I'll be onstage competing again in 3 months (definite)

[chaos]

Bump

Like the ones in the roll around your waist?

[Vince B]

Melvin seems impervious to good information. He clings to the primitive things he knows.

Went back to the Virginactive club. Can't call it a gym. They give away about 200 copies of the Sun Herald today. Each copy costs $2.10. Saturday papers cost $2.40. A member coming early and picking up a paper could save himself over 10 dollars a week. Membership is about 23 dollars a week so there you are. There were 4 people behind the counter at the cafe. Staff everywhere but most very young and enthusiastic. They had a family day in the pool using 2 lanes and little noisy kids were everywhere for about 2 hours. Not the best environment. I might have closed the pool off to the rest of the gym but had glass walls. What do I know?

As wonderful as these modern clubs are they still are not perfect. There were no biceps or triceps machines nor a standing calf machine. Bodybuilders would love the atmosphere and the more than 50% of women who go there, however it is not a place to do serious training. I mean, how can anyone other than Goodrum set up a fully equipped gym without a biceps machine? A mystery. Women and the deconditioned market feel comfortable there and are joining in droves. Compare that to the typical gym that struggles to find members. Sir Richard has done his homework and come up with a good business model. Gym owners would be wise to see what he is doing and make sure they do most of the good things there.

A very well equipped smaller gym can still do well if the instruction is excellent. I wonder how the public perceives being instructed by quite young staff? That club could cost about $60,000/week to operate. It still generates a gross profit of about $40,000/week and it has been open for about 3 months. That is amazing. Apparently one of their clubs in Johannesburg has 15,000 members. Multiply that by $23/wk. That is over $300,000 per week.

[danielson]

Melvin seems impervious to good information. He clings to the primitive things he knows.

Went back to the Virginactive club. Can't call it a gym. They give away about 200 copies of the Sun Herald today. Each copy costs $2.10. Saturday papers cost $2.40. A member coming early and picking up a paper could save himself over 10 dollars a week. Membership is about 23 dollars a week so there you are. There were 4 people behind the counter at the cafe. Staff everywhere but most very young and enthusiastic. They had a family day in the pool using 2 lanes and little noisy kids were everywhere for about 2 hours. Not the best environment. I might have closed the pool off to the rest of the gym but had glass walls. What do I know?

As wonderful as these modern clubs are they still are not perfect. There were no biceps or triceps machines nor a standing calf machine. Bodybuilders would love the atmosphere and the more than 50% of women who go there, however it is not a place to do serious training. I mean, how can anyone other than Goodrum set up a fully equipped gym without a biceps machine? A mystery. Women and the deconditioned market feel comfortable there and are joining in droves. Compare that to the typical gym that struggles to find members. Sir Richard has done his homework and come up with a good business model. Gym owners would be wise to see what he is doing and make sure they do most of the good things there.

A very well equipped smaller gym can still do well if the instruction is excellent. I wonder how the public perceives being instructed by quite young staff? That club could cost about $60,000/week to operate. It still generates a gross profit of about $40,000/week and it has been open for about 3 months. That is amazing. Apparently one of their clubs in Johannesburg has 15,000 members. Multiply that by $23/wk. That is over $300,000 per week.

Vince has everything he needs right in his own home. Nothing fancy about his training, just old school hard work.

[Mars]

vince is training in the deepest secret somewhere in a dungeon. he avoids talking to the outside world and everything that can disturb his focus.

[Vince G, CSN MFT]

Melvin seems impervious to good information. He clings to the primitive things he knows.

Went back to the Virginactive club. Can't call it a gym. They give away about 200 copies of the Sun Herald today. Each copy costs $2.10. Saturday papers cost $2.40. A member coming early and picking up a paper could save himself over 10 dollars a week. Membership is about 23 dollars a week so there you are. There were 4 people behind the counter at the cafe. Staff everywhere but most very young and enthusiastic. They had a family day in the pool using 2 lanes and little noisy kids were everywhere for about 2 hours. Not the best environment. I might have closed the pool off to the rest of the gym but had glass walls. What do I know?

As wonderful as these modern clubs are they still are not perfect. There were no biceps or triceps machines nor a standing calf machine. Bodybuilders would love the atmosphere and the more than 50% of women who go there, however it is not a place to do serious training. I mean, how can anyone other than Goodrum set up a fully equipped gym without a biceps machine? A mystery. Women and the deconditioned market feel comfortable there and are joining in droves. Compare that to the typical gym that struggles to find members. Sir Richard has done his homework and come up with a good business model. Gym owners would be wise to see what he is doing and make sure they do most of the good things there.

A very well equipped smaller gym can still do well if the instruction is excellent. I wonder how the public perceives being instructed by quite young staff? That club could cost about $60,000/week to operate. It still generates a gross profit of about $40,000/week and it has been open for about 3 months. That is amazing. Apparently one of their clubs in Johannesburg has 15,000 members. Multiply that by $23/wk. That is over $300,000 per week.

Oh please, Basile.  A gym can function without those items....ever heard of freeweights and a wood block for your calves.

The majority of gyms can honestly be stripped down into a much smaller profile and lots of gyms are bloated with waste spending. 

Ultimately, gyms are not serving there original purpose which is to get people in shape.  Instead they are just focused on selling memberships to make money and once they do that, then they are pretty much ignored and forgotten as they go on to the next person.

Look at Planet Fitness....they have a fucking Pizza Night to attract more member.  What kind of shit is that???  Obviously, the big gyms have come to the point where they will do anything to get members. 

Because of all of this, the PT studios have now come into place.  Curves is successful because people are getting results despite some pretty inferior equipment.  However, the personal edge is what makes the difference. 

My center will be about the client first.  They'll come back because they'll see the results...not because they have a 3 year contract

[Vince B]

Melvin is the perennial expert on everything relating to gyms, bodybuilding, equipment and nutrition.

I am telling him what the formula is to get people in and he talks about blocks of wood and free weights. First we had Goodrum's guide to Trademark Calves and now we have his gym model.

Stripped down gyms are not going to do it any more. The public want more. The only way a small gym is going to make it is through excellent equipment and excellent instruction.

[Vince G, CSN MFT]

Melvin is the perennial expert on everything relating to gyms, bodybuilding, equipment and nutrition.

I am telling him what the formula is to get people in and he talks about blocks of wood and free weights. First we had Goodrum's guide to Trademark Calves and now we have his gym model.

Stripped down gyms are not going to do it any more. The public want more. The only way a small gym is going to make it is through excellent equipment and excellent instruction.

You've been running a gym for years.  Where's your millions of dollars at?

The public wants to get in shape and doesn't care how nice a gym is.  That's why Power 90 and Billy Blanks videos sell.  All of the best equipment in the world doesn't matter if nobody is getting in shape. 

When you open a gym, your main goal is to get the most memberships...not to help people.  When you open a PT studio, you have to produce real results to stay in business.

[Switznegger]

Vince G this thread has had 1000 more hits than the Australian Grand Prix.OMG you are more interesting to Getbiggers than a IFBB Pro show.How do you feel stealing the GLORY.

[Vince G, CSN MFT]

Vince G this thread has had 1000 more hits than the Australian Grand Prix.OMG you are more interesting to Getbiggers than a IFBB Pro show.How do you feel stealing the GLORY.

You should see this place the day I competed in 2006.  It was the same day as the Atlantic City Pro.

[Switznegger]

Vince G start a thread about this Phenomenon Vince G bigger than Australian Grand Prix.See how many hits you get.

[onlyme]

Holy Macrel Goodrum you don't honestly believe your shit do you?  Are you telling us that a gym without all the equipment they have would do better if they didn't have it.  Are you that stupid or just playing.  See you are small minded it shows.  How do you run a gym with thousands of members or even hundreds without the equipment to workout. You little piece of shit studio will do if you are lucky a few hundred dollars a month in business.  People want a professional looking and operated gym to go to.  Not a place that wants to cuts corners by not providing what is needed.  Why do you think the mega clubs look so nice and have 200 pieces of cardio.  You are going to have one bike in your place.  What happens when 2 people want to use it or it breaks down.  you have NO idea what you are doing.  Other than Queer Vissy I bet you don't get another client.  How can you rag on Vince Basile when he has been in business for 25 years or more running a gym.  I don't get how anybody can tell anyone how to run a business they have never been involved with.  All your ideas don't even sound good.  Sometimes people's idea at least sound good but may not work in the end but your ideas suck from the beginning.  I swear you are dumber and more ignorant than almost any kid I have ever worked with or seen in the Special Olympics.  Face it and give it up. 

You do not know what you are doing and all you are going to do is embarrass Queer Vissy.  Think about what you are putting him through.  He probably already covers his face when you guys go out in public.  Think about what you are doing to him and your love life.  He may not be able to get a hard-on because he will be thinking how dumb you are and not be able to concentrate on ramming it up your ass.  I bet already he thinks about Danielson or Goatboy while he is shoving his tiny pecker into your zit covered ass.  For once think about someone else.  You'll thank me in the end (pardon the pun)

[Switznegger]

Onlyme you can't post that without that famous pic of Vince in the Toilet.You know the one that needs to be posted.

[leonp1981]

For what it's worth, my old gym was basic as you like.  Five cardio machines, all the rest was free weights, handmade and welded together years ago.  It was clean, and relatively tidy, but still basic.  A big franchise opened up, literally 100yards down the road, all kinds of deals, sauna, health suite, swimming pool, training sessions, etc. 

Three years later, it's shut down.  People got sick of it.  Minimum wage 150lb trainers telling you what to do, stupid rules about not making any noise while you worked out, extended contracts which people couldn't get out of.

I spoke to the owner of the basic gym last week, and everyone who got attracted to the franchise wanted somewhere else to train, so went to his place.  No contracts, you can pay weekly, monthly, daily, whatever.  There are only 3 staff, 1 of whom gets paid, and business is doing so well that he has leased the floor above to extend and create a 'Leg Loft' he called it.

People don't want fancy machines and shit like that in the current climate, just somewhere friendly and suitably equipped to workout, at a reasonable price.  I wish I still lived there so I could go to that gym.

[Vince B]

I have been in the gym business since 1967. I have owned my own gym since August 1971. Surviving for this long means you have to be doing a lot of things right. However, imagine how amazed I am when Fitness First and now Virginactive can open a club and have something like 2,000 members before they open their doors! That is competition. In addition to that swimming pools and various social clubs are installing big fitness clubs for their members. Castle Hill RSL is one example. They have a huge complex there. 32 treadmills. Sure these businesses often install some of the wrong equipment but their research indicates what people want. Thus, they get heaps of cardio machines, a full line of Life Fitness, Nautilus, Cybex or Technogym equipment. For free weights they have up to 145 pound dumbbells and a line of Hammer plate loaded machines. The Hammer machines I think are a mistake. One or two of their pin-loaded units would be sufficient. However, every large modern gym to open in Sydney have those Hammer machines. What does that tell you? It is all about perception and what people want. They heard Hammer has some good machines so order a line of those machines.

I challenge the idea that Curves clubs get much in the way of results. Goodrum is full of it. He lives in the backwoods of the Smoky Mountains and thinks he is informed. I think his posts in this forum reveal the lack of experience and knowledge re gyms and what business will be successful. Just because some dudes are successful at personal training doesn't mean Goodrum will be. That much is certain. I can just see his 1000 square foot studio with a few Pilates machines, and a few weights and benches with his second place trophy and diplommas hung on the wall. That is not a formula for success. Goodrum is a bona fide buffoon and has no clue about what to do in business.

I suggest everyone actually visit successful clubs and see what they are doing. If the contracts are a problem then set up with short contracts like Virginactive are doing. Ordinary people can join that quality club for about $150 to get started and then only $23/week. How good is that? I saw a former gym owner training there. He seemed to be enjoying the place. I wouldn't mind training there myself. Gym owners always enjoy training at someone else's club. When we are in our own gyms there are people to talk to and equipment, etc., to attend to.

What Keith is trying to get through to Mr Goodrum is that a good setup is going to be both large and expensive. You can't take a shortcut and install just basic equipment. Melvin has been talking to people living in the backwoods who probably can't afford to pay for a membership. I have seen with my own eyes who have joined Virginactive and those are the same customers I want to attract. It really is amusing because every single gym owner I have known wants to attract women and businessmen to their premises. Even Joe Gold sold his gym to get away from the muscleheads! He started up World Gym to give jobs to his mates like Zabo and Eddie.

[Vince B]

For what it's worth, my old gym was basic as you like.  Five cardio machines, all the rest was free weights, handmade and welded together years ago.  It was clean, and relatively tidy, but still basic.  A big franchise opened up, literally 100yards down the road, all kinds of deals, sauna, health suite, swimming pool, training sessions, etc. 

Three years later, it's shut down.  People got sick of it.  Minimum wage 150lb trainers telling you what to do, stupid rules about not making any noise while you worked out, extended contracts which people couldn't get out of.

I spoke to the owner of the basic gym last week, and everyone who got attracted to the franchise wanted somewhere else to train, so went to his place.  No contracts, you can pay weekly, monthly, daily, whatever.  There are only 3 staff, 1 of whom gets paid, and business is doing so well that he has leased the floor above to extend and create a 'Leg Loft' he called it.

People don't want fancy machines and shit like that in the current climate, just somewhere friendly and suitably equipped to workout, at a reasonable price.  I wish I still lived there so I could go to that gym.

I will bet that while the new gym was operating the basic gym owner was wondering what to do. If he was smart he would have improved his club and premises. It is easy to fail in the gym business. I wouldn't be so bold as to assume I knew why particular clubs folded. That is just guessing.

My point is quite simple. Why are most gyms plodding along whereas new, exciting clubs attract thousands of members? Clearly the new clubs are offering what the public wants.

[danielson]

Holy Macrel Goodrum you don't honestly believe your shit do you?  Are you telling us that a gym without all the equipment they have would do better if they didn't have it.  Are you that stupid or just playing.  See you are small minded it shows.  How do you run a gym with thousands of members or even hundreds without the equipment to workout. You little piece of shit studio will do if you are lucky a few hundred dollars a month in business.  People want a professional looking and operated gym to go to.  Not a place that wants to cuts corners by not providing what is needed.  Why do you think the mega clubs look so nice and have 200 pieces of cardio.  You are going to have one bike in your place.  What happens when 2 people want to use it or it breaks down.  you have NO idea what you are doing.  Other than Queer Vissy I bet you don't get another client.  How can you rag on Vince Basile when he has been in business for 25 years or more running a gym.  I don't get how anybody can tell anyone how to run a business they have never been involved with.  All your ideas don't even sound good.  Sometimes people's idea at least sound good but may not work in the end but your ideas suck from the beginning.  I swear you are dumber and more ignorant than almost any kid I have ever worked with or seen in the Special Olympics.  Face it and give it up. 

You do not know what you are doing and all you are going to do is embarrass Queer Vissy.  Think about what you are putting him through.  He probably already covers his face when you guys go out in public.  Think about what you are doing to him and your love life.  He may not be able to get a hard-on because he will be thinking how dumb you are and not be able to concentrate on ramming it up your ass.  I bet already he thinks about Danielson or Goatboy while he is shoving his tiny pecker into your zit covered ass.  For once think about someone else.  You'll thank me in the end (pardon the pun)

Yes, he should launch a successful gym like yours!

[onlyme]

Yes, he should launch a successful gym like yours!

I bet I have had more successful gyms than you.  I guess that's all that counts on here in this thread.  By the way, have you and Goodrum gone out before.  I always wondered that.  He seems like your type.

[Vince G, CSN MFT]

Holy Macrel Goodrum you don't honestly believe your shit do you?  Are you telling us that a gym without all the equipment they have would do better if they didn't have it.  Are you that stupid or just playing.  See you are small minded it shows.  How do you run a gym with thousands of members or even hundreds without the equipment to workout. You little piece of shit studio will do if you are lucky a few hundred dollars a month in business.  People want a professional looking and operated gym to go to.  Not a place that wants to cuts corners by not providing what is needed.  Why do you think the mega clubs look so nice and have 200 pieces of cardio.  You are going to have one bike in your place.  What happens when 2 people want to use it or it breaks down.  you have NO idea what you are doing.  Other than Queer Vissy I bet you don't get another client.  How can you rag on Vince Basile when he has been in business for 25 years or more running a gym.  I don't get how anybody can tell anyone how to run a business they have never been involved with.  All your ideas don't even sound good.  Sometimes people's idea at least sound good but may not work in the end but your ideas suck from the beginning.  I swear you are dumber and more ignorant than almost any kid I have ever worked with or seen in the Special Olympics.  Face it and give it up. 

You do not know what you are doing and all you are going to do is embarrass Queer Vissy.  Think about what you are putting him through.  He probably already covers his face when you guys go out in public.  Think about what you are doing to him and your love life.  He may not be able to get a hard-on because he will be thinking how dumb you are and not be able to concentrate on ramming it up your ass.  I bet already he thinks about Danielson or Goatboy while he is shoving his tiny pecker into your zit covered ass.  For once think about someone else.  You'll thank me in the end (pardon the pun)

Absolutely not, Keith.  I was stating that a person doesn't need any equipment at all to get in shape, not that it wasn't essential to operating a gym.  Why don't you wipe the doughnut filling out of your eyes and actually read what I write before making a goofy comment like that.

And as far as things are concerned, I've forgotten more about personal training than you'll ever know about it.  My ideals are based from my experience as a personal trainer at those mega-gyms and most of the time I was nothing more than a salesman rather than someone who can help a person get in shape. 


Given the options, I'd rather actually help people than help fat ass mega-gyms owners like you sign people to 3 year contracts/ debts.  If that means having significantly less equipment  to work with than a regular gym, so be it. 

BTW, keep my fiance out of this because I don't talk about your wife or anything like that.  Honestly, I really expect for a loser like you to sink so low...after all...fat people do sink low due to the crushing weight

[Vince G, CSN MFT]

For what it's worth, my old gym was basic as you like.  Five cardio machines, all the rest was free weights, handmade and welded together years ago.  It was clean, and relatively tidy, but still basic.  A big franchise opened up, literally 100yards down the road, all kinds of deals, sauna, health suite, swimming pool, training sessions, etc. 

Three years later, it's shut down.  People got sick of it.  Minimum wage 150lb trainers telling you what to do, stupid rules about not making any noise while you worked out, extended contracts which people couldn't get out of.

I spoke to the owner of the basic gym last week, and everyone who got attracted to the franchise wanted somewhere else to train, so went to his place.  No contracts, you can pay weekly, monthly, daily, whatever.  There are only 3 staff, 1 of whom gets paid, and business is doing so well that he has leased the floor above to extend and create a 'Leg Loft' he called it.

People don't want fancy machines and shit like that in the current climate, just somewhere friendly and suitably equipped to workout, at a reasonable price.  I wish I still lived there so I could go to that gym.

That's how it goes.  I trained at Lee Haney's Old Gym, the GAC back in 2005 for a year.  The place had Nautilus and Universal equipment that was older than me but it was in great condition and I got some of the best workouts there.  It wasn't big or had a swimming pool or 200 pieces of exercise equipment but it had the atmosphere and real lifters in there that was prob the reason Haney did go there rather than the other big gyms around.

Like I said, while I gym has to have proper training equipment, you don't need a lot of bloat.  The problem with mega-gym franchises is the excessive overhead which then entails the endless task of signing memberships to feed the machine and less care for the actual members of the gym who are stuck with long contracts. 

[rk272727]

vince what show are youdoing

[WillGrant]

Vince , have you ever lifted weights or been in shape just once in your life?

[stuntmovie]

Interesting discussions here. Here's a bit of updated and factual ammunition for either side

The Las Vegas Athletic Club has a good number of very fine "gyms" in the LV basin.

Their newest club in in the vicinity of Flamingo and Hwy 215 about 6 miles west of the Strip.

The club is 85,000 square feet on two floors and caters to serious weight lifting athletes (they even have their own fully equipped room) and the general public who merely like to stay in decent shape.

It has over a hundred aerobic devices and just about every piece of equipment available from the top equipment manufacturers - Hoist, Nautilus, etc.

It's definitely the most well loaded gym I've even seen and I have seen a lot of them throughout the west coast and the orient.

It has a couple of lap pools and excellent locker rooms and a counter serving various snacks, salads, drinks, etc.

At present the membership costs $22 a month but if you pay the full two year load up front, you get an extra year for free and after those three years pass, your yearly membership will cost less about $9 a month. These figures are not precise but they are close to the actual fees (might be a dollar off one way or another).

The gym is constantly busy but there is enough equipment to accomodate everyone except on Monday evenings between the hours of 4 to 6. Then you usually have to wait to hop on one of the aerobic machines.

I never counted but I figure that there must be over 300 people in the facility whenever I am there in the early evening hours. If and when I train at Gold's here in town I seldom see any more than ten people going through a workout but I am never in a Gold's at peak hours so they are more than likely more busy then, but no way as popular at the LVAC's.

Keith can present more accurate figures on both these clubs. He knows this stuff professionally.

[Vince B]

Melvin has the proverbial sour grapes. He would like a great club for himself but does not have the money. So he has to come up with a basic facility that would do the job. In America and Australia basic gyms are not going to be viable. You might be able to make a small club work in a suburb or small town but cannot compete in a big city. I have no idea how the clubs in America survive because the memberships are too cheap. The personal trainer model is not a cheap one. You pay plenty for personal attention. Melvin's Gym in the Sky is exactly that. We are unlikely to see any such business.

[G o a t b o y]

BTW, keep my fiance out of this because I don't talk about your wife or anything like that. 

Uhhh, Vince...   how can he be your "fiancee" when you live in a state where gay marriage is illegal? 



Sorry, he's not your fiancee, he's the guy who sticks his dick up your ass. 

[Vince B]

Come on, Goatboy, that is pretty low, even for you! QV is still Melvin's partner.