Why would someone choose small group training over one-on-one personal training, group fitness classes, or a standard big box gym membership?
Unlike group fitness classes and big box gyms, small group personal training is customized to each individual.
At No Limits Fitness, we use two different session models.
During our busiest session times, we have two coaches on the floor allowing us to train a maximum of 10 clients.
Other session times have 1 coach in the session training a maximum of 6 clients.
An advantage of small group personal training is the ability to provide a level of personalization within the session.
If someone has an injured knee or their back is bothering them, their exercises will be changed in advance to best accommodate their needs. Furthermore, we provide recovery workouts and specific injury protocols when needed.
This level of personalization isn’t an option with group fitness classes or at a big box gym.
We have found it’s better to do some type of recovery work compared to doing nothing and sitting at home.
Big box gyms won’t even notice if you’re absent due to an injury because they care more that your money is still coming in than if you are.
Aside from injuries and customization, if you don’t show up for your sessions, the coaches in a small group personal training facility WILL reach out.
Many times, people just need accountability… and boy are we good at that!
Didn’t sign up for any sessions one week?
We noticed. Text sent.
Didn’t show up for a scheduled session?
Unacceptable. Text sent.
When people know that someone is watching and someone cares…they show up differently.
Some might hesitate to join small group personal training due to what they think will be a lack of attention during their workout as compared to one on one.
Our guiding principle is 1 coach for every 6 clients. This gives our members the attention they need, when they need it.
There is often an awkwardness with one-on-one training because if you have the form down and don’t need a spot, it’s basically just you and your trainer trying to make conversation until you get through all your reps.
Far too often, entry level trainers feel the need to provide a never-ending array of new exercises and simply push clients to work harder and faster.
When all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail.
In small group personal training sessions, our coaches can bounce around from client to client so you don’t feel like you’re getting stared at every second of your workout.
There is also a higher standard that’s required to coach at a small group training facility versus becoming a personal trainer at a big box gym.
In terms of coaching qualifications, it’s common for big box gyms to have personal trainers who quickly receive online certs and have one year or less of experience.
Big box gyms care more about the sales, so nobody is teaching the coaches how to be a better coach or let alone looking at how they program workouts for their clients.
I worked at a big box gym for three years and not once did someone look at my certifications.
At No Limits Fitness, our coaches average more than 6 years of experience and are constantly working to improve their skills.
Each coach continues their education by reading, attending conferences and getting hands-on experience at workshops to help our clients in every way possible.
We have a Continuing Education fund for coaches to upgrade their skill set.
When everyone around you is actively leveling up, simply maintaining will feel like going backwards.
We invest hours working with some of the best Strength and Conditioning coaches in the world to keep our programming quality high which allows our members to keep progressing.
Shockingly, this isn’t something big box gyms and group fitness classes even consider.
Now let’s talk about arguably the most powerful benefit to joining a small group personal training facility.
The community within.
According to James Clear, author of Atomic Habits, when you want to achieve something, one of the best things you can do is to join a community where the desired behavior is considered the norm.
Training with other members in a smaller setting allows genuine connections to take place.
Members get to know each other on a personal level and provide one another with another level of accountability that’s often stronger than the bond with their coaches.
People get excited to show up and workout with the friends they’ve created inside the gym.
It also challenges members to push themselves more than they would without their buddies by their side.
Difficult things seem much easier when you have someone doing it with you.
United In Struggle. Bonded By Strength.
Small group personal training sessions produce a level of energy that simply cannot be matched by a one on one session or a big box gym.
When the room is hype and the energy is high, it’s contagious and it puts people in a great mood!
We should all be excited to go to our workouts versus dreading them.
You don’t have to do them…you GET to do them!
Small group personal training may just be the perfect fitness training option.
