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Programming

How to Deal With an Obsessed Member

“Linda,” a longtime member at your fitness facility, is a group exercise fanatic and has become a regular in your classes. Your friendship starts with a little chitchat. She loves your teaching style and engages you in small talk after class. As time goes on, your relationship grows. She shares stories about her family, brings in baked goods and is always nice enough to give you a small holiday gift.

New Versus Tried-and-True

Group fitness programmers face the same dilemma every new season: how to balance tried-and-true popular class formats with burgeoning trends to keep things fresh and dynamic. One goal is to retain current members as satisfied, repeat customers; the other goal is to attract new participants and build excitement. Both objectives are relevant to generating and sustaining business, and both demand equal attention. But other factors also come into play, such as available instructor talent; training/certification requirements; and potential investment in new equipment and license fees.

Seven Reasons People Join a Fitness Facility, Part Two

Fitness facility owners and managers often focus on what they offer instead of why they offer it. In the first part of this series about why people decide to join a fitness facility, we explored the roles that inspiration, motivation and doctor’s orders play. In this second part, we’ll discuss four more guideposts.

A Best HIIT Protocol?

High-intensity interval training seems all the rage these days, as both anecdotal information and scientific evidence support its claims to be an efficient and effective form of exercise. However, many experts are concerned that deconditioned clients may think the programming is too tough. Is there a way to facilitate HIIT sessions that doesn’t leave novice exercisers feeling overwhelmed?
A new study says yes.

Eight Key Elements in Quality Youth Development

If you want to coach youth to reach their sports training goals, consider these eight keys to quality youth development, created by educators at the University of Minnesota Extension:

HELP YOUTH FEEL PHYSICALLY AND EMOTIONALLY SAFE.
Trainer’s tip: Set boundaries and expectations with both the clients and their parents early on. Be a good role model and create a safe environment.

To Motivate or Terminate?

Your employees directly affect the success of your business. They work with your clients, sell your products and engage in frontline, day-to-day operations. Some employees are a pleasure to manage, and others—well, not so much. Working with an exemplary employee who is productive, independent, motivated and delightful is every manager’s dream. On the flip side, some employees are just bad hires and the decision to let them go is straightforward. Unfortunately, staff management isn’t that black and white.

Thinking of Opening a Studio?

Many fitness professionals dream of designing a studio that reflects their unique perspective and approach to health and fitness—a place where they can grow their business, their brand and their client base (and, of course, their paycheck!) on their own terms.

There’s a huge appeal to running your own space, especially if you’ve been working long enough to imagine how you might design a space specifically suited to your clients’ needs and your vision.

Building a Teaching Kitchen in a Studio

ave your clients ever asked:

“What should I cook for dinner?”

“How should I prepare it?”

“What if I have to cook a healthy

meal for my family?”

GROOMing Habits, Part Two

If you’ve ever struggled to fill open classes or you’ve ever wanted more qualified fitness pros on your staff, it’s time to get proactive and ensure that you have the team of your dreams. GROOMing Habits is designed to arm you with the tools to make it happen. In the first installment, we covered Groundwork and Recruitment. Now let’s explore the final components: Options, Opportunity, and Manage & Meet Expectations.

Lessons From the Trenches, Part Two: The Challenge of Leadership

Great leaders don’t just point the way; they also give clear directions. However, it’s not always a simple task to inspire and motivate even the most willing of followers. Once you’ve thrown your hat into the leadership ring, you’ll be faced with new challenges. In part two of this series, we’ll expand on finding the leader within, and we’ll explore the best ways to handle challenging situations.

Friendly Competition: We Can All Get Along

When Jack and Jenna Oliver opened Above the Bar, a CrossFit® facility in Fort Walton Beach, Florida, 2 years ago, they knew it wouldn’t be an overnight success. However, they didn’t expect the competition to be so fierce. First, they had to deal with a Planet Fitness grand opening (with $10 monthly memberships); then, another CrossFit facility set up shop just a few miles away. Despite the competition, their box was so successful that they moved to a larger location—only to find out that a 24 Hour Fitness® was opening up less than a mile away!

GROOMing Habits, Part One

Unless you’re extremely fortunate, quality instructors are not knocking down your door begging for work. Instead, you likely find yourself cycling through recently certified fitness pros who have little or no experience. They come, they go and you start over. The amount of time and attention you invest in staffing can take your eyes off the bigger picture, which is to help people get fit and healthy.

Martial Arts Become Fitness Industry Juggernaut

Have you ever considered adding a martial arts component to your current offerings? According to IBISWorld Industry Report OD4187 Martial Arts Studios in the US, now may be the time to do it.

Inspiring Your Part-Time Staff

One of the most challenging aspects of fitness management is inspiring part-time staff to remain focused and invested. Many part-time fitness jobs are mundane, and even the most motivated staff member can feel unappreciated after folding endless stacks of towels or repeating the facility rules time yet again.

The Anatomy of an Effective Outsourcing Plan

When you decided to become an independent exercise entrepreneur, you had a core focus and a vision of how you would help your clients. But overnight you also became the accountant, janitor, customer service department, blog writer, fitness manager and CEO—all rolled into one.

Group Fitness Must-Haves

Thirty years ago there was really just one option in group fitness: high-impact aerobics. Now, as IDEA Health & Fitness Association turns 30, there are many wonderful choices. It’s impossible…

Don’t Be That Manager: High-Pressure

Many personal trainers are promoted to manager or director solely on the basis of their success as a trainer and not necessarily because of their management skills. Now it’s your turn: You are the new personal training manager. You’re finding out how different being the manager is from working with clients on the floor.