Introduction
In order to create an effective training cycle for a large group personal training session, you must employ a multifaceted approach which balances reflection, prioritisation, testing, planning and execution. Every stage is necessary to ensure that the training program is both comprehensive and addresses the specific needs of all the members, whilst leading to improvements in their fitness. This article will break down a step by step method on how to design a new training cycle for a large group.
Reflect on the Last Training Cycle
What went well?
Reflection is the first key step for starting to design your next training cycle. You must assess both the successes and the shortcomings of the previous cycle.Take feedback from members, observe their performance, and think about the logistical elements of the sessions such as timing.
What could have gone better?
It is equally as important to both recognise and understand what didn’t go to plan. Were there specific movement patterns/exercises which were too complex for a larger group environment? Did the members find it overly challenging? Ensuring that you make an effort to identify any potential issues can help you avoid the same problems in the next cycle.
What should we prioritise?
Who are the mean average of our membership and what do they need?
You must understand the average demographic and fitness level of your group. Identify the mean average of membership in terms of age, fitness level, and goals. Your training programme should reflect working for that average.
Refer to the Strength Continuum
The Strength Continuum helps us understand whether our members need to focus more on absolute strength, strength endurance, or muscle endurance. Absolute strength focuses on max force production, strength endurance focuses on maintaining force over an extended period of time, and muscle endurance is the sustaining of activity which engages your muscles over time. You should consider both who your average member is and feedback from previous cycles in order to decide what needs more emphasis next.
Testing Metrics
What do we want to test?
Your testing metrics should always align with the goals of the upcoming training cycle. Think about how we’re going to test what we want to focus on. For example:
- Absolute Strength: For testing absolute strength, we want to look at 1, 3 or 5 rep maxes for movements such as squats, deadlifts or bench press.
- Strength Endurance: Perhaps look at testing the max number of repetitions that your members can perform with a certain weight (for example 60% of max).
- Aerobic Capacity: This is best tested using a consistent modality, such as running, rowing or cycling. Measure time taken for a certain distance, or how long a pace can be sustained whilst maintaining a consistent heart rate.
Plan
Length of Cycle
The length of any training cycle can depend on goals, with different goals such as building aerobic capacity, power, strength, or muscle endurance generally taking different amounts of time to develop. For large group PT though, you should also consider your members; how engaged are they likely to stay for a 12 week block vs an 8 week block?
Structure & Split
For large group training, the consideration of structure is the same as for small group or 1-1 personal training, Divide your cycle into phases; for example, an initial phase may focus on building a foundation, the middle might focus on intensification of workouts, and the final phase might be a taper for performance testing.
Do the same for split (how you divide up the workouts within a week). Consider that mean average member that we discussed earlier, what would work for them? Apply that to the large group.
Fill in the blanks
Once you have set the priorities, testing metrics and overall plan of your next large group training block, you just need to fill in the details. Most trainers go wrong in thinking about these details first, but realistically, the details wholly depend on everything else that we’ve already discussed.
Exercise Selection
Choose the exercises which align with the goals of the training cycle
Sets and Reps
Again, align the sets and reps depending on the focus of that cycle. Is the focus strength? You’ll be programming more lower rep ranges with higher weights. Is the focus endurance? You’ll b focusing on higher reps with moderate reps
Tempo
This refers to the speed of the eccentric and concentric phases of an exercise. You can prescribe a tempo to either emphasise time under tension or speed, depending on whether the goal is power, endurance or hypertrophy.
Conclusion
Designing a new training cycle for a large group PR requires you to have a structured approach, with a focus on reflection and identifying priorities based on the average member within that group. If you’re thinking of becoming a personal trainer and want to explore the best personal training courses available, or you’re already a gym instructor or PT looking to upgrade to the best education in the business available, be sure to check out our level 3 personal trainer course, CPT.