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Training motivation
Training motivation comes in two forms: Intrinsic motivation and extrinsic motivation. This article will describe how “good personal trainers” optimise both forms of motivation to help clients achieve their goals 🤟.
Intrinsic motivation
Intrinsic training motivation is being motivated to train simply because you enjoy training. In many ways, I believe this is the most superior form of motivation as it requires a lot less discipline. It’s obvious when you think about it. If you enjoy something, it is so much easier to adhere to it because you look forward to it instead of finding excuses to avoid it.
Personal trainers |Intrinsic motivation
Personal trainers write programmes that are personalised to their client’s needs and preferences, and they regularly vary the exercises and training methods to avoid stagnation and training plateaus. A personal trainer also builds a good rapport with their client so the client not only enjoys the training they enjoy the company of their trainer. With a personal trainer, intrinsic motivation is at its highest.
Extrinsic motivation
Extrinsic training motivation focuses more on the destination rather than the journey. This is when you are motivated by the fear of pain and everything you have to gain.
The pain
Visualising the pain you may suffer from not exercising can be quite powerful. Also known as your pain points. In fact, we often do this unconsciously. For example:
- I really should go to the gym because summer is around the corner and I can’t fit into my bikini
- I must exercise soon because my weight is a health risk
- I need to run today because I have to run a marathon in 6-months and I don’t want it to kill me!
- If I don’t train today I will be disappointed with myself if I don’t
The gain
When we exercise our body adapts in a number of positive ways, such as increased strength of the heart, muscles, bones, and connective tissues. Our body also changes from the outside giving us a more favorable body composition that improves our confidence and self-esteem. We also improve our functional capacity which means everyday activities become easier. These are adaptations that everyone would benefit from.
Personal trainers | Extrinsic motivation
Personal trainers can utilise social media to raise awareness of the health consequences of inactivity, highlighting pain points to help encourage inactive individuals to take action.
Furthermore, good personal trainers are results focussed with their programming and instructing, which means they assess, goal set, and track progress over the time you train with them. Every time you make progress towards your goal a personal trainer will highlight that to you which in turn maximises your extrinsic motivation.
At Storm Fitness Academy we teach our personal trainers to assess their clients health and fitness needs, goal set and then write them a personalised programme. They are also taught the importance of progress monitoring and adapting where required. On top of that we highlight the importance of building good relationships with clients to ensure they not only get the results they want but they thoroughly enjoy the experience too 👍.
My PTs asked me recently whether my own opinion and motivations for exercise had changed over the years, see my response in the video below.
If you would like to use extrinsic and intrinsic motivation to help others achieve their health and fitness goals then become a personal trainer. It truly is a privileged and rewarding occupation.
So why not take your first step to making your passion your profession, and fill out the form below 😉
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