Hi and welcome to another week.
There were some very busy sessions at the gym last week and the benefits of moving the weights upstairs really showed through – being able to use the rubber flooring area for barbell work or step work gave us a lot more room and flexibility…having this space available is going to be fantastic for the long term.
It was also great to see so many people back from their self-imposed Christmas break – and not just from a business perspective. One thing that I have really enjoyed since opening ‘Round 1 Fitness’ has been getting to know so many people who I would not have otherwise come in contact with – and I have to say seeing a ‘regular’ come back in for the first time in a couple of weeks never fails to make me smile. Now, I have been told that this is business and ‘They are not your mates’ but when you see someone 2 or 3 (or 4 or 5) times a week for a few months it is hard to see it that way.
Now, this probably cost’s me in a purely financial sense – I often find myself talking people out of buying ‘extras’ and talk to them about:
I am told none of this is smart business (and it probably isn’t from a purely financial perspective) but I want the gym to be about training, working hard and getting results, and not about the whole ‘Do you want fries with that?’ mentality. It is the same reason why we aren’t doing any personal training right now – I cannot see how charging someone $55 per hour ($70 at some places) in any way helps them achieve their goals, because a $200 per week gym bill is simply not sustainable for working people/working families. Sure, you might make some short-term improvements, but how can you sustain that sort of expenditure in order to make a long-term lifestyle change?
All of that said, I do regularly recommend people buy hand wraps pretty early on in their ‘Round 1’ experience, but this is because having sore hands and wrists is not conducive to boxing training and how can you meet your goals if you are injured.
I guess that leads into the general philosophy behind setting up ‘Round 1 Fitness’ and what I want out of the gym:
Just on this last point, if you believe you are being over-charged for any of the products offered at ‘Round 1 Fitness’, please let me know. I am usually pretty happy to provide you with full disclosure of wholesale costs and feel very confident that you will accept the prices charged are essentially as low as they can be.
Anyway, if you think we are letting any of these things ‘slip’ at ‘Round 1 Fitness’, please let me know. It might be something temporary associated with another change (recent issues with floor mats and lack of music in the weights area), it might be something I am chasing a 3rd party for (hand-towels in members kits, benches in the change-rooms) or it might be something that is all about me and I need to fix straight away – either way, please let me know if things are slipping and I will do what I can to remedy things.
New Year’s Resolution Special
Still got a couple of weeks left on the New Years Special – 20 sessions for $150. This works out to be more than 30% off the price of a casual session – a great deal particularly given the passes have an ‘unlimited’ expiry…
Gym Update #1
More thanks to Dave Peisley from David Andrews Electrical. We now have power upstairs – and (very soon) there will be a bit of music to go with the air-conditioning in the weights area. Further to that, another couple of dedicated power-points have been installed near the round timer/stereo. What this will mean is that when the next lot of fans are installed the treadmills can be moved from the middle of the floor back towards the front of the gym, further opening up the main floor area.
Gym Update #2
Over the next couple of weeks I will be monitoring attendance in the gym on Saturday afternoons – since the start of December (which is 6 weeks) only 4 people in total have used the gym after 1pm. If this trend continues, I will move the closing time back to 1pm (from 3pm).
Remember, just because there isn’t a class on it doesn’t mean you can’t train. Aside from using the weights room/cardio gear, you could ask for the timer to be turned on, and give this a go:
You can pretty easily fill 30-45 minutes and get yourself a solid workout – listen to the bell, hit the bags nice and hard and keep your effort high.
Reminder – Bring a TOWEL!!!!!
Remember, if you are coming along to a session, bring a towel and a water bottle and take them around the class with you. Not only does this save you wasting time traipsing up the gym to grab your water/towel mid-class, it is also more hygienic and will be appreciated by others in the class…the weather is hot, the gym gets hot, the classes are hard – you are going to sweat. So bring a towel and make sure you use it.
January Challenge Update
The January Challenge is on and in full swing. It has been great to see how many people have ‘had a go’ and registered a time – doing this early and working to improve your time throughout the month is a great way to improve your fitness levels (and lose a bit of weight as well!).
Some of the times on the board are fantastic – and there is a lot of competition up near the top of the ‘Male / under 35’ with Ryan Gilroy, Shane Edwards and Lloyd Rogerson all within seven (7) seconds of one another…
Kids Club Reminder
Remember, the Kids Club is back this week and will operate as follows:
– Members kids train for FREE.
– All others will be required to purchase a Kids Club Pass – this will entitle you to 10 Sessions and will cost $50.
Link of the week
Following on from the resumption of the “Kid’s Club”, Mackie Shilstone has released a new book called ‘Body Plan for Kids’. You can find it on Amazon at this link: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1458725421/ref=pe_5050_18260100_snp_dp
The blurb says: ‘It is the first book of its kind to offer specific strategies for eating healthily, getting fit, and increasing self-esteem targeted at eight- to twelve-year-olds. The plan shows parents how to: Take height and weight measurements and determine body-fat percentage; Work with their childs doctor to determine an ideal target weight; Involve kids in making better food choices; Increase daily physical activity with more than two dozen games and activities; Track eating, exercise, and weight loss electronically. Complete with age-specific advice from a paediatrician, nutritionist, clinical psychologist, and other specialists, as well as recipes and more than 100 online and print resources, Mackie Shilstone’s Body Plan for Kids gives parents the solutions and tools to bring about effective weight loss in their children (and themselves).’
Mackie Shilstone is a legendary strength and conditioning coach – famed for training athletes including Serena Williams, Bernard Hopkins and Ozzie Smith – and was recently in the news as the trainer who helped John Goodman lose more than 50kg’s. His other books include ‘The Fat Burning Bible’ and ‘Lean and Hard’ and document his training and diet philosophy – all about consistent behaviour and understanding the links between diet, training and lifestyle.
As the parent of two 8-12 year olds (and of course a 4yo who will get there eventually) that’s good enough for me, and this will certainly be a reference I will be checking out.
Anyway, that is it from me for another week.
See you in the gym!
Michael.
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