Quite often we’ll hear members at our gym thanking us for some sort of result they recently achieved. It could be a weight loss, fat loss or strength goal. Whatever it is, they’ll say something along the lines of “Thank you so much for getting me there” to which we usually reply with something like, “Hey, you did all the work, we were just standing here” in a somewhat playful manner. While we appreciate you going out of your way to thank us, there’s something very important to understand.
A mentor of mine Craig Liebenson shared this analogy with me, and it’s too good not to share.
Achieving a goal is not an easy thing to do. It takes determination, sacrifice, consistency and a whole lot of hard work- over, and over, and over again until you’ve completed your goal. YOU are the superhero, NOT the trainer. You are Batman (insert your favorite batman voice here). We, the trainers, are Alfred.
This is important for both the trainer and the trainee to understand. For the trainee, understand that our role is to simply guide you, listen to you and provide feedback to you along your journey (Alfred).
If you’re working with a trainer who is an Alfred, they will listen to you and go out of their way to really get to know you. They will adjust the course of action if what you’re doing isn’t working. They will make sure that what you’re doing is what is best for you, and what you need based on your individual goals.
Beware of Batman Trainers
Batman trainers on the other hand, make the everything about them. They don’t listen to you or adjust any course of action because they’re the superhero, and what they are doing is working for them, so it must work for everybody. Any result you get is because of them, their expertise and breathtaking ability to count your reps.
Batman trainers aren’t hard to find. Pay attention to how they dress. Look at their social media. If every other picture or story is of them showing off their body and constantly trying to get attention, odds are they’re a Batman.
If they are dressed professionally, sharing information, exercises and client results, odds are they’re an Alfred.
Working with an Alfred is important for you to get the results you’re looking for. Batman might be able to make you tired and sore, but Alfred is going to make sure you’re on the right path to achieve long-term success.
Always remember YOU are the superhero. You are showing up consistently and doing the work. You are making the sacrifices in and out of the gym. The results you get are because of YOU and no one else. We’re simply there to guide you along the way.
