The Who, What, When, Why, and How Behind Personal Training

Group training is great. It’s fitness. It’s in an environment of your peers. It’s an hour of your day. And you don’t have to think about what’s on the board or how you’re going to warm-up or what weights to use for the workout or…   CrossFit group classes are a phenomenal revolution to the fitness landscape. I have long lauded the “oh dark thirty-ers” for their ability to get up and get after it before the sun has even gotten out of bed. I have shared with a  few of those classes that, at least in my experience, if the guided model were not available I would likely hit the snooze, roll over, and continue my dream-filled slumber.   For a large majority of the world seeking to improve their health and longevity (see: fitness), group classes are the bomb-dot-com. They hit the right combination of price-point, value of services offered, and accessibility.

Are there folks in the world who require a little specialized attention?

What about for the gal who has been struggling to get that one movement to click (I’m looking at you, DUs)?   What about for the guy who doesn’t feel as though he’s quite ready to be thrust into the social dynamics of a group even after an introduction to movements, philosophies, and group model in our Elements course?   And those pesky injuries! How the heck is someone supposed to bridge the gap between rehabilitation and getting back into the gym to strengthen their limbs without risking further injury?   The answer to all of the above will almost always be an unsatisfactory, “It depends.” Maybe you can improve your snatch technique or your DU attempts with an online video (of which there are heaps and heaps). You can make your way into Open Gym or use the 10 minutes pre/post-WOD to hone that skill/technique work. It’s worked for dozens of athletes.   One thing I will absolutely say is there are some things that require a more personal touch.   At CFN we strive to give every member of our group classes 1-on-1 attention. At some point it is our intent that you have a coach delivering YOU personal coaching, watching your implementation of their coaching, and providing you some feedback about how to move forward. Sometimes, depending on class size that may only happen once during the course of the hour. Hopefully it happens several times. But in all cases, that is the intent.   Sometimes, however, we see folks struggle for weeks, months, or even years on a foundational or fundamental part of their fitness game (see 10 General Skills).

“I could squat if only my hips weren’t so tight.”   “My OHS is rubbish. I think it’s my mobility. Or my strength. Maybe both? I’m not really sure, actually…”   “My ankles are the cause of all of my issues. If they weren’t so tight I’d be the next Katrin Davidsdottir for sure.”   “I can’t keep my chest up in my squat.”   “I have always had imbalances that lead to pain in my hips. It’s just how I’m made. I see the chiropractor every week, though. I guess I’ll see him every week for the rest of my life…”   “I can only do DUs on cloudy days if the sun is in Aquarius and I squint.”   “I know that muscle-ups are coming up in the Open, and I think if I had the direction I could probably get one…but I really have no clue where to start.”   “I think DUs and snatching is great (or even OK), but I really just walked in the door to lose 15 lbs. I really have no idea if I’m on the right track or not.”   Now all of these aren’t word-for-word quotes from clients’ mouths, but a vast majority have been uttered in some semblance at some point within the halls of CFN (and many other CF gyms, we’d posit).

For almost all of these scenarios, a more personalized–or customized–experience is the answer.

The above scenarios may not have been verbatim, but they do hit close to home…and they are something we are committed to not let happen moving forward.  Personal training is simply a space for people to sit down with a coach for a few sessions and diagnose the issue and soar past what their expectations or limitations.   It is our goal to never prescribe you something we don’t feel would benefit you.  Ever. The entire purpose behind program development is to increase the value of our services to you. This is as true in the realm of group fitness as it is in the realm of personal training.   At the same time, we will strive to not sit idly by while you deal with an issue we could solve with a little 1-on-1 coaching.   It’s as simple as that: we want to help you reach your goals as quickly as possible.

Diagnosis? A Prescriptive Model.

What happens when you go to a good chiropractor?   They generally ask you a few questions about what brings you in, give you a once-over, and then develop a plan to help you rid yourself of whatever is ailing you. They give you their take on why the injury/pain occurred, they perform an adjustment to relieve the symptoms, and then they give you homework to perform between  sessions. In the best scenarios, you are there 2-10 times with a clear plan moving between those points.   CFN’s take on personal training is, for the most part, in the same model: assess, manage, prescribe, maintain.   Conversations about personal training might arise any time you’re in the gym and a coach notices you’re repeatedly struggling with a concept, some mobility (or injury), or a particular movement. Conversations could go something like this:  “Hey, I have noticed you are really working hard on your snatch technique. I’d like to give you some resources to help you. If you’d like, I think it would be beneficial to sit down and talk about what I think is limiting you and develop a plan of attack to help you get passed whatever it is.”   You can also reach out to us about issues or goals you want to achieve for our help to create an individualized plan on how to achieve them.

If you or someone you know is interested in traveling down the personal training road, please send us an email at info@crossfitnorthland.com and we’ll set up a free consultation–a zero commitment sit-down to talk about fitness goals and how we can help.