We have Silver Sneakers...
And I HATE group training. But you are correct ES.
I just have to maintain my sanity. I trained an Acro-gymanstics team for the Beijing Olympics and the US Swim Team for the Far Westerns. Those were Elite groups, and it was "O.K - fun" ~ other than that, I just don't have the stomach for it anymore.
I do O.K where I'm at with the 1-on-1. 10 clients at $300 a month plus commissions and Sunday desk hours makes my paycheck just fine.
I have trainers that work for me who do the group-training. That is their biggest struggle is to continually change things up and not become boring. They have to maintain a much higher energy than I do.
I spend a lot of time on nutrition with my clients, and I 'hand-pick' them. Back in the 'old-days' I took whatever came my way, but these days I have a questionnaire. If I even SMELL therapy sessions and sniveling coming, I don't care how much they pay, I steer them elsewhere because I know they will drain every ounce of positive energy out of me, and these days, that is a rare commodity.
I like training athletes and competitors, I don't care if they are Powerlifters, Bodybuilders, Fitness competitors or even "Crossfitters" ~ football players, soccer players, golfers...
That is just so much less dreadful for me when I get up in the wee hours of the morning.
That's were *I'm* at for now. It could change. I always keep an open mind. If there comes a time when 1-on-1 fails for me, I will have already rolled with the punches and moved on to what replaces that previous income.
What trainers and sales people need to truly realize, is that NOBODY that walks into your facility is broke. There is ALWAYS a way to make money. You just have to know how to play the game. And for you young guys reading this, I did NOT just go "off-topic" ~ any experienced trainer here knows that it's not just about referrals and staying in shape. YOU HAVE TO KNOW HOW TO SELL!!!!!
Some folks just ain't cut out for this business, just like some aren't cut out to drive a truck across country. Whatevah....
BTW, ES, I have to add, that is an excellent fucking post! What you said shows how much you know about this suck-ass business. I forgot to add that the part about the 1-on-1 client that stays: YES! They ALWAYS become therapy sessions. If it's a female, she is there to see you. Then it's coffee. Then it's lunch (if you let it go farther than her BRINGING you coffee NOT going to Starbucks WITH her) ~ if you want to ruin your business, just let things go too far. Ha ha. I'm sure you've "been there did that" or you would not have posted what you did. As of right now, I have two clients that have been training for a long time. They hate eachother, but they try to hide it. They try to buy me off by constantly bringing me shit and giving me money and asking "do you need anything?" and then it's "are you SURE??"
Yes, they are steady income, but the last thing on their minds is training. Problem is; everyone in the gym can see it too. Not good for business, but it does pay the bills. It's a "Catch-22" ~ sometimes these bitches just slip through the cracks. It's like they contain themselves for as long as they can and then "WHAM" suddenly everything takes a 180 and you are just going "Oh fuck, here we go"
How many long-time trainers here have heard this question from a female: "Do you ever train the same client forever?" Most guys would probably think that's cool.
It ain't.
And "NO" it's not because you are a Cassanova, it's because they have fallen for you and your stupid-ass-fell-for-it-again ear that listens to all of their shit: Traffic, dogs, cats, food, work, bed, boyfriends, ex's, you name it.
Like I said, this business is funny. People think it's glamorous or something. When I leave the gym, my "Trainer" shirt comes off and a regular T-shirt comes on before I go anywhere else.
Anyone relating to me or am I full of dogshit?
which is why I don't date fitness or bodybuilding girls anymore. when I leave, I don't even want to THINK about the gym.
i've relocated to a place where there are country clubs EVERYWHERE, which means old, wealthy (or at least "rich") retired people... or at least people with disposable income. so most my clients are either 1-rich and old, 2, rich and gay, or 3, women who don't work.
the old people are demanding, so it's a lot of pressure to keep them interested. they're not 'fitness people' or bodybuilders and don't understand that progress takes TIME and EFFORT. plus, they're hormones are generally shit so their results won't be what a 30yr old's are.
the gay guys are vain and will generally train pretty hard and are always open to using steroids or growth hormone. (I have a Dr I refer them to, I generally don't sell to them because they're a liability... never know who they talk to and don't take the illegality seriously)... plus they like to look at me. lol. no worries, pretty obvious that I'm not gay and i've never been 'hit on' or had an awkward moment.
the women can be an issue. you gotta be carefull not to cross the line or professionalism. women in a group will talk about sex and try to embarrass you (me). they'll get off on talking about sexual stuff around another man other than their husband, especially a man who looks like me. they'll let things "slip".. comments like "you're freakin hot/gorgeous" type stuff, or how they're taking a mental picture for when they're bangin their husband or something. about 40% of the girls I WOULD consider sleeping with, but only about 10%, maybe 5%, would I consider dating or having a relationship with
IF I wasn't training them.... in otherwards, I'm not usually attracted to them, so it's awkward to be hit on and know that most the female clients are super-attracted to you.. so you gotta be nice and let them have their fantasies or whatever. The WORST part is when they've built up this imaginary 'relationship' with you and they want extra attention (with women in group training, even women who are friends) and they get jealous. they hold your eye contact a little (or a LOT) to long, they ask for help when they see you talking to another girl or giving a NEW girl attention. It's very Catty. it gets weird when you have 47yr old women acting like 17yr old's over a a trainer who's wayyyy younger..... weirder still is when they call you from work, crying because they're having a bad day. (bitch, I'm not your husband or boyfriend, you need to call them with this shit! lol.. I have my own gf calling me with this nonsense, I don't need you too. lol), or they get into fights with their husband because A)-husband see's text messages or overhears phone conversations that seem a little too "friendly" or B)-woman calls husband by MY name, either at the supermarket, at home, or having sex.... most of the time it's the husband paying for the training, so that's not a good thing.
plus, I'm nice... I'm usually totally oblivious to when a girl is flirting with me (unless I'm attracted to her, and I'm trying to flirt with her as well). so I assume when girls are talking to me at work, it's because I'm working and doing my job. it's not until another girl will point out "they girl is/was TOTALLY flirting with you!.. didn't you see it?!" eh... no, I didn't. so by me being nice (i.e. not being a dick to her), they take it as I'm flirting back and there are mixxed signals and mis-communication.
like I tell the girls I date (girls think trainers bang all their clients)... "sweetheart, I don't want their pussy. I want their money. I can't pay my bills with another woman's pussy.".
