Leaders, instructors, socialites, coaches

Success in the fitness industry comes down to one concept, one skill: your ability to build relationships.

Want more clients? Build more organic relationships with people you meet, and build trust with individuals who find you online.

Want more client compliance and success? Build deeper, trusting relationships with your existing clients. Get to know them, side with them on moving them towards their goals.

When you’re working 1:1 with clients, this is somewhat straight-forward (but not entirely). However, once you’re working with a group of clients at the same time – we often call this a “class” – you’ve got to do beyond simply “building relationships.”


As a coach-turned-business-owner, who’s watching the growth of a few mentees, I’ve come to see a need to consider a handful of modes for running effective group classes: leader, instructor, and socialite. To be exceptional at running a group training experience, you’ve got to be able to quickly switch between these modes.

The leader runs the class, telling athletes what to do, manages the big-picture clock (ensuring classes start and end on time, and complete all programmed work). The leader manages transitions between training blocks, and communicates clearly and with purpose to the entire class. The leader creates a sense of urgency, and talks in declarative statements. The leader’s interaction is with the entire class, not with individual athletes.

The instructor supports athletes in being successful with the work programmed in the training session. The instructor provides whole group, small group, and individual coaching and cuing on exercises, and corrects students when they make safety errors. The instructor motivates students during training blocks, and guides students to go heavier/lighter and/or harder/easier. The instructor engages: the whole group for movement demos and teaching; small groups of students to improve technique; individual students for specific skill work. The instructor supports students in making modifications to training blocks, as necessary.

The socialite engages with individual students to build relationships. The socialite welcomes every student on arrival, and thanks every student at the end of the workout. The socialite checks in with individual students, and engages as the instructor if modifications to a training block are necessary. The socialite’s role is mostly limited to the beginning and end of class. While the leader and instructor engage students entirely related to the work at hand during the training session, the socialite may give students an opportunity to bring concerns from outside of the gym into the space.

Imagine a 60 minute class with the following training blocks: Prep, Strength, Work Capacity (Intervals), and Ab Isolation (Grind), the flow among these three modes could look like this:

Minutes 0-2: Socialite (welcome students, check in with individuals, talk about music)

Minutes 2-10: Leader (“Let’s get started with Prep”) and then Instructor (lead the flow and crawling; instruct and correct on swings and squats)

Minutes 10-12: Leader (“Now we’re starting strength. We’re doing presses and pull-ups for 15 minutes”)

Minutes 12-27: Instructor (Providing individual coaching and cuing to students. “Check your wrist position.” “Go heavier.” “Brace harder.”)

Minutes 27-30: Leader (“We’re starting our intervals. We have 20 sets of 30 seconds on and 30 seconds off. We’re doing snatches and down-and-ups.”)

Minutes 30-50: Leader (“3-2-1-GO!”), then Instructor (“Keep your bell close on snatches!” “Only 2 minutes left!” “Michael, post your hand under you for down-and-ups.”)

Minutes 50-55: Leader (“We’re doing plank and hollow hold cycles, 45 on and 15 off. 3-2-1-Go.”), then Instructor (“Tuck your tailbone under.” “Check your obliques.” “Press the ground away.”)

Minutes 55-60: Leader (“Let’s get all equipment put away.”), then Instructor (“Great work today. Let me know if you need anything.”), and then Socialiate (“Thank you, Michael, have a terrific Monday.”)

In 60 minutes, there’s a constant switching between these three modes, and that’s intentional: each serves a purpose in creating an outstanding experience for our students.

I’ve also seen problems arise when the people running group classes cannot transition quickly between these three. Some people are always the socialite: making friends, asking how you’re doing. Some are always the instructor, cuing movement or motivating. And some are always the leader, most comfortable running the clock and giving instructions. All three are important, so you have to be able to use the right one at the right time.


Notably, I’ve left the term “coach” out of this system. Originally, the “instructor” label was named “coach,” but that didn’t quite work. In our system, the term “coach” is the highest of honors. It represents a host of skills and capacities:

  • The ability to transition smoothly and appropriately between the Leader, Instructor, and Socialite roes.
  • The desire and ability to build high-quality, long-term relationships with students in order to guide their progress during training sessions.
  • The ability to strategically design individual training programs to move athletes towards their goals.
  • The desire and ability to learn new movement systems, training methodologies, and anatomical considerations to continually evolve programming and exercise selection.
  • The desire and ability to independently, and with external feedback and guidance, evolve and improve strategies for working as the Leader, Instructor, and Socialite within training situations.

The title of “coach” is a role that is earned, every day. Getting smarter, reflecting on practice, incorporating new ideas, responding to critical feedback, and creating the best possible experience for athletes while moving them towards their goals. That is what a coach does.

You can buy a patch or a shirt that calls you a coach, but your athletes know that you’ve got to earn the title.

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn