Top Group Workout Ideas To Lighten Up Your Fitness Session

Why should you choose group workouts?

Group workouts are quite popular, with over 40% of regular exercisers taking part in group fitness courses. After the coronavirus pandemic, group fitness is forecasted to be one of the top three fitness industry trends in 2022, that too for good reason.

In a group training setting, you'll be surrounded by like-minded people who want to achieve just as much as you do. Humans are social creatures; we were created to be supported by our peers and to encourage one another to be the best we can be.

Group workouts not only bring together like-minded individuals but also generate a more energizing atmosphere. People feed off one other's energy, and the dynamic of a group atmosphere enables synergy to flow, encouraging everyone to work harder to achieve their goals. There are plenty of benefits of conducting group workouts. Learn more about becoming a group fitness instructor in this blog. Also, know which certifications do you need to become one.

You must be confused about how can you plan group workouts for your fitness classes. We’ll help you exactly with that but before that, we will give you some group workout ideas to bring life into your fitness classes.

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• Group workout ideas for fitness classes
• How to plan group workouts?
• It's time to get all sweaty in a group workout!

Group workout ideas for fitness classes

A safe and successful group workout should include a range of exercises that target different muscle groups and areas of your body. Let’s begin with some group workout ideas to bring much-needed enthusiasm to your class.

01. The 5-4-3-2-1 group workout

The 5-4-3-2-1 group workout method, at a glance, comprises doing a ladder (5 repetitions, 4 reps, 3 reps, etc.) with a weight you can lift or an exercise you can do for 10 perfectly but tough reps. The 10-week curriculum is broken down into five sections. On a weekly basis, you'll gradually reduce the rest times between ladder sets at each phase. Let’s see what can you include in this 5-4-3-2-1 workout.

5 minutes

Do a 5 minute cardio including these 5 exercises.

• 1 min high knees
• 1 min jumping jacks
• 1 min front kicks
• 1 min jumping jacks
• 1 min run in place

4 minutes

• 1 min lunges or walking lunges
• 1 min mountain climbers
• Repeat for 4 minutes

3 minutes

• 10 pushups/ rest
• 10 triceps dips/ rest
• Repeat for 3 minutes

2 minutes

• 30 seconds regular squats
• 30 seconds jump squats
• 30 seconds regular squats
• 30 seconds jump squats

1 minute

• Plank

The total time of this group workout is 15 minutes. If you are at the intermediate level, you must do it twice and if you are on an advanced level, do it thrice.

02. Strength conditioning workout

Adults should practice strength training exercises for each of the body's major muscle groups at least twice a week to reap the best health advantages, according to the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans.

Strength conditioning group workouts improve your capacity to accomplish physical tasks like lifting and carrying items by strengthening your physical condition. Strength training exercises may be done in the gym or at home with bodyweight exercises like squats, push-ups, and sit-ups. Let’s see a break up of these exercises.

Warm-Up

• 30 min mountain climbers
• 40 high knees
• 50 jumping jacks
• 10 burpees
• Repeat for 2 rounds

Main Workout

• 10 pushups
• 20 sit-ups
• 30 air squats
• 40 walking lunges
• 30 seconds plank
• Repeat for 5 rounds

03. No-excuses workout

A lack of time is one of the most popular reasons for skipping workouts. If people do not have a significant block of time available, many people will miss their workout regime. To get good exercise, you don't need an hour of training time. You also don't require a cutting-edge training facility. With little to no equipment, you can get a good group workout. Read how:

First Round

• Burpees x 60 seconds
• Pull-ups x 60 seconds
• Squats x 60 seconds
• Pushups x 60 seconds

Second Round

• Burpees x 45 seconds
• Pull-ups x 45 seconds
• Squats x 45 seconds
• Pushups x 45 seconds

Third Round

• Burpees x 30 seconds
• Pull-ups x 30 seconds
• Squats x 30 seconds
• Pushups x 30 seconds

Fourth Round

• Burpees x 15 seconds
• Pull-ups x 15 seconds
• Squats x 15 seconds
• Pushups x 15 seconds

You don't have to stop moving if switching from one exercise to the next while doing this workout. Between rounds, there is no rest.

If you get stuck during an activity, take a little break and try again. Depending on your health and weekly workload, you can do this workout 1 to 3 times each week.

Let’s see how you can plan group workouts that give the best results to your members of all fitness levels.

How to plan group workouts?

You'll need to think about certain elements while you're preparing the exercises you want to include in your group workouts. Consider factors such as the length of the class and the ideal equipment, exercises for a group setting, etc while planning group workouts.

01. Carry out a proper warm-up and cool-down

First and foremost, you want your clients to be healthy. After all, if someone gets injured, especially during your session, he or she is unlikely to return. It doesn't matter if someone has been working out for years or is brand new to the gym; jumping into a workout without warming up increases the chance of injury.

A warm-up can consist of a variety of activities, but there are a few fundamental requirements:

1. Raise the core body temperature with some cardio and then stretch the right way. Warm-up is essential before you move further in your fitness routine.
2. Increase the heart rate so that the muscles function properly and the required amount of blood is flowing to them.
3. Employ the right movements for clients in your group workouts. Always choose exercises that replicate movement patterns and engage the same muscles you’ll be working on in the entire class.

A cool down. on the other hand, includes:

1. Decrease the heart rates of your clients to a safe level with a careful arrangement of group workouts. You would not want heart rates to stay high just because they were exercising.
2. Stretch the warm muscles to increase flexibility, prevent injury and excessive soreness.

02. Pick the most suitable types of equipment

Some workouts, such as cycling or step aerobics, need specialized equipment and hence do not require you to make a decision. However, you must pick what you want to employ for resistance training or boot camp-style programs. When choosing what equipment to use in your class, keep two things in mind: if the equipment is user-friendly for a group workout and whether it is appropriate for the fitness class you are teaching.

Some tools are more user-friendly than others. Your responsibility as an instructor is to ensure that everyone in your class gets the most out of the fitness content you create. By selecting equipment that is simple for everyone to use, you are allowing your members to focus on the exercises rather than figuring out how to use the equipment properly. It's also crucial to make sure the equipment you use is appropriate for the type of fitness class you're teaching.

03. Choose the right group workouts

People make decisions to attend a class based on the class title and description of the workout schedule. As a result, it's critical that you select workouts that correspond to the type of class. A cycling class should not require participants to get off the bike and do push-ups, just as a strength-based class should not include speed and agility exercises.

This may seem obvious, but it's vital to remember this since individuals will arrive at a class knowing their fitness level or the goals they want to achieve. If someone goes up anticipating a cardio class but the instructor uses strength techniques for most of the session, that person will be far out of their element and unlikely to return.

It's also critical to choose workouts that will help your participants succeed. There's nothing wrong with presenting a challenge every now and again by selecting a more difficult movement. To give a challenge, make a collection of workout activities that everyone understands and then modify the time, repetitions, weight, or sequence.

04. Be prepared for modifications and amplifications

It's a lot of fun to teach a large group of people, but as your class size grows, so does the range of fitness levels in your class. You can give a very demanding workout to people who regularly work out, but people who are just getting started will most likely be unable to keep up. On the other hand, while it is simple to create a basic class that everyone can perform, people who have worked out their entire lives may find it to be too simple. The solution to this challenge is to be prepared to provide alternatives and offer modifications and amplifications.

The term "modify" simply refers to a way to make a workout simpler and doable. It is often used in the fitness industry to refer to a technique of making an exercise easier or more practicable. Amplifying a movement, on the other hand, means making it more difficult. It's better to plan your class with exercises that fall somewhere in between, and you as an instructor should have the ability to tweak and amplify. This way, your participants may find what works best for them.

05. Explain the exercises to your class

After you've chosen the exercises and equipment for your group workout, you'll need to be ready to explain everything to your members. After all, performing an exercise accurately without sufficient guidance would be difficult for someone who has never done it before. Even those who have previously performed an exercise might benefit from a revision on proper technique. Giving your class a thorough explanation allows them to get the most out of their group workout. You must also ensure that your cues and explanations are simple to understand because your class may not be that of professionals, but you are one.

06. Make your participants listen to their bodies

After you've created a group workout and entered the studio, the process of creating a class doesn't end. In reality, when participants pick their changes, amplifications, and intensity, the class continues to evolve. To put it another way, you give a skeleton for your students, but they fill in the muscle as the workout progresses. In a way, you're actually telling the students to pick their own design.

Reminding participants that the workout is for them, not for anybody else, is an important part of instructing a group workout. People frequently reject modifications or opt for amplification because they feel compelled to keep up with the instructor and other members. Similarly, some people will perform less than they are capable of just because they are at ease and do not realize they are capable of more. Make sure everyone understands the importance of listening to their own bodies. Remind your participants that they are competing against themselves alone. They must push their bodies, but they must also listen to determine how far they should push.

07. Prioritize your members’ workout benefits

Remember, your goal is to offer your members the most beneficial workout possible. Any exercise you receive as a result is a plus. You, as the instructor, are probably in better shape than many of the students in your class. By creating a workout that helps you, you may be compromising benefits that others may gain.

As the instructor, it is your responsibility to keep a close check on your class to observe how they are responding to your workout. If you are concerned about your own workout, it would be hard for you to know what is helpful for them. Group workouts with a large number of people need you, the instructor, to guarantee perfect technique and intensity for everyone. It is beneficial to roam around the room and offer particular attention to those who require it.

However, if you've been involved in the workout yourself, you won't be free to roam about and assist others. They already think you can finish the workout since you're the one in charge. What they need to know is that you trust them to complete the workout.

It's time to get all sweaty in a group workout!

Explore fun and enthusiastic workouts with your class members and give them the most out of their group workouts. You as an instructor should plan a group workout that fits all the people on different fitness journeys. Make sure you follow certain things while planning a group workout which is mentioned above in the blog. We’ve put together the top 3 group workout ideas for your fitness classes and are sure that these would bring effective results in the fitness journey of each of your members.

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