What Exercises Are Best for Small Group Personal Training?

Small group personal training sessions provide a way for a small number of individuals to get the benefits of working with a qualified coach but for considerably less money. Trainers also benefit as they have an additional service to offer to prospective clients looking for a cheaper alternative to one-to-one workouts. There are a number of factors that must be considered when selecting exercises for small group personal training sessions.

  1. Coaching and Correction

    • When there are several exercisers all working out at the same time, the trainer must be able to coach and correct everyone to ensure they are doing the exercises correctly and safely. If complex exercises like kettlebell get-ups or clean and presses are being performed, this may be very difficult to do effectively. Unless the participants are very skilled, exercises in group personal training sessions should be simple enough that they can be corrected with a few brief instructions so that no single participant takes all of the trainer's attention. The trainer must also be able to give good demonstrations of each exercise so the participants know what they are expected to do.

    Variations in Fitness Levels

    • If the group contains participants that differ in fitness level, the trainer should select exercises that are suitable for everyone to do. This means the trainer must be able to progress or regress the exercises so they suit each individual. Push-ups, for example, can be performed on the knees, on the toes or with elevated feet to suit beginner, intermediate and advanced exercisers, respectively.

    Sufficient Equipment

    • Bodyweight exercises are ideal for group personal training as all participants can exercise together irrespective of how many are in the group. If, however, equipment is required, there must be enough for each member of the group to use or the program must be designed in such a way that participants alternate bodyweight exercises with those requiring the limited equipment. If weights are being used, they should range in sizes to accommodate different fitness levels.

    Program Flexibility

    • A good trainer will plan a group's session in advance. The workout will be based on the expected number of participants, their skill and fitness level, the type of equipment and space available and the aim and length of the session. Of course, as soon as the participants arrive, any number of things could happen that make some or all of the intended session impractical. The PT needs to be able to think on his feet and change exercises according to the new set of circumstances. This may mean replacing weighted exercises with body weight alternatives or changing the difficulty level of exercises according to participants' abilities.

    Putting It All Together

    • Circuit training is an ideal workout format for small group personal training as exercisers can work out at the same time and the trainer is free to circulate among them, offering coaching, correction and encouragement while monitoring the length of time for each exercise. Circuit workouts can be done inside or outside and the exercises may be selected based on the fitness level of the participants. A circuit of lunges, crunches, push-ups, squats, bent over rows with a sandbag, planks and dorsal raises, for example, would provide a full-body workout using very little equipment.