No Time To Workout?

As a trainer I can't tell you how many times I have heard – I do not have enough time to work out! - from a potential client. I want to get sick when I hear this. To us trainers this should sound a bell in our heads signaling a challenge.

As a trainer I can't tell you how many times I have heard – "I do not have enough time to work out!" - from a potential client. I want to get sick when I hear this. Many times this is just a lazy excuse to avoid the "work" in work out. To us trainers this should sound a bell in our heads signaling a challenge.


The Challenge Should Be As Follows

  1. To prove to this person that he/she does have enough time each week (4 hours out of 24 x 7 = 168) to gain a healthy lifestyle and enjoy its benefits.

  2. To set-up a simple and easy to follow workout plan for this person.

  3. To better structure this person's daily diet.

  4. To motivate this person to be consistent with this new healthy lifestyle.

Challenge Number 1

It is always easy to find 4 hours out of 168 to work out in. Take apart just someone's evening dinners. Most people will eat out, get take-out, or cook a big meal. Instead of take-out, get them to get up fifteen minutes earlier to prepare a healthy meal for dinner. With this rearrangement this person can get about 30 minutes to take a walk or resistance train after work.

By not eating out the person can save about an hour and a half. The same goes for cooking a big meal. Have the person prepare a simple healthy meal very quickly and save an hour to an hour and a half which can be used to resistance train and do some sort of aerobic activity. Other times to keep in mind are lunch breaks and wake-up times. Are those times being used wisely by this person? Are they just wasting time at lunch that they could be taking a walk. Could they get up fifteen minutes earlier and do some abdominal work?

After dinner does this person sit and watch TV? If so, us trainers know what we need to do. Remember, the person always has the weekend!

Challenge Number 2

We trainers need to make sure this person gets at least four hours of workout time per week. By restructuring the person's time in number one you can see where to fit in exercise. The goal should be at least four half hour resistance training sessions and four half hour cardio sessions. The person should be able to get in and out of the workout within the appropriate time and make the best use of the time.

Challenge Number 3

Make sure this person will eat five to six small meals per day. If they argue about not having enough time you tell them if they have time to take a potty break or watch TV they have enough time to eat a small meal, protein bar, or meal replacement. Make sure the meals are eaten every two to three hours throughout the day.

Challenge Number 4

As trainers one of the biggest things we do is motivate people. We help keep potential clients and our clients motivated and on the right track. Consistency is key to a healthy lifestyle! If the people we help are not consistent we fail and they fail.

As a trainer if you hear someone say – "I do not have enough time to work out!" – confront this challenge. Become a great manager of this person's life and restructure his/her daily routines to meet a healthy lifestyle. And remember to teach consistency to anyone you come in contact with.

About The Author

David Gluhareff, CFT, lost over one hundred pounds from 1995-96 and became a Certified Fitness Trainer with the International Sports Sciences Association. David then built a fifty thousand dollar a year business, in a small town in Virginia, by the time he was twenty five years old. To contact David Gluhareff please go to www.trainwithdave.com.

Thanks,