Every business has “game changers,” those initiatives or programs that lead to significant positive change. At Franco’s Athletic Club in Mandeville, Louisiana, the Lose Dat Challenge has turned out to be one of its game-changing initiatives, for both the facility and individual members.
“A big turnaround moment for us was when we finally figured out how to offer a weight loss program, which we call the Lose Dat Challenge,” said co-owner Sandy Franco. “It has been life changing. People tell us nothing has affected them like that did.”
The Lose Dat Challenge takes a team approach to weight loss by rewarding the team that’s participants lose the highest percentage of body fat mass. Weigh-ins take place every other week on a medical-grade scale, and individual and team average leaderboards are posted throughout the first six weeks. Throughout the challenge, participants receive guidance from a personal trainer and support from the group as a whole.
At the end of the challenge, a winning team is rewarded, along with the top male and female across the board.
According to Franco, the Lose Dat Challenge at Franco’s Athletic Club has been integral to helping many members kick-start their weight loss journeys. In addition, another benefit has been introducing participants to the benefits of working with a qualified and experienced personal trainer — which has boosted participation in small group and personal training programs as well.
When asked what’s made the program so successful, Franco explained that placing members on teams has been a key factor to success.
“A lot of members had never belonged to a club before or been a part of a team, and the friendships and the people they met — it just changed their lives,” said Franco. “A lot of people love the competitive aspect of it. It just totally changed how they thought about a club.”
In addition, the weekly weighs in help ensure members are staying on track. “They love the accountability,” said Franco.
According to Franco, it’s been gratifying to see one program have such a huge impact on the club community. “It was just very very gratifying to find something that made such an impact on our people, our members’ lives and on people that had never even thought about going to a club or wanting to,” she said. “It changed their thought process about how they viewed exercise and how they viewed being a member of a club. It broke down the barriers and really gave some great results.”
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Rachel Zabonick-Chonko is the editor-in-chief of Club Solutions Magazine. She can be reached at rachel@peakemedia.com.
