If you want your clients to stay, refer their friends, and see real progress, you need to ask yourself:
Are you truly pushing them as hard as they can go?
In my conversation with Luke Carlson, we discussed a common issue—most trainers think they’re pushing their clients hard, but they’re actually holding back.
- Why Most Trainers Under-Coach Intensity -
Here’s what happens over time:
- You get comfortable with a client’s effort level.
- They settle into a routine and stop pushing beyond their comfort zone.
- You hesitate to challenge them because they seem like they’re working hard.
But here’s the truth: Your job is to push them harder than they would push themselves.
Most people stop because it feels difficult, not because they’re actually at failure. In reality, they usually have at least 6% more to give.
- How to Dial Up the Intensity Without Burning Clients Out -
The goal isn’t to overwhelm—it’s to meet them where they are and challenge them just beyond their expectations.
- Read and respond. Watch for mental hesitation versus true fatigue.
- Push them 6% further. When they think they’re done, guide them through a slow eccentric, a static hold, or one final controlled rep.
- Make them believe in their strength. When clients realize they’re capable of more, they build confidence—and that confidence turns into referrals.
- Intensity is relative. A 65-year-old client and a 25-year-old athlete have different limits, but both should leave feeling like they pushed beyond what they expected.
- Why Intensity Drives Referrals and Retention -
Clients don’t talk about workouts that feel fine.
They tell their friends about sessions where they were pushed beyond their own expectations. When you deliver a workout that surprises them, they’ll share that experience.
- The Bottom Line -
Your clients want to be challenged. They want to grow. And they want a trainer who won’t let them settle.
Are you that trainer?