Small Group Personal Training FAQ's
Why are there only 3 strength training sessions per week, instead of 4-6 training sessions per week?
One can achieve great results in 3-6 months of strength training 3 times per week with a day of rest in-between workouts. With the way that the Stronghold training sessions are structured, each muscle group is stimulated twice over 7-9 days.
An 8-week published study with 7 women and 12 men, it showed that HFT (High-frequency training) vs. LFT (low-frequency training) resulted in very little differences in strength & muscle mass gained.
You can read the full article, here:
It takes between 48-72 hours for muscles to repair, strengthen and grow from 1 heavy strength training workout. Recovery time can vary depending on how advanced you may be at strength training. At the end of this recovery time, the body comes back stronger overall than in the previous workout. This allows a window of opportunity to train the muscles again to begin the breakdown phase of muscle. The phase where the body is stronger is called the “super-compensation phase”. The window of opportunity to stimulate muscles in training to repair, strengthen and grow again, provided that the exercises chosen are periodically heavier or slightly more difficult in resistance than the previous session. This is the fundamental rule in strength training; try to get stronger each session either by more reps or more weight & you’ll get results in time (3-6 months). Strength coaches call this the “wave progression scheme”. Here’s a diagram to get a better understanding:
The super-compensation phase typically lasts for about 1-3 days until the body comes back to strength baseline. For the best results, it is ideal to train again when the curve is working upward creating an upward linear progression curve over time.
How heavy you lift is a more important aspect of your training routine & the curve working upward to build stronger muscles than how many sets & reps you do.
Bodybuilders typically train 4-6 times per week as they include more exercises and more sets/reps per session. They also include isolated exercises such as curls, extensions, raises, fly’s and it’s various kinds to isolate the muscle groups for more stimulation. In bodybuilding, it’s all about symmetry, definition, separation, and muscular density and size. When competing, it is important to have larger fibers, the separation between muscle groups, definition & aesthetics to achieve success within that sport. The workouts would be split into multiple sessions per week to ensure all areas of the body are stimulated and focused on to a greater degree. We are NOT a bodybuilding gym.
If you’re not a bodybuilding gym, what do you advocate? I still expect to build some muscle & get stronger.
The exercises chosen are mainly compound movements (where more than one joint is moving in motion under resistance). Compound movements such as squats, presses, pull-ups, rows, hinges, loaded carries and all its various exercises are selected because it trains more than one muscle per exercise, greatly stimulates motor nervous system activation, and burns a higher amount of energy compared to isolated movements.
As you can see, it would lead to more overall fatigue and muscle breakdown performing big compound exercises which is why 3 strength training sessions in this fashion is more than enough stimulation to promote strength and muscle growth.
Training this way also improves motor unit skills & techniques in learning and adapting to movements that may also transfer to an active lifestyle or hobbies/sports outside of the gym. For example, getting stronger & better at performing split squats or step-up exercises may have a positive effect on the ability to hike or climb up and down stairs/steps.
Strength training certainly gets you stronger and stronger muscles are still bigger muscles. Except, you don’t have to spend 4-6 days per week training weights like a bodybuilder to get results. There’s enough evidence out there to back this up. You can get results with just 3 days per week and live a more balanced lifestyle where you’re playing a sport, engaging in a hobby, creating relationships, experiences and living a more balanced lifestyle.
What can I expect in a strength training session at the Stronghold?
If you arrive 5 minutes early to your session, we encourage you to perform some soft tissue release with the use of foam rollers and lacrosse balls. Think of it like a self-massaging opportunity. It helps you feel better when exercising and it may help prevent stiffness and discomfort during the session.
Then we perform a sequence of “dynamic warm-up” exercises which get the blood flowing, increasing body temperature, and allowing the muscles to contract and lengthen without load. This typically lasts for about 10 minutes.
After the warm-up is complete, we begin the strength-training portion of the session. The session is individually programmed to suit your goals, abilities, and intentions in training. There are 4 compound exercises in general with 2-3 “working” sets and reps to promote strength, muscle mass, and efficient caloric expenditure. For example, on Mondays, you would perform 1-2 pressing variations for the upper body (working the chest, shoulders and tricep muscles) and 1-2 pushing exercises for the lower body (in the form of a squat and/or split squat variations). The strength training duration is anywhere between 20-30 minutes.
The cool-down is toward the end of the workout which has a time duration of 5-10 minutes. You’ll be performing various static stretching exercises to lengthen the muscles that have been trained in the session. This reduces overall muscle soreness post-workout, lengthens the muscles again, and encourages the nervous system to come back to a calm baseline. This allows your body to enter the para-sympathetic phase of being so you can begin the recovery process post-workout immediately for better results.
How many people do you have training per session?
A maximum of 4 people will be training in one session. This ensures that everyone is getting the best coaching & service possible.
I’ve never lifted a single weight or done any strength training exercise before. How will I cope in a group class?
You don’t need to worry about that. We design a specific set of exercises and training programs to suit your training experience, age and injury history. The exercises chosen for you won’t be the same exercises prescribed for other members of the stronghold. That’s what makes the training experience at the Stronghold very unique. With over 10 years of training people, you won’t need to psyche yourself up and expect a gruelling workout. We’re going at your pace. However, expect to get a little uncomfortable with the intensity. Change doesn’t happen when you’re comfortable.
What if I can’t attend a Monday, Wednesday, Friday training split. Do you have appointment times available on any other days?
For the stronghold training method to work effectively, we keep the training schedule the same. This allows for a day of rest in-between workouts for recovery, adaptation, physiological changes, and lean muscle growth. If you can’t commit to a Monday, Wednesday, and Friday split then our services aren’t for you.
What are your payment methods for group training?
1. Direct debit service: $79 per week. It will be debited out of your chosen account every Wednesday.
2. $300 cash up front for the month. Payment is to be made strictly within the first week of every month. We offer this as an accountability method, to show that you’re committed for the whole month and ready to get after your training goals. You also save $16 per month as we eliminate the weekly debit transaction fee.
If I miss a session or two due to illness, do I get my money back?
Unfortunately no. We expect that if you’re serious about strength, health and fitness goals, that you will make the time for exercise. 3 sessions, 3 hours per week isn’t a far stretch.
Massage FAQ'S
Which massage treatment should I choose?
This depends on what you need to be treated. If you have a specific injury or pain, a remedial treatment will suit you best. If you’re just after an opportunity to destress/relax, a relaxation massage would be better suited. If you have a specific query or injury, feel free to contact us.
How long should my massage treatment be? 60 or 90 minutes?
This again depends on what areas of the body you wish to be treated. In a 60-minute treatment, the first 15 minutes are for a global assessment and observation. This includes specific muscular tests and postural assessments of the areas you wish to be treated. Then we allow 15 minutes for each area to be treated. Lower back = 15 minutes, Upper back = 15 minutes, Neck = 15 minutes.
In a 90-minute treatment, we can typically cover 5 parts of the body.
When should I rebook?
This is a different answer for everybody, and it depends on how well your body responded to the treatment. In general, it’s best to accumulate a few appointments closer together, so that your body effectively adapts to the treatment and doesn’t have as much time to build the tension & discomfort back up again. It has taken a while to build up your tension, so 1 treatment won’t be a permanent fix. During the first few treatments, we can assess how well your body responded to the treatments and devise an ongoing treatment plan from there.
Why did my “remedial massage” hurt?
Some pain is commonly associated with Remedial Massage treatments. The pain is caused as we place pressure on tight areas of muscles, known as Trigger Points, or “knots”. Put simply, nothing happens in our body without our brain telling it to do so. Our goal in treatments is to cause some pain, which allows the brain to identify that there is a problem in that region and it needs healing. Our brain responds to this new pain as It may have been ignoring your muscle pain because of tightness, tension, and soreness, not realizing how painful it was, and your bodily systems activate natural healing responses such as increased blood flow with hormones/nutrients/oxygen and everything muscles need to repair the area.
I’m feeling really sore after my remedial massage treatment. Is there something wrong?
1-2 days of soreness is a common side-effect of a Remedial Massage treatment. As explained above, we may have aggravated some sore areas which your brain was ignoring but is now very aware of. This soreness can be alleviated through drinking water, movement, heat, and stretching. If you are sore for 3 days or more, please let us know at your next treatment, as it may suggest that we went a little too hard for your body to handle and need to adjust the treatment. Once we learn your body, we can fine-tune how you receive treatment and this pain will occur less over time.
Is there any risks to cupping?
While there are risks to any type of treatment, the chances of something bad happening are very low, and these modalities are only offered by therapists who have done specific training for these tools.
Cupping usually leaves bruise-looking marks on the skin, which should not be painful to touch, and generally fade within 1 week.
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