Gyms across different states have been unfairly targeted with the shutdowns, without any relevant data showing that they are responsible in any way for spreading the virus. Some gyms have been closed again which is very frustrating. In the episode, we look at the kind of business model you need moving forward.First off, we believe that in-person gym training will not go away. People will still need to come back to the gym for the social and community aspects of it. However, you also need to have virtual training in place for circumstances such as these and for those people who may prefer it.You need to be equipped with the technology, staffing and structure to go virtual. So, the best business model is a combination of the two; live training and virtual. For clients who prefer to come to the gym, you have to build their confidence with the cleaning, and social distancing protocols.Having the tools and expertise to pivot in either direction should be the goal of any gym. That way, whatever happens, you don’t lose your members because you can’t really predict what will happen in the future as we have learned so far. In addition, coming out of this, we’ll have some people who will prefer to continue training virtually. This creates another income source for your gymKey TakeawaysThe implications of gym getting closed again across different states (00:53)In-person training in the gym will not go away (05:42)Being equipped with the technology, staffing, and structure to run both live and virtual training (07:08Having the right tools to service personal training clients (11:19)Why franchises will be forced to disclose how COVID affected their financials going forwards (20:18)How a hybrid model works best to service all personality types (23:15)Being ready to pivot quickly in either direction by having the right assets in place (25:51)Additional Resources:www.AlloyPersonalTraining.comLearn About The Alloy Franchise Opportunity---------You can find the podcast on Apple, Google, Spotify, Stitcher, or wherever you listen to podcasts.If you haven’t already, please rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts!

Our programs are geared towards a full-body workout every time a client walks in. There is no metabolic benefit to doing body part workouts. This means within the hour they are here, we ensure that the programming gets them some mobility, stability, metabolic and emotional work. The full-body workout is very efficient.In every workout, we get four main movements and two core movements. The four main movements are pushing, pulling, hip dominant, and knee dominant. These four patterns are compound movements that involve a lot of muscles at the same time. The two main core movements are anti-extension and anti-rotation movements. These are about resisting movement and remaining as stable as possible to strengthen the core.In addition, to these four compound movements and two core movements, we have a metabolic finisher to raise the heart rate. This is for cardiovascular health and an emotional workout for the client. We talked about this in the previous episode.There is so much science and thought that goes into building these great programs. Tune to learn how we use the best programming conventions to come up with custom programs for every client. Key TakeawaysWhy our programs are geared towards a full-body workout every time (01:05)The four compound movements that we use for our programs (04:26)Resistance core movements to stabilize the core (08:44)The core is meant to prevent movement, not to create movement (11:30)Our programming is scientific and systematic (12:24)How we create custom programs but within the best programming conventions (13:35)The three levels of fitness we place our clients and how we do it (16:44)How we accommodate health history, injuries and different fitness levels to build truly great programs (25:06)Additional Resources:www.AlloyPersonalTraining.comLearn About The Alloy Franchise Opportunity---------You can find the podcast on Apple, Google, Spotify, Stitcher, or wherever you listen to podcasts.If you haven’t already, please rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts!

Welcome to another episode of the Alloy Personal Training Business Podcast. In this two-part series, we break down the process we go through to design great programs for our clients. We explain in detail the how and why of what we do. Today’s episode is part one, and we go through the process through which we figure out where to place the client into the programming.Once a client comes to us, we have the starting point session. We are trying to get as much information about them as possible. We call it peeling of the onion or golden needs analysis. We take their health history and their fitness goals. We take note of any injuries they may have now, or they had in the past, their pain motivator, and their expectations.We then marry the health history with the measurements of the Functional Movement Screen. The FMS is a scientific way to measure movement. In our case, we use an abbreviated version called Modified Screen, which is appropriate for the general population.  We then tie this with their health history to determine what programming to place them on. We place our clients into four quadrants based on a scored system. So all clients fit in one of the four quadrants. Listen in to this episode and learn more about this process and how to determine the right program for every client. Key TakeawaysGetting the health history of a client during their first session with us (04:07)Using the Functional Movement Screen to place our clients in either one of four quadrants (05:39)Marrying health history and functional movement screen scores (08:03)How many our clients fall in the second and third quadrants (09:21)Why you may have to refer people in the fourth quadrant for medical help (12:48)How we accommodate our client’s emotional needs in the programming (15:48)Additional Resources:https://www.functionalmovement.com/www.AlloyPersonalTraining.comLearn About The Alloy Franchise Opportunity---------You can find the podcast on Apple, Google, Spotify, Stitcher, or wherever you listen to podcasts.If you haven’t already, please rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts!

Today, we talk about the technologies we use at Alloy, how we use them, and why we picked each one over others in the market. We begin with the CRM. This is the software that runs your business. At Alloy, we use MindBody as our CRM, we took advantage of the coaching they offer, to learn more about it then simplified and customized it for our model. We closed off all the options that didn’t relate to our model.The reason we decided to work with MindBody is that their customer interface is excellent. This is very important as our clients can schedule and maneuver with ease. For the backend, as with any other CRM, you have to invest time and money to figure out how it works.One guiding principle for picking software to work with is simplicity and that the software should enhance human engagement not eliminate it. A personal conversation beats an automated message all the time. Besides lead management, we use Mind Body for communication, billing, and scheduling, which it does well.For our franchisees, we have a backend dashboard where we see their high-level metrics. This way, we can see where they are doing well and where they might be having trouble and look at ways to coach them. Lastly, we talk about our Alloy app and how it helps us improve the customer experience and how it came in handy during the lockdown as we pivoted to virtual training. Listen in to this great episode and learn more about the different fitness technologies available in the market and how to pick the best to work with. Key TakeawaysWhy we use Mind Body as our CRM (02:57)Using Frederick as our lead management software and marketing suite (06:54)Technologies should drive better human engagement not replace it (10:35)How MindBody handles scheduling well for a personal training model (17:01)Why we use Zipwhip for communication with our clients (20:10)The software we use to run our reward system and why we chose it (23:44)How the Alloy app helps us improve the customer experience (32:08)Additional Resources:www.AlloyPersonalTraining.comLearn About The Alloy Franchise Opportunity---------You can find the podcast on Apple, Google, Spotify, Stitcher, or wherever you listen to podcasts.If you haven’t already, please rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts!

Most of our clients who come to the gym have a secondary goal of fat loss especially the ladies. It is our duty as fitness professionals to figure out how they can achieve these goals. There is the misconception that some people think that for fat loss you have to do cardio. They have been led to believe that the intensity of cardio burns calories and helps lose fats. However, strength training is how to lose fat. In as much as cardio may be more enjoyable and appealing to a lot of people, it is not as effective in fat loss as strength training. Natalie takes us through why this is the case and shares her experience coming from running seven days a week to strength training four days a week and slowing down on the cardio. To achieve better results sooner, Natalie advises women that they should cut back on the running, biking, and cardio and do more strength training. This way, you’ll feel better, your hormones will be happier, you’ll have less inflammation and you’ll sleep better. This is how you create the right environment for fat loss and getting leaner. Some women have the fear that strength training will get them big. This is not true. You become lean and achieve your fat loss goals sooner. It will also make you feel better physically and mentally.Listen in to this episode and learn some other interesting facts about strength training and fat loss.Key TakeawaysWhy you’ll achieve better results through strength training (03:41)Cutting back on cardio despite enjoying it for the bigger goal of leanness (05:44)Why strength training won’t make women get big, but will make them lean (09:37)Doing more will not result in more results and may reverse your gains (12:24)What is strength training and how to go about it safely (14:50)How over-exercising messes up your hormones and works against you (20:10)Creating the right environment for fat loss through strength training, sleep, and nutrition (21:46)Additional Resources:www.AlloyPersonalTraining.comLearn About The Alloy Franchise Opportunity---------You can find the podcast on Apple, Google, Spotify, Stitcher, or wherever you listen to podcasts.If you haven’t already, please rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts!

The first concept we discuss is known as the Stockdale Paradox. Stockdale was the highest-ranking POW in Vietnam. In explaining how he and his troops survived the ordeal, we get some interesting perspectives that apply in life and business. He had unwavering faith that he would make it out of the prison camp but was also very realistic about the daily realities of the horrible conditions and uncertainties of life in the camp. The second concept is known as Productive Paranoia. This basically means knowing what you need to protect to survive. You can’t just have blind optimism without knowing what you need. It might be cash, people, or brand equity, Once you know what is important for your business to survive, then you need to stick with it and protect it.The third concept is Fanatical Discipline. As a business, you need to understand your metrics and once you do so, stay disciplined in achieving those metrics without getting distracted. Good times and tough times can distract us from metrics. Successful businesses are those that remain fanatically disciplined. Listen in to learn more about how these three interesting concepts apply to your business and how they help you have a different outlook, a different way to judge your performance as a leader and ultimately how to operate your businessKey TakeawaysGetting our first Alloy franchise up and running (00:53)What is The Stockdale Paradox and how it relates to your business  (06:11)Having unwavering faith in the long term outcome of your business but being realistic of our current situation (10:00)The concept of Productive Paranoia and how it helps your business survive tough times (12:40)Fanatical discipline, how to avoid distractions in your business (19:48)Avoiding distractions and making rash decisions during good or tough times (24:33)Additional Resources:www.AlloyPersonalTraining.comLearn About The Alloy Franchise Opportunity---------You can find the podcast on Apple, Google, Spotify, Stitcher, or wherever you listen to podcasts.If you haven’t already, please rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts!

In this episode, we discuss why high intensity interval training (HIIT) may not be the best type of exercise for your business.We talk about high intensity training - the pros and cons, and how it fits in somebody's program.High intensity interval training just means getting hot and sweaty. And it's super popular right now.It's just really been popular since the explosion of the studio model, which has really been probably eight years or so of the real popular studio models.And because of that, the “heart rate” was introduced.And that sort of drove that as well. The brand promise of some brands is heart rate.And so when you start tying effort level during a workout to the number of calories burned, and the end goal is like what happens just in these 45 minutes or this hour or these 30 minutes or whatever, you run the risk of then effectively telling your customer that the most important thing is how many calories they burn and how high they can get their heart rate in the next 30 minutes.And then you might make claims like: “Hey, this not only is going to burn calories; it's also going to build muscle.” Which is not true if you know the science behind muscle-building.Stay tuned as we delve deeper.Key Points of Discussion:Benefits of a short, intense exercise (5:05)You can't put out that much effort in 30 to 45 minutes (7:31)It doesn't actually produce maybe any of the results you're looking for (9:05)Doing metabolic-based training is better than sitting on the couch (9:30)The metabolic finisher - at the end of a true strength training workout (10:33)Your body's going to adapt to strain, strenuous activities, and stimulus (11:04)Doing it with strength training and sensible eating (13:51)There is a really high churn rate in a HIIT-based business (17:14)Fitting HIIT into clients’ schedules (22:45)If you’re looking for fat loss, general fitness, and you want to feel better… (29:12)---------Additional Resources:Learn About The Alloy Franchise Opportunity---------You can find the podcast on Apple, Google, Spotify, Stitcher, or wherever you listen to podcasts.If you haven’t already, please rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts!

A brand is more than just the name and logo. Building a relevant brand takes time and effort. There is a lot that goes into it. Initially, you have to decide what the brand has to do and the promise it has to deliver. Eventually, if you do everything right and deliver on the promise, the brand will take a life of its own. You’ll get some people who will champion for the brand and take it to the next level.Rick takes us through the process of branding he went through from the early stages when his gym was known as Good Bodies Personal Training which was a good name back then. This was until one of the subcontractors in the gym left with some clients to start a gym known as better bodies.  Rick had to change the name to NorthPoint Fitness. This went on for a while till the licensing business began and the name had to change. That’s when Alloy Personal Training business was born after a long process.The name was just the start, trademark rights, branding  and launching were to follow which took about four and a half months. Having done with the logistics of branding, delivering on the promise was the most important thing. You can have a good sounding name and branding but delivering on the promise is what counts. Listen in to learn about how you deliver on the brand promise and the customer experience and grow your brand.Key TakeawaysHow to build a brand (02:35)How we started our gym back in the day when it was called Good Bodies(03:31)Rebranding to Northpoint fitness (06:02)Searching for a new name that we could trademark for our licensing model (07:28)Settling on the Alloy Personal Training Business name (10:48)Delivering on the promise of the Alloy brand (17:00)How long it takes to build a brand (24:33)Additional Resources:www.AlloyPersonalTraining.comLearn About The Alloy Franchise Opportunity---------You can find the podcast on Apple, Google, Spotify, Stitcher, or wherever you listen to podcasts.If you haven’t already, please rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts!

Many fitness professionals such as coaches and instructors have the ambition of transitioning to being a gym owner. However, they do not know how to go about it. They do not know where to start. In this episode we look at the steps you have to take to successfully transition to being a fitness entrepreneur. The first step is having a business plan. Many entrepreneurs start their businesses without one which leads to failure. A business plan should be built around your vision. To have an effective business plan, you have to simplify your vision. Determine precisely what kind of service you want to offer and build your business right from the start. Securing capital to start the business is a big deal. Many business professionals underestimate the amount of capital needed to open a new business and building a brand. You can get this money from your own savings, friends and family, or a bank. However, for a bank to give you money, they have to see a solid business plan. If you cant come up with this, a franchise would be a better option since all the details are taken care of. A fitness franchise is like a massive shortcut. You don’t have to make the same mistakes entrepreneurs who came before you made. The system is already well developed.  Listen in to hear more of this and other steps you need to take in your journey from a fitness professional to a fitness entrepreneurKey TakeawaysHow can a fitness professional transition to being a fitness entrepreneur (04:16)Why having a business plan is the first step to starting your fitness entrepreneurship journey (05:04)Simplification of your vision and your business plan is a core value in business (07:38)Finding and securing enough capital to start and run your business (10:36)Why getting hold of a franchise is better if you cant come up with a solid business plan (13:46)Being part of a fitness franchise is like a shortcut. You avoid making the same mistakes (20:25)Looking at the end game of your fitness business and planning your exit strategy (25:02)Additional Resources:www.AlloyPersonalTraining.comLearn About The Alloy Franchise Opportunity---------You can find the podcast on Apple, Google, Spotify, Stitcher, or wherever you listen to podcasts.If you haven’t already, please rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts!

We start off the episode with a quick update on reopening the gym. Half of our clients are coming to the gym while the other half is training on virtual. This shows the need for gyms to remain flexible after reopening and cater to both groups of clients. We have sold some new memberships to our gym without marketing. We lost about 20% of our overall clientele due to the situation. The kettlebell is a cool training tool. Clients love it, we explore how they fit into our personal training model, how we use them, and the good things about them. We look at some not so good things about them. Lastly, we look at kettlebells through the lens of gym business.Kettlebells are one of the favorite tools in the gym for many clients. They help in increasing strength and even building muscles. They may not be the best for building muscle but they certainly have a place. In addition, kettlebells swings help with balance and movement and generally make us feel great which is important to keep clients motivated. With social distancing in the gym now, kettlebells are a great tool for workouts. They make everything better but just like any other tool, gym owners should test them with their clients and find out the right use of it. Key TakeawaysGym reopening progress and update (01:33)Why Kettlebells are the perfect tool for social distancing workout (05:56)Why coaches should disassociate their likes and dislikes and focus on their client’s fitness goals (17:47)How to use the kettlebell to increase strength  (18:41)How the kettlebell can help build muscle (25:27)Kettlebells make you perform better, feel better and look better (29:51)Additional Resources:www.AlloyPersonalTraining.comLearn About The Alloy Franchise Opportunity---------You can find the podcast on Apple, Google, Spotify, Stitcher, or wherever you listen to podcasts.If you haven’t already, please rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts!