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In a previous article, I wrote about the 5 reasons why you shouldn’t do group classes. However, in the conclusion, I mentioned that if it brings you joy and motivates you to exercise when you otherwise wouldn’t, it’s a good choice. Of course, that can be nuanced.
Here are reasons why it is wise to do group classes.
Motivation
Intensively doing strength training is not for everyone. If you start working on your training program independently, you may eventually lose motivation and lack the willpower to continue. In such a situation, it can be extremely valuable to train with a group of people who keep you in line and remind you why you started in the first place. Good organization is active in this and creates a lot of involvement with its followers.
Being part of a so-called community can be very stimulating
Together you achieve more!
Training in a group is not only a motivation to keep coming but also valuable for the intensity you deliver during the workout. If you have a motivated personal trainer, they will demand the utmost from you, resulting in more effort and effect than if you spend half an hour on the treadmill at the gym.
Technique
If the motivation is there, you also want that energy to be spent in the right way.
A good personal trainer also walks among all participants to correct your technique when it’s not good enough. In comparison to training alone at the gym, you will generally not take advice from someone standing next to you during a group class, even if they have an impressive amount of muscle mass and a flat stomach. However impressive, you don’t know if their knowledge aligns with your goals and body.
An instructor, even if not the best, will generally have more background and broad knowledge than the average gym visitor.
Motivation for proper nutrition
An important factor often overlooked in group classes is nutrition. You can train until you drop, but if you don’t eat properly, the loss of fat mass will be limited to grams instead of kilograms.
Fortunately, there are providers of group classes who understand this and encourage their members to pay attention to their diet and protein intake. Working with a group can also create a sense of responsibility and act as a motivation. Moreover, you can gain a lot of inspiration for tasty recipes and easy meals with like-minded people.
Group classes are a perfect way to prevent loneliness.
As a final reason, you could take a good look at a topic that is often difficult to talk about: loneliness. Research shows that almost 40% of adults in the Netherlands are lonely [1]. Social media channels are popping up like mushrooms to provide a solution, but does it really work?
Get out there, meet people, and work together to create something beautiful that fosters connection.
Choose the right group class
Of course, not all group classes are the same. If you want to get serious, look for an organization that prioritizes results and where you can count on expert guidance and instructors.
In practice, however, this is very difficult to judge. For example, does a fitness quality mark mean anything, or is it just a stamp that a gym receives for annual payment? And what does the name of the organization say if you happen to have their worst instructor in front of the class? As a layperson, it’s very difficult to judge the quality of a group class. Asking around about how long people have been training on average can give you some more insight. If people keep coming back, then apparently the classes are fun to attend, and people are satisfied with the results.
At CityBootcamp, a distinction is made between beginners, basic, and advanced, and the right exercises are used along with mobilizers to perform better and prevent injuries. Through the food camps, you are not only training but also learning to adjust your diet to lose fat mass and build more muscle mass. Moreover, CityBootcamp works on building a tight-knit community where all boot campers form a team and hold each other accountable for achieving results. It’s beautiful to see how this group of young people works hard, collectively, to create more health, fitness, and loss of fat mass.
Conclusion
In my article ‘Why you shouldn’t do group classes,’ I described the disadvantages of group classes. Of course, this should be nuanced, and you can’t generalize everything. The organization behind the group classes is responsible for the quality of the classes and should ensure the right coaching to become stronger in terms of nutrition and mindset.
The quality of a group class is determined by the way of working and the people working within it. Ask lots of questions to make sure you know if you’re getting quality. If an instructor can explain in simple terms why something is done or not, you can draw your own conclusions from this.
Reference:
National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport
