Fitness, Business, Fitness Business, & Achieving Life Goals

“I Can Do It On My Own.” Many of us believe that we can figure out how to get in shape by ourselves. How hard can it be? You walk or run, lift weights, and stop eating garbage, right? Piece of cake (oooh…cake). And the truth is you can absolutely do it, but will you? Will you find the fastest, safest, most effect way possible? Will you break the habits that have lead you to where you are now? Do you keep up with the latest science and theories on strength, conditioning, and fat loss?

There is a time to hire a professional to help us achieve our goals and it’s not after we’ve floundered around wasted a lot of time (although it’s better late than never). It’s as you begin, get the guidance to get started right and stay on track. Also, many people don’t know what they don’t know. In example, did you know that standard, steady state cardio does not help you lose fat to any real extent? Many people still don’t. How would you unless you were keeping up on the research?

There’s no substitute for professional assistance. Go hire a Personal Trainer, a coach, or RD and make your dreams happen. The saved time and effort is well worth it.

The Tabata Method or Protocol is not new, but it seems to be getting more and more press of late, maybe because of the popularity of CrossFit training. Based on the research of Izumi Tabata et al, at the Department of Physiology and Biomechanics, National Institute of Fitness and Sports, Kagoshima Prefecture in Japan, it is touted as “the best” way to up the metabolism and burn fat in the shortest amount of time. I don’t know if I’d say that any one thing is “the best”, but it is some pretty interesting stuff. The premis of the training is 20 second work interval to a 10 second rest interval that is done for a total of 8 repetitions (totaling 3:50 seconds). The original study was to compare moderate-intensity endurance and high-intensity interval training and was completed on a stationary bicycle ergometer.
“…this study showed that moderate-intensity aerobic training that improves the maximal aerobic power does not change anaerobic capacity and that adequate high-intensity intermittent training may improve both anaerobic and aerobic energy supplying systems significantly, probably through imposing intensive stimuli on both systems.” Tabata Study

Here’s an example of something similar to the study:

Now, from this and other research it has been extapolated that this training, along with improving both aerobic and anaerobic conditioning, also raises resting metabolism for an extended period of time and translates into greater fat loss. You can see any number of variations on the activities utilizing the Tabata Protocol from front squats to burpees. The key seems to be to make the activity involving large muscle groups and keeping it as intense as possible.

Here’s a different example: (I’d be happier if she didn’t occasionally hit the ball so hard)

Have fun, but be safe!

What are your reasons for not working out. Are they valid? Don’t kid yourself.
Here’s a favorite video:

I had a conversation with a club member today about starting our Weight Loss Program. She gave me a reply that I hear in the health/fitness world all too often, “I really want to do it, but I think I’ll start after the holidays.”

Let’s all think about that. You want to wait until after the hardest time of the year, the time when people tend to put on the most weight by eating more and being less active than ever, the time that, once passed, will leave you in a post-binge depression that makes you just want to crawl into a hole and hibernate.
Or, If you started now, you could plan ahead to control and yet still enjoy the food of the holidays while fitting in time-saving Express workouts that also help you keep your metabolism high and burning fat, so that by the end of the holidays, you are actually ahead of the game… lighter and fitter.

Excuses are plenty this time of year. Which choice are you making?

Have you ever had anyone say to you, “You have to see this movie! It’s sooo good”. So you go and it’s awful. Your expectations had been raised so high by raves that you were dashed when it didn’t live up to it. You probably even thought it was worse than you would have had you not had such high expectations.

It’s important for us to set the appropriate expectations for consumers, high, but not too high. It’s always better to, as the saying goes, “under promise and over deliver”. Does that seem manipulative? Heck, yeah. But, that’s life. Have you ever told your significant other that you were taking them a little show or restaurant and then WOWed them by taking them to the best? Being surprised like that creates an emotional impact that will be remembered.

Define, for yourself and to your customers/clients, what they should expect from you and always be looking for ways to over deliver your services or products to create the WOW.

This week I was asked to pinch hit for a friend who was presenting at a conference and found himself with a conflict. The topic was Thriving in a World of Low Cost Competitors. I did the presentation for him (mostly because I love presenting). The topic got me thinking about the panic that many are feeling now with the current state of the economy, particularly when there are those out there that are offering seemingly similar services and/or products.

There are reasons why those Low Cost Competitors (LCC) are able to offer their serivice/product at the prices they do. What is their business model? In the health club world, it is typically a stripped down club, no child sitting, no classes, no training staff, minimal staff in general. Usually the LCC will have a manager, service desk person, someone to clean, and maybe a sub-contracted Personal Trainer. What they do have is a room of equipment. What’s their Unique Selling Proposition (USP)? They are cheap! AND… if you are someone that is comfortable with doing your own thing (or you think you can), that may be all you need.

So how do you compete? You don’t. Not on their USP. You need to differentiate. What makes you different than the LCC?

It’s the experience. It’s your place (the visual, the sounds, the smell, …cleanliness). It’s your people (smiling, friendly, attentive, helpful, remembers their name). It’s your programs (their structure, clarity, and the results they produce)

If the experience, the value is there, people will justify paying more for it, even when money is a little tighter.

more later

Everyone has times when life seems overwhelmingly difficult. But most of us just need to pause and get some prospective. We have abilities and opportunities that many do not. Be thankful and keep on moving forward. Here’s something to inspire you: