Articles

The key to any successful marketing strategy is to be a resource. Forums present an excellent opportunity for companies to practice what they preach by providing valuable, trustworthy information to real people experiencing real problems. Becoming a part of forum conversations not only spreads your brand awareness, but also helps build trust between the community and your company.

Read the 7 steps to successful forum marketing listed below in order to take advantage of what this medium has to offer.

This week’s Throwback Thursday piece is “Is Age Just A Number: Training with older clients”, written by James Berges in May 8, 2013. 

As one of the largest populations, the baby-boomer generation will have an undeniable impact on the world. The over-65 crowd will almost double in size by the year 2030. Not to mention people are living longer and more health-conscious than ever, setting the stage for a generous influx of senior citizens seeking personal training services. Exercise is beneficial for every age group, but must be tailored accordingly for this population.

Before actually delving into any specific workouts, educate the client’s family about what type of program you offer. Print out your routines that you have planned and instruct the family so they may offer the best support possible. Ask your client and their family members what types of activities they currently engage in as well as possible activities they wish they were able to take part in. This will inform your workout program, focusing on exercises that are representative of your client’s most common activities.

This weeks Throwback Thursday piece is “The Last 30 Seconds”, written by Warren Martin in March 2014. 

Does your training show when it matters the most in a fight?

Watching MMA fights at all levels, we notice the athletes that are at peak speeds, strengths, sharpness, etc., during the first minute of the fight, right? But as the rounds move on and the time ticks down we notice these peaks can change for most. Even at the highest levels, one instance in lack of judgment, decrease in reaction time, or decrease in power of a kick or punch can lose the battle. That fighter loses not because the other fighter had more skill but because he wasn’t more mentally or physically prepared. These are crushing reasons to lose. In everyone’s eyes it is known that the outcome was preventable. What happened? Yes, fighters most of the time will use a loss to motivate them to train even harder for the next fight. The important question is, “What went wrong?” I believe when a fighter finally reaches an opponent that has equal or slightly more/less talent and conditioning, there is one thing that guarantees victory. “Training Carry Over”, how much of the preparation for the fight actually carries over into the ring with situations like fatigue that happen in the” last 30 seconds” of the fight or later rounds. This is also seen in the boxing world as well.

Life would be much easier if everyone respected everyone else’s time, right?  BUT occasionally there is that one PT client who notoriously cancels and reschedules… and cancels and reschedules again and again.

Your time is valuable so make sure clients know this… set your boundaries from the start!

Here are some practices to follow to make PT cancellations the exception, not the norm:

1. Enforce a cancellation policy– A 24-hour cancellation notice is the standard at my fitness center and we have clients sign a sheet stating that they understand this.  If they cancel within this time frame (or no-show), they will be charged for the session.  Late cancellations mean we’re less likely to fill that time slot with another client which, in turn, means loss of income.