Archive for January 2011
Music Licensing Mayhem: How Will Fees Affect YOU?
July 2013; $10 per class in July 2014;
$12.50 per class in July 2015; and finally
$15 per class beginning in July 2016
(Fitness Australia 2010).
Until the outcome of an appeal filed by
Fitness Australia is known, these fees will be
collected and held in a “suspense” account,
to be paid to the PPCA or refunded to the
fitness facilities accordingly (Fitness
Australia 2010).
Recruiting From the Front Row
Recruiting group exercise instructors can be a challenge. It’s an ongoing assignment, not something you do only when you’re faced with a hole in the schedule. Be proactive and seek out talent on a regular basis. This allows you to build a stronger, more dedicated team. Start with the participants in your existing classes.
Read MoreDon’t Be That Manager: Micromanager
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.
Read MoreIDEA FitnessConnect: Bridge Services With Consumers
Wouldn’t it be nice to have an integrated system that helps you manage all the details of your job as a facility manager or program director? A dynamic platform that serves as a portfolio, staff management system, marketing tool and event registration software? IDEA FitnessConnect fills this bill, and since its launch at the IDEA World Fitness Convention™ last year, the online fitness directory has grown to include more than 130,000 fitness professionals and 25,000 facilities.
Read MoreOptimizing Amenities
Look around your facility. All fitness center operators want to keep pace with advances in our industry and, in doing so, operate a diverse facility that appeals to a broad demographic. Establish your facility as a unique place to work out by making available the newest amenities—specifically in the areas of equipment, flooring and the locker room.
Read MoreCommunication Conundrums: Instructor Issues
As we discovered in the previous installment of this column, group fitness managers (GFMs) are the communication hub connecting instructors, upper management, owners, members and others. This can leave you, as a GFM, overworked and misunderstood. It can also lead to major issues with instructors—issues that, if not addressed, can have a significant, negative effect on your program.
Read MoreGoogle Places and Other Online Business Directories
What if someone wants to find information about boot camps in your area? A quick keyword search for boot camps on Google Maps returns a list of businesses and personal trainers who specialize in that service, from baby boot camps to bridal ones.
Read MoreClient Adherence
One of the most telling signs of whether your business practice is a success is the critical area of client adherence—adherence to the program and loyalty to your business services.
Maintaining a business edge in any economic environment requires skills and practices that we examined in the two previous articles in this series: a good work schedule with effective scheduling policies and excellent recordkeeping.
This article covers the third part of that edge: client adherence.
Read MoreThe Top 5 Sales Secrets of Successful Trainers
“They said they were interested, so why didn’t they sign up with me?” “They keep saying no.” “I just want to help people. What am I doing wrong?”
As a sales trainer, I have spoken with many struggling sales rookies. Having just completed their umpteenth unsuccessful consultation of the day, they often voice their frustrations with more than a hint of dejection.
Key Strategy for Filling Classes
Are you using cross-promotion to market and promote your new fitness program options? If not, it may be time to start. An often-untapped method of giving more exposure to programs, cross-promotion relies on current resources and staff participation, requires virtually no capital investment and reaps instant rewards. Incorporate the following strategies and methods to market both personal training and group programming and grow your business through cross-promotion.
“Sell” to Staff First
Read MorePilates for Young Athletes
All athletes want to stay in the game, be injury free and enhance performance, and teens are no different. But the pressure to focus on one sport and to play it year-round results in using the same muscle groups day after day. Often there is little time to rest and recover, let alone to get stronger or work on injury prevention. One way to address these hurdles is to add Pilates to the training program.
Read MoreCorrective Exercises: Swayback Posture
Many fitness professionals confuse faulty lordotic posture with swayback posture. Swayback and lordosis appear similar, owing to the concave curve in the back area. However, upon closer look, it is apparent in the lordotic posture that the lumbar spine is concave, while in the swayback posture the low lumbar area is actually flattened. In the swayback posture the concave curve of the spine is much higher in the lower thoracic spine. A fuller understanding of swayback posture can help you retrain clients.
Read MoreSample Class: Strength & Cardio Circuits
A water workout is an excellent choice for high-intensity training. This circuit-based format uses a variety of options for a fast-paced workout. As always, consider your participants when planning intensity levels and modifications. This class is intended for a healthy, fit population seeking a high-intensity workout. The class is designed to last about an hour, but you can shorten it as you wish. Participants will need water mitts, paddles and water tethers.
Read MoreExperts Tout Top 5 Nutrition Websites
Scope of practice for fitness professionals, particularly on diet and nutrition issues, can be a sticky wicket. You may know a lot about diet and nutrition, but where do you draw the line on what you can and cannot share with clients? When should you refer? Two dietitians (Jenna A.
Read MoreHow to Live Longer
Is there a formula for longevity? Researchers are looking for clues in the “blue zones,” locations around the globe where people live measurably longer than in the rest of the world. Explorer and author Dan Buettner and teams of scientists identified some of these longevity pockets and traveled there to examine the lifestyle characteristics that may contribute.
Read MorePromote Yourself, Retain Clients
We’ve all seen it. A club’s group fitness schedule posted on the facility’s website with former instructors still listed. A personal trainer’s blog with last session’s boot camp dates advertised. Even when your efforts have successfully led people to your schedule or site, outdated class or event information may discourage any further inquiry into your programs.
Read MorePilates for Teens; Video Evaluation for Instructors
I thoroughly enjoyed Zoey Trap’s article “Pilates: Tools for Teen Athletes” in IDEA Fitness Journal [Inner IDEA, November–December 2010]. I’ve always been an advocate of using the principles of Pilates not only literally, but figuratively, as metaphors for life. I applaud her for commencing with the teen market.
Read MoreSample Class: More for the Core
Strength is important, but functional strength is essential—and for this, variety is key. “More for the Core” takes participants through a flowing mix of methods, disciplines and combinations that engage and activate even the tiniest muscles with continuous, dynamic movement. It’s a perfect way to prepare the body for activities of daily living. More for the Core Details
format: core-specific Total Time: 60 minutes Equipment: none
Ending on a High Note
A cool-down that taps into the power of emotions makes a great ending for your class. Last impressions are lasting impressions. Whether your session was a huge success or didn’t go quite the way you had planned, a cool-down that connects movement to music will have participants leaving on a high note.
Read MoreWhat would you do if your client had a medical emergency during a session or was having one when you arrived at a session?
Fortunately, in my 15 years as a personal trainer, I have experienced only two medical emergencies. The first incident occurred 3 years ago when I was leading a Nordic walking class with 10 participants along one of Toronto’s beautiful ravine trails. A woman who was about 60 slipped and twisted her ankle about halfway through…
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