Variety really is the spice of life – and here are some great tips and tricks for you to pepper into your next workout to keep even the most ginger client (yep, even Nutty Meg) cumin back thyme and time again.
Now, while my puns may be pretty chilli (okay, now I’ll stop), these great ideas from the BootCraft community should really help you add All the Spice to your workouts (sorry…)
Change It Up
It may sound simple, but a slight tweak to the way you’d normally do things can add more interest that what you may realise.
Change up the exercises – ‘Instead of just loads of squats, vary squats by changing the foot print to offset feet, narrow feet or sumo stance’ (Leonie Tilley)
Change up the pace – ‘Vary the pace to do the same movements slowly, normally and quickly.’ (Alli Suddaby, @allisuddaby_pt)
Change up the location – ‘If possible, move locations to set up in a slightly different location. Even if it’s 100m from where you’d normally be, it throws your members off. Also, add runs, exercises or competitions that involve members running OUT of the park. It blows their mind – almost like leaving their safe space. Becomes a bit more exciting!’ (Tom, @rebel__pt)
Change up the circuits – ‘For a basic circuit (maybe 6-10 exercises) a great way to spice it up is to:
- do the basic circuit as is for Round 1;
- in Round 2 make everyone do 5 burpees before moving to next station;
- in Round 3 throw in a plank in between each station OR after half the stations are done, stop and have everyone run stairs, then come back and finish the circuit.
No need to change up the basic circuit, just throw in some extras! Keeps the basic circuit exercises the same so they can get good at them and not be bored.’ (Karen Hopely)
Add Some Play and Mystery
Play is so often left behind in childhood, but don’t overlook the power of fun for adding variety to your sessions. And mystery is a great way to keep your clients engaged and coming back to the next session to find out what the answer is.
Leonie Tilly suggests, ‘Add play. Spread large Lego blocks everywhere and set up a competition to pick up as many blocks as possible in a certain period of time. Loads of sneaky squats! Take it one step further and have campers build the tallest / biggest tower while holding a plank.’
Master Crafter Janice Ainsworth (@followmyleadfit) likes to add mystery to her online sessions, ‘The day before the class, I send an email that includes the link and the necessary equipment – typically dumbbells and kettlebells. But I will add in a wall, a broom, dice without telling them what it will be used for. Let them guess or be scared!’
Keep It Surprising
Think about it – life can get pretty mundane at times. Your sessions may even be the only bright little spark in someone’s day. So, add some surprises into your sessions to make your clients day better.
Surprising Finishers – ‘Let your clients think the workout is over when it’s not. I am famous for one more thing, whether that’s a 1 minute plank, a 5 minute challenge or even a song workout. Finishers really help them prove to themselves just what they are capable of doing. Just when they think they can’t do anymore, they do one more thing.’ (Janice Ainsworth)
Surprising Bonus Rounds – ‘Throw in an ad hoc bonus round, which gets everyone groaning. Especially when they least want it!’ (Tom, Rebel PT)
Surprising Timing – ‘Get sneaky with the timings. Say it’s 60 seconds and see how long it takes them to notice when the clock ticks over.’ (Tom, Rebel PT)
Just like the right blend of spices can give you a warming curry or a delicious tagine, the right blend of variety will give you a great buzz around your sessions.
What would you add to this list? Comment below.
Theresa Prior has a mission to bring Mums and women together in a safe and supportive environment that just so happens to have fun fitness sessions at it’s core. She has been running her own personal training business since 2013. Theresa helps her clients understand that all aspects of their health are equally important.
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