Members like the idea of personal training, private attention from someone putting them through a customized workout. What’s not to like — how about the price? With personal training sessions costing anywhere from $50-$80 an hour, it’s not always an affordable option for members.
Adrienne McBride, the senior vice president of programming for Club One, has come up with a program to not only help members get results but help their wallets as well.
Last year, McBride came up with a small group training program, “Club Circuit” that would train four to eight clients at a time for around $25 an hour for a six week session. The program got off to a lackluster start, due to a lack of quality control and trainers not knowing how to manage the group dynamic, McBride said.
“I’m in the process of rebranding Club Circuit,” McBride said. “All of the marketing is being redone and I’m training all of the trainers personally so I can show them the intensity that I want. You can’t teach until I see you can manage a group.” She hopes to fully re-launch Club Circuit later this year bringing awareness to the low-cost option and the high intensity workout.
This past year McBride has learned how important the group dynamic is to the success of the group itself and the Club Circuit program. Groups typically have to accommodate the slowest or weakest person in the group and that sometimes hurts the rest of the group.
McBride hopes to have a Club Circuit Coach at each of Club One’s 19 locations to ensure the program gets the attention it needs. This coach will be able to get to know members better and eventually put them in the groups that will work well for them.
Club One is also introducing an Introduction to Club Circuit small group so that members can get comfortable with the workouts in a less intense setting and can then funnel in to a regular circuit group when they are ready.
“The price and surprising intensity will draw members,” McBride said. “You are working the whole hour.
“[Small group training] is the future. This is where personal training is going. Clubs have to figure out how to make it work.”
Words taken from my own mouth! I couldn’t agree more Adrienne.
Small Group Training using the Circuit Training format is a great way to “offer more bang for your members buck” giving them a whole body workout that guarantees to improve fitness levels, fast!
I design all my Circuit session plans on timed stations. So it doesn’t matter what level of fitness the participant is at everybody works for the same period of time ie, 1minute or 2 minute stations.
This is also easier for the Trainer to monitor each individuals technique and nobody feels intimidated by being last to finish an exercise station!
Adrienne, it would be great to catch up and have a chat and exchange ideas on Circuit Training sessions.
Please feel free to email me at info@circuits4life.com.au
All the best, Peter.