Apply the principles of nutrition to the needs and objectives of personal training clients

​This standard is about the competence that personal trainers require to identify and support clients nutritional needs and objectives. This is likely to be, but not always, an existing client that requires support and guidance to establish and improve nutritional performance.

​1. meet with the client at an appropriate time and place

2. establish a rapport and engage the client using appropriate techniques

3. explain yours and the clients' role and responsibilities with reference to nutrition

4. effectively communicate with the client to encourage them to engage openly and honestly

5. implement a process of informed consent for the collection of nutritional information

6. identify appropriate methods of collecting relevant client nutritional information and data

7. collect and record nutritional information and data from clients

8. analyse the clients' nutritional information and data to identify areas of improvement in line with current nutritional guidelines

9. refer or signpost any client's needs and potential needs you cannot meet, to other professionals

10. support the client to establish suitable nutritional goals based on the information and data collected

11. provide the client with relevant and credible nutritional information to support agreed nutritional goals

12. ensure nutritional recommendations are conducive to clients' personal training programme

13. identify and agree review points with the client

14. monitor adherence to agreed nutritional changes using appropriate methods

15. make the necessary nutritional amendments to optimise the achievement of the clients' overall goal

16. work in accordance with all relevant legislation, guidelines, policies, procedures and protocols

1. the current legislation, guidelines, policies, procedures and protocols which are relevant to your work practice and to which you must adhere

2. the principles of nutrition and how they apply to maintain health, and support physical activity performance

3. how to establish nutritional requirements based on a range of clients' goals

4. the scope and professional boundaries of providing nutritional advice to a range of clients to include, but not limited to, pre and post-natal women, older adults, disabled people and young people

5. the general healthy eating advice based on credible sources and how to apply these to a client's programme  

6. the importance of meeting the client at the correct time and place to provide a professional setting

7. how to build rapport with different clients

8. the importance of establishing roles and responsibilities at the start to ensure the best outcome

9. how a personal trainer's communication skills can influence the quality of information received

10. the level of commitment and motivation required to achieve the nutritional needs and objectives

11. when and how to gather informed consent appropriate for the clients' nutritional information and data

12. how to identify appropriate methods for gathering nutritional information and data from clients

13. the process of effective nutritional goal-setting and action planning with the client

14. the behaviour change strategies and motivational techniques to prevent non-compliance or relapse

15. how to support and empower clients to develop their own strategies to adherence

16. how nutritional practices link to clients personal training programmes

17. when and how to review clients' nutritional goals

18. when and how to record nutritional amendments using appropriate and accessible formats

​Methods

1. interview

2. questionnaire

3. physical assessments

4. observation

5. Information technology applications

Behavioural change strategies

1. self-efficacy

2. goals and expected outcomes

3. overcoming barriers

4. self-management strategies

5. self-monitoring

6. self-reinforcement

Motivational techniques

1. goal oriented

2. learning oriented

3. social/relationship oriented

4. intrinsic

5. extrinsic

6. goal setting

7. incentives / rewards

8. behaviour change

​This standard links to SKAEAF12, SKAEAF14, SKAEAF15 and SKAEAF20