How to Achieve Greatness

About 6 years ago, San Diego–based personal trainer Kevin Root opted not to attend the IDEA World Convention. As a newly certified professional, he felt the event could overwhelm him with information. It’s a choice he regrets.

“Looking back, I robbed myself of valuable hands-on experience and knowledge,” he admits.

Root, who splits his time between boutique studio Bird Rock Fit and a big-box gym, the La Jolla Sports Club, eventually decided that IDEA World was a necessary investment to progress his career. He attended for the first time in 2015.

“You’re going to find something fun that fulfills your curiosity needs, but more importantly, you’ll walk away with valuable information and connections that solidify your choices or possibly lead you in a new, exciting direction,” he says.

Invest in Education and Watch Your Career Grow

In an ever-evolving industry, staying relevant is achieved only through consistent learning. IDEA World provides more than 330 cutting-edge workshops, lectures and workouts on everything you need to stay on the front lines and secure lasting success—regardless of your path or where you are on it.

Here’s a small sample of what you’ll learn this year.

Learn the Latest in Brain Science

Brain health is a huge concern, and fit pros need to be better educated on it, says Ryan Glatt, brain health coach at the Brain Health Center in the Pacific Neuroscience Institute.

He explains, “The trend of brain training is a reflection of the times; individuals are fearful of losing their brain health, and the prevalence of neurodegenerative and mental health issues is exponentially increasing.”

Glatt, who will co-present a preconference workshop on brain health, believes that fitness professionals are in a prime position to alleviate people’s fears and provide research-supported strategies to ward off cognitive decline.

“Fitness professionals have the most powerful weapon for fighting cognitive decline (according to research) in their toolbox: exercise,” Glatt says. “If our industry is going to make an impact, fitness professionals need to know how to program for brain health–specific outcomes and how to potentially enhance those outcomes by adding cognitive demands to their interventions (i.e., ‘brain training’).”

Create Programs for People in Pain

“Whether we like it or not, pain is part of the human experience,” says Kelly Starrett, DPT, co-founder of The Ready State™. “For decades we’ve told fitness professionals that their scope of practice didn’t cover pain, that pain was a medical problem. This line of thinking is a fallacy.”

Starrett’s session, “Training the Injured Client,” will address this issue and provide attendees with plans to keep injured clients moving safely and effectively toward their goals.

“Let’s set up some best practices here and recognize that if a trainer is spending 3–5 hours a week with someone, there is actually no one better-equipped to help that person solve or improve their musculoskeletal-based pain.”

Empower Female Clients

Body image can significantly influence a client’s perspective on food and exercise. Molly Galbraith, co-founder of Girls Gone Strong, wants to help fitness professionals discover strategies that can boost body image in female clients.

She stresses that “65%—75% of people who hire a coach or trainer are women, and 80%–81% of women in Canada and the U.S. report being dissatisfied with their body image.” Galbraith adds, “That means if you’re a trainer, there’s a good chance you work with women who struggle with body image.”

In the session “A Woman’s Worth: How to Help Your Female Clients Improve Their Body Image,” she will discuss how body image affects women in and out of the gym; help pros understand and connect better with female clients; and suggest ways to assist women in overcoming fears and myths perpetuated by the media.

“These are tough topics for coaches to tackle, but if you have the right tools, you can turn them into opportunities to grow as a coach and deepen your relationship with your clients,” she says.

Build Better Stories on Social Media

According to research company Statista, 500 million people use Instagram Stories on a daily basis. With that many eyeballs absorbing content, utilizing the platform seems like a no-brainer for fit pros.

Social media consultant Amanda Vogel, MA, says, “As the name implies, stories are a good way to create engaging narratives that draw people into your content, perhaps . . . for the first time. Stories can provide a snapshot into your philosophy on fitness, what you offer as a fitness pro and how you (and/or your clients) exercise. Plus, they are super-interactive, which helps create the kinds of connections that are so important for inspiring others to fitness.”

Vogel will lead two sessions on the topic. “Instagram Stories Bootcamp” will get you up to speed on best practices to ensure that you’re sending the right messages. “Instagram for Group Fitness—the Live Experience” will address ways to create buzz around your group fitness classes and to drive participation. This session will have two parts. In the first, you’ll dive into the technical aspects of the app. The second will be an interactive workshop with top social media fitness pros demonstrating how they create attractive content and how you can do the same.

Take a Thorough Look at Foundational Movement Anatomy

Having an-indepth understanding of anatomy is crucial for every fitness professional who wants to develop effective programs. Pete Holman, MSPT, will lead an 8-hour postconference session, “Foundational Movement Anatomy and Kinesiology Modeling,” in which he’ll go deep on anatomy and how it applies to human movement.

“This workshop was designed to help personal trainers and other healthcare professionals coach, cue and assess human movement,” says Holman. “By identifying the anatomy and biomechanics of each foundational movement, participants will gain a deep understanding of how the body works, what can go wrong during movement and how to fix it!”

Holman’s session will feature state-of-the-art 3D animation for those looking to gain a new perspective on anatomy and kinesiology.

Unique Opportunities and Events

IDEA World Club & Studio Summit

The popular 4-day IDEA Club & Studio is back with fresh education and industry leaders who will share everything they know about how to run a thriving club or studio.

“This is the event of all events for boutique studio owners!” says presenter Billy Polson, co-owner of DIAKADI fitness studio in San Francisco. “Of all of the conferences that I have worked with, the IDEA Club & Studio Summit offers the most experienced variety of fitness business experts and exceptional opportunities for attendees to connect and network with their fitness entrepreneurial peers from around the world.”

You’ll walk away with proven plans for

• creating raving fans,
• building a loyal team,
• developing community partnerships,
• attracting clients,
• becoming a stronger leader,
• and more!

Nutrition and Behavior Change

Over the past decade, it’s become clear that finding ways to help clients make smart nutrition choices and adopt healthy behaviors is necessary for improving people’s quality of life. Ignoring these areas could have dire consequences, says Michael Greger, MD, IDEA presenter and New York Times best-selling author.

“According to the Global Burden of Disease Study (the largest study of risk factors in history, funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation), the #1 cause of death in the United States is the American diet,” he explains.

Greger will address this in “How Not to Diet: Evidence-Based Weight Loss,” one of the sessions in this year’s IDEA World Nutrition & Behavior Change Summit.

This specialty track will also include workshops and lectures on plant-based eating, neuroscience of behavior change, overcoming weight bias, the latest in nutrition research and more.

Success Academy

Entrepreneurs looking to escape the time-for-money business model often look to online training as a way to break financial ceilings and reach more people, says Vito La Fata, co-founder of The Visionary Planner^®.

“The current model of only making money when you work is broken for the fitness expert who wants to create more income and impact and live with more freedom in a precious short life,” he explains. “Online training is the one of the most available growth opportunities to expand the number of people you serve and scale your expertise.”

You can learn all about it during the 1-day Success Academy, a series of sessions focused on creating a lucrative online business. The Saturday event features La Fata and a lineup of experts with first-hand experience in making it big on the internet.

“We’ve been there, found a way to hit the next level of life and are reaching back to share that so more in our industry can elevate faster!” says La Fata. “We are going to tell it like it is and help you focus so can stop talking about getting online and finally start doing it!”

For more information, see www.ideafit.com/world.

Event at a Glance

When: Wednesday, July 8, to Sunday, July 12, 2020

Where: Anaheim Convention Center

Preconference sessions: Wednesday, July 8

Postconference sessions: Sunday, July 12

Accommodations: Hilton Anaheim, 777 West Convention Center Way, Anaheim, California. Reservations and hotel information: 714-750-4321. Be sure to reference “IDEA World Fitness 2020” when calling. Special IDEA room rate: single/double $207, $20 each additional person, plus applicable state and local taxes.

Marriott Anaheim, 700 West Convention Center Way, Anaheim, California. Reservations and hotel information: 714-750-8000. Be sure to reference “IDEA World Fitness 2020” when calling. Special IDEA room rate: single/double occupancy $199, $20 each additional person, plus applicable state and local taxes.

Reservations received after June 15, 2020 will be accepted, based on availability, at each hotel’s prevailing published rate.

Early-bird pricing deadline: May 29, 2020
Registration discounts: Become an IDEA member and save on your convention and pre- and postconference session registration!

Register Early for Big Savings

Early-bird pricing for the full convention or the IDEA World Club & Studio Summit is $399 for members, $489 for nonmembers. Early-bird pricing for the 1-day package is $219 for members, $259 for nonmembers. Early-bird pricing expires May 29, 2020.

Budget Wisely With a Payment Plan

Take the stress out of paying all at once and split your payment into installments. With the budget-friendly payment plan, you’ll also be able to select your sessions instantly. For more information, visit www.ideafit.com/world.

2 Ways to Register

1. Go online to select your sessions and register today at www.ideafit.com/world.
2. Call 800-999-4332, ext. 7. Outside the U.S. and Canada: 858-535-8979, ext. 7.

Thank You to Our Sponsors!

Official IDEA World Personal Trainer & Coach Software Sponsor:
Lifestyle Nutrition Partner:

Showcase Area Sponsor: