What is in this article?:
- Branded Small Group Training Programs Can Breathe Life and Revenue into Group Exercise Departments
- Book as You Go?
- Branding the Experience
- Charging a Fee
- Sidebar: How Small Is Small Group Training?
With the growing popularity of small group training, some club operators are taking small group training out of the personal training department and are moving it into the group exercise department as a fee-based program, a move that is breathing new life into group exercise.
Sidebar: How Small Is Small Group Training?
Small group training is not always so small. Phillip Mills, CEO of Les Mills, says some small groups can be four to eight people, but for the Les Mills new Grit Series small group training program, groups can range up to 20 people. He prefers to call these groups team training rather than small group training. And he also prefers the larger team training to smaller groups of four to eight people.
"The more people you get in there, the lower the fee you can charge," Mills says. "Then, the lower the fee you charge, the more people can afford to do it."
The size of the group often depends on the space available. And Mills recommends creating a small group training area outside of the group exercise room.
"If you want to charge for something, it is difficult to charge for something in an area where you run things normally for free," he says.
Many club operators may be able to carve out 1,000 square feet somewhere for small group training, perhaps on the main gym floor. However, ideally, the space would be in a glassed off room where people can look in but any music you may play will not disturb the rest of the club, he says.
