TOP 5
VIDEO CAPTURE
APPS FOR PTs
Simple and affordable video capture apps can enhance the service
– and the results – you deliver to your clients.
WORDS: COREY BOCKING
s a personal trainer or coach you
face the constant challenge of
facilitating change and giving
effective feedback to your clients. To this
end, you need to be able to communicate in
a number of different ways, as each client
will have their own preferred learning style. If
you’re like most trainers, it’s likely that you
lean towards a verbal style of instruction –
but your clients may well prefer to learn
visually or actively.
A
The 30-second article
• Trainers need to communicate with clients in a style that caters to their preferred learning style
• Affordable video capture and analysis apps can be a powerful tool to use with visual learners
• Apps typically include features such as slow motion or frame-by-frame playback; drawing and
annotation tools to highlight areas of concern; video comparison; and the ability to share videos via
email and social media
• The ability to visually represent your clients’ progress to them will demonstrate a higher level of care
and dedication to their continued improvement.
Table 1. Instructional approaches catering to key learning styles
Learning style
Instructional approaches
Allow th e athlete to immediately
practise the skill with
minimal or no instruction
Provide verbal feedback describing the ‘feel’
of the movement, such as ‘imagine the feel
of the air not being able to get between
your torso and your legs in the tuck’
Mould the client’s body into
the desired position
Try to provide a few minutes
of ‘thinking time’ after
teaching a new skill
Encourage clients to immediately
pair cue words with new skills
After teaching each new skill,
run a two-minute visualisation
where athletes imagine
themselves using the skill
Visual
Allow observation of the skill
by video, demo, or watching
others during ‘live’ action.
Further progression of learning
would use video of the athlete
performing the desired skill
Have the clients observe a series of images
showing a breakdown of the skill or strategy
Provide verbal descriptions utilising
visual terms such as ‘the bar
is travelling too far away from
your body in the pull phase’
Verbal
Provide a succinct description of
the skill components to the athlete
Utilise books containing written
information about the skill of interest
Allow the client to work in a group
so they can hear the questions
or feedback of team-mates
Active
Reflective
12 | NETWORK SPRING 2014