Fitness industry - “quo vadis” which way ?

(January 25th ,2009, Chinese New Year)

After 8 years inside the fitness industry I finally came to realize what the industry is all about. I started 8 years ago as a part time personal trainer. Then I went up to Personal Trainer Manager, Fitness Manager, 3 clubs Fitness Manager, Club Manager assistant, Club Manager and finally my first dream came true and opened my own club. So I thought my dream came true; until I had a revelation.
My revelation is that fitness is just another business. The same like McDonald’s, Macy’s or the restaurant from the corner. It is all about money. How much do I have to invest? How much my operation costs will amount to? What is my projected revenue? And finally and most important question: what profits can I get? Period.

It is not about health and conditioning, it is not about strength and cardiovascular endurance. It is not about challenge, passion and the desire to improve. It is not about living a better life and being a better man (or woman). It is just about money.

I look back and I realize that everybody knew that. It was just me alone who was dreaming to increase the health of the nation and to have everybody who comes through my doors train seriously and get impressive results.
Many chain clubs knew this thing 20 – 30 years ago. 10 bucks a month (the same you pay for a pizza pie), for a full month membership. You can come every day and use all the club’s facilities and services. They knew that most of the members will come and leave 10 bucks at the front desk, or even better, pay through EFT and almost never come again; but they will continue to pay, because who cares about 10 bucks a month.
Even if you are well intentioned, like me, and provide every member with free personal instruction and personalized training programs, most of the members will not stick to a good program more than 2 weeks. They will drive their car to the club, wait 20 minutes for a parking space, change a new Nike outfit and then walk 30 minutes on a treadmill starring on a small TV. After this they will line up for the Ab Machine and finish with some triceps extensions. That’s all. No squats, deadlifts, kettlebell swings, no overload and supercompensation; nothing but pretending to exercise.
The equipment producers also knew about the business and helped the club owners close sales and helped members mimic training. They came up with computer aided machinery, padded with comfortable fine touch handles and upholstery. They thought hard how to make the physical exercise more comfortable, likable and effortless. Almost nobody thought like me: how to become and also help others become stronger, healthier and better looking? How to help everyone change his or her life for better?

I look back at most of the club owners I worked for, worked with and met; big bellies, which smoked and almost never exercise. They sometimes bothered to do it; I guess that they were just trying to show that they know and respect the value of physical exercise. Just trying to show, that’s all.

I look back at the Athletic Business Trade Show I attended last year in Orlando. Attending one of the world’s leading fitness trade shows, in the country which believes it leads the fitness industry today (I am talking about USA), I haven’t almost met any knowledgeable (about training and fitness) and fit looking people. I said almost, because there were a few of them lost between the lazy ones.
Almost no one was interested about the Power Rack or kettlebells; I remember there were a lot of people around a Dance Revolution type of machine; and the new feature which allowed Ipod connection with the Life Fitness treadmill also received great interest.
Not to mention that being fat was the rule at the show and in Orlando.

It is nothing wrong with the fact that most of the people inside the fitness business are in just for the money. McDonald’s did not start with the idea of creating a healthier food for the people, or to change people’s lives. It started as a simple business from “how can I earn better profits?”
I also thought that if I would be opening a company which provides business consulting and training for example I would think exactly the same: “How can I maximize MY profits?” Maybe I would have a competitor which graduated from Harvard, Doctor in Business Administration, who would think the same as I think now about my competitors: “How can he do this?” “It is for sure that his clients will not get to much value from his consulting”. And I would not care as long as I would make good profits. Why would I care, I do not like and care about business consulting. I am here just to make a living.

I will not give up on my dream. My dream is to help people start to exercise, get results and make fitness a part of their life. My dream is to help fitness become a way of life for most people, the same as brushing teeth.
I will open in the future training clubs (because I believe that fitness clubs are a lost cause), write books, and be an active presence on the web; I will train fitness professionals and train members, athletes and people. I will not give up.

Today’s blog ends like this: the fitness industry, the fitness clubs - It is nothing but the sale; nothing but the money.

See you again