I do 30,45, or 60 minute sessions. How long we go depends on what they need. As far as how I design them, I have a few different template style systems I use depending on the clients needs. Alwyn Cosgrove has a fantastic article at EliteFTS - Powerlifting and Strength Training Products and Knowledge for Lifters, Athletes, Coaches, and Trainers called the 7 keys to athletic success (I know it starts with 7 keys, the rest might be wrong) that outlines his template. I would also highly recommend that you check out Strength Coach.com | Strength and Conditioning | Sports Training. Its Mike Boyles fee based website but he just put up an article with his template that he uses with his athletes. Its another fantastic article. You can do a 2 week trial of the site for $1.
Danny
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Limitations are for people who have them.
Max of 1 Hour:
SMR (foam, tennis ball, and/or tiger tail) - 5 min
Static Stretching/Yoga Poses - 2-5 min
Hip/Shoulder Mobility and Glute Activation Drills 5-10 min
"Workout" - 30-40 min
1-3 groups of typically 3-5 exercises done in circuit fashion, although I have been known to put together metabolic circuits of 8-10 movements (typically with less variety; ie: every other exercise is a kettlebell swing). Most of my clients don't need to sit around "resting" in between sets, so I keep them moving in some form or fashion.
Cooldown with static stretching and additional SMR on roller.
I don't follow anyone's specific format. I get ideas from those I follow and respect in the industry. I like figuring out what works best for myself and my clients firsthand. I don't like to feel limited by time constraints or strict "protocols"...as I feel this limits things. Case in point, my 2:30 today has low back issues which are aggravated by travel/not working out. She was gone to their beach house all weekend and also rode bikes with her family. She was super-stiff and sore today, so I had to modify things to allow for more stretching, more mobility work in the middle of the session, and even more emphasis on hip extension movements. The workout I'd written up was picked-apart during the hour as I rethought a few things, opted for alternative movements, and shifted the emphasis to more of a therapeutic one. If I had to stick with a "plan" for each and every session, i'd go crazy! It's just not realistic for me!
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Of course you are going to adjust each client's program based on their condition and daily feedback, but having a template is a must in my opinion.
Danny's advice is excellent. Any article on programming by Alwyn, Boyle, or Rippetoe are good places to start.
I usually spend 10-15 minutes, depending on the client, doing myofascial work, dynamic stretching, and mobility. 30-40 for the meat of the program with corrective/assistance stuff at the end, and 5-10 min static stretching at the end.
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Working "hard," or the perception of working hard, doesn't really mean anything. Sweating, vomiting, and breathing hard could be a good workout or a tropical disease kicking in.-Dan John
Its different for all of my clients. Some people need mobility, flexibility, or activation and others dont so they can warmup with just the bar, med ball, calisthenics, etc.
I address flexibility, core, etc. during the actual workout and only do specific flexibility (or whatever) work if they actually need it.
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I think GQ has it right. I neglected that stuff for a long time on myself and don't intend to do so with my clients. Only have a few right now but it is a big focus for me now.
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CSCS "Problems are to the mind what exercise is to the muscles, they toughen and make strong"
Light cardio, dynamic stretching (mobility drills, etc), and small amounts of plyometrics prior to weight training.
Weight training.
More intense cardio, static stretching, core stability work after training.
The amount of prep-work and end-work depends on the client. A 55 year old woman in not so good shape might need 15 minutes prepwork, 30 minutes with weights, and 15 minutes end work while a 20 year old athlete may be able to do 45-50 minutes on weights and only 10-15 minutes total on other things. Mind you, this is just my general mentality and just says where I'd put certain things.
Yep either an hour session or a 90 min session depending on the individual.
Of cause it really is self regulating as if they need more release (SMFR & Stretching) then less time in spent further down the line which should be the case. As they progress then less time on the release work and more on the conditioning.
None the less depending on the level of the client everything gets done. No chat time - just work!
Do they ever think it's weird that you have them doing more prep work than exercise when they first start. They might say "gee, i could have stretched on my own and saved money." I bet they don't say anything though.
The point that I have not found the 'right' programming for is when a client comes in for fat loss - but their form and mobility is way off. My instinct is to slow them down and teach them how to move properly - but this is going to delay 'results'.
I've explained that to clients and they have always been okay, but I am never satisfied with the results they are achieving.
They usually don't do their homework so we make very slow gains in mobility/flexibility and have to spend so much time there during our session.
Again, they seem content and not compliant about homework no matter how I try to encourage or enforce them to.
My problem is, I have happy clients but I don't have many 'billboards'.
thats an awesome idea, i can give homework, but ill have to call it something else, ill call it nothing.. ill just give them bridge points
Ill say, by next week you should be able to do this, and actually make the appointment to step off from a certain point. It won't always happen I guess, but sometimes it will. I wouldn't be disappointed I would just learn from failure and be okay with giving yourself time to grow, and take it in, subconsciously, over a few weeks, or even years at times.
Do they ever think it's weird that you have them doing more prep work than exercise when they first start. They might say "gee, i could have stretched on my own and saved money." I bet they don't say anything though.
It's self regulating. For those who need more prep work they are usually more out of condition therefore the prepwork becomes the workout.
As they improve the get through the prepwork much faster allowing more time to work on the other areas.
We are currently putting a video together on this. Also I will be speaking on this at the Perform Better summit at Long Beach.
Depends on the client. For a weight loss client I would set up a 60 min session as such
10min - dynamic warm up with activation
15 min - pure strength training
that is broken up into a superset of a lower body, upper body push, upper body pull
15 min - high intensity circuit of 4 exercises a metabolic exercise, a upper body pull, leg exercise, and a core. This is done for reps in a short burst kind of like a tabata.
Before I sold my gym the hot thing we had going was 30 minute sessions. For clients who already knew their warm-up routine they could come in and do their prep work ahead and be ready to hit the ground running when their time slot came up. I never do more than 30 minutes of straight strength training on the average client anyway.
15 min warm-up
30 min workout
10-15 min stretch/manual therapy type stuff
30 minute sessions are good because if you charge something like 65 per session (our going rate at my gym), you could charge 40 for half-hour sessions. Get a bunch of those a day and you have leveraged your time more effectively.
I would also consider shying away from one-on-one. Groups make you a lot more money. But I don't want to hijack this thread.
How are you designing your training sessions
Linear Mode
