Interesting article from RACKED.com that is promoting the virtue of Big Box fitness clubs – while recognizing how the boutique studios have been getting all the press and recognition over the past few years.
Do Classes at Regular Gyms Hold Up Against Boutique Fitness?
If you own your own spin shoes, are constantly laundering leggings, and have downloaded the Mindbody app to your iPhone, odds are you're in deep with fancy fitness – and have the scary credit card bills to prove it. Boutique exercise is eating our budgets alive like bottles of wine at mid-week dinners used to (before socializing and sweating came hand-in-hand), and it's crazy how it got away from us so easily.
Those who aren't math-inclined might view the all-inclusive Classpass buffet and studio bulk-class deals as a free-for-all, but the truth is that it's costing you $1,500 a year at the very least. And that's without the occasional full-priced SoulCycle class and unavoidable last-minute cancellation fees.
But what if we told you there was a glorious place that had enough classes to keep your newly athletic heart content, not to mention showers aplenty, shiny equipment, and towels free of charge? It's the place you left in the cold the second spin studios started popping up on every corner –€” your good ol' neighborhood gym. So, we asked ourselves a newfangled question: Are we all out of our minds for spending this much money to take these fitness classes when we could have them for so much less?
Like the random Pilates mat class you went to near your office and hated, not all New York gyms are created equal, so we dove in first-hand to see if we're all fooling ourselves with the studio experience, and whether hitting the same gym classes on the regular – more than the three times Classpass would let you –€” could get you just as fit (and having just as much fun) as all our beloved bourgeois boutique spots.
While visiting four of New York's biggest power players, we learned a lot. Generally speaking, gym classes feel short compared to boutique fitness, and we've been battling for a spot in class sign-ups or in the second row with more vigor than necessary. Gyms have less competitive crowds and have embraced advanced sign-ups, too – even holding spots for spontaneous members who stroll in minutes before the start time. Trading in the complimentary rose water face cleanser for padlocks and crowds of people wasn't easy, though. Fingers crossed that we can hopefully save you from sweating your account balance instead of your workout in 2016.
Shannon Fable, Co-Founder and President of GroupEx PRO Group, has published this informative presentation directed at Instructors and studio owners/managers:
How to Keep Crowds into February
January is such a great time of year for Fitness Professionals, especially group fitness instructors. Studios are packed and there are tons of new faces! And, as a GFM, I’m sure you are searching for ways to keep the excitement alive well past the January rush. We thought you’d appreciate this webinar we recorded a while back right about now!
Click the video below for 3 quick tips to capitalize on the New Year’s influx. We hope you enjoy. This was part of a series we hosted so you will hear mention of the next topic. We will be sending you this one, as well, so stay tuned! Just a small way to say thank you for what you do … GroupEx PRO is dedicated to helping make managers' lives easier in 2017!
A person who joins the gym in early January because of their New Years Resolution. Resolutionists can be spotted by their pasty white skin, excessive fat, poor form, and blank look on their face as they stand next to any piece of gym equipment. Resolutionists usually migrate back to the couch any time from mid-January to early March.
“This damn Resolutionist has been on the Smith machine for 30 minutes. Maybe if he put more than 30 lbs on the bar and stopped taking 10 minute rests it wouldn't take so long. I can't wait until March”
And they're coming to a club or studio near you soon!
So how can we take advantage of their enthusiasm and create classes the are both appealing to them, while also help them learn the exercise we call Indoor Cycling properly?
Master Instructor Tom Scotto from Cycling Fusion joins me to discuss his ideas for creating special classes for these new students in the latest episode of the Podcast.
So which fitness club or cycling studio is looking today to hire a passionate & talented Indoor Cycling Instructor?
EVERY. CLUB. AND. EVERY. STUDIO.
How can I say that with such conviction, without actually surveying every club/studio on the planet?
That's easy 🙂 Every successful business owner/manager I know, is continuously looking to hire good people. It doesn't matter if they have a “help wanted” sign hanging in the window or not.
EVERY. BUSINESS. IS. LOOKING. FOR. GREAT. PEOPLE.
Why is this important for anyone interested in securing their first regularly scheduled class? Because, quite simply, it's important for you to understand (and more importantly believe) this when you approach a studio owner or manager. Having the perception that they're buying, what you're selling, is a great confidence builder.
So is 2017 going to be the year you land your first teaching gig? Or maybe the year when you'll decide to move beyond your comfort zone and audition at the hot, new studio opening down the street?
Either way, I'm thinking some of these articles will be helpful for you.
Master Instructor Joey Stabile from Cycling Fusion contributed his Christmas class profile. If you have a class or two this weekend, your participants might enjoy this structured workout featuring some Christmas tracks to celebrate the season.
