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As qualified personal trainers and group fitness instructors we all know the importance of a good warm up, but…
Knowing and understanding isn’t the same thing. Warming up your clients shouldn’t be a necessity to simply rush through, instead it can be an opportunity to engage your clients and grow your classes.
Let me share how with a story.
How I Overhauled My Bootcamp Warm Ups To Boost Class Numbers
After I launched my first proper bootcamp (proper as in clients signed up for 3-days per week with a 4 week commitment instead of just drop-in sessions) it filled very quickly as I was the new fitness option in town and people were keen to try me out.
But after a while I noticed that while people were still joining, they weren’t sticking around. I remember one client in particular who attended all sessions the first week, then 2 sessions the 2nd week and then I never saw her again despite her still having 2 weeks left that she’d paid for.
When I took a step back and looked at my class attendance records I realised that she wasn’t the only person who was doing this. I had a problem I’d later dubbed Leaky Cup Syndrome.
It was a good learning experience and I went on to fix several things in my bootcamp. One major fix I made was how I started off my bootcamps.
I came up with two tactics to try: Game Face and fun, ever-changing warm ups.
After just a week of doing this I noticed HUGE difference. Why? Because of this bootcamp rule:
Clients join our classes to get fit, but the reason they stick around long term is because of each other.
The best way to estimate long-term client retention is whether or not your client forms friendships and a sense of camaraderie with your other clients.
If you’ve noticed that:
- new clients aren’t sticking around
- you feel like you’re just going through the motions each class
- you keep using the same warm ups
Then I’ve put together a free challenge for you to try out. In one week we’re going to crank up the energy of your classes by making your warm ups stand out!
Join the Warm Up & Wow Challenge!
In 7-days make your bootcamp classes pop again with this free series of fun, engaging warm up ideas. These are some of our favourite ways to start each workout on a high-note and break the ice between clients.
Click the button below to sign up for the full 7-day bootcamp warm up series.
I’ve included Day 1 below so you can see the kind of thing you’ll get throughout this challenge.
Warm Up & Wow – Day 1
Warm Up Tip #1: Join in!
If your clients seem particularly sluggish or unmotivated, one way to get them going is to join in a do part of the warm up with them. You might participate in a game (or go ‘it’ first to show them how it’s done) or just jump in for a few reps here and there to set the pace.
Magic Square Warm Up
Time: 5 minutes
Group size: Works with 1 or more
Equipment needed: Cones
Set up cones in a rectangle like a digital clock number. The distance between cones can be 10 to 20m depending on the space you have available.
Phase 1: Have campers line up single file behind you and follow you as you run. Run through the cones making a number 8.
Repeat that again.
Phase 2: Run the number 8 again only this time face the same direction through the whole run. Run forwards, sidestep left, run forwards, sidestep right, backpedal, sidestep left, backpedal, sidestep right.
Repeat that again.
Phase 3: Go back to running forwards like Phase 1 again only this time do 2 squats at each cone before continuing.
Repeat once more.
Phase 4: Repeat Phase 3 with 1 push up at each cone.
By the time your campers finish this phase they should be well and truly warmed up.
Did you do this warm up? Share with us how it went or what you changed in our Facebook community.
Get Day 2 of this Warm Up Challenge
Pop your email in below and I’ll send you Day 2’s warm up idea tomorrow!
Unlock All Warm Ups Plus More!
If you need a steady diet of warm ups to keep your clients happy, you’ll love the warm ups and bootcamp games we’ve shared on BootCraft. You’ll find 165 different warm up ideas and 79 fitness games that you can mix and match to into an amazing warm up.
Check it out and plan your next warm up in less than 3 minutes!
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