I’m posting a little counterpoint from my good friend Valerie Waters about my Tone post. Val has really changed my views on coaching women and as I said in the post, even if you don’t believe in tone a little white lie goes a long way.
“I use words like toned, sculpted, long and lean. I know full well these are marketing terms but is the language my client speaks. These words also tell me exactly what a client wants much like a guy might say jacked, cut or swol (this last one is a new term that’s popped up at my gym). In my opinion this tells me so much more than “I want to lift weights” or “I want to get strong”. If you begin the initial session with a female worried about getting bulky with a science lesson or the attitude that they should get over it and go lift some heavy weights, then you may just lose her to pilates or Zumba. I would prefer to reassure her that I will make sure she gets toned but not bulky and then I will march her into the weight room and give her an unbelievable workout, using probably about 80% of the exercises you would but a little lighter. Her goals may change over time as she starts to like the feeling of getting strong. Then again they may not. You can choose to not train everybody but recognize that there is more than one way to get someone fit. The first step is to get them started and then it’s to keep them coming back. Don’t lose them at hello.”
Michael Boyle's Strengthcoach.com Blog 