I’m currently editing the July 2013 issue of Club Solutions Magazine, so I’ve got small group training (SGT) on my mind — it’s infused throughout the entire magazine. In my “Insider,” I discuss a few ideas that I believe are crucial to a great SGT program. However, in this blog, I’d like to let you in on a little of what I’ve been experiencing over the past month and a half.
I started attending a small group program in April that bridges boot camp training with CrossFit. There is a little cardio, strength and endurance training. I haven’t yet worn a heart rate monitor in the class, but my friend that also attends the classes said he has burned up to near 1,000 calories in a one-hour class.
For me, this class has given me a few things. It has provided me with new ideas for exercise routines on my own. It’s proven to me that I can do more than I ever thought possible. It’s helped burn a lot of calories and build muscle simultaneously, while I used to religiously separate my cardio from strength training. Additionally, it has proven to me that Burpees were designed as a torture device.
It’s truly my belief that small group training will be the future of the fitness industry. I truly love going into the gym and getting in a quick run when the weather isn’t suitable outside. However, there is nothing greater at the moment than hitting up a small group program for about an hour a few days a week.
Not only do I get social interaction outside of Club Solutions, but it also gets my heart going and helps me fight the fat from my mild addiction to coffee creamer. The trainers do a great job at remembering everyone’s name, working with people individually to help them execute exercises properly, and motivate us through the 30-45 seconds per exercise.
For a couple of examples, a few weeks ago, I felt like I was going strong in a Wednesday class. Evidently, after about a month of classes I wasn’t truly pushing myself hard enough — at least not according to AJ, one of the trainers. The trainer stepped in next to me and started working out with me, pushing me to limits I didn’t think were possible. I watched him do the same with other members throughout the class. Actually, at one point he asked if he was bothering me. Heck no, he wasn’t bothering me! He was pushing me to results! I appreciated every bit of that workout. Those types of situations make me come back the next day, or the day after, once I’ve recuperated.
At a more recent class, I slightly injured my left shoulder. It wasn’t serious or anything, but I probably just pushed it too hard. I had to attend a class the very next day due to a busy schedule, and didn’t give my shoulder enough time to rest. Going into the class, I used my shoulder until I couldn’t any longer, at which point a trainer asked if it was hurting. When I quickly explained that I had worn it out the day before, she quickly gave me a modifier that helped me through the rest of the set. It was that one modifier that helped me realize how invested the trainers were in each of our workouts.
In the July issue of Club Solutions Magazine, we’ve talked to some of the top clubs in the country that have implemented SGT programs already. If you don’t have SGT in your club right now, start planning. Get your personal trainers and group instructors involved in SGT programs. If you start working through the programs but get lost, make sure you read the SGT article, “Small Group Big Profit,” in our July 2013 issue.
Tyler Montgomery is the editor of Club Solutions Magazine. Contact him at tyler@clubsolutionsmagazine.com.
