Archive for March 2018
Get “Thirty” with gymGO: Why a 30-minute Workout is All You Need
gymGO is a LIVE and online, interactive platform that allows you to choose from 100’s of certified personal trainers and fitness professionals, who will help you meet your fitness goals. Don’t know where to start? No need to worry; gymGO’s online fitness assessment will find the perfect trainer and types of workouts for you. The best thing about gymGO is that you can do it anywhere, anytime—it’s training on your terms.
Read MoreEmpowered Entrepreneur Podcast: IDEA Personal Trainer Institute East Roundup
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Read MoreFit Pros Face Body Image Pressures From Both Directions
How do personal trainers and fitness instructors fare in the face of body insecurities? A lot of us put pressure on ourselves—and each other—to look a certain way. Individually, fitness pros vary widely in where they fall on the body image spectrum, which extends from abject dissatisfaction to healthy self-perception. But even if our own perspective falls within the “contented range,” we must recognize that, as an industry, we have a problem. There’s tacit, and sometimes blatant, body shaming.
Read MoreMarketing Promotes Unrealistic Body Expectations for Fit Pros
Fitness professionals often bemoan how clients can be too appearance-oriented in their fitness pursuits, harboring negative body image and/or unrealistic expectations around shaping the “perfect” physique.
What about us?
Social Media Contributes to Body Image Pressure
Body image issues in the fitness industry are nothing new. But the need for a more positive philosophy and more diverse perceptions of beauty is especially relevant right now. With rising competition from fitness technologies, social media stars who plug fitness, TV trainers and an increasingly crowded marketplace within our own communities, a nice body can (and should) only get you so far in this industry. We need to emphasize qualifications more than we already do.
Read MoreSigns the Fitness Industry Has a Body Image Problem
Expectations about body image in the fitness industry crop up in different ways for different people. Some fitness pros ruminate about body image quite often (every day or even every hour), perhaps taking extreme measures to alleviate concerns. Others never really give it that
much thought.
It’s Spring: Train Clients Outdoors for Extra Benefit
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Read MoreSample Class: Functional Total-Body Blast
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Read MoreKeeping Your Brain Fit: A Practical Guide
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Read MoreArtificial Intelligence and the Fitness Industry: A Primer
Artificial Intelligence (AI) isn’t just a subplot in your favorite science fiction show! For years, AI has been hyped as a movement that would change the world, but the past 5 years have ushered in a revolution. In short, AI is the creation of “intelligent machines” that mimic humans (think speech recognition, learning, problem solving, etc.). Computers can see, hear and speak to us in a very human way. Products like Siri, Amazon Alexa and Google Home have almost seamlessly entered our lives and homes.
Read MoreHow to Compete Against Discount Clubs
You’ve worked long and hard to get your fitness facility off the ground, and while you’re doing okay in your community, you’ve noticed some of your membership base trickling away. Upon further investigation, you realize that while you’ve had your nose to the grindstone, managing your facility and planning for growth, a discount club has opened up not far from you. Not only that, but a handful of specialty boutique studios have carved out some market share. Where do you fit in, and what can you do to keep your place?
Read More7 Keys to Creating an Unforgettable Onboarding Experience
Do you want to strategically and consistently educate and motivate your new clients so they feel like they’re getting incredible results—and so you’re getting a steady flow of referrals and earning positive social proof? Are you ready to not just deliver but over-deliver? If your answer is yes, then one of your most important next moves is to create a step-by-step onboarding process.
Read MoreSelfies, Weight Loss and Virtual Support
Social media and selfie photos can play a positive role in helping people achieve weightloss goals, according to a study published in the Journal of Interactive Marketing in 2017.
Read MoreLearn, Connect and Thrive at the IDEA® World Convention
Education is the foundation of the IDEA World Convention, but this fitness event offers plenty more than stellar instruction. For Jonathan Bernath, publicist-turned-personal-trainer, it’s where he discovered the “fitness family” that would guide him in his new career.
Read MoreMay I Have This Dance?
client: Bert | personal trainer: Ann Heizer | location: Oceanside, California
Doctor’s orders. “Thanks for coming into my life and helping me deal with Parkinson’s disease,” says Bert, warmly sharing his respect for his trainer, Ann Heizer. “Working out with you has helped me stay positive and flexible.”
Read MoreLearning About Lymph
Any routine visit to the physician includes the familiar cold-hands-under-the-earlobes lymph node check. But how often do you think about what the doctor is checking for or how important the lymphatic system is? And have you told your clients that physical activity plays a key role in supporting this crucial system?
Read MoreA Handy Way to Count Calories
If you want to lose weight, you know that calories matter. But in most cases, meticulously counting calories is not the solution. That approach is often tedious, inexact and unsustainable—and when eating becomes too complicated, people are more likely to give up and fall back on old habits.
So what can you do? The key is to find ways to eat quality foods in appropriate amounts.
Primed to Squat
Why is it that so few people can squat correctly, yet my 8-year-old son squats perfectly? I’ve never taught him how to squat; he innately learned how, just as he learned to roll over, crawl, pull himself up and eventually walk. He simply needed the freedom to allow his body to move. Movement before strength is key.
Read MoreSample Class: Strength by Numbers
Do you love planning your strength training classes but need to find new ways to keep things interesting? If so, this is your class! Offer a challenge boost by adjusting your sequencing and repetitions. This approach helps students stay engaged and in the moment while getting more done in less time. As a bonus, you learn a variety of drills to apply to all your classes.
Strength by Numbers Details
Goal/emphasis: muscular strength and endurance
Total time: 40 minutes
Ace That Audition!
Are you dealing with the shame of a failed audition? Don’t wallow in embarrassment—use the sage advice of the best teachers around to try, try again!
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