Want to see a group of people visibly get better before your eyes? Have them run sprints together. Not just a couple of rounds of sprints but instead 6-10 rounds of 100 meter sprints. It’s suckage to say the least. It forces each person to work hard through the pain. It creates personal growth. Ages range from 28-54 and yes, they all ran together.
After you’ve finished the timing for them, have them do the timing for you. Little makes people feel better than to see the trainer suffer the same fate they have just endured.
Nothing makes them feel better than to realize what they’ve accomplished when they finish.
Struggling together creates an unspoken bond. You know as a trainer, deep down inside they are pushing each other to run just a tad faster than if they were running alone.
Lucky for me today, two additional people came up and ran with me. Humbling and motivating that I didn’t have to run by myself, instead I GOT TO run with them.
Healthy competition is great as long as you are grounded in improving yourself more than anything. I don’t believe that every workout has to be a competition. Some would say that makes me soft, I disagree. I believe that its me vs. me. Not me vs. you.
If I focus all of my efforts on beating someone else, the person I’m not watching is going to pass me.
You vs. you, always.
garagegym107 
Sprints, especially hill sprints. The single best movement you can do. Forget the psychical, actually doing the work bit. There is a mental toughness and character building quality to them … 🙂
Nice work…I remember the chalk on the road by the Lakehouse. Good times! =) Keep setting that example and changing lives, Michelle! =)