is not holding up their end of the agreement. So who is the blame here? The trainer or the client….both are.

Lets start with the client. Lets say that this individual meets with a trainer twice a week. That is two out of seven days. Lets break it down a little more.

There are 168 hrs in a week The average person works 40hrs a week, leaving a balance of 128hrs Throw in sleep: 7hrs a day of sleep, 49hrs a week, leaving a balance of 79 hours. The commute to and from work: 1.5hrs round trip (and that’s accounting for traffic): 7.5hrs. Time working with a trainer: 2.5 hrs a week. I’ll also account for random mishaps, IE. flat tire, doctor visits, etc.: 5hrs.

This leaves a balance of around 65hrs or roughly 2.7 days. My point here is this: two hours a week is not enough exercise for anyone to make any progress at all. ACSM guidelines recommend between 4-7hrs of exercise a week.

In terms of weight loss, a person needs to burn roughly 3500 calories to lose 1 pound of fat, the only caveat to that is IF the person is following a healthy diet (but that’s another topic). So 3500 calories in two days = 1750 calories an hour, as an elite cyclist that is a huge number for even me to burn in an hour’s time. Another option is to take that 3500 and divide and conquer! 3500/7days is 500 calories a day, roughly 1 hour of moderate exercise. Doesn’t seem so bad, eh?

Now for trainer accountability. The trainer is accountable to make sure the clients program is specific to their needs. There are cases were the trainer just does things to eat up an hour and sends their client on their way. As a trainer I make sure to communicate the significance of holding me accountable, I also expect my clients to allow me to hold them accountable. I personally check up on my clients to make sure they are coming in on their own time. I set a target number of days that they should be exercising in relation to their own personal goals. Ultimately it is the client that has to be more diligent. Yes, I said it. The client has to be more diligent. “Well I’m paying you (the trainer) to get me to my goals.” Yes, this is true, but realistically the trainer is only in contact with you for approximately 2-3 percent of a persons week. Take a look at the numbers I provided earlier. To think that we can make a lifestyle change in a matter only two hours a week is laughable.

Fitness and overall wellness is a lifestyle choice that one must choose to live. It essence it is a full time job. Just like your 40 hour a week job, you must hold yourself accountable for your actions. Trainers, this applies to you also. Your clients are your income, you are accountable for insuring they are getting the best support you can service them during and after their contract has been satisfied.

So I ask you, are you holding yourself accountable?

Mr. Nelson

It doesn’t get easier, you just go faster.