Fitness Motivation: You Have to Want It More Than Your Trainer

There are several absolute truths in the fitness industry:

• Nutrition plans and programming are only as good as they are sustainable

• Protein, fat, and carbohydrates all play crucial roles in our nutrition and should not be heavily restricted

• It’s always better to have too many clients than not enough

• The clients come first

All of these things are true, whether one wants to believe them or not. Another absolute truth I’ve come face to face with more than once in my time as a trainer is that within the client-trainer relationship, I can’t be the one that wants this more. I can’t be more invested in the client’s success than the client themselves. That isn’t to say that I don’t want them to reach and exceed all of their goals and then some; I absolutely do. But they have to be as tenacious as anyone about those achievements. I have had a lot of success with clients from any and all walks of life. Men, women, young, old, and everywhere in between. I’ve helped a woman go from 41% body fat to 26%, I’ve helped to increase maximal strength in athletes, and helped to rehabilitate injuries. And the common denominator in all of those success stories is that the client wanted it more than I did. It’s very obvious when you see someone truly motivated in the gym. Any professional can spot them a mile away.

Admittedly, I can sometimes find it hard to empathize with people who aren’t willing to truly put the time and effort into hitting their fitness goals. I do the best I can, but if I ask someone to rate their commitment on a scale of 1 to 10 and I get “6” in response, that’s usually followed by a noticeable pause and an inevitable “why so low?” To be honest, it’s my least favorite part about my job, a job I truly love. Chasing people down and trying to convince them that exercise and investing in their own health is a positive step, only to be met with apathy, can be incredibly demoralizing as a trainer. There isn’t a step that can be taken until that person is ready to commit to the process. But it makes the success stories that much greater. It’s much easier to not lift weights than it is to live them. That shit is heavy and it’s hard. I get it.

Hearing that a goal could take 12 to 18 months can be hard to fathom. We live in a convenience-first society. If I want a burrito, I no longer need to leave my couch. There isn’t a quick fix to this. I’m sorry, but there isn’t. If someone isn’t motivated to change their behavior, there isn’t anything I or anyone else can do for them. It has to start internally. There needs to be some self-reliance and accountability. True fitness motivation comes from taking responsibility and choosing to show up for yourself. When that happens, call me. I can help.

Plus, it usually makes every other part of the day easier and it’s only an hour. Is something else more important than you?

By Chris Spencer, Personal Trainer at Ampersand Fitness.