Over the last few years, many clubs and gyms unfortunately saw a drastic decrease in personal training attendance and interest due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the offering has been making a strong return toward normalcy in recent months.
In fact, Raphael Konforti, the senior director of fitness at YouFit Health Clubs, said in many cases personal training is bouncing back even stronger than membership.
“Many people were saying in-person training was doomed with all the different home training options people tried during lockdowns,” said Konforti. “The reality is there has always been at-home training options such as P90X and BowFlex. The new options are an improvement, but they are not a replacement. While artificial intelligence (AI) systems can identify form miscues, they can’t replace a trainer knowing the right cue, modification or protocol.”
Konforti said one reason why many gym-goers are still seeking in-person options is because they need the commitment of meeting with a trainer to stay on track. Also, clients don’t have the same quality or intensity in workouts when on their own, and people will continue to experience that with virtual avenues.
Pete McCall, a fitness industry education consultant, said while the biggest disruptor has been the arrival of virtual personal training and fitness, no algorithm or program can fulfill the need for connection.
“In the long run, you are never going to replace a live person,” said McCall. “Someone can be a good virtual coach, but you aren’t getting that personal connection with them. We need to double down on the human connection. With all this talk about AI, we are the one industry that is not going to be affected by it. We are the one industry that really provides that human contact we crave and need in a virtual world. That is our big differentiator going forward.”
Elise Stolzle, the fitness director at Stone Creek Club and Spa in Covington, Louisiana, said another reason why personal training is trending up is because more people are placing greater value on their health post COVID-19.
“We may not be able to control a pandemic or global shutdown, but we know regular exercise, quality nutrition and weight management are critical to our health and can be controlled,” said Stolzle. “It may not mean sickness can’t take you down, but doing everything in your power to live a healthy lifestyle can only help the situation. If you need accountability, someone to show up for you, or someone to teach and guide you along your health journey, hiring a personal trainer and placing a monetary value on your health is the way to go.”
Recently, Stolzle said her club has had success running small group training programs. While this isn’t a new concept, Stolzle explained it offers an introduction to the training most individuals need even if they think they don’t.
“We try to keep small groups to a maximum of six people, so everyone gets personalized coaching and workouts based on their goals and fitness level,” said Stolzle. “Small group training provides accountability and socialization for those who might be intimidated to try private personal training. We usually run small group programs in five-to-eight-week time frames and have found around 50% continue training after the program is finished.”
Another successful strategy for Stone Creek Club and Spa is marketing the specialty of personal trainers. Stolzle said doing so is beneficial to building clientele, and it makes a difference when people trust their trainer has special knowledge in an area in which they are interested.
Also, the club is seeing success with encouraging personal trainers to get involved in group fitness. Stolzle said a divide exists between group fitness attendees and strength floor users, but a few personal trainers recently embarked on leading group fitness classes and the member crossover has been significant.
“Members are bonding with their group fitness instructors/personal trainers and are getting curious about what they can teach them outside of group fitness studios,” said Stolzle. “Personal trainers bring a unique flavor to group fitness and have been able to draw new clients from that once untapped group.”
For YouFit Health Clubs, Konforti said member education workshops hosted in conjunction with open house events garner a lot of positive feedback.
Specifically, they developed 30-to-60-minute workshops on topics they know members are interested in. Konforti said these opportunities include effective glute training, how to use weightlifting platforms, and proper stretching and recovery methods.
“It creates organic questions and conversations that lead to personal training sales and increased member retention,” said Konforti. “Members enjoyed these so much we developed some of them into small group training formats. Although point of sale is one of the best times to get a member started with personal training, these classes demonstrate the value of working with a certified trainer for those not initially interested in the offering.”
One area in personal training seeing high attention from visitors is functional movements and mobility classes. McCall said this is mostly due to the rapidly aging population.
“The people who hire personal training tend to be over 40 years old,” said McCall. “What they are looking for is guidance on how to exercise injury-free. Those trainers who really understand functional and mobility training have a strong market advantage with that segment. People in their 40s and 50s want to work out. They just don’t want to get hurt. Trainers who understand how to challenge them but keep them safe with mobility will really stand out in their programming.”
But regardless of the strategy or class, a strong personal training program is nothing without engaged and knowledgeable trainers. That’s why Konforti said it’s important to recognize the standard of education required to be certified has changed recently. Therefore, club leaders should take the time to teach how to be a great trainer.
“Ideally, make sure weekly trainer one-on-ones and monthly trainer meetings always have some type of fitness education,” said Konforti. “Personal trainers are the product. To have a successful program, you must invest in them. Trainers are often thought of as cactuses — tough exteriors that don’t need much watering. Trainers love helping people and they need more watering than a cactus, whether they show it or not. The best personal training programs don’t have the best salespeople. They have the best trainers. The more you invest into the product, the better the product will be. The better the product, the better we fulfill our mission of health and fitness.”
