The meme above is meant to be a sarcastic joke, and I’m all for sarcasm, but despite the picture showing up on trainers’ instagram feed to sarcastically take the blame off of themselves, I find it to be true.

(Warning: something of a rant is coming, as this is a topic of which I am very passionate.)

For 90% of my clients, the workouts are the easy part of the equation. My in-person clients show up at our appointed sessions, ready for whatever I dish out for them that day that’s on their plan. They get excited for workouts that challenge them in ways that make them push themselves, and feel so damn good when they surprise themselves.

This morning, for example, one my female clients was doing bench squats with a barbell, and as I slid another 5# plate on the bar, she gave me dubious glance. But when she completed all 5 reps with the added weight, she felt over the moon with pride. The same thing happened with another client that morning, who really didn’t think she had another round of battling ropes in her, but with a couple words of encouragement, she busted them out – beast mode.

My online clients show up for each workout on their calendar, jotting down notes along the way, checking it off, giving feedback, and I love reading their notes on how they surprised themselves with PR’s and strength.

Yes, for most, the workouts are the “easy” part; it’s something that they can consistently commit to. The hard part comes when I’m not there to meet them and cheer them on – the other 23 hours of the day.

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It’s My Trainer’s Fault I Can’t Lose Weight

For 90% of my clients – and most anyone who’s working to lose body fat – nutrition is the tough part. In fact, as I was discussing meal makeup with a client the other day, she turned to me and said, “I wish I could have you around all day long!”

While that would be awesome, it’s just not possible (plus, I’m sure my clients would get tired of me real quick ;-))

What is possible? Coaching them in a manner that directs and motivates them to make smart nutritional choices. My job as a trainer is to do what I can to get my client to achieve their goals in a safe, efficient, and even enjoyable manner. It’s NOT just to put them through a workout when I see them. It goes much further than that.

True, we as trainers aren’t able to actually force a client to do anything outside of our session. But force isn’t necessary. In my experience, what’s necessary is to help guide clients to make proper nutritional and lifestyle decisions outside of the gym by:

• asking the right questions
• listening to the answer without judgment or interception
• knowing what motivates them
• knowing their past habits
• being clear and concise in education and suggestions – and open to their input
• providing proper feedback/reward

It’s not as simple as telling someone to eat protein with every meal, to track their food intake on My Fitness Pal, or have one serving of something.

It’s asking the right questions, paying attention to those answers, and then knowing how to respond in order to best provide motivation to make those decisions.

So, to place all responsibility on the client in order to make nutritional choices in line with their goals is a cop out, as far as I’m concerned. I’ve heard – and even talked with – other trainers who have said things such as, “I did what I could, but they just wouldn’t get their diet right!”

I typically respond with a noncommittal mumble, and then change the subject, in order to avoid a heated debate, but what I’d like to say is: why didn’t they get their diet right? If the trainer places all blame on the client, they should know the answer to that question.

Because when it comes down to it – everyone knows at least 3 things they could do, nutritionally speaking, in order to help them achieve X (lose weight, tone up, etc.) But everyone doesn’t know how to physically and emotionally make those things become habits for them.

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