The Fitness Industry?!

As much as I believe in the fitness industry, I can see how there is so much frustration with personal trainers and franchise clubs that provide the training.

I have gotten to experience this first hand for the past three months working as a training manager in one of the biggest franchise gyms at the moment. I am learning a lot as far as managerial tasks go but as far as training and gaining knowledge from the training perspective of things..........let's sayI could have regressed had I not been continually educating myself and working with a number of clients outside of that setting.

Even though I have been moving up the ranks I definitely know I do not want a future in a franchise because their service seems to be so far from a priority and it seems nothing else matters but the invoice. I understand that the people that are purchasing personal training are taking a step in the right direction and that we are helping them but something isn't right because a lot of people that sign up (and I mean A LOT) are not getting results, many times not even showing up for their training sessions.

The causes for this are many. One is the motivation of the trainers, everything seems to be rushed and there is no extra information or support being given. As soon as the session is over it is over to the next client and a lot of the time the same exercises, intensity, etc. (not really ever looking at the individual). The other factor is the experience and education of the trainers! I talk to most of the trainers that work for the company and I can't believe how little sense, knowledge and experience they have..........many of them not caring about continuing education, just enough to upkeep their certification.
At first I would talk to the trainers about anything and everything related to training, basically just talk shop, and I realized none of them really payed attention and tried changing the subject. I later realized that the reason was that they knew very little or nothing about what I was talking about so they didn't want to talk about it!

Now when I say this I am talking about the majority.......there are still good, passionate trainers in the big franchises, but it seems they are a dying breed (my experience).

Let me not even get to corporate because there it gets really bad. When you have a V.P. telling you how to sell a lady that has a herniated disk and to just give her to any of the trainers is just crazy! I don't have a problem with selling training because I believe that the people will have many benefits that will lead their life in a healthier and better direction, but the problem arises when you do not believe in the product you are selling, which in my case is the level of the training (in many instances).

The truth is that big franchises are going to keep selling a lot of personal training because of the client base of the big gyms but I would much rather see all those clients scatter and find smaller gyms where the trainers really have an interest in their health and have the knowledge and passion to provide great service......

I think thats enough of a rant for now. I will keep trying to give the people I assess and consult the best service and direct them to the trainers I trust and probably making my bosses pissed off............its the least I can do!

Water vs. Coke

I was reading through Dax Moy's blog and I loved this post. Part of the reason I wanted to post it is because everyday I deal with people that drink around 1-2 cups of water a day and around 8 cups of Coke a day. Somehow I feel it should be the other way around..............

WATER

1. 75% of the UK population are chronically dehydrated. (Likely applies to half world population.)

2. In 37% of all the UK population, the thirst mechanism is so weak that it is often mistaken for hunger.

3. Even MILD dehydration will slow down one's metabolism as much as 3%.

4. One glass of water will shut down midnight hunger pangs for almost 100% of the dieters studied in a University of Washington study.

5. Lack of water, the #1 trigger of daytime fatigue.

6. Preliminary research indicates that 8-10 glasses of water a day could significantly ease back and joint pain for up to 80% of sufferers.

7. A mere 2% drop in body water can trigger fuzzy short-term memory, trouble with basic math, and difficulty focusing on the computer screen or on a printed page.

8. Drinking 5 glasses of water daily decreases the risk of colon cancer by 45%, plus it can slash the risk of breast cancer by 79%, and one is 50%less likely to develop bladder cancer. Are you drinking the amount of water you should every day?

COKE
1. In many states (in the USA) the highway patrol carries two gallons of Coke in the trunk to remove blood from the highway after a car accident.

2. You can put a T-bone steak in a bowl of coke and it will be gone in two days.

3. To clean a toilet: Pour a can of Coca-Cola into the toilet bowl and let the "real thing" sit for one hour, then flush clean. The citric acid in Coke removes stains from vitreous china.

4. To remove rust spots from chrome car bumpers: Rub the bumper with a rumpled-up piece of Reynolds Wrap aluminum foil dipped in Coca-Cola.

5. To clean corrosion from car battery terminals: Pour a can of Coca-Cola over the terminals to bubble away the corrosion.

6. To loosen a rusted bolt: Applying a cloth soaked in Coca-Cola to the rusted bolt for several minutes.

7. To bake a moist ham: Empty a can of Coca-Cola into the baking pan, wrap the ham in aluminum foil, and bake. Thirty minutes before the ham is finished, remove the foil, allowing the drippings to mix with the Coke for a sumptuous brown gravy.

8. To remove grease from clothes: Empty a can of coke into a load of greasy clothes, add detergent, and run through a regular cycle. The Coca-Cola will help loosen grease stains. It will also clean road haze from your windshield.

FOR YOUR INFORMATION: 1. The active ingredient in Coke is phosphoric acid. Its pH is 2.8. It will dissolve a nail in about four days. Phosphoric acid also leaches calcium from bones and is a major contributor to the rising increase in osteoporosis.

2. To carry Coca-Cola syrup (the concentrate) the commercial truck must use the Hazardous Material place cards reserved for highly corrosive materials.

3. The distributors of coke have been using it to clean the engines of their trucks for about 20 years!

Still want a coke?