State of the art machines with self-serve lemon water on tap – Being an exclusive member to a luxurious gym is often the ambition of many Personal Trainers, the reality however, is that with the ever fluctuating and increasing gym rates, it’s not the most feasible option especially if you’re just starting out.
The bright and bold silver lining is that you as a Personal Trainer actually have free access to multiple outdoor exercise equipment peppered all over our cozy country – yes that’s right – we’re referring to the neighborhood fitness corners.
These upgraded fitness corners provide you with many opportunities to plan your personal training program around, all you need is some creativity to spice up your workouts. Here’s a few neat tricks we have under our sweaty sleeves:
Row at the Pull-Up Bar station
Extra equipment needed: Pull Up Resistance Band.
Loop and tie the band over one of the standing poles just 30cm off the ground. Sit on the floor, and extend your leg straight to meet the pole, your feet should be firmly touching it. Your extended hands will hold onto the band, make sure it is lightly stretched. You should be in a rowing position with your back straight and not curved. In this position, engage your lats and pull your arms back towards your abdomen, extending the band.
For more resistance, loop another round around the pole to shorten the band, or bend backwards slightly to engage your core for a wider range of motion. Try this yourself to get the positioning right before guiding your clients to do the same.
Front-back crawl at the Pull Up Bar station
Extra equipment needed: Pull Up Resistance Band.
Another great cardio and strength workout is to use the resistance band as a means to increase the difficulty of a front crawl. Position yourself facing away from the standing pole, with the band looped and tied to the pole, stretch the band over your biceps and get into a bear crawl position.
Attempt to crawl front and back with slow controlled movements. Another alternative to train your quads, is to move the band from your biceps to the front of your quads, this engages your legs much more to hold steady at a 90 degree angle as you crawl front and back. Try this yourself before instructing the client to do so.
Toe taps at the Sit Up Benches
Sit Up benches are typically slightly raised from the ground, the lower ones make the perfect height for alternating toe taps, and the higher ones can substitute box jumps. Do note that the landing may lack cushioning, so bring a small foam mat if you have, to lessen the impact on your knees. Apart from toe taps, the lower benches can also be used to challenge more advanced clients with inclined planks.
Squats on the Balancing Beam
Have an advanced client that can handle more than just a simple squat? That’s your cue to push them into performing a few workouts on the balancing beam that will really work their stability. On the balancing beam, have your client attempt a squat with both legs on the beam, or even do a side-to-side squat walk keeping their body low and quads engaged. This movement resembles a crab walking.
This trains not only their legs, but their core. You may even add simple weights to it such as having your client hold their bottle or towel with both arms stretched forward, while performing a squat. This is a great full body workout move. Do note that this workout may not be suitable for clients with knee injuries.
Some simple tips: Before meeting your client, it’ll be good to arrive 15 minutes earlier to familiarize yourself with the equipment on-ground, and take the extra time to plan the tailored workout before your client arrives. Do your due diligence and bring along hand sanitisers and wipes to wipe down the equipment before the workout begins, and after it ends.
Access what creative training worked for your client and work those creative juices to see if those can be modified to an advanced level for progression. Keeping your training unpredictable and creative will set you apart from other personal trainers who use the equipment for its regular usage.
Be aware of your surroundings: Similar to a regular gym, expect other users to frequent the equipment and avoid hogging one station for too long if others are waiting. Be patient and wait for others to complete their workout before setting up your intended exercise. Create a friendly environment for your client to train in, this is especially important in an open location where all equipment is meant to be shared.
If you’re an aspiring personal trainer, a fresh trainer starting out, or even an experienced one, hit us up and we’ll love to have you join our team of passionate health leaders. We’re always on a constant lookout to expand our family. As we’ve shared, you don’t need a fancy gym to start your journey, just a curious mind with a creative spark.
