Data Crunching For PT's
9 January 2009
Being a successful trainer is an art, but assessing your client’s progress requires the appliance of science. Advances in health and fitness have come about through years of sports science research. These findings form the baseline of any trainers’ practice.
As every trainer knows, the key measurements on which progress is assessed are body composition, weight (or mass) and skin fold readings. One of Gympro’s time-saving features is its data analysis facility. Consider this scenario: you’re with your client and have weighed them and taken all the other readings you need. You can enter the data into your computer straight away and deliver your considered verdict on how your client is doing - instantly.
Gympro is designed so that when you enter this key data into the client’s record pages the program instantly displays it as a clear, animated graph. There’s no need for you to perform spreadsheet calculations to establish just what those readings mean. The results are there with the click of a button, in an easy to read display format. That allows you to gain an instant insight into your client’s progress over time.
You can also add notes or comments related to each reading, for easy reference. When it comes to generating a more comprehensive progress report for the client, it’s absolutely simple to gain a quick overview of the facts about your client’s fitness, along with your impressions of that progress and the milestones in each individual’s training plan. Not only does this make life easier for you, but the client can see at a glance how they’re doing.
The images leave no room for ambiguity and your clients will appreciate the quick and easy access. There’s no doubt that there’s truth in the old adage that pictures speak louder than words. The graphic image of their achievements (or the stark truth about their failure!) unquestionably makes a larger and more immediate impact than any table of figures.
Your clients will be impressed by your efficient and speedy delivery of the analysis if you’re doing it on the spot. If not, then your client can also choose to log in to his or her records, whenever he or she chooses in order to get a fast update on how they’re doing.
In all probability the three key readings that are online in the Gympro system are all that you’ll need. Perhaps you analyze other data and perform calculations in another program (the Excel spreadsheet is an old favourite for many people). If so, you’ll know that generating graphs is not automatic. If you want to stick with your existing spreadsheet or database program you can still upload whatever data you wish and add it to your client’s records pages.
Now, you have the freedom to undertake whatever custom data analysis you wish to perform, but can still take advantage of Gympro’s primary feature – the one-stop administration centre that collates all of your information, whether that is photos, graphics, text entries or any other kind of data. On another front, Gympro will soon incorporate new features for you to manage the financial side of your business, simplifying tracking and analysing all that data. If data analysis isn’t your forte, Gympro will take a lot of the pain out of the exercise.
