Every club should boast a dedicated abs area featuring more than just one piece of abs equipment. Here are 10 reasons why.
1. Everyone Wants Great-looking Abs
Men strive to develop a lean six-pack and women want a flat tummy and slender waistline. Installing a dedicated abs area in your club will instantly appeal to your members’ desire to have great-looking abs.
2. Surveys Show That Club Members Love Ab Machines
A recent IHRSA survey ranked ab machines as a top activity that your members value the most in their health clubs, right up there with treadmills and ellipticals.
3. Abs Sell
The next time you are in the supermarket, check out the headlines on the covers of popular magazines. Many of them feature articles such as, “How to Get Flat Abs Fast,” “Blast Belly Fat,” “Two Weeks to a Tighter Tummy” and “Six Pack Secrets.”
Magazines use these headlines because they help sell millions of copies. Marketers use abs to sell. With a dedicated ab training area your club can do the same thing.
4. Dedicated Ab Training Areas Are Becoming Popular at Clubs
Ab training areas are becoming mainstream in several club chains across the country. Both Planet Fitness and Retro Fitness offer a special area dedicated solely to ab training, and the trend continues to grow. More clubs are jumping on board everyday because members love it.
5. Training Variety is Key
There are many ways to train abs and like any muscle group, the key to improvement is variety in training. Installing a dedicated ab circuit area provides your members with a place to work their abs in many ways, with different types of machines.
6. Members Want to See Results
Before you hire another salesperson or run more generic ads with price discounts in the hope of increasing sales, you should first consider this: People care about seeing results, and they love to work on their abs. Appeal directly to the needs and desires of your members by installing a dedicated ab training area and showing how to get a great-looking core.
7. You Can Offer Short-term Ab-focused Training Programs
Increase your membership and generate more revenue from existing members by offering short-term ab-focused programs in conjunction with a core training area. Also, by offering short-term ab-focused programs to prospects without the long-term membership commitment, you will attract people who probably never would have stopped by your club. These programs also work for your members who need a little challenge to get them back on track.
8. Ab Machines are “Silent Salesmen” to Help Close Deals
A dedicated ab training area with great ab machines can become your “silent salesmen” to help new prospects get excited about joining your club. Think about the key decision moment for new prospects — the club tour. People understand the cardio area is for your heart, the strength area is for your muscles, and there are rooms for fitness classes such as indoor cycling or yoga. Most clubs have all of these things.
Now, imagine showing them an area in your club dedicated to core training. What better way to complete your club tour before you begin reviewing various membership options?
9. A Thin Waistline Means a Healthy Heart
A strong waistline is not just about looking great. Many studies show that a healthy waistline is also an indication of heart health. In other words, where fat is located on your body matters when it comes to health risks. Researchers have found that people who have high amounts of fat in their abdomens compared to other parts of the body have higher risks of cancer and heart disease. The bottom line: You are not just selling vanity when you are selling abs — you also are selling good heart health.
10. Ab-focused Marketing Works
When you focus your marketing message on what people want, you can greatly increase your number of sales. As a result, consider focusing your health club marketing on showing your members how they can achieve a lean waistline with a dedicated ab training area in your club.
Sean Gagnon is the vice president of The Abs Company, the company behind the Ab Coaster, Abs Bench and Ab Solo products. For more information, visit www.theabscompany.com.
