Personal Training Question: Training Two People at Once

GoalGetter · 01-11-2005, 04:56 PM

This was perhaps the most awkward hour of my day. It was an appointment that came out of nowhere, when another trainer (SpinQueen) couldn't take it, so she was lookin' out for me and gave it to me. It's a Hungarian mother/daughter duo. The mother is in fairly good shape, not as deconditioned as her daughter, and they insist they want to be trained together.

Here's my dilemma. The gym is crowded, half the equipment is either taken, or otherwise unavailable, and some of the available equipment is too far away from the next available equipment to have them work out one on each and then switch and me be able to keep them both in the same general area. If we go one for one set, and the the other, ther eis too much down time and very little room for me to have the one waiting perform something other than say jumping jacks, running in place or something like that.

I feel like there has to be a way, i just have no experience in planning something like this out.

ANY help or suggestions on this would be great. I asked them what they thought after we were done, and they were both like, "yeah yeah, it was great! you did great! I know this is a little uncommon, but you did great!" But honestly, I didn't feel that I did. I felt like they could see on my face the sheer horror I was experiencing in my head, "OH FUCK WHAT THE HELL DO I DO WITH TWO PEOPLE AT DIFFERENT TRAINING LEVELS IN ONE HOUR IN THE SAME SPACE WITH LIMITED EQUIPMENT!"

That's the other thing - the "deconditioned" situation. The mother could easily do more than just body weight exercises, and I would love to train her on her own. She will kick ass. She is strong, and has excellent form and balance and you can see that she is really into exercising. the daughter... she is the most unexcited person ever, for starters. She has the enthusiasm of a manatee. Not only that, she really is at a BEGINNER beginner level... way below her mother's level. So it's hard, at least for me, becaues I've never experienced this before, to figure out how to work out two people who are at different training levels.

I know there has to be a way.

**P-funk** · 01-11-2005, 07:18 PM

you make the mother do the more complx exercises while the daughter does something less difficult.

Examples:
The mother bench presses as the daughter rests. As she then rests the daughter does push ups.

The daugher lacks balance, coordination and is decondtioned. So she leg presses. The mother performs lunges or split squats (holding DB's in hand).

Pull downs are easy as are Db presses overhead. Just change the weight or give them differnet DB's.

Intergrating some cardio can also work for them. If you have to rowing machines next to eachother make them both do some intervals. 60sec rest. 20-30sec stprint. They will move at their own individual pace.

Need more cardio.....circut training can work too....a circut that you can do in one place is one way to get around the whole crowded gym thing......Leg press (the mother just does more reps than the daughter), push ups, bent over DB rows (two hand at a time to save time. Or if that is to complex something like a row with a resitance band can work well, DB curls (get two different weights)....or something like that. get creative.

Get them working together on things. Chest pass with a medecine ball back and forth to eachother. Or chest pass with a lunge.....the daughter is getting to tired??? You let her rest and fill in the last few reps for her.

hope that helps.

BritChick · 01-11-2005, 07:49 PM

Hey Ivonne, I've got the exact same situation lined up for Sunday, mother and daughter duo, the mother actually wanted me to train her with her hubby but I vetoed that... she's a real beginner beginner too and he's been training for years.
I think I have it mapped out what I will do with the pair of them, fortunately they are both at about the same level of ability.
How's the PT going? Got clients yet? I only hope that I can round up as many paying clients as I have been able to for my practicum, I'm turning people away it's great! lol

01-11-2005, 04:56 PM	#1
GoalGetter is still around... Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Arizona Posts: 6,096	Personal Training Question: Training Two People at Once BODYBUILDING SUPPLEMENTS High Quality Supplements For Bodybuilders and Athletes. www.ironmaglabs.com This was perhaps the most awkward hour of my day. It was an appointment that came out of nowhere, when another trainer (SpinQueen) couldn't take it, so she was lookin' out for me and gave it to me. It's a Hungarian mother/daughter duo. The mother is in fairly good shape, not as deconditioned as her daughter, and they insist they want to be trained together. Here's my dilemma. The gym is crowded, half the equipment is either taken, or otherwise unavailable, and some of the available equipment is too far away from the next available equipment to have them work out one on each and then switch and me be able to keep them both in the same general area. If we go one for one set, and the the other, ther eis too much down time and very little room for me to have the one waiting perform something other than say jumping jacks, running in place or something like that. I feel like there has to be a way, i just have no experience in planning something like this out. ANY help or suggestions on this would be great. I asked them what they thought after we were done, and they were both like, "yeah yeah, it was great! you did great! I know this is a little uncommon, but you did great!" But honestly, I didn't feel that I did. I felt like they could see on my face the sheer horror I was experiencing in my head, "OH FUCK WHAT THE HELL DO I DO WITH TWO PEOPLE AT DIFFERENT TRAINING LEVELS IN ONE HOUR IN THE SAME SPACE WITH LIMITED EQUIPMENT!" That's the other thing - the "deconditioned" situation. The mother could easily do more than just body weight exercises, and I would love to train her on her own. She will kick ass. She is strong, and has excellent form and balance and you can see that she is really into exercising. the daughter... she is the most unexcited person ever, for starters. She has the enthusiasm of a manatee. Not only that, she really is at a BEGINNER beginner level... way below her mother's level. So it's hard, at least for me, becaues I've never experienced this before, to figure out how to work out two people who are at different training levels. I know there has to be a way.

01-11-2005, 07:18 PM	#2
P-funk Patrick Super Moderator Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: AZ Posts: 30,280	you make the mother do the more complx exercises while the daughter does something less difficult. Examples: The mother bench presses as the daughter rests. As she then rests the daughter does push ups. The daugher lacks balance, coordination and is decondtioned. So she leg presses. The mother performs lunges or split squats (holding DB's in hand). Pull downs are easy as are Db presses overhead. Just change the weight or give them differnet DB's. Intergrating some cardio can also work for them. If you have to rowing machines next to eachother make them both do some intervals. 60sec rest. 20-30sec stprint. They will move at their own individual pace. Need more cardio.....circut training can work too....a circut that you can do in one place is one way to get around the whole crowded gym thing......Leg press (the mother just does more reps than the daughter), push ups, bent over DB rows (two hand at a time to save time. Or if that is to complex something like a row with a resitance band can work well, DB curls (get two different weights)....or something like that. get creative. Get them working together on things. Chest pass with a medecine ball back and forth to eachother. Or chest pass with a lunge.....the daughter is getting to tired??? You let her rest and fill in the last few reps for her. hope that helps.
	http://pwtraining.blogspot.com/.....come and see what is on my mind! http://ivonneberkowitz.blogspot.com/....check out Ivonne's new blog! Optimum Sports Performance "In the beginners mind there are many possibilities, in the experts there are few." -Buddha's Little Instruction Book

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01-11-2005, 07:49 PM	#3
BritChick Senior Member Elite Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: BC Canada Posts: 5,454 Photos: 7	Hey Ivonne, I've got the exact same situation lined up for Sunday, mother and daughter duo, the mother actually wanted me to train her with her hubby but I vetoed that... she's a real beginner beginner too and he's been training for years. I think I have it mapped out what I will do with the pair of them, fortunately they are both at about the same level of ability. How's the PT going? Got clients yet? I only hope that I can round up as many paying clients as I have been able to for my practicum, I'm turning people away it's great! lol