Why should we offer a Drills class at our gym, and why should I teach one? Drills can help eliminate the feminine stygma group exercise has carried for a long time, allowing us to incorporate populations we have not been able to reach. Even more, Drills class is simple and effective.
De-stigmatizing the group exercise room - Ask a member who is not a regular participant why they don't try group fitness and you will get one of two responses - 'too hard' or 'too girly.' Group fitness has developed a stigma over the years that the classes are dancy and feminine. Those members who have wandered in and not come back have most likely had a bad experience in a class that was too complicated or difficult. They probably left feeling silly, humiliated, or unsuccessful, and they won't be back.
Drills class requires NO COORDINATION! Isn't that great? There is zero choreography and your participants don't even have to stay on the beat to keep up. Everything you need to know you to be successful in Drills class you learned in kindergarten. Run, march, jump, jog, bend, stretch and push up. This class is perfect for getting more men and other types of new participants to try taking a class. Further, if you are looking for more men on your instructor team, this is the type of class that just may convince some male members to give that microphone a whirl.
Drills moves are familiar to anyone who has participated in gym class. We are talking about jumping, running, squating, and pushing up. No steps or other props have to be used to participate in this class. Participants and members looking in from the outside see moves that they have done before, and suddenly the group exercise room looks as familiar as the high school gym.
A Challenge for ALL Fitness Levels - Beginners will be challenged by the amount of activity done in class. They will make it through because there are plently of breaks built in to the format.
Since the format is all about challenging cardio vascular capacity, and the music queues the start and finish of each high intensity drill, the intermediate and advanced levels get a challenge every time a drill starts. They never hit a plataeu because they are always being asked to run faster, jump higher, or use more power.
Drills class is great for all fitness levels. Beginners do not need any coordination or knowledge of terminology. Advanced students can work as hard as they want. This allows an instructor to integrate beginners while challenging the advanced and even super advanced. The result is more satisfied members creating "buzz" around the gym about this class, and down the road, larger numbers of participants.
Fast Results for Motivation - Have you ever heard that the best way to get out of debt is to pay off your smallest credit card balances first, then move on to the second smallest, etc? You may have asked "Why not pay off the highest interest rates first?" The reason is motivation. When a person who is bogged down in debt pays off one credit card, they feel the burden of that one account lifted. It is motivating and helps give them momentum to move on to the next. The same principle holds true with exercise.
The types of activities used in DRILLs class are simple, and improvement can be seen quickly. A participant notices within a few classes that they are making it through class with less urge to give up, then they notice that they are running quicker. And they gain motivation. This doesn't hold as true with a traditional step class because there are more barriers - the participant is asked to improve their fitness level while learning all of the terminology involved. Plus the improvement in DRILLs is measurable. They know that they made it through more of the 'basketball' song this time than they did last time. Or they can see that their lateral jump has improved. Fast results will motivate them to continue.
Drills can be the bridge for wieght room users to participation in group exercise. Start by picking a Drills routine from the choreography section. Slide it in to one of your regular cardio classes. Make sure that you tell them what you are doing and why. Introduce the Drills song by telling the class 'we are going to do something different - we are going to do a Drill that will take your heart rate WAY up for less than a minute.' Tell them about the benefits of working above 85% is short spurts. Let them feel the burn. This will get people talking. Then use the momentum that 'buzz' will create.
Then - have group room party to introduce your first class entirely comprised of Drills (see the outline and choreography attached). Promote the class on the schedule. Talk it up for weeks. Decorate, get a team together to teach the first couple of classes, wear themed t-shirts. Have fun with it!
Written by: Kelly Coulter
