small group training
SMALL BUT MIGHTY
Small group training is firmly on the radar of many fitness operators – but how can this be turned into a robust, profitable venture? Ruth Bushi reports
Programmes with a start and end date allow for camaraderie
A
s an effective bridge between personal training revenues and group exercise, small group training is having
its moment in UK facilities; LA Fitness, for example, now talks directly to its members about ‘small group training’ rather than categorising sessions under labels such as ‘kettlebells’ or ‘weight loss’. Yet growth to this point has been
sporadic. The term ‘group PT’ has fallen in and out of ACSM trend predictions several times over the last fi ve years; this year it was knocked off the list, replaced by one of its own modalities: ‘boot camp’. According to PTA-Global co-founder
and industry consultant Robert Cappuccio: “PT revenues in the US have been subject to a subtle but consistent fall. Group training has fared the opposite, but it’s still very much in its infancy.”
POSSIBLE FRAMEWORKS So what does this mean in practice? Some commentators are offering advice
october 2011 © cybertrek 2011
based on prior experience of similar models, but with no established rules specifically for small group training at this point, the industry is still feeling its way; operators are fleshing out frameworks for themselves, based on their own specific customer profile and site portfolios (see case studies, p44 and p45). PT business consultant Nic Jarvis feels
that customer needs – their goals and motivations – are not met by small group training when it’s driven by equipment rather than by outcome: catch-all classes labelled simply ‘kettlebells’, for instance
– rather than ‘kettlebells for weight loss’, or even ‘functional fi tness’ – will, he feels, most likely die out in a year’s time. The equipment, explains Jarvis, has to be part of a total solution. “Small group training doesn’t need to be
functional. It can incorporate a number of modalities, but it must have specifi city,” Jarvis cautions. “Choose key equipment as your programme tools, but engage your participants with a compelling
direction – whether that’s weight loss, ski-fi tness or improving a golf handicap.” “Develop a programme with a start and
end date,” adds Greg Sellar of GRAVITY UK. “This creates a progressive programme with continuity, and allows for member camaraderie and socialising. Meanwhile facilities benefi t from a programme that’s easier to manage on a small group schedule, and a simpler way to track and compensate trainers.” Sellar also advises ‘waterfalling’
programme start days, allowing you to sell each week and integrate new members. The key, he underlines, is
“full sessions, not more sessions, with an affordable launch pricing structure. For instance, if you have four to six participants, charge each participant half the cost of one individual PT session.” If affordability is the name of the
game, then ViPR’s revenue model puts this into perspective, making worthwhile revenues seem highly achievable: by running four different
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