By Craig Hysell

When you take group fitness classes from a high-quality teacher or gym, you are participating in a tribal act as an individual.

This comes with some guidelines that can help YOU be more successful WHILE raising up your TRIBE.

First of all, let’s talk about some red flags of a group fitness class. You should avoid group workouts that practice the following:

1. More Everything. Does every workout look like a grocery list or consist of high-volume repetitions? Do you work the same body parts every single day? You might want to reconsider your membership.

2. Do the coaches coach? Motivating and teaching are two different things. A teacher can (and should!) be motivating. A motivator is simply a cheerleader and offers nothing in the way of systemic or technical care of your person regardless of how many certifications they have in their bio. Your instructor should COACH not simply be a cheerleader or taking pictures with their phone. Who’s leading you?

3. There are no modification options. Is it simply do or die in each class? Add less weight or more weight? Is there a clear training path to get to that next level in your fitness journey? If the answer is “no”, you deserve better.

4. Every day is a competition. This is not a healthy environment for most people. You ultimately should be competing with yourself, WITH (not against) your teammates, and striving to inspire others with your thoughts and actions. If you leave your class FEELING worse than when you went in, you’re in the wrong spot.

At Conviction Training Facility our group programming must facilitate a wide array of people. Some of our clients have been with us for almost a decade. Some are only a year or two in. Some have just begun. And yet, IT WORKS. Why?

Because our coaches care, our programming is sound and our culture is one of mutual support.

BUT, this never stops needing attention. Like a ship in constant need of maintenance, education, guidance and care, our cultural “pillars” ALSO need the same degree of consistent consideration.

There are many ways to go about this, but one of the MOST effective is empowering our athletes to make good decisions, bouncing these decisions off their instructor or teammates, and then carrying forward with MASSIVE success over the long-term.

Here are some thoughts we ask our athletes to keep in mind daily:

1. We are a training facility, not a competition facility. Make it about “The Process” not “the score” or the scaling option. What did you LEARN each day? This kind of mindset forges gratitude, compassion, empathy, grit AND progress! You will be well, not just fit!

2. Listen to your body. Acute (sharp) or chronic (nagging) pain is a warning sign. HEED IT! Why is it happening? When does it happen? Are you eating enough, sleeping enough, adding extra training to they gym’s regularly scheduled training programming, or stressed out? Most of life’s rules apply to you, too! At CTF, ee offer SO MANY strategies for you to CONTINUE training intelligently and healthily WHILE repairing the area of inflammation or pain. Modify the workouts as necessary (you don’t need to train at “rx’d” or your “level” at every session!) Tell your coach and learn to recognize the difference between discomfort and pain.

3. Discipline. Practice consistently. No excuses. Eat healthy. Get sleep. Breathe deeply. Drink water. The more your practice wellness in mind, body and spirit the more it will appear in your life.

4. Ask questions and get involved with YOURSELF. (YOU are in charge of YOU!) If you are stuck with a movement or with understanding how to progress your training, set up a personal training appointment with a coach. It will blow your mind and YOU deserve it!

One article, or book, or year cannot possibly cover all the nuances of training that lead to a FULL LIFE not just a physically fit person. (That’s why it’s SO FUN!)

At CTF, our goal is our athlete’s wellness and happiness. The physical portion of what we do is merely the entry point to a higher level of self-respect, consideration, thinking, friendship and happiness.

It’s a group effort. Hugs.