Intro from Summer –

I wanted to butt in quickly before I let Jess chat on hosting private trainings and give you a little background information.  If you’ve been following GXunited for some time now, you know that we value education, exercise science research, and believe group exercise classes need to have purpose and function.  You should know we are firm believers that exercise science and research is the key to teaching safe, effective, and fun group workouts.  We’ve posted a few blogs over the past few months that showcase this, including the following, (additional exercise science blogs can be found here).

• Teach Better GX Classes by Understanding Exercise Science by Jessica H. Maurer
• Science First. Evaluating GX Programs & Classes by Carrie Haines
• Cycle Instructors << Are you Staying on Top of the Latest Research by Jennifer Sage
• 5 Ways You’re Bastardizing Your HIIT, HIT, and Tabata Classes by Summer Sides’

We also share research articles regularly on social media (make sure you’re following us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest) and host a full research page.  We challenge the status quo that suggests group exercise classes should just be about “fun” and ignore the science behind movement.  And we want to elevate the national standard behind qualifications to become a group exercise instructor.  Our goal is to help you realize that simply watching a YouTube video or looking good does NOT make you a well-rounded and educated fitness professional.

Our certification, workshop, and conference directory currently houses close to 1,000 different certs, workshops, and conferences from companies all over.  We can not guarantee that each of these meets our educational standards and upholds the same beliefs as we do, but we can tell you how to evaluate them and how to critically look at courses for their value.  Then, just as Jess is going to talk about below, we tell you to go get into a live course and learn your shit.  Study, learn, and learn some more.  The moment you think you are done learning, it’s time to find something new.  As fitness professionals you should be a life long learner of exercise science.

Enjoy!
Summer, Founder GXunited

Get Certified

In the fitness world, you need a certification to be a group exercise instructor or a personal trainer. In order to keep that certification, you need CECs (continuing education credits). And if you have read any of my other articles (see them all here), you know I’m a firm believer in certifications, not online forum training. The group exercise and personal training departments should be staying current with their certifications, and as you read above, that means accruing continuing education credits by attending workshops, trainings, or conferences (what makes these different? Check it out here << Certifications, Accreditation and Certificates, Oh My!).

Most of the time, these workshops and trainings are open to the public. Anyone who pays the registration fee can attend. They are lead by industry experts and educators whom the brand trusts with their program, and are usually called Master Trainers. These educators are the best of the best, a world of knowledge, and a wealth of experience. Not only will you learn about the program by listening to them, but they will hopefully teach you how to become a better fitness professional. Even if you hate the program-focused training, I bet you will walk away with one nugget of information that makes the day worth attending.

Launching a New Program

When launching a new program at a gym or multi-purpose studio, statistics show us that it tends to survive if it is added to multiple time slots:

• at least one morning
• one a night
• one weekend

You should have three instructors who can teach that format for each time slot. That could mean 3-9 instructors who are trained in the program. It’s not easy finding 9 competent instructors who are willing and ready to join your team. So you decided to host an educational training for the program you want to launch so that your current staff can learn the format. Great! Let me offer you some advice: Host a closed or private training.

Public vs. Private Trainings

As mentioned before, if you host an open course, anyone can attend. That means your competition down the road can send all 10 of their instructors to your training, launching the same program at the same time you do. While it is true that all ships rise with the tide, wouldn’t it be nice if your ship was a little quicker?

A private training can only be attended by your staff members. This means, for a short period of time, your studio or gym may be the only one in the area with that particular training, program, or piece of equipment. Or perhaps, your staff has the largest capacity to offer this particular program because you have so many instructors trained. Think of the advantage this gives you as a gym or studio manager. You should investigate any method that could extend your expected life of two years, right?

Benefits of Private Trainings

As a master trainer, I love doing private trainings. Why? I can tailor the course specifically to the demographic of the instructors, clients, and facility. I will not change the education of the course, but rather talk directly to the advantages or hindrances that specific facility will find. I can work with the equipment requested by the manager or owner. And I can help plan a marketing strategy based on the instructors and current schedule. And best of all, I can answer almost all of the pertinent questions asked during the training, because of the size and stylings of the group.

As a fitness professional, have you ever taken a course at another facility and immediately thought, this will never work for my studio? With a private training, the master trainer ensures that they will show you the ways you can make the program, equipment, or mentality work not only in your studio, but with your staff as well. Have you thought about attending a course, but knew that you would never get a class on a schedule because there was no one you knew who could sub?

Typically studio or gym managers are the ones that “host” this private course, but it doesn’t have to be that way. If you are an instructor who loves a particular program or piece of equipment or even a specific Master Trainer, gather a group of your closest friends and host a private training for just your tribe. Many times, if you contact the Master Trainer directly they can work with you to set a fair price for the event based on the amount of people you are wanting to include.

Host a Private Training Today!

When contemplating hosting a fitness training at your facility, think outside of the typical training box. Consider the advantages of being ahead of your competition in education and program development by hosting a training only for your staff members or your circle of fitness friends. Think about exclusivity. Imagine that only YOUR instructors have that particular training for the area at that time. Live longer than 2 years.