Many personal trainers will have heard the phrase “Strength training is the entree, and cardio is the side dish”. Depending on the type of services you offer or the type of training style you promote, your “entree” and “side dish(es)” will vary.
Regardless of what “dishes” you like to serve– here at ABC Trainerize, we have all the “ingredients” or programming options for you to craft a dynamic and engaging programming experience for your clients or members.
In this blog, we’re going to share some of the many ways you can boost your client engagement by delivering on-demand programs.
ABC Trainerize Programs Overview:
Before we get into some examples of using our on-demand program features, it’s important to understand the two types of programs you can create in ABC Trainerize:
Phased programs: A periodized program with multiple training phases. You can also schedule workouts and auto-messages into the program calendar. This is most likely going to be your “entree” program– we often refer to these phased programs as your client’s “main” program.
On-demand programs: A library of workouts that are in no particular order that clients can complete anytime! These programs do not have an end date and are not scheduled by trainers– these can be the side dishes that wonderfully complement your phased programs OR work as standalone libraries/series! (More on this later).
TZ TIP: Keep in mind that you can assign multiple programs to clients alongside their main program as add-ons, assign them on-demand programs, or a few add-on programs. It’s totally up to you if you want to assign a couple of phased programs, strictly on-demand, or a combination of both. In this blog, we’re focusing on giving you examples of on-demand programs!
Here are 4 ways you can start:
1. Warm-up and cool-down routines.
An effective warm-up and cool-down are not only essential for an impending workout but in the long run too. Consistent flexibility and mobility work can help prevent injuries later on.
Although there are many different variations to a warmup, keep things simple to start! For example, you could share an upper body, lower body and full body warm-up routine. That way your clients can pick and choose the routine that applies to them for that day. For example, I like doing a full body warm-up because it feels great, and I consider the first set of each exercise with lower weights to be the “warm-up” for any exercise anyway. However, if you would like your clients to warm up, reflect that in your own library!
Safety and staying injury-free during a workout is a universal want and essential to almost anyone on this planet! So, it’s safe to say you could create an entire on-demand program library dedicated to warming up and cooling down then share it as an add-on program (complimentary or paid) to all your clients or even create a standalone mobility program on its own. (more on this below!)
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2. Mobility work, a daily foam roll session, stretch routines & low-impact bodyweight workouts.
This one may seem similar to the previous example, but there is a key difference here. On a rest day, as opposed to a workout day, these routines will come in handy. Not only are they necessary for some clients, but they are also a great way to keep clients engaged and using the app on non-workout days.
Why boost engagement? Why is it such a priority for us at ABC Trainerize — and why should it be a priority for you? Because engagement is a critical, catch-all metric. Client engagement encompasses all the interactions you have with your clients. This includes their habits and activities beyond their workout that day or on days that workouts are not assigned.
Two examples of stretch routines that my clients love are what I call an “Energizing morning stretch” as well as an “Evening wind-down stretch”. This is another example of something you can build once and use for years to come with all types of clients. There are always exceptions of course, but most of my clients work behind a computer so they have similar needs. A fun, 5-10 minute stretch that gets the blood flowing is a pretty safe choice for most of them to start their day and so is my evening routine that consists of t-spine and hip stretches as well as other gentle movements to relax.
Think about the archetypes of clients you have, and create some evergreen routines that can be applied to all of your clients.
TZ TIP: Use this on-demand program as an alternative option on days that clients miss a workout! Before using ABC Trainerize, if a client of mine missed a workout, I wouldn’t see them again until their next session. Fast forward to today, I can impact my client’s lives 24 hours a day (without 24 hours of effort), seven days a week! Here’s how:
If a client misses a workout, I remind them that A) it’s not the end of the world, life happens! And B) track one of the daily stretches or the bodyweight workout in their on-demand library instead. This way, they’re not completely off the hook for that day. Just because their meeting ran late and they can’t go to the gym to do a one-hour workout, doesn’t mean that the entire day is a write-off. This keeps my clients accountable, and it keeps the momentum going. I find these clients get back on track much faster because they still track an activity that day.
For a lot of my clients, consistency and accountability are much more important than the type of workout they are doing. Once we’ve mastered that, we move on to something more complex.
3. On-demand libraries as standalone programs– follow along with video workout series.
Speaking of consistency and accountability–– sometimes the best thing for my clients with busy schedules when it comes to building their fitness– is flexibility!
At-home follow-along video workouts such as 45-minute matt Pilates sessions or quick HIITT sessions get my clients who otherwise would not have made it to the gym/studio much more motivated to exercise!
It’s a lot easier for them to squeeze these sessions in during the day, or after work at home than it is for them to get ready and head to another destination to work out.
These video series have also been a fantastic way to expand my offerings beyond my usual training style. There will always be a time and a place for phased programs– but this has been a game changer for diversifying the client base I serve in-app.
I record training sessions, upload them to the platform, and sell them as on-demand programs for my lower-touch clients who want to follow along but workout independently. One of the more popular on-demand video libraries I’ve created is a minimal equipment “Quick HITT” series that my clients can follow either at home or in the gym.
It’s also a selling point for clients who are interested in training that they would usually have to attend a studio class for– like Pilates. This is an area I’ve seen a ton of growth, as it’s a new way of teaching for me. I love that I can take the time to record a class and have it available to be played over and over.
Here are a few ways I keep these series fresh and engaging:
- Ongoing subscriptions: I have a series of monthly workouts that I update and cycle once a month for my low-touch clients who want to follow along with pre-recorded content at home.
- Progressive Series: I have an evergreen series with different tiers of video workouts. So clients who “Beginner Matt Pilates” can move on to purchase the Intermediate and the Advanced Pilates Libraries when they’re ready.
4. Sneak peek at other training styles or a new program.
We understand that running a business is a ton of work. We strive to make your lives as a business owner easier by providing flexibility within the platform to use it in many different ways.
In this example, you’re using the on-demand library as a way to offer a “sneak peek” or even a free trial to clients. Whether some of your clients are in a rut and need change, or you’re running a challenge on the side, create an on-demand library that consists of a couple of new workouts, workout styles or whatever it is that you want to introduce to clients.
For example, where I live there is a 10 km run for charity event every year that my local clients and I like to run together. To entice clients to participate in the run, I throw in a few running-focused workouts for them to try on their own. If they like it, we talk about perhaps opting in for my running program and my running mobility program if they need some extra focus in that area. (I sell these as add-ons).
Whether you want to use the on-demand programs to complement your main program or you want to sell on-demand programs as standalone products, the possibilities are endless. Regardless of what you choose to do with this feature, the most important thing to remember is to make use of it. Remember, engaged fitness communities are the future of the fitness industry!
With the right tools—like on-demand programs and the right tech—you’ll expand your horizons, and your clients will engage with their fitness (and your business) for days, weeks, and years to come!