What is Small Group Personal Training?

Small Group Personal Training is really taking London by storm, with many gyms and studios offering their own version of it; but what’s it all about, what are the benefits and who is it best for?

Fitness Classes vs. 1-1 PT vs. Small Group PT

Many Londoners initially get into exercise with group fitness classes, ranging from Spin to Body Pump, Yoga to Boxercise; either through the free class offerings at their gyms, at private studios, or by using apps such as ClassPass which allow you to pick and choose classes at different gyms and studios.

Larger group exercise is fantastic for some instant calorie burn and the pumping atmosphere, but it can be difficult to make long-term progress and results tend to plateau after the first few months. This is partly because group fitness instructors are generally unable to give personalised feedback and meticulously break down your technique to make sure you’re doing everything 100% correct; and partly because even in group exercise classes that claim to be ‘strength-focussed’, in reality there is no true progressive overload and the weights are lifted for so many reps that it essentially becomes a cardio workout.

A few years ago the next level up would be to opt for fully tailored One-on-one Personal Training, but that comes with a large jump in price-tags and isn’t always a realistic option. That has led to the revolution of Small Group Personal Training revolution, or as we call it at The Fitting Rooms in London Bridge – Shared Personal Training. Unlike group exercise classes, Small Group PT sessions are led by fully qualified Personal Trainers; and in groups small enough to receive personalised guidance and feedback.

Shared Personal Training @ The Fitting Rooms

At The Fitting Rooms gym in London Bridge, we consider ourselves the home of Shared Personal Training, and our 5*-rated pioneering service has helped thousands of Londoners achieve incredible results.

Every Shared PT clients’ group-training journey begins with a 1-1 consultation, or ‘Taster’ session, to determine the most appropriate training programme to help them achieve their goals. The consultation is also a time for us to discuss nutrition and create a plan that will work alongside the training. One-on-one consultations are then encouraged every 6 weeks or so to make sure you are staying accountable from a lifestyle and nutrition perspective.

Over the years we’ve found the magic number for group personal training is 4, more than this and the Personal Trainer can’t guarantee the focussed attention that is needed to ensure all exercise is executed correctly and safely. 

Training Programmes

To ensure everyone in Shared PT small group gets the most out of every single session, we divide clients into different categories based on their individual goals and strength level. There are three core programmes, aswell as some standalone workouts which are approproriate for all levels.

Our Body Composition Programme is designed to achieve fat loss as well as improve strength and fitness. This programme is then further split into a beginner and advanced programme to ensure the personal training group has a programme closely tailored to their goals.

Our Lean Muscle Programme is designed to achieve strength and muscle growth and requires a higher level of strength than the body composition group. 

We also have a Ladies Strength Programme which is similar to the Lean Muscle but allows for a ladies-only personal training group who want to work more purely on strength rather than fat loss.

Benefits of Small Group PT

Being able to train with a Personal Trainer at the fraction of the cost of One-on-One PT is obviously a huge draw of small group personal training, but the benefits of Shared PT go far beyond the obvious cost savings. The small group allows you to train alongside other like-minded clients for added motivation, support and accountability whilst still under the watchful eye of an expert personal trainer to help you achieve your full potential.

Shared PT at The Fitting Rooms offers you the chance to train with London’s leading personal trainers for an unbeatable price, whilst also bringing a level of group comradery to help you push out those extra reps and motivate you to attend your next session with your new workout buddies. Sign up for your Taster session HERE.