I was sat at a 5 year olds birthday party this weekend, and was asked by a fellow mum, “who is your favourite type of client to work with, someone who is a complete beginner and completely transforms their body and fitness, or someone that is already strong and fit an continues to push themselves?” Having never been asked this before I felt like I owed the question some thought.

In reality I knew the answer straight away, its neither, I don’t have a favourite, what I most enjoy is being witness to my clients journey. We work with clients to help them achieve their goals, whether that be, to become physically stronger, fitter or lose weight, and as we hit milestones, and achieve goals it is a wonderful feeling to be able to celebrate all of their hard work.

However, we become so hung up on what the scales say, or how much we can lift, or how fast we can run we sometimes forget that these are not the only measurable’s of success. Very often the journey of how we got from A – Z goes unnoticed.

There are huge parts of the overall journey that I take my biggest delight in; The look on the face of a new client once they’ve completed their first session – It can daunting engaging with a personal trainer or turning up to a new class. You have visions in your head of being shouted at until you want to cry and being pushed to your breaking point.

The joy of accomplishment on their face when I say “and you’re done”. They feel proud, and so do I. The client that performs every repetition or works for every second – no matter whether you are lifting 3kg or 40kg, being able to complete a set that is designed to be a challenge for you, and seeing you dig deep to complete it. The client that doesn’t stop at 5 when you give the “5,4,3,2,1” countdown. The client that tells me they have never felt so amazing or confident at their Christmas party – this is probably one of my favourite things to hear as this comes from within.

This isn’t about being slim, or losing weight, this is about you and your hard work, this is about you investing in your own well being.

This is about you feeling good about yourself.

The sleep deprived, ever busy mum that now has enough energy to get through the days keeping up with their busy family life. Having a new sense of control over the days rather than just getting through them one at a time.

Joining in with their child for the first time on the trampoline at the farm with other mums watching.

The mum that for an hour at a time has their own identity back, is no longer just someones wife, or little Johnnys mum. She is herself, her own person, with her own stories and personality.

The previously mirror shy client that starts using them to check form, and correct technique before I can get to them. They no longer see their body composition or their hot face and messy hair, they see technique and form and strive to get the most out of their session. They have listened and learned, and without knowing it they have been empowered to take control of their workout and are doing just that.

So, you see, my favourite “type” of client is the one that lets me go on this journey with them. Seeing all the things that normally go unseen.