We're In This Together - So Let's Talk
- West London PT
- 4 days ago
- 6 min read
Our approach goes deeper than conventional PT—into behaviour, habits, mindset and real life. And that requires consistent, honest dialogue.
Part 1: Why We Had To Re-Think The Standard PT Model
To answer that question, let's take it back to 2021.
The PT Industry was booming off the back of COVID.
We started with a clear focus: give a high standard of coaching and distill that advice into actionable steps tailored to the client’s goals and lifestyle. If you came to us, you would get excellent instructions written out in bespoke documents.
The service was very successful, we achieved lots of positive feedback and the business grew to include four associates.
Clients were happy, learned a lot, and achieved very positive changes in their health and wellbeing.
There's a 'but' - and it's a big but.
Everyone was happier and healthier, but we found that 20% of people actually achieved their original goals. Sounds low, right? Well, it's actually considered an excellent ratio within PT circles.
All our clients had the same service, so why were some losing 30kg of fat in the same period that others were losing none?
Put simply, they were the 20% in the right place at the right time to go to work on the advice given.
Most people are unsuccessful because they are only given the advice, not the tools to manage their emotional responses, change their habits and modify their behaviour.
We’d see the same problems repeat themselves over and over.
Back when we did 'normal' PT, we'd leave clients with their instructions. They'd come back a week later, and we'd have this exchange:
PT: 'Has this been done?'
Client: 'No, sorry, work was just mental'.
PT: 'I understand, we want our goals to be something you can reliably achieve, would you like us to modify to make sure it's doable?'
Client: 'No, no, it's absolutely fine, it's not too much to ask, I just need to do better.'
Another week would go by, and we'd have the same discussion. Then another, and another.
Eventually, we'd end up oscillating between abstinence and partial completion.
After going through that five times in a day, we knew there had to be a better way.
The PT Industry Has It Wrong
Remember how we said 20% is considered an excellent ratio?
Even at the industry's top studios, it's accepted that most clients won’t reach their original goals.
That may come as a surprise, but it's the truth.
Below are the advertised results of one of London's most famous and expensive transformation studios.
Here are the results displayed on their website:
And here's their disclaimer, found if you click the small print:
Translation: 'These people are exceptions. Their results came because of an outlandish willingness, combined with a rare financial and lifestyle freedom, to commit to the programme given. Even we were shocked by it.'
Part 2: How We Changed
We could see where it was going wrong. Everyone was stumbling at the same hurdles, but no PT service had ever really got stuck in to overcoming them. Changing behaviour is not easy.
So we started tackling the big stuff, delving into:
(And this is keeping it brief...)
Thinking patterns.
Habit formation.
Stress coping mechanisms.
Daily accountability.
Noticing small missteps.
Conversations outside of PT sessions.
...all with a healthy dose of reminders and consistency.
Now you’re getting into where real change can happen. But it’s not easy.
We are the first ones to do it this way, and we are still figuring it out.
We are the first in the world to take this approach to personal training. It was not born out of a gimmick or a need for a USP. We tried the conventional way, saw its shortcomings and decided to tackle them.
When you’re challenging patterns, beliefs and coping mechanisms that have existed for years, it's a different task entirely.
In fact, it's arguably the biggest task any of us will ever face.
We do not and cannot have the exact answer for you. We're always learning and always will be.
You know yourself best - your intricacies, past experiences and barriers.
We can use our experience to make an educated guess, but it’s never going to be 100% accurate without your help. We don’t just encourage your input, we need it.
Part 3: What Can You Expect From Us?
In practical terms, here's what you can expect from us:
Achievable goals that you confirm you're happy with.
Unless advised otherwise, judgement-free check-ins if we notice one goes uncompleted.
Candid questions and references to resources outside of conventional ‘fitness’ spheres.
Politeness and respect for any boundaries you communicate with us.
Once we set goals:
If we set a goal, we will follow up. There's no judgement if something doesn’t get done as planned, but we will seek to understand why. Our job is to not let small slips go unnoticed, so they don't develop into bigger ones.
Even with experience, we cannot get it 100% right without your input.
Some things will work for you, some things won’t. There’ll be ideas that sound fine to you at first but aren't actually a good fit (like tracking food, for example.) You may find some approaches more effective than others. The more you put forward, the less energy we have to put into guessing and the more energy we can put into progressing.
This is a two-way street. We’ll both need to put faith in each other at different points along the journey.
Part 4 i): What We Need From You
We want to help. To do that, we need to know if you encounter an obstacle. This can be physical, mental, practical or emotional. Anything that's getting in the way of your adherence or your happiness.
You don't have to have a solution. You don't even have to know what the exact obstacle is - we can figure it out together.
For example, let’s say we set a goal of tracking food in the morning and afternoon. You discover you don't actually enjoy tracking your intake. There is a HUGE difference between:
Going quiet, not performing the tracking and waiting for us to follow up, silently getting frustrated and demoralised.
Not tracking, but sending us a quick message to let us know what you’re going through so we can help and adjust.
ii): Real World Examples
These examples are messages showing fantastic communication from real clients, shared with their permission.
Example 1: Food & Tracking
Beginning to make changes on diet, particularly building awareness, can be the hardest part of all. This client did a great job of proactively communicating how their wellbeing was affected and how their history could affect them. Rather than taking it 100% into their own hands, they had a great attitude to invite us to work through it together.
Example 2: Goal Feedback
Rather than becoming avoidant or frustrated, this person communicated:
That an obstacle existed.
What that obstacle was.
What they've found works better.
You don't have to have all the answers, though. You may not even know what the obstacle is - just letting us know you're struggling is enough.
Example 3: Taking Time Out
Whilst we hold you to account on goals set, you are always in the driver's seat. Whenever you need to take the time away, it's yours to take.
Again, the difference between communicating this assertively versus dropping off the map cannot be overstated. One actually strengthens your relationship with the process, whilst the other damages it.
Example 4: Fixing Mistakes
In this instance, there had been an internal misunderstanding. The trainer covering the sessions was expected to deliver a full accountability service but, due to a miscommunication, delivered standalone sessions. This was a simple human error.
This client could have made a negative assumption. Instead, they communicated clearly and constructively, giving us an easy opportunity to fix and resolve the issue (which we promptly did).
We hold ourselves to a high standard. We're also human, and mistakes can happen.
Knowing that clients will let us know if an expectation isn't being met - and give us the goodwill to address it - makes a huge difference. It means that if we’re not hearing otherwise, we can trust that you're happy - and that peace of mind genuinely improves our quality of life.
Example 5: Poor Communication (Fictional Example Anna)
Up until this point, the client had communicated consistently and given positive feedback during check-ins.
Then things changed. Anna:
Stopped updating their goals and went quiet.
Didn’t respond to initial follow-ups.
When they did reply, it was brief and, when asked for more detail, the tone turned frustrated and unconstructive.
What we would’ve loved instead was a simple message early on - ideally before #1 - letting us know they were feeling stuck or unhappy. That would’ve given us the chance to pause, re-evaluate the approach, and find a better path forward together.
Communication does need to be respectful. You can expect courtesy from us, and we expect the same in return.
In Closing
The vast majority of messages we get are so positive. With all the kindness we receive, we couldn't end on a negative note.
Whether it’s a thoughtful thank you, a birthday message, or something deeper - we don't expect it but appreciate every last one.
Thanks for being a part of this. This is normally the part where we'd invite you to ask questions, but hopefully, you now feel free to do that anyway.
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