Why Group Personal Training Works – How You and Your Clients Can Benefit from Group Fitness

Let’s be honest—sometimes, motivating your clients can be challenging. It's something that all personal trainers encounter with a percentage of their clients; they see their sessions with you as a necessary evil on the health and fitness journey. It's also less fun for you, as their coach, if your clients are merely enduring their training rather than enjoying it. What you've got here is an opportunity—finding a way to make exercise fun.

According to Les Mills, a trend that is gaining in popularity and looks set to shape the 2020's—especially now that we're coming out the other side of Covid-19—is group fitness.

"Group exercise will never be for everyone. But its rising popularity, whether at big boxes or small boutiques, is a strong predictor of the gym’s future as a hub of an increasingly precious commodity: human interaction."

Why Does Group Personal Training Work?

It's useful to take a look at the top trends in the fitness industry. According to Blue Fitness, 2022 will see a rise in:

• Wearable technology
• Bodyweight training
• High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)
• Outdoor activities
• Strength training
• Group training
• Exercise and weight loss
• Home exercise gyms

A basic analysis of these trends indicate that people want something more than just a gym and something more affordable than personal training. If you combine the top six trending areas in the industry, you're on to a winner. This is your opportunity—a way to grow your PT business by introducing group personal training to your offering.

Challenges of Group Personal Training—Getting it Right from the Start

Group personal training needs to be done right. Your objective is to retain the essence of a personal training experience within a semi-private group. For this, you need:

• An assessment process that works for all members of the group
• To figure out the right number of people in each group
• Structured programming for a WIN, WIN, WIN scenario

Group personal training helps keep members accountable within an environment that creates a sense of community and belonging. Not only that, but the group will motivate each other—there's nothing wrong with encouraging a little friendly competition! What happens is that each member is more active, more often, and getting great results.

How Group Personal Training Can Help Your PT Business Grow

We've actually gone into this in detail in another blog, but in a nutshell, your PT business will benefit from offering group personal training sessions by:

• Boosting revenue—you can cut costs for your clients while increasing your income
• Saving time—training more than one client at a time gives you back hours in your day
• Diversifying your training options
• Increasing positive word-of-mouth marketing—if your clients are having fun in their group sessions, as well as seeing results, they're going tell others about it

What we've found with group personal training is that 75% of members equate value with usage. This means that your clients are 80% more likely to stick with you if they're a member of a group rather than one-on-one. With that said, there will always be a demand for one-on-one training, so don't ditch it in favor of 100% group classes—you need to keep your options open. However, it's clear that the industry as a whole is leaning strongly toward small group training, and this is a trend you shouldn't ignore, not if you want to continue to grow your PT business.

How PTminder Can Help

The PTminder solution is designed to streamline your PT business and not only save you time, but help you engage with your clients on every level. You can set up a client portal that gives your clients the freedom to book classes, view schedules, and make payments. PTminder makes it easy to incorporate group personal training into your schedule, allowing your clients to interact with you and with other members, giving them control and flexibility.

Keen to learn more? Try PTminder for FREE today.