by John | Nov 4, 2019 | Your Fitness Business
Want to use your iPhone or Android based device to schedule your next Indoor Cycling class?
There's an App for that® 🙂
I added the ® because Apple has trademarked that phrase.
Studio owner Bill Pryor has created an App for his customers at Spynergy Wellesley, Bill's Indoor Cycling Studio outside of Boston Mass. Spynergy customers can download the App for free, quickly review the class schedule and easily signup for a future class. The part I love most is how it adds the event your calendar, so there's no excuse for missing the class.
The App is made by TempoXSports and they can build a custom App for your Club or Studio if you're using MINDBODY Online to manage registrations – which is about everyone as far as I can tell.
Here's more about it:
The app your clients see will be similar in feel to what they are used to from booking through their browser-based systems. Your app will let clients easily perform the following critical tasks from their phones
- Sign-in to their MINDBODY existing account
- Set up an account if they are new
- View your schedule
- Sign-up / reserve spots (reservations auto-posted to calendar / ical)
- Read teacher and class descriptions
- Check their account (visits, schedule, attendance, purchases)
- Purchase any packages you are selling through MINDBODY
- View special promotions (posted by you)
- Share their booking details on Facebook
- Contact you directly
Originally posted 2012-04-29 15:47:56.
by John | Oct 11, 2019 | Engage Your Students, Instructor Training, KEEPING IT FUN, Promote and Build Your Class, Your Fitness Business
Would a few of these recumbents make your class more inclusive?
Would you agree that Indoor Cycles are a poor method/modality of exercise – for some populations?
There's a long list of people who would never consider participating in our classes, or even riding an indoor cycle alone at home. There's a bunch of reasons:
- Physical limitations
- Obese/overweight
- Existing injury
- Just plain afraid of that skinny, little, bicycle saddle 🙁
So, would it make sense to add a few recumbent cycles to your studio?
The reason I'm asking is because I met a great guy at this past IHRSA convention. John Kennedy's company, Cascade Health and Fitness, manufactures that recumbent cycle pictured above. He shared his idea to incorporate recumbent indoor cycles, into a traditional indoor cycling class, to accommodate people who won't or can't ride a conventional Indoor Cycle. I'll admit, at first it sounded like a crazy idea to me. But the more I thought about the potential to make our classes more accessible I got excited.
That would mean more butts-in-seats = people exercising. I'm all for that!
The first place I can see recumbents making a positive impact is in Parkinson's Cycling Classes. Parkinson's Cycling Coach Kathy Helmuth has taught me that many people suffering with PD have physical limitations.
The symptomatic relief that comes from cycling isn't available to someone who can't ride a typical cycle. A recumbent is completely different; a big comfy seat that sits low and a step-through frame that anyone who can stand should be able to mount. I think this could be a way to make PD cycling classes more inclusive. Awesome!
What about your run-of-the-mill cycling class? Would a recumbent work there too?
I've got no idea, so let's find out!
We're conducting an experiment
We're looking for two studios to participate in a trial to see what happens when you add a few recumbents to a cycling studio. John has offered two of their recumbents at no cost + you'll keep them in the end.
In exchange they're asking that you:
- Install the recumbents in your studio and make them available in as many classes as possible.
- Experiment with different class formats, profiles, cuing, etc. You'll be charting new territory here and I'm happy to help you as much as possible.
- Actively promote this new accommodation to your customers – running the trial to see what happens for two months.
- At the end of the trial you will be interviewed by me on my podcast We will explore what worked and what didn't, your ideas for improvements, etc…
- You'll provide a few short video interviews, where you discuss these classes with your actual participants.
Is this something you'd consider?
Then contact me and we'll discuss next steps.
Originally posted 2015-04-13 15:44:38.
by John | Oct 5, 2019 | Class DVDS & Videos
My friend Allen Jones from Epic Planet.tv – the company with the Epic Planet Indoor Cycling DVDs – has just launched a FREE Virtual Cycling Studio Program. It address a major pet-peeve of mine; getting a reduced price replacement DVD when you have one that's scratch, damaged or for what ever reason won't play.
I'll let Allen explain the program…
Virtual Cycling classes are taking the indoor cycling world by storm with instructors and studios all over the U.S., Canada, and Europe using epicRIDES to bring an exciting new dimension to their classes.
From Southern California to Maine… from Florida to Washington state… from Nova Scotia to British Columbia… and in Europe too… epicRIDES are wowing classes and giving both instructors and studios an exciting new way to differentiate themselves from the competition.
Here's what some indoor class students said about their virtual ride to Epic California – Mt. Baldy:
“I was really impressed. I usually close my eyes when I’m spinning, but I kept looking up to see the scenery. I have to admit I took the last climb to my '10' and that damn clock on the screen was way too slow!”
“The Mt. Baldy ride was outstanding, as this is a ride I have actually done, so I could really relate to it. I was able to make this ride feel very real, as the video was very well done and made me feel like I was right there, doing this painful ride again. Two thumbs up to you and the producers.”
If you are an instructor or studio owner using or planning to use epicRIDES for your classes, we want to encourage your efforts! To do that, we are launching the Virtual Cycling Studio Program, which will provide member instructors and studios MANY special incentives and benefits, including:
- Discounts on DVDs and downloads
- Disk replacement program
- Discounts on indoor cycling clothing
- More to come…
To become a member, just complete their online signup form. There is no charge or obligation.
ICI/PRO Members receive a 30% discount on individual titles of Epic Planet DVDs. The discount code you need is here.
Originally posted 2011-09-17 05:07:32.
by John | Sep 21, 2019 | Engage Your Students, Giving Back To Your Community
Last year I had the pleasure of interviewing Michael Sadvec, co-owner of Fit On Indoor Cycling Studio located in Manhattan Beach, CA. Michael shared with us his plans for their upcoming Tour de Pier, which was a big success!
Tour de Pier is back again this year and Michael sent me a note asking for my help promoting the event. They're planning to raise a half million dollars to be distributed to the; Hirshberg Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research (pancreatic.org), The LiveSTRONG Foundation (livestrong.org) and Cancer Support Community (cancersupportredondobeach.org)
John,
I hope all is well!
Tour De Pier is right around the corner… May 18th! This year we should smash our $350.000 mark and are already at $256.000 with over a month to go. Goal is $500,000.00 (http://www.tourdepier.com/faf/home/default.asp?ievent=1086425) Mad Dogg Athletics is donating all of the bikes this year and we should be close to 300 or more. Would love it if you could give us a shout out.
This year they are partnering with a SoulCycle studio located in Greenwich, CT – where I see they've already sold out all of their available bikes 🙂 There are still spots open for the Mahatten Beach event – more info here.
You can learn more about Tour de Pier and possibly pick up a few ideas you could apply to hosting a charity ride of your own, by listening to this podcast
Originally posted 2014-04-10 09:53:47.
by John | Sep 13, 2019 | Instructor Training, Master Instructor Blog, Your Fitness Business
This morning I read how Soul Cycle has been banning fitness instructors (from competing studios) who try to attend their class.
About 10 days after hitting a SoulCycle class on a recent day off, Barry’s Bootcamp owner Joey Gonzalez got a phone call. It was a lawyer for the mega-popular cycling brand issuing a message: don’t come back.
“He essentially said we have a policy at SoulCycle where instructors at other group fitness studios are not allowed to take class,” Gonzalez says. “He seemed half embarrassed.” We reached out to SoulCycle’s public relations team for comment on the policy but did not hear back.
Gonzalez took to Facebook with the news, and his post went viral. (At time of this writing, it had 158 comments and 14 shares.) Other popular fitness instructors, like Natalie Uhling, Darryl Gaines, and Lindsey Clayton weighed in to say the same thing had happened to them. Flywheel instructors jumped in to invite trainers from other studios to come take their classes (“#team”), and tons of people weighed in to rail against the lack of “soul” the policy stood for.
Then I dug in to this story a bit more. The article references this post from rateyourburn.com addressing the same issue. They begin with listing a few reasons why it maybe OK to limit the access of Instructors from competing fitness clubs. I see it as incomplete… in fact, I feel they are missing the real concerns of Soul Cycle completely.
IS IT OKAY FOR FITNESS STUDIOS TO BAN INSTRUCTORS WHO WORK FOR THE COMPETITION?
Why do studios ban instructors employed by competitors?
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Trade secrets. We suppose the primary reason studios do this is to prevent competitors from coming in and spying on their ways of business, copying them or stealing their methods.
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Exclusivity. Perhaps some studios want to create a country club bubble, where only approved members are allowed within their establishment.
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To ward off studio-bombing. On rare occasions, people do show up just to cause trouble. In our opinion, bad behavior is the only justifiable reason to ban a paying client.
Limiting access to your “Tribe”
Paul Harmeling from Full Psycle Studio really opened my eyes about what makes Soul Cycle so successful – how good they are at cultivating a “team” or “tribe” of passionate people who are united by their participation in class. This sense of community isn't just between the customers and Soul Cycle or the Instructor. There are a lot of relationships, both personal and professional, being made between the riders.
You've probably seen this at your club. It's no secret that common interests and activities build trust between people. That trust can lead to relationships that extend beyond the club. Over the years my family and I have chosen to do business with people we've gotten to know at our club;
- Claudia is Amy and my financial planner – she's also been a longtime regular in our classes.
- Amy first met Craig at the club. He later hired her and we've been friends of Craig and his wife Julie for 15 years.
- Morry (another regular) arranged for daughter Abby's interview, which resulted in her current job.
- Richard is an Instructor at our club. He's also a C level employee at a company where younger daughter Carly would like to have a summer internship…
I can easily understand why Soul Cycle (or your club for that mater) would want to limit access to their Tribe of passionate, fitness minded people who have the financial wherewithal to pay for premium classes.
Wouldn't these same people be prospective customers for any fitness business – especially a competitor located near by?
Soul Cycle's “Tribe” is really their brand, the “special sauce” that makes them unique and profitable. Using attorneys to protect a brand from competitors isn't really any different from how Mad Dogg Athletic will do the same thing to protect the Spinning® brand from improper use.
I don't know anymore than what's been written, but I would venture this guess; Soul Cycle was concerned that Mr. Gonzalez was recruiting customers for his boot camp business. Neither of the articles, nor the Facebook post, explains how Soul Cycle's attorney would know Gonzalez was an Instructor… unless someone (maybe a class participant?) informed management.
What would you do in this situation?
Originally posted 2014-05-05 09:15:44.
