It seems like lately I can't help but notice that workout spaces have been popping up with the name CrossFit displayed in bold letters across the front of the building. Gyms that offer this new workout system have been spreading like wildfire. Because it's such a mixed and intense way of working out, CrossFit licensees, or affiliates as the brand calls them, need to be expert at fitness, personal training and injury prevention. It appears to present a huge opportunity for trainers to become owners. However, the question remains: Is it a true fitness trend or is it a fad [...]
Read more...
A while back I wrote an article about the ten reasons new gyms fail. It was well received by the readers of Gym Insight and the discussion was very gratifying for me. But as a believer in fitness and getting results in a positive way I feel compelled to balance it out with an article about the positive side of gym startups and success. I admit that there is likely plenty of overlap between this and the previous article. These things are worth saying over and over again and doing more reps never hurt anybody. Arm Yourself With The Most [...]
Read more...
The concept of experience marketing is generating a lot of buzz among business consultants and academic thinkers right now. It encapsulates the emotional and subjective associations that come with using a product or taking part in a service. It is how your members feel about how they get along at your gym. It is all of the subjective associations and emotions they have relating to everything from the hygiene levels to the staff's attitude and the results members get from their workouts. A State Of (The Customer's) Mind As long as members are happy enough to keep coming back, whether [...]
Read more...
The fitness trainers that I've worked with over the years have been a very diverse range of people. They share a love of fitness and the drive to help others achieve it. Of course, I'm speaking in very broad generalizations here, but there is another thing that all too many certified fitness professionals have. I'm talking about student loans. It could sometimes be that they followed their dreams and went all out on a bachelors degree relating to fitness, followed by fitness certification. Alternatively, perhaps they majored in something like real estate management, only to find out that they didn't [...]
Read more...
Measuring Stimulation There was a lot of information that I left out of the Moscow Subway article because it was getting too long. For example, there was an interesting article on The Daily Beast Blog about how short bursts of vigorous exercise has a more stimulating effect than a cup of coffee. An intense burst of exercise such as dropping for pushups for thirty seconds has been shown to be more effective at generating the kind of focus and mental stamina of which coffee drinkers can only dream. That's all according to the study cited in the Daily Beast article. [...]
Read more...
When you're aiming for success in the fitness industry, there are a number of factors to consider during the start-up period. That's why it's always a good idea to have a checklist in place for everything to ensure smooth business operations. A detailed checklist helps you keep the gym organized without unnecessary effort and also improves your chances of establishing a name in the industry. Let's find out why each of the following checklists play a role in the growth of your fitness business: Supplies By having a supplies checklist for your gym, you can see to it that every [...]
Read more...
As an owner or operator of a fitness center you're probably going to find in the near future that your clientele will include more members of special populations. By this I mean groups such as seniors and people with fitness and diet related health issues. These are growing segments of the population and there is a market to be found by catering to their needs. Start With Special Population Certified Trainers The reason special populations are distinct categories; separate from your average gym member is that they start from such a delicate level of health. They need to work with [...]
Read more...
As a business owner, you depend highly on reviews. Yelp is one of the top searched directory and review sites with more than 100 million unique visits since January 2013*. However, Yelp has been criticized for failing to show and tell all reviews posted to their site about your business. You could have more reviews than you are aware of, because reviews could be caught in a filter... Anthony, from Lifestyle Fitness 24/7 in Las Vegas, gives some tips and promotional strategies on how to get the most from your Yelp reviews! * (^ Wilhelm, Alex (2013-02-13). "Yelp surged past [...]
Read more...
Although this article is a little more dry and technical than the previous ones, it gives a little bit more background as to why Insight into your fitness business, is so important to compete in this day and age. I hope you enjoy the guest post by Jhilmil P. A little bit of history: It appears as though the gym management system was first coined in the 1980's by chief executive officer Mark Mastrov of 24- Hour Fitness. Mastrov's movement incorporated a gym software system with payment processing into a 24 hour member accessable gym. (Success, 2012). Thereafter, gym management [...]
Read more...
