With the fitness industry segmenting into more well-defined niches, and the number of equipment choices increasing, purchasing the right equipment for your facility has become increasingly challenging. As facilities continue to move away from the "one-size-fits-all" they must create an environment that is tailored to the niche (or niches in some cases) that they serve, and the equipment is a big part of that. As someone who has sold commercial fitness equipment for over a decade I have learned a lot about this subject from my customers, and those who chose not to become my customers. Here...

If you are offering fitness, you are always looking for what can make the difference in getting people results, in attracting and retaining paying customers versus the other options your audience has to choose from. If you have found the hook, the magnet, the piece that will attract them - then good, but you are rare. Many have not. Like many things offered to consumers - fitness has much competition. In that light, did you notice the 2 recent articles on high performance and programming in Forbes magazine? (see them here: http://bit.ly/2tdZPnZ and the follow up article: http://bit.ly/2sAgVQ0) The...

Selling strength training classes is in the top five of toughest things on Earth to sell. The main reason is mindset and commitment toward discomfort. Our solution at X Fitness has been Real-life Lesson #3,413 that I've taught football players for 40 years and college law enforcement student for two decades - lift four years, lift for years. This Real-Life Lesson serves a dual purpose. First, it represents the conclusion of our 48-year athletic research - if you commit to 4-year workout plan, you will work out for life. Guaranteed. Every athlete and student who has committed to my 4-year workout...

You get up, sit to eat, get in your car or bus and sit again to get to where you work or study, sit at a desk all day, sit again to home, sit to eat dinner and then lie on the couch and watch TV? Perhaps it is, but when you actually see this pattern in writing, it is scary, right? How can we change that? Perhaps you can walk part of the way to your workplace, make a point of getting up from your desk every few hours, and choose to do some exercise for part of your lunch hour. Working out late in the day can work for some, but I have seen time and time again that getting to the gym late or trying...

Since X Fitness opened 16 years ago, our direct competition has tripled. Three times the number of competitors in one of Canada’s worst economies threatens your survival. A depressed economy limits the financial resources that customers have, dramatically shrinking the fitness market. The problem compounds when the growth of new competitors fights for a depleted market. You either develop a proactive plan or you go broke. Our main solution was Real-Life Lesson #2,998 that I’ve taught football players for 40 years and college law enforcement students for two decades – making a difference...

In March, I posted an article about the 6 hot topics for fitness operators here: http://bit.ly/2qYvGqV . One of those hot topics is technology. Since 2010, when technology first became prominent as a topic of discussion with our clients, our organization has done over 300 installs with full technology in Canada. (approx. 50 per year). It is safe to say, that in that time, we have done 3-4 times more installations without technology. In 2017, we have 3 type of organizations that we consult and supply. Those adamant about wanting full technology for their fitness space. Those...