How many of you have NON-RUNNERS in your group? what do you do to modify?
I’m starting a new BC & am curious if this becomes too much of an obstacle/ or too limiting in program design? especially since their are a lot of sprinting type drills/exercises.. and workouts where you want to travel large areas.. If you do have NON- RUNNERS, what types of things do you do to accommodate them?
It’s never been a problem for me, but my BC is indoors so there’s not a huge running component because we don’t have too much space. We walk, jog, or run around the periphery of the group-ex room, and I have runners on the outer edge and walkers more to the inside so everyone can go their own pace.
I also tend to do things in circuit “for time” so that someone who is slower in either running or shuffling doesn’t feel like they are slowing anyone else down. They just do their thing, at their pace.
One of my specialties is that I teach multi-level participants. As such, everything I do has to have options. For the ultra-advanced who want a more competitive than self-driven workout, there are several other instructors on our staff to choose from.
If you have, say, a 100-yard run as part of your circuit, maybe set up two sets of cones. One at 50 yards (50 down, 50 back), and one at 20-25 yards, so the walkers still have a target to aim for, but it’s a more reasonable target and they won’t spend too much time on that station as they would if they had to walk the entire distance.
I have instructed multiple large bootcamp classes where running long distances was part of the program. The most simple way to answer your question is that you need to design a program that is progressive and designed to target the overall physical condition of your participants. If you are planning to include long runs in your program and you have non-runners in your class, then you will need to approach it as if your participants are beginners runners and come up with a plan that will help them increase their running conditioning. Otherwise you will lose them as clients for this particular class. Every drill, exercise and routine needs to be designed towards that goal. Without knowing the dynamic of your group, is difficult to give you a more specific answer. Make sure you know your participants strengths and weaknesses as best as you can because once the classes begin you will have very little time to think.
I design my bootcamps to accommodate ALL levels of fitness.
I run by bootcamps in 6 week cycles/1 week off
Each time we start up we go back to basic bootcamp drills. New people learn them, returning boot campers perfect them. It’s a win win
If a person can’t or won’t run, they walk
I suggest re thinking your plan of “sprinting” and start all motions at the basic level. Work from the lowest to highest
Also, it would be beneficial to you to complete your fitness connect page.
Are you certified with a Nationally Accredited Organization? It’s not mandatory but it is important!
Some advice directed more at the specifics of your question.
Not everyone wants or should run. And not everyone has the proper motor skills and/or neuromuscular integration to run safely. While you can work on progressing some clients to be add running, I don’t make it a goal or push it on any client. Running can be great exercise or it can be the last straw for an arthritic knee or ACL, etc. (I always get arguements from the run community, but I see the people that dropped out because it was not a good thing for them in my work. The run coach just thinks they didn’t come back because they weren’t tough enough.)
Your course layout is the easiest way to help accomodate novice and non-runners. One way is to have the run elements go out to a point and come back to the “in place” exercise area. You can use cones with colored tape or a colored ball on top designating distances for different participants. The participants can choose the distance they feel up to, along with your guidance.
There are many other modifications if the out/back course doesn’t work. If you want more advice, contact me through my profile or my website www.hawaiifitnessacademy.com