5 things I learned owning a performance based gym.

Well it sure has been a bit. I haven't wrote a blog post for I don't know how long. I do have some funny ass Pro Tip videos that may or may not piss some people off, I'll keep to myself for now lol.

What I wanted to write about were the Top 5 things I learned owning and operating a performance based gym, training people from all walks of life and coaching a powerlifting team of over 20 people. This was over roughly 5 years, as well as training people out of another gym for a few years prior to that. I don't view myself as a professional in this field as I don't have decades of experience, but I have learned a lot. So let's just get into it, in no particular order.

These types of gyms fail from the inside out.

These types of gyms succeed or fail internally. What I mean by this is everyone involved from owner to coaches to members. That's what crumbles these places. Whether it be owners not being on the same page or not being "in it" enough. Coaches not giving a shit and being on their phones all the time and not caring about actually coaching/training members. Members can also be the culprits. Whether it be members clicks, members having sex with each other or owners/coaches. All of these things bring these types of gyms down and it happens in what I would say is most of these gyms one way or the other. I'm not saying all, so sit down. I'm saying a majority.

There are other ways to get in shape besides what you are doing and that's ok! 

What I mean by this is, there are 100's of ways to get in shape. Some are better than others for what someone is wanting to do or where they want to see their body. For myself I programmed my programs with lots of free weight, strength based movements. This included a lot of heavy lifting. Although that was scaled per the person, that doesn't mean that's the best structure for them to get where they want to be. Another one may be a women, let's say she's a bit overweight and just wants to lose the pounds. She's not concerned if her squat number goes up, she's not concerned if she can carry a car someplace. While those things are cool for a little bit for them to see, and they will get excited about it, that's not going to keep them. Generally these people are so wrecked from doing that type of training they fizzle out. Or let's say she's a woman that's in shape or just doesn't work out. Doesn't need to loose any weight or let's say 5-10 lbs. She doesn't want to look like she is a competitive Crossfitter. She just wants to slim up, look good and not kill herself. There are avenues for all of these people and it may or may not be what you are programming and that's OK! There is room in this industry for everyone and the energy you put into worrying or being mad at everyone because they don't come to your gym can be used for such better things.

Some people don't want what you are offering, and that's ok! 

When we had the gym it was really hard to see people I knew working out someplace else. Like hey! You're my friend. Why aren't you supporting us? But really, it's just comes down to what you are doing isn't always for everyone, as much as we tell ourselves that. Some people may just want to workout at home to something on the TV. I mean shit, I gave that 80 day deal a bunch of shit but it does work. How sustainable is another question, but it has results and it sure can work for people if that's what they are looking for. Some may want to work out in a more conventional gym structure that's ok too. Some of these other workout styles may or may not be that sustainable, but at least they are doing something, and after that doesn't work out for them they may come asking you questions. That's your foot in to let them know what you do and maybe they might try it. I know I personally fell into that trap and the long game is where this pays off.

Their are coaches and their cheerleaders. Figure out which one you are and what one you want to be.

This one might rub some people wrong, but hey get over it. I trained people for over 7 years day in and day out, in person and online. I had a tough time calling myself a coach. I had mentors that were coaches that had decades of experience that I continued to try to get as much knowledge as possible from, and spent loads of money to learn and learn and learn. All so I would be able to know what I was talking about. Like really know what I was talking about. Even then, I was constantly learning things. At that point it was still hard to call myself a coach. Was I a "trainer"? I don't know what you want to call that but I'd still be hard pressed to call myself "Coach". I'll also say having "certifications" doesn't make you a coach either, but it's definitely a foot in the right direction. Now, that's what I wanted to be, and I set myself on a path to be that. What I'm getting at here is there are way to many people that call themselves coaches that are really cheerleaders. Being a cheerleader is ok, if that's what you want. What I mean by being a cheerleader is, having someone else program workouts or taking others workouts and calling them your own. Cheerleaders also don't have the actual knowledge to coach movements. They may know some queues, but it usually ends at that. They couldn't explain to you why something is supposed to be that way or why you have programmed certain movements in those specific order. There is also a 3rd category, those that know just enough buzzwords and queues to  put them together but to anybody that knows anything it makes zero sense. Sounds great to someone that's never lifted a bar before but they can't stand that up to anybody with any knowledge.

If this is you, don't fret. If you are a cheerleader that wants to be a coach, start learning. Invest in yourself. If you are a cheerleader and that's what you want to be, do it! Just don't think you are tricking anyone that's actually in the industry that you are more than that, and you aren't doing your "clients" any favors.

You can't please everyone and that's ok! 

When our gym first started we had 1 program. We also had the most members ever. Those are what I call the golden days. Everything just worked. We added some stuff for more volume, for those that wanted it and that was it. Once I started to want to please everyone and write multiple programs, that's when it got shaky. I still hear it, those early days were the best. The program and the environment were crazy! Yep that's true. This all comes back to there is room for everyone in this industry. If people want something else, let them go do it. If they want to do say 80 days of workouts at home.. do it. Don't fret, those people wouldn't have enjoyed your gym anyways. It's no skin off your back, put your time into your current members and watch the new ones keep coming through the door.

Scott