AFAA Personal Trainer Certification Practice Exam

How might a trainer help a client improve self-efficacy?

1. By setting only avoidance goals

2. By emphasizing past failures

3. Through positive reinforcement and achievable challenges

4. By reducing training intensity

The correct answer is: Through positive reinforcement and achievable challenges

Helping a client improve self-efficacy, which is the belief in their ability to succeed in specific situations, is crucial for long-term success in fitness and health. Providing positive reinforcement and setting achievable challenges are effective strategies in this process. When clients receive positive feedback for their efforts, they are more likely to feel capable and motivated to continue pursuing their goals. Additionally, presenting them with manageable challenges builds their confidence as they are able to achieve these smaller goals. The process of successfully completing these challenges reinforces their ability to overcome obstacles and fosters a sense of accomplishment. This can gradually enhance their self-efficacy as they witness their progress and realize they can succeed, which motivates them to tackle even greater challenges in the future. In contrast, the other options could undermine a client's self-efficacy; avoidance goals might create fear of failure, emphasizing past failures can lead to discouragement, and reducing training intensity can diminish the sense of accomplishment needed to build confidence.