How Club Owners Can Best Profit From Personal Training - Club Solutions Interviews The Fluid Interval Training Developer Fit Express

Club Solutions Magazine interviews equipment manufacturer Fit Express and developer of the FIT (Fluid Interval Training) system about how clubs can best use Personal Training to increase their profits. Key topics discussed include the future of gym membership, missing components of a successful personal training system, and an easy-to-implement system that can be used to dramatically increase ROI and member retention.

Club Solutions: What are some new trends that are being implemented in personal training and what type of changes do you see coming in the future?

Fit Express: Trainers are going to have to find ways to handle multiple clients in an efficient yet personalized manner. I see it as more of a cross between conventional personal training methods and group exercise. With the changing demographics (the huge influx of 76M baby boomers) personal trainers are going to have to be able to accommodate both the needs and wants of these individuals while facing a different challenge due to their physical limitations. Safety will increase in importance as well as finding more user friendly ways to accommodate the needs of this market. Finding a way to make it more fun and social is also important to these folks.

Club Solutions: How do clubs use your product or service for personal training and how can it be used to ensure that members stay in the club longer?

Fit Express: Our equipment isn't designed to keep members in longer, but to give them the benefits they seek in less time. This will keep them happy, coming back frequently, and telling their friends and family about it. Our equipment is designed to get the best results with Fluid Interval Training (FIT), which is a hybrid version of cardio (aerobic) exercise and resistance (anaerobic) set training using continuous movement during and in-between set intervals. The Fit Express hydraulic equipment allows users to quickly and easily control their cardio-to-strength ratio during the set to customize their workout for optimal results. The workout/equipment surpasses the original circuit training model by being much more efficient. FIT along with the Fit Express circuit will allow your trainer to easily monitor multiple members getting a quick cardio and strength combination workout, regardless of each members current conditioning or exercise knowledge level.

Club Solutions: What are the benefits of your products and services?

Fit Express: The biggest benefit of adding FIT is to provide a better exercise experience for your members. The FIT circuit provides exactly what your members are looking for-a quick, easy, safe, and fun workout that will provide them the best results possible using easy-to-understand and non-intimidating equipment. Gyms typically have a 20-30% drop out rate, but we feel adding the FIT circuit could dramatically improve this figure. In addition to the serendipitous benefits resulting from providing an experience your members will love, as well as one your competition isn't, there are direct immediate benefits for the club owner as well. This includes more efficient use of floor space, reduced member injuries, and reduced costs in equipment maintenance. However, the most significant benefit to the owner would be the revenue potential that adding FIT (Fluid Interval Training) Group Personal Training could provide to their gym.

Club Solutions: Why should clubs consider your type of products and services in their personal training departments how easy is it to implement within the club?

Fit Express: Implementing our workout is very simple and the ROI is relatively fast. Having a new and exciting way to workout definitely helps with attracting new members and retention of current members by improving results and providing more variety. The FIT workout/equipment is fun and safe for everyone, from pre-teens to seniors, from the weak to the strong, from the healthy to those with special conditions, the beginner or the advanced fitness enthusiast. Members find our workout easy yet challenging, not intimidating, and fun to do. Combining all of the best elements of circuit training and personal training, FIT is a safer, quicker (in both workout and in results), and more efficient and cost-effective use of floor space and trainer time.

Club Solutions: What type of business opportunity does personal training offer a health club and why?

Fit Express: Personal training gives members that can afford it the opportunity to reach new fitness levels and accomplish results much quicker. People push themselves harder and stay focused longer when they have a knowledgeable professional to help guide them along their path to accomplish their fitness goals. The main two problems would be with todays' gym's inefficient approach towards personal training. First off, personal training is expensive and the mass majority of people in our economy can't afford it. Secondly, it is commonplace today for gyms to offer a complimentary session to showcase the benefits of PT to new members, but optimal results can't be delivered this way. Muscle imbalances need to be pinpointed and addressed. Nutrition and lifestyle need to be in line in order for members to even notice short-term gains. The most efficient way for the gym, the personal trainer, and the member to all receive what they seek is to offer group personal training. This can best be accomplished with an exercise system such as Fluid Interval Training which will allow one trainer to be able to effectively manage multiple people all with different capabilities and goals.

Club Solutions: How does your product or service improve the member personal training experience for the club? And why is this important?

Fit Express: Members will get instant benefits from using the FIT (Fluid Interval Training) system. In order for members to get the best and fastest results from working out is for them to do both cardio and strength training. Many people neglect strength training for two main reasons. One, because they are unaware of the various ways resistance training can benefit them (that cardio alone can't do), and two, many others are just intimidated by the equipment's large weight stacks and confusing seating, levers, and control arms. While Circuit Training gets people to do resistance training, it doesn't provide an answer to number two, in fact it compounds the problem because your already rushing which is more likely to cause injuries or a less-than-optimal rushed workout at best. The answer is Fluid Interval Training. The FIT circuit will allow your members to reap the full benefits of both cardio and strength training simultaneously while cutting their necessary time in the gym in half. Members will experience a reduction in muscle and joint soreness (compared to traditional weight training), less frustration dealing with or altogether avoiding the other resistance machines, and get to come to a more friendly and social workout atmosphere. Members state that they like the fact the equipment is not intimidating and so easy you just get on and go. Personal trainers are allowed to monitor the progress of multiple people while still giving them the space and control to customize their workout.

Club Solutions: Why should clubs consider personal training?

Fit Express: Personal training provides an opportunity for clubs to increase their revenue by offering a more personalized service to their members. At select times, this is exactly what some people need-personalized, one-on-one assistance to help motivate them and give them professional advice and guidance. I think a more profitable, and equally more accommodating solution for the average person is to offer Group Personal Training using the FIT Fluid Interval Training workout system along with the Fit Express Signature Series hydraulic fitness equipment. This will allow clubs to provide most of the same personalized experience for their members at a very reduced rate (that most members will be able to afford). Since it will only take one personal trainer to easily train multiple people the club, the trainer, and the members will all reap the benefits they seek.