Reimaging Personal Training: A Think Piece by Bob Esquerre, MA, NSCA-CPT

Before I get into the meat of this brief article, I would like each reader to understand that I am sensitive to the world of the Personal Trainer. There will also be a few Readers from the Personal Training segment of the Health and Fitness Sector who will see this Article’s Title and discount it right away without even reading the content. They will do that because (1) the Title may seem to challenge the efficacy & viability of Personal Training and (2) assume that the writer probably has no understanding and appreciation of Personal Training. I get this mindset.

?"Because of that reality, and to assure you of my bona fide expertise, I'm going to state upfront that I have 32 years of practical experience as a GroupEX Instructor; 26 years of experience as a Personal Trainer and within those 32 years, I have 18 years of experience as a Small & Large Group Training Coach."

My Personal Training sensitivity was developed as a Personal Trainer, as the 2nd Fitness Director and Creator & Founding Director of the Equinox Fitness Training Institute (EFTI). Yes..that’s the Equinox, founded by the Errico Family in New York City.

Whether we work for a Club/Studio as an employee or as an Independent Contractor or have a Personal Training business that we Own & Manage, Personal Training is a “business”. We have to create our business; we have to launch it and grow our business. We have (1) to deliver training sessions (daily, weekly, monthly) and (2) make money (both gross & net income) so that we can survive as a business.

Here is my reality check question for Club/Studio Owners, Club/Studio Managers and Personal Trainers?

How many training sessions can we do daily, weekly and monthly before we burn out? How many days a week can we work before we “tap-out”? How many times can we increase our prices before we hit our market ceiling? How do we increase our net income (i.e. profit margins) after expenses, quarter-after-quarter and year-after-year?

Yes, we have incorporated (1) virtual training options into our service offerings and (2) many of us have partnered with Nutritionists to add supplementation to our service mix as well. And Yes, many of us have created products that we sell to increase our income base.

I would like our Readers to “Think Outside the Box” as you read the next Section of this Article.

What If, with proper additional training, we’re able to create and launch additional fee-based services that would increase both our gross and net income per contact session?

We created and launched our Omnichannel Business Profile (CHART “A”), in Q-1, 2023.

This list consists of 8 Types of Services that have both a Live and Virtual Option. This creates a potential opportunity of up to 16 Service Programming Options, with increased fees per contact training/coaching session. All it takes is the development of a Personal Trainer with an Entrepreneurial Mindset.

?The skill sets that are required to deliver Items (A) through (H) are so specialized (GRAPHIC "A") that each Category requires a distinct set specialized technical and customer engagement training skills. [Service Item (H) is a top-of-the-food-chain Option that relates to Real Estate & Residential Community Wellness Programming. Option (H) is so unique, yet viable, that we will flush this out in a later Article].

These skill-set variations will also create a different set of Customer Outcomes. These Customer Outcomes will create the need for distinct pricing models that will increase both gross & net income for Fitness Professionals. CHART “A2” represents a potential pricing model for our Concept.

POTENTIAL PRICING STRUCTURE. Chart “A2” represents a “Pricing Sample” that identifies services (A) through (G). As we proceed from left to right, (A) represents the GroupEX Fee which is the lowest compensation fee of all these services. In (B) through (G), the compensation fee to the FitPro increases based on the services that are delivered and the number of Customers (Clients) that we Train/Coach. The FitPro is incentivized to reach-out-and-touch-more-customers-per-contact-session. This is how we started to create business income opportunities that increase both Gross & Net Income. This occurs while we deliver more diversified, customer-centric services/programs at various price points. TABLE "A" below provides additional details about each Service Category.

FINAL THOUGHTS When I had initially started talking about my Reimaging Personal Training Concept back in 2004+, I had received push back from the “Hard CORE” PT Community. However, after they stopped laughing at the idea, they remembered my successful track record in Personal Training at the Big “E”>>>Equinox! They also remembered that I had started my Fitness Career as a GroupEX Instructor. My idea left them scratching their heads.

What Do You Think? Am I really “That-Off-The-Wall” with a business model that can potentially increase both Gross & Net Income while delivering branded, customer-centric programming options that are cost effective for our Customers? As a Club/Studio Owner, Club/Studio Manager and as a Personal Trainer, what do you think?

MEET OUR HYBRID FITNESS PROFESSIONAL

P.S. I was also once told that Hybrid FitPros don’t exist. Some of the “Best” Personal Trainers who I have met are those folks with GroupEX Training. Think about your Rock Stars in your facilities who are the “Best” Personal Trainers? The Robert Shermans, the Pete McCalls, the Ann Gilberts, the Abbie Appels, the Joanne Groves, the Debbie Bellengers, the Fred Hoffmans, the Irene McCormicks, the Jasmine Reddins, the Keli Roberts, the DatDiva Richards, the Amber Tooles, the Marvin Burtons, the Cecily Guests, the Roberto Melanis, the TJ McNiffs, to name only a few of the Many Hybrid FitPros.