Here is another guest blog post from Steve Krebs…
Great Resource With 127 Done For You Workouts
As Fitness Professionals, we all know that the popularity of fitness boot camps is just about reaching its all time high. And we also know that what goes up must come down. Anyone that has marketed their fitness business as a commodity will suffer greatly in the next 6-18 months. With the emergence of programs like CrossFit, shitty boot camps will be pushed out of the market place (Whether you want to admit it or not CrossFit is doing very well). Basing your business on being the lowest cost option is a fast way to put yourself out of business in a hurry. The future of Group Training is Large Group Personal Training. At Next Level Athletic Performance (my biz) we don’t even use the name boot camp anymore, the name boot camp is treated like a dinosaur, something that belongs in a history museum.
Group Personal Training is a HUGE step up from boot camps (It seems like any turd can open up a boot camp and say they are a fitness pro). Group Personal Training provides a 1 on 1 type of training program for the cost of a large group. We write out the program like we would for our semi-private training clients. Normally we will incorporate 3 strength days and 2 metabolic conditioning days each week, we also hold a bonus Saturday session for anyone that missed a day. The sessions include the use of Dumbells, Kettlebells, Sandbells, Dynamax Balls, Bands, TRX, Rings, Valslides, Drive Sleds, Racks, Ropes, Body weight movements, mobility, flexibility, corrective exercise, and much more. The days of serving up and outdoor Bullshit bodyweight session are over, trust me.
The majority of our programming is set up for a total body training session that includes a hip dominant movement, knee dominant movement, push, pull, carry, drag, slam and an explosive component. Our trainers are expected to study at least 1 training book and dvd per week. We hold weekly staff development meetings to make sure everyone is on the same page.
Great Resource With 127 Done For You Workouts
If you are reading this and you don’t do any of this, it’s time to step your game up before your business gets run over.
Set Up:
Depending on the workout we usually select 5-6 exercises or movements. We will run the workout on a sets/reps or timed basis. We try to keep our sessions under 45 minutes to give people time to work soft tissue quality, corrective flexibility and mobility.
Done for you workouts:
*Partner Density Sets (1 person performs reps of first exercise while their partner performs the second exercise, they switch when exercise (a) is done)
Set #1- 5 minutes
a) KB Swing x 10
b) RKC Plank
Set #2- 5 minutes
a) Prisoner Squat Jumps x10
b) Kneeling Band Pull Aparts
Set # 3- 5 minutes
a) Burpee x 10
b) Static Squat Hold
*Rest between sets is 90-120 seconds
* 4 sets of 12 reps of each of the following exercises
a) Rear Foot Elevated Split Squat x12 each
b) KB Snatch x 12
c) TRX Fallout x 12
d) Rope Slam x 12
e) 3-2-1 Push up x 12
Finisher: Sled Push Down & Back x 2
The Next Level Challenge
*each participant gets 1 minute to do as many reps as possible
*Their partner counts their reps for them, then they record their score on the sheet
a) KB Swing (Chest height swing)
b) TRX Low Row (Neutral Grip)
c) Rope Slams (rope must go overhead and past the hips)
d) Chest to Deck Push Ups
e) No Bounce Med Ball Slams
*We keep score sheets from month to month so members can see their progress
The Next Level 1000
This is a challenge workout that we do 4x a year. Each participant is trying to finish as fast as possible. At the end they get their picture taken with their finishing time on a dry erase board, and the receive a t-shirt.
100 Push ups
200 Squat Jumps
300 KB Swings
400 Burpees
The Ladder of Doom
Members start at 1 rep of each then work their way up to 20 of each.
a) KB Swing
b) Burpee
*This is super basic but brutal!
Don’t be a follower, lead from the front! It’s time to change up and take your business to the Next Level!
If you have any other questions or concerns about Large Group Training or Fitness Business in general don’t hesitate to contact Luka Hocevar or I (Steve Krebs) anytime, or visit our new fitness business coaching website at www.thepackfitnessbusiness.com.
Great thread and right on observation. I have seen this trend developing for some time now. Aprrox. 2/3 of my client base is 3-4 people working together. Its wonderful, and much easier to handle versus large boot camps. The $ is also very good!
I really liked the sample workouts too!
This is great, and thanks so much!
I transitioned my bootcamp to small group personal training over 5 years ago. Two of the women are from the original group! They love it.
The question I have is…..cost. Currently, we meet M/W evenings for 45 min. They pay $180 for 8 sessions that we schedule together as a group. They love that! Which turns out to be $22.50/session. If they cannot make all of the sessions that we agree on as a group, they pay $25/session they plan to attend. All pay in advance. There are no makeups. I do give free sessions sometimes, and, as you do, Saturday sessions. If I do a for pay session and invite outsiders (like on holidays, or themes, etc), they come at no charge. I also serve snacks to them the last night. They love that too!
My problem has been getting more of these groups going. People think $180 is expensive, because they don’t value the value. Those are the ones that come for the 3 months then go, or not come at all. Of course, choosing the run-of-the-mill bootcamps or Crossfit. I do understand that they are not my market, that’s for sure.
So, to ask the question….how much do you charge for your groups, and how many people do you limit them too? I’ve considered doing a 3x/week again (that’s how we started when it was a bootcamp), but people tend to not commit long-term when it’s more than that. I love the long-term clients!
Thanks for all you do!