26 April 2012 Instructor Newsletter

You will probably think I’ crazy but I’m still buzzing from Fitpro, feeling very inspired and have a definite fitness road map, which I hope to share with you in this newsletter. Firstly, a huge congratulations to a friend of C2GO, one of my original mentoring Instructors and newsletter contributor, Alice Ramcharran, who finally gave birth to Baby Roshan yesterday. Congratulations to Alice.

 

On Saturday 16th June 2012 Jayne and I will be running a brand new Fitness Pilates and Freestyle Fitness Yoga UNITE Day. We will be showcasing our new FP and FFY Unite class, Workshops on running FP and FFY as Small Group Training with our brand new SGT Templates, Meditation, Barefoot and Power sessions, plus marketing, business and motivation.  There will be outdoor sessions (weather permitting) and we will be giving away goody bags and freebies and hosting drinks and networking. Check out all the information below and tweet Jayne or I and let us know if you are interested.

 

In this week’s edition you will find an article on Small Group Training from me and contributions from Claire, Marv, Jayne and Laura Armada-Bunch, so another up to the minute and action packed edition.

 

Kick Start Fat Loss Updates.

 

Last week I started 3 new trial KSFL plans aimed at people with different goals and requirements. The KSFL 2 Stone + which targets those with 2 or more stones to lose with a new, unique diet plan and specialists metabolic workouts;  my 14 day Detox for Fitpros and the Men Only KSFL for guys wanting to build more muscle as well as  lose body fat. The interest in all 3 groups has been unbelievable and the 7 day results have been the best so far, totally incredible.  Every time I run the plan I tweak the training, the mind set vlogs and, of course, the diets, coupled with coaching and support from myself.   KFSL is going from strength to strength. I’ve now developed a 3 month KSFL Fat Loss, Confidence and Lifestyle Club which includes working on mindset, energy, confidence and self-esteem issues as well as new detoxes, diets, maintenance and my signature 10minute home workouts. The club launches on Sunday and includes a new Beat the Bloat Program and I’ve filmed a new series of 10 minutes workouts aimed at increasing muscle mass and definition.

Im now looking for a group of 20 people to trial my specialist 55 + 14 Day Trial Starting on Monday, I’ve tweaked the plan and the workouts again, to suit this age group and would love to get your feedback.. If you are send me a Facbook message and Ill email you the details later today.

Exciting times for KSFL

 

Feedback – As always I LOVE LOVE LOVE Your feedback so please Tweet me @RachelHolmes, or pop over to the Facebook page http://www.Facebook.com/Choreographytogo and let me know your news and views.

 

Music – For all you Fitness Pilates bunnies my new Mind Body 19 available on Pure Energy Digital is getting some great reviews – Here’s a blog post about it and all the luscious tracks it features http://blog.pureenergydigital.com/

 

 

Small Group Training (SGT)

  Is a small group of fitness training for you? Rachel Holmes

 After last week’s Fitness Professionals Convention I wrote about the emergence of the Hybrid Instructor and Small Group Training.

 But what is SGT and how can you implement this service into your business?  Is this pioneering style of training right for you and do you already have a potential market?

 With the huge class numbers we are witnessing in Zumba  and the dance style modalities SGT is particularly relevant to customers wanting to attain specific, measurable results.

Therefore SGT is the perfect bridge between expensive, high end personal training and larger, less personal group sessions.

 SGT to is a great option for customers who want to enjoy personalised attention, working directly but spending slightly less money per session with a PT.

You get the camaraderie, fun and dynamics of a group session but with more of an individualised and personal service.

 SGT classes can be offered in a variety of formats including Fitness Pilates, Freestyle Fitness Yoga, Conditioning,  Boot Camps,  FatLoss and Weight Management and Results Based Training Courses.

 

What does SGT Entail?

 SGT classes generally have between 4 to 8 participants under the coaching of one Instructor. Each group has a specific goal and end result as opposed to general fitness and general conditioning. Also, included in the price of training is a personalised tailored exercise program and pre-training consultation, as if the customer was working one on one with the PT. Of course, during workouts the attention of the trainer will be divided amongst all the participants

 

How to Market SGT

 Once you have decided that you would like to offer SGT  to your business repertoire, decide where you will be training your groups. This can be inside or outside, Client’s Home, or are you going to rent space,

 

What equipment do you need?

 As you only have a small number participating in this session you are able to explore some of the more exciting pieces of equipment that are available today.

 TRX

Viper

Medicine Balls

Sand Bags

Bulgarian Bags

Weighted Balls etc

 This can really spice up your sessions and help the groups enjoy new ways of training. It also gives you a chance to create new workouts and training.

SGT – Fitness Pilates  (SGTFP) is huge part of an increasing number of Instructors businesses.

 Sharon Phillips has been running SGT Fitness Pilates and Freestyle Fitness Yoga for the last 12 months

 “I have been working with 6 participants in my FP SGT sessions, they block book and attend weekly sessions of a  10 week plan. Every 5 weeks I do a consultation, review and we set new goals and targets for the next 5 sessions. This keeps us all on track and accountable.

 I also offer FFY – SGT session run on the same basis. It has proved hugely popular. I narrowed down my niche and charge accordingly as there is no one in my area offering this service” Says Sharon

 Sharon rents a small room in a busy hairdressers and beauty salon on the local high street of the town she lives.

 “The Salon owner used to attend my Fitness Pilates classes when I ran them from the local school but I was getting fed up with the school hire fees continually going up, the room being cold in winter and the school canceling at short notice for exams etc.  She owns her own salon and the floor above the shop was empty”

 Now she only teaches SGT in the daytimes and Saturday morning. I also run SGT FP & FFY for Pre and Post Natal and Older Adults. This business model perfectly suits Sharon and she is extremely successful.

 “It’s a small business, I don’t have any staff and the overheads are fairly low. I styled the room into a calm and tranquil place that is light and airy, I have a small changing area and bathroom but no showers but the income I generate is a good living and I’m extremely happy with how things have gone”

 Between the salon and I we run ladies evenings, confidence and image booster nights and clients generally come to both businesses for Hair, Beauty and Wellness. It’s the perfect mix.

 Many SGT Instructors run session at customer’s homes and utlise the outdoors, weather permitting. You can be as flexible and creative as you want to and offer various packages for your market.

 If you teach Group X you already have a customer base that may be interested in your SGT Packages. Why not ask or write an article for your newsletter and see if there is call  for this within your existing client base.

 If you are a PT and would like to begin to teach groups SGT is the perfect bridge. Consider offering:

 SG Kettle bell

SG Viper

SG Bootcamps

 

Consultation

Ensure you include a consultation with each member of your SG.

This could be online, offline or even a telephone or skype consultation, you don’t have to do it with the person in front of you to maximise your time.

Prepare a Par Q, Targets and Goals, talk to the group and agree together what the goals and outcomes of the sessions and blocks will be.

This will really distinguish your SG from larger Group X classes and show it is a very different service.

 I’d love to hear your view on SGT and if you teach SGT already please get in touch.

Tweet me @RachelHolmes or Facebook me http://www.Facebook.com/RachelLHolmes

Jayne and Rachel will be including a new SGT workshop on 16th June for FP & FFY

 

 Create your On Line Fitness Business Seminar – This Saturday at the NEC with Rachel Holmes and Andrew Crawford.

 

It’s here already, the seminar I’ve been so looking forward to presenting. 2012 is all about moving from physical to digital and starting to make inroads on taking your fitness business online. I’ll be covering all the nuts and bolts of how to do it and over 70 Fitpros have now signed up for my day. Andrew Crawford will also be speaking at the event on Branding, Trademarking, Copyrighting and Business advice.  If you do want to grab a last minute spot here are the details https://www.choreographytogo.com/workshop-booking/create-your-online-fitness-business-seminar-with-rachel-holmes/

 

New Day in Derby with Jayne and Rachel – Hold Saturday 16th June 2012 – Freestyle Fitness Yoga and Fitness Pilates UNITE

 

On Saturday 16th June 2012 Jayne and I will be running a brand new Fitness Pilates and Freestyle Fitness Yoga UNITE Day.  We will be showcasing our new FP and FFY Unite class, Workshops on running FP and FFY as Small Group Training with our brand new SGT Templates, Meditation, Barefoot and Power sessions plus marketing, business and motivation. Explore our new FP & FFY outdoors  session (weather permitting) and we will be giving away goody bags, freebies and hosting drinks and networking. The day will be a complete one off and held at Derby David Lloyd Club – The club is a 1 minute walk from Derby Train station which is on the midland main line and easy to get to from all areas.

 

FFY & FP Unite Event will represent a fresh, new era for the 2 programs as we both celebrate new developments and new directions. 

 

Have you completed one of the programs but not the other?

Perfect.  If you have completed one of the programs but not the other this is your chance to take part, enjoy and trial the perfect, complimentary class partner for your business with the creators.

Check out the train times from your area today and come on a road trip to see us, a warm welcome will await you, the day will begin at 12 and run until 7 and put this date in your diary – Mind Body Fitness at its very best.

 

 

Are you doing the Obvious Branding?

At the Fitpro convention last week I was  amazed at how few Instructors were knocking around in their own branded clothing. Now, Fitpro is a fantastic opportunity to get you and your brand out there at a high profile fitness event, so it always amazes me how few people are proudly sporting their logoed gear.  Apart from the effervescent Girls Love Fit I didn’t see may others promoting their business and services.

You can always spot the GLF girls as they sport their cool hoodys, tops and jackets and so, of course,  when the GLF Tweet me or Facebook me I know exactly who they are.

 

Are you MISSING the obvious branding trick?

Take a leaf out of the Girls Love Fit book and get your clothes logoed and on display. It’s the cheapest and best way to get people talking about you, your brand and services.

1. Work hard on your personal branding, design a logo based around your name, brand your clothing, email signatures and website, it gives a polished professional look.
2. Work on developing your list of people that follow you – as Seth Godin says ‘build your tribe’
3. Write a white paper, manifesto or special report that positions you as an expert.
4.. Re-label yourself as an expert or coach rather than an instructorTrain (one on one and SGT), Coach (online – webinars), mentor and coach clients, speak, write, expand your mode of how you work so you can earn more money and expand your business.

 

 

New Downloads

HIIT Aerobics 1 with Rachel

Code: HIIT1
	HIIT stands for High Intensity Interval Training and I deliver this RH style. 5 x 1 minute choreography blocks intervaled with 20 seconds of Super High Plyometric Moves. I’ve been teaching a full HiLo class like this or you could teach it in the midst of your cardio, however you like to include it. The choreography blocks are super basic and simple.   Click here to view the new download
	2 Tokens	Length: 9 mins
	£ 3.99	Size: 56.0 MB

 

Katie Bulmer Cook Updates

Shy Bairns Get Nowt

It’s a little bit scary getting out of our comfort zones…but it’s so worth it.

I got out of mine last week, and as a result, got an amazing opportunity!

I, like I’m sure many of you have, have been glued to this years The Biggest Loser show on ITV1, waiting to see who had lost the most, who would push themselves the most in training, and of course who would eventually win.

It’s fair to say I’m a huge fan of the show, and this year even more so as two of the contestants, Kevin and Amy Mac are from my hometown. Kevin was the eventual winner-losing a staggering 40% of his body weight, and from then I began to follow him on Twitter. His tweets were always positive and motivational and I thought… ‘I’d love to meet this guy!’ So I tweeted him, he followed me back and then I bit the bullet and asked ‘would you like to do a Skype interview’! He replied saying it would be great to meet in person and on Monday we did!

He’s s super nice guy, and has an amazing attitude and positivity.

Here is the link to the video interview: http://youtu.be/Gj0xcC-p5pc

So, the moral of the story- like the title says- ‘Shy Bairns Get Nowt’ as we say in Sunderland, aka ‘Shy Kids Get Nothing’- if you don’t ask you don’t get!

So why not do something today that gets you out of your comfort zone. I did and I got to meet someone I never thought I’d get the opportunity to.

Sometimes to get the ball rolling, you just gotta give it a push!

I hope you enjoy the interview.

Before I started Rachel’s mentoring program, things were ticking over nicely but I had this big idea I didn’t know where to start with. I was running The Little Black Dress Club (small group PT) in my hometown of Sunderland, and the results my clients were getting were magical and I wanted to take the concept nationwide, to help even more frustrated women regain their bodies and their health.

That’s where Rachel came in. Not only did she advise me on how to make his happen, she made me be accountable. She made sure I didn’t procrastinate and that every week I was making big steps towards my goal. Her support and knowledge is second to none!

So, 6 months on, what’s happened?

Well, things are going amazing! The Little Black Dress Club is now in 15 towns and cities across the UK, from Northern Scotland all the way down to Essex! The LBDC Elite Trainers that work with me are amongst some of the most positive people I have ever met- it’s a real family!

Not only that but I’ve also filmed my second fitness DVD and sold over 200 copies, as well as winning IFS UK Personal Trainer of the Year 2012!

My hard work and Rachel’s support has really paid off!

So what’s next?

I’m planning to open a further 5 LBDC locations this year, and I’m looking for instructors in join my Elite Trainer team.

I’m filming my next DVD at the end of the year.

I’m going to start presenting again, and have been sponsored by a fantastic fitness music company (details will be out soon)

I’ve also been nominated and shortlisted to the final 6, for the FIA Flame Awards- fingers crossed!

A big thanks to Rachel for all her help and support!

Please follow me on Twitter @katiebulmer1 and remember It’s cool to be YOU!

 

What’s trendy these days for pregnant and postnatal women?

 By Claire Mockridge

Ante/Postnatal Fitness Expert

 

Hi there C2Goers,

 I hope you’ve had a great week so far.  Today I’ll be talking about fitness trends.  I’ll be fine-tuning my article and making it specific to pregnancy and postnatal, so I hope it makes good reading.

 I’ll start by listing the types of sessions I offer on my timetable:  Buggy Fitness, Postnatal Pilates, Pregnancy Fitness, Pregnancy Pilates, Personal Training or Small Group PT.

 

Now I’m going to ask you: “Which pre/postnatal session/service do you think is the most popular on my timetable?”  My answer: Pregnancy Pilates.  Why?  Well, I think it’s because pregnant women want a safe and effective workout and they view “Pilates” as the best and safest form of exercise for their bodies, and I can’t really argue with this analysis.

 The vast majority of clients who join my Pregnancy Pilates classes are new to me, new to Pilates and in some cases new to exercise.  I’ve really got my work cut out for me during these classes – trust me!  Realistically though, Pregnancy Pilates is probably safer for these individuals listed, particularly if they’ve done little or no cardiovascular/structured exercise up to this point, and because I have years of experience dealing with pregnant women, I’m happy to train them in this setting.

 Regarding getting trained to teach pregnant and postnatal women, with the exception of a few brilliant UK Ante/Postnatal Trainers, the standard of the basic Level 3 Ante/Postnatal qualification here is fairly poor, and I’m going to stick my neck out a bit here and say, I think the UK’s a bit behind when it comes to its approach on exercising pregnant and postnatal women.

 If you decided to work with a niche client group yourself, and you did your basic qualification, set up your first session or were slightly terrified at the prospect, you’ll know what I mean.  I firmly believe, it’s only once you’re out in the field, working with your chosen client group that you find out what works, what doesn’t and what feels “right” for you.  I’ve done oodles of pre/postnatal training courses, and I tend to adopt a “pick n mix” attitude when it comes to what practical exercises I take away with me.  Just because a Trainer tells you something’s ok to do, doesn’t necessarily mean you have to teach it, and I think that’s the lesson to learn when teaching pre/postnatal women.  Exercise shouldn’t be “trendy” for this client group in my expert opinion, pardon the pun.

 Exercises come in and out of fashion for pre/postnatal clients (we no longer prescribe sit ups for postnatal women, for example), techniques get termed safe or unsafe (the jury’s still out on this abdominal-splinting thing, for example), and how many of us use the word “functional” nowadays (should postnatal women with abdominal separation adopt a truly functional approach to their training, for example)?

 I’m not sure the majority of my clients (regardless of whether their pregnant or not) know what “functional” actually means, but I certainly take this approach when training them.  I work my clients pelvic floor muscles in a functional manner, for example.  Ok, there’s still a place for “Kegels” and pelvic floor activation, but, if it’s more effective to work their pelvic floor in the upward phase of a squat, than it is when they’re seated statically on a chair, I’m going for the former.  Kinda makes sense, doesn’t it?  You work lots of different muscle groups in a squat, and if you get them to activate their pelvic floor too, then that’s an absolute bonus in my eyes.

 I’ll let you into a little secret here, to be honest, my Pregnancy Pilates classes (the most popular class on my timetable remember) aren’t really “classical” Pilates.  Shock horror!  I’ve been wrongly marketing them all this time!  No, but seriously, I actually do a lot of standing Pilates work in all of my classes, and to be fair, I’d go a bit spare if I couldn’t slip in the odd body conditioning exercise into the lesson plan, modifying it to the client group accordingly.  Again, this is what I do to benefit my clients, and I think that’s what you need to do when you teach a niche client group, yet want to keep things fresh.  Modify, adapt, offer progressions, yet don’t lose sight of who’s in front of you, and how receptive they are to trying new things.  Some clients groups don’t like being your guinea pigs, and I think you’d agree that experimenting too much with the wrong client gr oup could be dangerous.

 So, to summarise, when it comes to fitness trends in the world of pre and postnatal, you’ll find there’s a black and white area, and then a grey one.  The black and white is very much “you can or can’t do this”, and the grey area is “combining the black and white to get a common-sense grey”.  Nothing scientific, but, that’s the approach I think we, as Ante/Postnatal Instructors should be taking.

  If working with pre/postnatal clients appeals to you, why not join my Private Facebook Group for FitPros who either: a) want to get qualified to teach pre/postnatal or, b) are already qualified, but want hints and tips on making their business more successful: https://www.facebook.com/#!/groups/clairemockridge/

 Tour date for my Pre/Postnatal Exercise and Marketing “Bridging the Gap” Workshop is 19-20 May 2012 at David Lloyd in Derby.  It’s not just pre/postnatal exercise content you’ll learn here, it’s also the marketing and business acumen skills required to find, retain and build rapport with pre/postnatal clients.  For more details of this Event, see: www.facebook.com/ClaireMockridgeBridgingTheGap

 YOu can do the Level Pre and Post Natal

Or, connect with me here:

 Facebook:  www.facebook.com/clairemockridge1

Twitter:  www.twitter.com/clairemockridge

Blog: http://clairemockridge.wordpress.com/

 Bye for now.

 Claire Mockridge

Ante/Postnatal Fitness Expert

If you would like to teach Pre and Post Natal Fitness Classes you would need to gain the Level 3 Qualifications which you can do online with Choreographytogo https://www.choreographytogo.com/qualifications/level-3-ante-post-natal

 

Date and Testing 

By Marvin Burton 

Have you ever been to the supermarket to do you weekly/daily/monthly shop and 

forgotten to buy something you need? 

Have you ever purchased something like a clothing item or house appliance, only 

to never use it? 

Both examples are common and everybody at some point in their lives will spend 

time and effort going somewhere, doing a job, paying for something - only to 

realise that they actually don't need it, it isn't what they expected or it was 

a waste of time/money. But at the time it might seem a good idea.

It is the same with exercise! Thousands of people attend health clubs, fitness 

classes or have a personal trainer. Only to realise after 6, 12 or 18 months, 

nothing has happened. Initially any exercise will help you to lose some weight, 

any nutritional change will affect your hormones and energy levels. So it's easy 

to buy into. 

The question is, how do we know it works? How do we keep people attending your 

class/sessions? 

If I was going shopping, I'd make a shopping list! 

If I wanted a gift for a birthday or Christmas I would suggest things that I 

need to my loved ones (like setting targets)  

Data helps us because it gives us relevant reference points of what we need to 

achieve, when we are improving or we can plot a timescale for when we want these 

points to be reached. 

If you don't measure your training, improvements or make some notes on each 

session, you are losing vital information for what will ultimately be the 

success of your business. 

Some quick and simple ways of gathering date might be:

1. Take photos of your clients so that you can analyse their changes monthly/ bi 

weekly (visually) 

2. Write down your weights. How much your lift or use

3. Make a note of your repetition or heart rate. 

The more information you have and the more tests you do, the greater chance you 

have at gaining success 

This could be as simple as:

- Counting reps each week in a circuit class

- Increasing your weights in a body conditioning class 

- Conducting a 10 minute constant cadence drill in a cycling class 

- Taking skin fold measurements/compositions as a PT

Data is the statistic you need to give reasoning and justification for attending 

your fitness establishment. If you don't measure and monitor your performance 

you cannot justify the cost, effort or time you spend.

All industries in the world monitor, analyse and work on improving their 

service. This is no different for a self employed fitness instructor or Personal 

Trainer. As our economy gets worse, the first cost that people look to cut are 

leisure services. 

So my final question is. How important is your service and what data do you have 

to back this up?

Marvin Burton 

www.fitness-retreat.co.uk

We are holding a 1 night summer special Fitness Retreat on May 5th and 6th in 

Surrey at Wotton House. For more information visit our Fitness Retreat website 

or Tweet @fit_retreat 

Marvin Burton

www.fitness-retreat.co.uk

 

 AntiGravity Yoga is…MY PASSION by Laura Armada Buch

For those of you that read this newsletter on a weekly basis, I’m sure you agree they are getting better and better… Last week I thoroughly enjoyed reading Sally Ghafoor’s article about PASSION!!… So simple yet so true.

As a trained Translator and Interpreter in 5 languages I work….yes you guessed…in FITNESS!!…but why and how did I get here?… well Sally has the answer…it’s all about Passion.

I started in the community like many of you simply to help me pay college and once my classes got pretty big I made the big decision of opening my own studio (which I know it can be terrifying). I knew deep in my heart that it was the right decision as teaching and bringing innovative concepts to my area filled me with energy and happiness.

Every time I travelled to the UK or the US and brought a new concept to Ireland my clients would be on a fitness buzz for a while until the next big thing…. and then I found ANTIGRAVITY YOGA: a perfect blend of aerial acrobatics, dance, Pilates and Yoga that allows the average client challenge and move their body in a complete different way, while having fun and flying!!

So I did my training, my adverts were everywhere and classes were packed…and my Antigravity Yoga classes were launched…I expected  demand for the first while, as anything new seems to draw in the crowds, but the following was totally unexpected:

–        Classes full of laughter from start to finish (who remembers pretending to hang upside down like a monkey when you were a kid?!)

–        Tears (happy ones though!)..of clients not being able to believe what their bodies were able to physically and mentally do (building trust is a big factor in this class)

–        Miracles (yes I know it’s bit extreme!)..but if for every person that has reported improvements in their back I got a pound…. I would be retired by now (not, cos I love it too much J)

So here I am 2 years on and I can say that with this programme I got into a winner.

From a business point of view it has been the best investment I have done since opening in 2006.

Now as European Master Trainer I can help others spread the WINGS and benefit from it. Currently there are 20 instructors in the UK (so still very new) and the main reason why they all enrolled on the training was to set their business ahead of the competition… and god have they been successful!

If you would like to find out more about ANTIGRAVITY YOGA, teacher training, equipment etc please email me at laura@labfitness.com.

For anyone interested in becoming a qualified instructor we are offering CHOREOGRAPHY2GO readers 10% off Teacher training in 2012 (must be booked by 31^st May)

Follow me

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Antigravity-Yoga-UK/137045386375908

https://twitter.com/#!/antigravityUK

 

Have a wonderful Thursday

Love Always

Rachel xx