HE SACKED HIS PREVIOUS PT OVER THIS…

It probably isn’t a big surprise to anyone at this point.

But there’s a lot of chat in personal training sessions.

I’d go as far as to say that the split between chat and work is almost equal (perhaps even a little skewed towards the “chat” side)

Anyone who’s had coaching in the past knows this, and it’s a big reason strong relationships form between client and trainer (I’ve been training some clients for well over a decade at this point)

And with all that chat taking place, it’s always inevitable that PT’s get to know things…

And, quick aside, if the goals are body composition/muscle gain there HAS to be as much chat as training, otherwise that “training” isn’t going to be effective.

Good trainers know this 😉

Anyway…

I’d only been training this client for a few weeks, and after the initial (and highly professional!) introduction, things had relaxed to the point where we were progressing well in the sets and having a brilliant time in between.

I was beginning to find out people this guy really disliked in his wider circle of friends, and I’m always happy to second-hand dislike them as well, most of the time.

Nonetheless, one comment caught me off guard and instantly spiked my intrigue.

“Do you update all of my programs yourself?”

A bit perplexed, I duly answered “I certainly do”

The truth.

“That’s good. I’m actually here after a bad experience with my previous trainer”

I was really looking forward to the next bit.

“Yeah…I caught him using Chat GPT to update my programs”

Now look, at the risk of sounding like an absolute boomer, I have to confess:

I’ve never used Chat GPT.

Not in any real sense anyway.

I know I’ll have to take the plunge eventually – right now I just don’t see any big improvement it could make to the way I do things.

And certainly not with my work.

And while the allure of coaxing an AI to calculate every incremental upgrade to reps and load, every small change needed, and move all the data involved with every single one of my clients’ programs in one fell swoop…

I’m still willing to pump the brakes here.

Bear in mind, the above process literally takes me hours, often on Sunday afternoons where I can guarantee my focus.

But I just know I wouldn’t trust the AI to do it properly.

Or, at least, I’d still want to go into it all myself, and probably tweak things (again) anyway.

The reason behind this, as I see it, is simple: there is a qualitative aspect to training and coaching.

Behind the numbers, a wealth of anecdotal evidence, experience, years of failure, success, trial and error.

While an algorithm may have some this baked into it in principle, I just think that, at this juncture, it’s never going to be enough to make the best decisions.

Especially when the AI also doesn’t know Ash, or Will, or Kam, like I know Ash, Will and Kam.

Because people aren’t machines either, and training people isn’t purely algorithmic.

I should note, as well, that on this occasion this client’s former PT had Chat GPT recommend sets of 50 sit ups.

50!

So above anything else I’ve said in this post, there is that as well.

Go strong,

Jordan