Tricks of the Trade

At Method Fitness we find that boot camp classes are a great way to bring in clients who otherwise might be turned off by the expense of one-on-one personal training. In some cases, these same people decide that personal training is a worthy investment, and they become regular clients while still attending the boot camps for variety in their training programs.

Personal trainer and class instructor Kyle Hess teaches boot camp class at Method Fitness and also does one-on-one and small-group personal training. Typically, the class size is 6–10 participants who have goals ranging from fat loss to improving overall fitness and athletic performance. We also provide on-site classes at local corporations.

The class is an intense hour of cardiovascular and resistance training activities. Hess includes circuit training, agility drills and functional strength movements to give participants a well-rounded, purposeful workout. When the weather permits, he often takes the class outdoors for a change of scene. He finds that the right music keeps participants motivated, so he updates his playlists weekly.

Amahl Harik

Owner and Founder, Method Fitness

Providence, Rhode Island

At Glaze Fitness we offer small-group programs of many sorts. We bring boot camp workouts to local parks and businesses for large as well as small groups. Participants don’t have to be current clients to participate in any of our group programs.

We try to keep the price point between $15 and $20 per hour workout. We also offer an unlimited membership for our group training classes for $150 per month.

Why offer a boot camp program? The benefit to our training business is that we can provide our services to a group for a fraction of what each person would pay for personal training, and our business makes more revenue on fewer hours worked. This is a win-win situation for our customers as well as our business. The group programs create a family of people who have fun working out together and supporting one another to continue an active lifestyle. This support has created energy and relationships that have strengthened Glaze Fitness in a way that we had never imagined.

Jake Glaze

Owner and Founder, Glaze Fitness Inc.

El Cajon, California

I teach a kickboxing boot camp class in addition to training clients one-on-one. Participants work at their own intensity level while I coach them through timed intervals of kicking and punching drills (including self-defense, elbow strikes, palm strikes, blocking, etc.) on a freestanding heavy bag. I teach the program at a local gym during lunch hour and early evening. The class is free for members and $10 per class for nonmembers, and both attend the class regularly.

I currently hold a third-degree black belt in tae kwon do, so I’m confidently able to incorporate my martial-arts training not only into each kickboxing boot camp class but also into my personal training sessions. I train clients from my classes who want more one-on-one instruction so they can perfect their kicks, improve their cardio and/or advance to more complicated moves. Personal training clients who have a hard time getting in their weekly cardio training sometimes take my kickboxing boot camp, which challenges their cardiorespiratory system and complements their strength training workouts. Combining personal training with the boot camp classes offers them an excellent balanced workout routine.

Additionally, I offer a mat Pilates class that gives my kickboxing participants awesome core and hip strength, which in turn improves their kicks. It’s a nice little circle of health that all ties in together. I’m preparing to offer a self-defense workshop, and I’m finding that my personal training clients and boot camp participants are interested in attending. As I begin to build a relationship with clients, and they become more comfortable and confident with me and my training styles, they trust my abilities as a fitness professional to help them reach their goals. I feel fortunate that I am able to offer a well-rounded form of fitness to my clients and build my personal training business in a way that some trainers may not be able to do. I love what I do, and it has always been my pleasure to guide, encourage and assist my clients in reaching their fitness goals!

Mary Ellen Coffey

Fitness for You Personal Training

Tucson, Arizona

I teach boot camp classes with class sizes ranging from 5 to 20 participants. I currently teach boot camp for a bank in a high-end section of downtown Miami on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 5:30 pm. I teach this class to bank employees on the top level of their parking garage, which is an outdoor tennis court. I charge $10 per person, and the bank guarantees me at least $100 per class no matter the class size. The employees appreciate the convenience of the on-site classes rather than having to travel to a gym.

Some of my corporate participants have inquired about personal training. In some cases, our schedules did not coincide, but with others they fit perfectly. The boot camp program has been my first introduction to corporate training and has helped my business. Some participants suggested that I bring corporate training to other local businesses, and this could be a possibility in the near future.

In addition to the corporate boot camps, I also lead seasonal outdoor boot camps at a local park on Saturday mornings during the first and fourth quarters of the year. The cost is usually $15 per person per class, but less if someone buys a package of classes. These boot camps are open to my clients and the general public. Client referrals have brought new clients to both my personal training business and my boot camp classes.

While the bulk of my income comes from in-home training, boot camps have provided an additional profit center. Personal training clients also look forward to taking the boot camp classes with me.

John Goldsmith

President and CEO, On-Fire Fitness

Miramar, Florida n