Why do people join gyms? Why do gyms exist? What is the role of a personal trainer these days? And how do these questions relate?
With the Centers for Disease Control stating obesity is at 36% as of August 2012, we need a solution. There is no reason to point fingers, but it is difficult to "help" people exercise when the barrier to entry (price) is so high at any given gym. Personal training needs to be changed or updated to reflect current economic conditions. Personal training is simply overpriced and outdated to help those who need it most; those without money to spare!
Think about your gym. Most people join a gym with the intention of losing weight or getting in better shape. Gyms gladly open their doors to paying customers. Here is the point to analyze: Gyms should help their paying members, but do not. Gyms display a vast array of equipment but offer no explanation of how to use it. New members are bottlenecked into having to hire a personal trainer to learn how to exercise. This is not fair.
Upon joining, many members are quick to meet with a personal trainer for a free fitness assessment of some sort. This assessment, many times, amounts to nothing more than a high pressure sales pitch. Often, the (for profit) gyms pay personal trainers on 100% commission. This places trainers in a position where they must sell anything and everything to make a pay check.
You, the member, become stuck in a battle between the personal trainer trying to make his/her paycheck and their managers pushing them to SELL SELL SELL! This dilemma between trainers, managers, and members leaves a very large gap where members do not receive the proper fitness education. Often times, this causes a trend where people join a gym, receive little or no guidance, and quit. (repeat ad infinitum every January with New Years resolutions)
The old model of "join a gym, see a trainer, pay for instruction" is broke. We find many corporate gyms placing personal trainers as the "only way to learn how to exercise". The problem here is that very few people can afford personal training with prices ranging anywhere from $50-130 per hour.
The average gym member struggles to pay their monthly gym membership. How does a gym manager think a member can dish out $300-$1,200 per month to have exercise guidance? These people are either nuts, greedy, or living under a rock! Members are forced to pay a trainer or aimlessly roam the sea of gym equipment with no help! This explains why we see the same people on yo-yo diets and constantly joining and quitting gyms each year.
Obesity in the United States is not dropping anytime soon. With proper guidance and assistance, people will be able to use their gym and exercise! Maybe helping people learn how to exercise can lower the obesity rate?
We need to take the spotlight off the diet industry and McDonalds and place it on the gym industry. This will allow members to see the scams and unjustified fees that gyms use to make high profits. Losing weight consists of 2 things, diet AND exercise. We need to pay more attention to the calories out part of the equation.
We need gyms that actually help members. We need affordable personal trainers who can help more than just 2% of the member base. We need a gym that cares about health more than money! It is unfortunate that both personal trainers and gym members are stuck in this commission limbo. Einstein said it best, "Insanity is doing the same thing and expecting different results." The fitness industry needs to change!
Understand that gyms are businesses who want 2 things; your money, and your signature to keep it coming! After 4 years with a for-profit gym, I started a website to HELP INFORM gym consumers. Learn how to save money and avoid the sales pitches!
http://www.fitnesspatterns.com teaches you how to exercise without the corporate cost. Understand why personal training is not for you. Less than 2% of gym members use a trainer!
http://www.fitnesspatterns.com is Founded by a 12 year personal trainer, athlete, college graduate, and Army Veteran. We care about your health not your money.