Everyone is always complaining about what is wrong with the fitness industry but what about everything that is right with the fitness industry?
Yours in prosperity,
Jim Labadie
Jim Labadie is the CEO of Prograde Nutrition a nutritional products company created specifically for fitness professionals. He is also co-owner of Ultimate Business Systems which provides business coaching services and products to personal trainers. His newsletters, products and coaching continue to encourage personal trainers to leave the Meat Head image behind and be viewed as experts in a world that desperately needs their help. You can follow his every move on Twitter and friend him on Facebook.
Facebook comments:
Related posts:
I think that the biggest answer is that we’re helping people – changing peoples lives for the better. I really believe that it’s beyond just losing weight, building muscle, or athletic training – it’s giving people positive experiences and changing their entire life for the better.
Along with that – all of the people that I’ve met in the industry have been extremely helpful and friendly. That’s about as “right” as you can get.
Jim,
Great question. I believe the answer, from my perspective at least, is that there is an elevated level of respect for the industry on the whole in the eyes of other professionals. I work with a number of doctors, lawyers, stock brokers, etc and they understand the demands placed upon me for my time and the dollar value it has created. I even had one very respected client, who is a lawyer, comment on my raising my fee’s that, “It’s a bargain at twice that price.”
I also agree with Mr. Sinik that we are in the business of saving lives. I tell people that my sole purpose in life is to help others die young very late in life. I have a client currently who, at 41 years of age and 5′ 6″, just 14 weeks ago weighed 355. He is now down to 302 on his way to 200. It’s a good feeling to see him excited to come to the gym and make progress.
Thanks again for the opportunities you guys provide.
Steve
When people ask me what I do, I respond by saying “I save lives every day.” It’s amazing how puzzled they are when you explain that motivating people to be active each day has more of an impact than any drug on the market.
The best part of our market is the void that we fill to impact not only the physical well being, but the emotional and psychological health of the people we work with each day. We provide services that produce results that doctors, friends, family, and the pharmaceutical industry cannot match. We give people hope that each day their lives can and will get better, regardless of where they are in life, and what baggage they carry.
I’m proud to be a member of the healthcare, not sickcare, industry.
Mark Mogavero
One thing I’ve noticed more is the rising number of trainers improving their own knowledge. I make a point of enhancing my own training smarts as much as I can. I’ve never really paid much attention to marketing and running a busines until recently as I’ve always tended to follow the philosophy of ‘Improve yourself as a trainer and the money will come to you.’ And the thing is, it works! I’ve developed a reputation among all workplaces I’ve been in as the ‘go to’ guy when it comes to injuries and curing chronic pain.
And watching other trainers and co-workers follow through and take it upon themselves to develop their ability to cure a clients pain fills me with some hope that we’re making work to redeem our meathead stereotype.
We promote a lifestyle that we know contributes to finding ultimate happiness. We better ouselves so we can help others to a greater extent. We keep a smile on the outside but also on the inside showing people how attitude improves everything.
The fitness profession in its purest form is all about reaching out, pushing forward and showing others the way to achieving personal happiness.
There is a lot of right in the industry.
1. There is endless opportunity for any Fitness Professional that is willing to put work in and hustle.
2. There are numerous masterminds, coaching programs and conferences for us to attend and surround ourselves with the best in the industry.
3. The APPT…need I say more.
4. What’s right is that there are so many really good Fitness Professionals that are doing their best to change lives in the world.
Donovan “DFitnessguy” Owens
The Boot Camp Godfather
I could go on and on but I will condense this into three main points.
1. Number one is that we are worth it. So many fitness professionals undervalue how much they do for people. I know I am still working at this fact. Helping someone with their health and fitness and making them look and feel 10 years younger is basically priceless.
2. The countless transformation stories and the countless testimonials of average people achieving extraordinary results.
3. Finally, the fitness leaders that find the people with passion, desire, and integrity to grow and expand their business so they can continue to help others.
1) As everyone stated above we are changing and enhancing lives.
2) Fitness Professionals are finally learning and earning good to great $$$$$.
3) The industry is becoming more professional and respectable.
4) Thanks to your certain fitness business marketers/consultants (like yourself) trainers are becoming fitness entreprenuers.
5)The boom in trainers breaking loose from the corporate gyms create a wider market (with variety)…and more affordable for the general public.
I thought about what I wanting to say when Jim was talking and then after reading the comments EVERYONE absolutely agreed with my thoughts. Here are the key things that I think we have RIGHT:
1. Professionalism. We are all working to further the industry APPT is one great example of this
2. Changing lives every day! Need I say more. Last night we did a hike with some of our training clients and a 60+ year old woman hiked Straight up the side of a mountain with me for 1:41 minutes. We didn’t set any records but she had lived in Vancouver her whole life and never did this very popular hike.
3. Being inspired by all the positive people that we have in our industry. Stay Positive and Succeed!
These are the reasons we started our personal training studio and the reason that we started Volo. We wanted to a part of the industry that is so amazing and coming into it’s own and we wanted to do whatever we can to help others.
Nikki Layton
http://www.myvolo.com
Jim,
I think that as an industry we’re doing a lot of things well;
1) we’re looking for more win-win situations, not long term/ poor service memberships
I think that the networking being done is helping all involved
2) I believe the service is a lot better for the clients
3) I believe that we’re better qualified than ever before
4) I like the fact that we’re trying to self regulate our industry for standards
5) I think we’re getting better results for our clients than ever before
6) I think we’re doing a better job being seen as a piece of the medical model (prevention & treatment)
7) I believe that the supplements that are available are a much better quality, results driven market
Sincerely, Keith Molloy
Thanks for posting, everyone! But you know what’s REALLY interesting? I bet you a hundred bucks if I asked people to comment on what is WRONG with the industry we’d have over 100 comments.
Think I’m wrong?
Great topic-
I am really glad to see the fitness industry moving along with the functional training trends. Bodybuilding and other physique sports have been the focus for much to long.
Jim- you are surely right!
Lots of progress in the craft of fitness, no doubt about it.
What I think we are doing best as a group: we are finally starting to approach personal training like a business- getting as jacked up about conversion systems and training systems- talking to each other like business owners!
At fast track, this was more apparent than ever with people speaking more about their favorite lead generation tactics rather than their favorite exercises.
I think this alone will be the reason why there will be more 6-figure trainers killing it every day tomorrow and the next day after that and so on.
Lastly, we are working with groups and helping more people- the obesity epidemic can and will only be solved via groups and we are all finally approaching it that way
today is a great day to be a trainer, never been more proud of my brother’s and sister’s!
crank it!
BJ
http://www.workoutmuse.com