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Instructors and personal trainers key to success of fitness studios

Instructors and personal trainers key to success of fitness studios
August 20, 2017

The growth and success of fitness studios can be attributed to committed and innovative fitness professionals, according to a new white paper from leading fitness equipment supplier Precor.

The white paper, Fitness Consumer of Today - Driving Industry Change Like Never Before, charts the changing face of fitness consumers, explaining that they are willing to pay a significant premium for personalised fitness experiences.

Authored by Brian Kane, a Senior-level Digital Strategist, Product Manager and Business Development Manager for Precor parent company ‎Amer Sports Corporation, the white paper covers the rise of the modern health club era over the past 30 years, explaining “for consumers getting fit meant joining a traditional health club as a one-stop-shop where they got all of their fitness needs met.

“Sure they might also have some home exercise DVDs and run outdoors, but the central focus was always the health club.”

Moving on, Kane advises “the fitness consumer of today has changed.

“Health and wellness are no longer discretionary activities but rather a core part of their very identity. They wear yoga pants, running shoes and a Fitbit® everywhere they go as symbols of their active lifestyle.

“They no longer accept bland or boring experiences and are willing to pay for craft experiences which provide deeper benefits of community, high personalization and for some a cult-like sense of purpose and belonging. It’s not about losing weight or getting fit - it’s about connecting with a purpose and strengthening their sense.”

The report by Kane, who leads marketing research efforts at Precor, represents a combination of industry research, in-depth conversations with operators and studio owners, as well as his own opinions.

Explaining the value of Instructors and personal trainers, Kane writes “the success of a studio concept begins and ends with the fitness professional.

“For as great as the equipment, layout, branding, and location may be - it is the trainer/instructor that makes or breaks the experience.”

Kane’s white paper then covers the benefits and potential of indoor cycle bikes, adding that they “are an incredible tool which studios have embraced. Bikes have a small footprint, are easy to move, and offer an incredible high intensity workout.

“This has led to a renaissance of indoor cycling, driven by three underlying megatrends.”

He identifies these megatrends as follows:

Indoor Cycling and Small Group Training Small - group training (SGT) is perhaps the hottest trend in the fitness industry.

SGT is becoming a critical part of the overall training strategy for those who win with training. The best operators create a continuum of training options for members which spans from self-guided to one-on-one.

Indoor Cycling and Hybrid Group Exercise Studios have become the laboratory for group exercise content where there is a constant focus on trying new concepts and constantly improving a class format. Independent studios are usually at the bleeding edge of innovation - taking risks, failing fast, and learning quickly. They are usually trailed by studio chains and franchises and then traditional health clubs.

Our advice is to harness the power of the studio no matter what your size. Have the right tools in place - functional training, indoor cycling bikes, racks, free weights, and accessories - and then get out of the way and let your instructors and trainers shine.

There is no one magic formula for facilities, so the ability to customise and modify is key. In this sense, equipment becomes the ingredients and it is up to chef (the fitness professional) to create the recipe. From this approach has emerged an incredible variety of hybrid concepts combining everything from yoga to indoor cycling to functional training.

Exercisers, especially those who bore easily, have responded well to the variety, excitement, and challenge of these hybrid formats.

Indoor Cycling and Gamified Workouts
The most discussed fitness facility over the past year has to be Orangetheory Fitness (driven by) a winning formula of programming and their ability to transform their workout into a gamified experience.

Their workout is usually comprised of a treadmill, rower, and functional station. Each participant rotates through the three stations while their heart rate is being continuously captured. They coach to not only achieve key fat burning zones, but also toward recovery and balance of zones.

They don’t use indoor cycle bikes, choosing to use rowers instead, but are mentioned because of the success of the total experience, which is ultimately what matters.

Click here to view the Precor white paper, Fitness Consumer of Today - Driving Industry Change Like Never Before

Click here to contact Precor Australia through their entry in Australasian Leisure Management Supplier Directory.

Middle image Brian Kane.

4th August 2017 - COLLECTIVE WELLNESS GROUP ENERGISES ORANGETHEORY FITNESS IN AUSTRALIA

6th March 2017 - PRECOR INTRODUCES NEW CUSTOMISABLE BRANDING AND COMMUNICATION CONSOLE TOOLS

16th February 2017 - YMCA AND PRECOR PARTNER IN EXCLUSIVE EQUIPMENT DEAL 

26th February 2016 - STUDY FINDS PERSONAL TRAINING SET TO BE A STABLE FUTURE JOB

11th February 2016 - FITNESS INSTRUCTOR NUMBERS SET TO GROW BY UP TO 50% IN FIVE YEARS

5th February 2016 - PRECOR AND SPINNING SET TO REVEAL NEW INDOOR SPINNER CYCLE

4th September 2015 - PRECOR AND SPINNING COMBINE TO PRODUCE A NEW LINE OF SPINNER INDOOR CYCLING EQUIPMENT

23rd July 2015 - PRECOR ADVISES GYMS ON WOMEN-FOCUSSED STRENGTH TRAINING

23rd June 2015 - ONE IN FOUR FITNESS CLUB MEMBERS WOULD PAY MORE FOR SINGLE-SEX GYMS

30th April 2015 - FITNESS, RECREATION AND SPORT EMPLOYMENT GREW BY 34% OVER FIVE YEARS 

28th January 2015 - EXERCISE TONES WOMEN’S MINDS AS WELL AS THEIR BODIES

11th December 2013 - XTEND BARRE WORKOUT: A FITNESS SUCCESS STORY 


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