It is that time of year again where we conduct our client survey. We conduct this survey 3 times per year and use it to create our updated group training schedule, make changes to the studio and use it to check in with our clients to make sure they are happy! You can learn more about the details on how we set up the survey, how we distribute the survey and what we do with the information in the blog post Happy Clients Mean More Clients. 

Our Assistant Fitness & Training Director is in charge of creating, distributing and collecting the data of the survey 3 times per year. It is extremely important that all of our clients are aware of the survey and have ample time to complete the survey. We ask each trainer to send an email to their clients (both personal training and group training) – using reports from Mindbody Online… and personally ask them to complete the survey. We also print out little cards with the survey link and info and place those cards in our trainers boxes so they can hand them out to clients.

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Here is the email that our Assistant Fitness & Training Director recently sent out to our trainers asking them to help distribute the information about our survey. Feel free to check out our most recent survey to see who we set it up!

“Good evening team,

Our July Client Survey is now open, through July 15th.  Please send the survey link to all of your clients, both Group and PT.  I will have survey link cards ready for you to pass out by Wednesday, but let’s hit our clients two fold with a direct email as well.  Below is a sample email that you may simply copy and paste.  Remember that the more feedback we receive, the more accurately we can plan programs to toward their preferences.  Marketing made easy!

SURVEY LINK

Greeting fitness fiends!

The NWPT Summer 2015 client survey is out!  This is your chance to tell us what you think about our locker room amenities, customer service, training programs and so much more.  Take 10 minutes to let us know what you think, and be entered into our drawing for your chance to win a 30 minute private training session.”

Go ahead and make surveys a part of your yearly marketing plan because happy clients mean more clients!!

Yours in health, fitness & business,
Sherri McMillan

Looking for more info to help market your fitness business? Check out these two marketing blog posts!

You Need More Than Just Word of Mouth Referrals!
Foundation For Fitness Marketing Success: Know Your Competition!

SAVE $125 ON THE FITNESS RESULTS MANUAL TODAY!!!

Our Fitness Results Manual is the main resource tool we use to generate an extra $20k in revenue each year with our annual weight loss challenge. We also use it for corporate wellness programs, as a selling feature when talking with a potential new member and so much more! Don’t want to put the time and effort into writing this resource yourself?  Get the licensing rights to use The Fitness Results Manual that I created.  It helps us bring in about $20k in extra revenues for us each year.  Automatically get $125 off through the end of July.Don’t hesitate.  This is the last time this manual will be on sale this year!

It is common for group exercise numbers to be low during the summer months.  This leaves more weight on the shoulders of group exercise instructors/personal trainers to hold our clients accountable to their fitness regimen. Remember….keeping your clients accountable for their exercise is YOUR JOB! Make sure you nudge clients if they are missing their workouts this summer!

One of our personal trainers (Trevor Thomas) sent out the following email to his clients that didn’t show up for his early morning group exercise class this week!  Feel free to take ideas from this email and remind your “missing” group clients that you are watching out for them!

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“Good morning 6:30am Crew!

The sleep button must have gotten the best of you this morning!  That or Leah continues to drop the hammer on Wednesdays… We missed you in Games and Drills this morning.

Your homework – 30 minutes of cardio and watch this VIDEO.

In this video, you will learn how to improve endothelial health.  Endothelium is the inner lining of your arteries, meant to remain elastic in nature so that your heart doesn’t have to work so hard pumping blood and nutrients to where it needs to go.  Think about breathing through a coffee straw vs. a big gulp straw (not that you should be drinking BIG GULPS!).  As your heart beats, systolic pressure, your arteries should expand allowing blood to flow freely.  Without this elasticity, your heart has to pump through the hard coffee straw.  Add turmeric to your diets and keep exercising!”

Keep those clients accountable and moving! Keep your job!

Yours in health, fitness & business,
Sherri McMillan

We are always trying to find ways to show our clients how much we love and appreciate them and we are also always trying to find ways to get clients back in to train with us if we haven’t seen them in awhile. You can accomplish both of these things by doing one very simple thing! Send your clients (active & inactive) a Happy Birthday wish via email!

We use Mindbody Online and are able to set up the following email to automatically go out to our clients about 3 weeks before their birthday. Here is the email that is automatically sent:

“Happy Birthday from Northwest Personal Training – Vancouver!

Did you know that on your Birthday, Disney lets you attend any of their parks for free? It’s like on your Birthday, you get a free drink at the local bar or a free desert at your favorite restaurant. Well, we’ve got the best Birthday offer ever!

Workout with us on your Birthday and you get a 30 minute session FREE!

So give us a call right now and let us be part of your very special day. Plus if you do this, we’re giving you the permission to enjoy a guilt-free piece of Birthday cake – just don’t go overboard!

Thank you for letting us take care of your health and fitness goals and helping to ensure you get stronger, healthier and younger looking every year!”

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You can see that for both active and inactive clients how this would be a great deal! Everyone is happy when they receive a notice like this. This also helps you! It is an automatic way to keep in touch with inactive clients at least once a year (you/your trainers should be reaching out to them more than once a year though :)). The hope is that it will inspire someone to get a little extra exercise on their birthday, treat clients to a free 30 min session and maybe spark an inactive client to start coming back to work with you on a regular bases.

This is a win/win for everyone….go ahead take the time to set it up. You won’t be sorry!

Yours in Health, Fitness & Business,
Sherri McMillan

One of the programs we recently tried to run had to be canceled due to low registration. It was an event you have to pay for, but it would have been well worth it! I sent out an email to our personal training team asking them why they thought the event didn’t get very many registrations and one answer ways “our clients don’t want to pay for that program when I could do it for free?”….

So the question is “Why Should I Pay For That when I can do it by myself for free?”

Well, that question does come up….why would I pay for a program when I can do it for free. That question can hold validity for anything that we offer to our clients in the fitness industry right? Everything that we do can be done for free.

Why pay for a trainer when you can workout for free?
Why pay for a hike when you can do it for free?
Why pay for a running club when you can run for free?
Why pay extra for a class when you can get it for no extra cost with your local gym membership for $30/month?

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Why?

We have to be different
We have to be better
We have to offer more than just the workout
We have to offer education
We have to offer safety
We have to offer guidance
We have to be coaches
We have to hold experience
We need to hold clients accountable
We need to be a motivatorWe have to foster the development of friendships and a community

 If we offer something people can’t get anywhere else, they won’t go anywhere else!! 

Remember…..that your clients are paying for a service that they CAN’T get by themselves so provide all of these “whys” and they will never question why they come to you when they could workout on their own for free!

Yours in Health, Fitness & Business,
Sherri McMillan

As we all know….when a personal training client cancels it can be very frustrating for both you and the client. And for many fitness professionals it also means lots of lost revenue! Up to 40% of total weekly revenues! That doesn’t have to be the case.

We approach late cancellations in a very specific way at our studio. Our approach really works to elevate the uncomfortable feeling when you need to tell a client that they still need to pay for a session after they late cancel. It also helps you save what would have been lost revenue!

Read the latest article I wrote for PTontheNet to get ALL of the details.
Cancellations Don’t Have to Mean Lost Revenue

This is one you can’t afford to miss!

Yours in health, fitness & business,
Sherri McMillan

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Hey Fitness Pros, guess who’s coming to town?! Mindy Mylrea!!! We all better start ramping up our training because this girl’s energy is off the charts! You can now register online for our Fall Fitness and Training Forum. All NW trainers and instructors should be there! Awesome networking, cutting-edge education, CECs, and tons of fun!!

THE BUSINESS OF PERSONAL TRAINING SYSTEM

Hey did you know that I wrote the ONLY complete training business  system designed to help you run a million dollar personal training business?! You can have this same business system that will help you work SMARTER and generate HUGE profits like we do here at Northwest Personal Training. The fee to purchase the Business of Personal Training System can be made up within 1 month of increased PT sales and there are NO recurring franchise or licensing fees. A comparable business system in other industries would require an initial investment of tens of thousands of dollars.  

DON’T REINVENT THE WHEEL! Let us give YOU the systems that we know work!

The best way to deal with bad weather is to take a proactive approach.  So, we recently touched base with our staff members to make sure that IF something were to happen we would have the information we need:

Do you have this information from your team?

• Who could actually get to work?
• Whose vehicle is capable of driving in the snow and whose is not? Who feels comfortable driving in the snow and who does not?
• Who has chains – and knows how to use them?
• Who lives close to the studio with no major hills or obstacles en route?  Who lives close to a bus route and could easily take a bus into work?

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We asked our team to let us know if they think they would be able to make it in on a days where the weather may be an issue so we know what to expect.

It is important for us to have this information on file so we can have a specific “Bad Weather Plan” in place.

NWPT BAD WEATHER PROTOCOL:

NWPT staff are expected to report to work during poor weather conditions unless an emergency closing is declared or conditions are unsafe. Staff who are unable to report to work because of weather conditions will take unpaid time off.

At NWPT, we would never want any employee to drive if they didn’t feel comfortable and safe or didn’t have the right vehicle. In addition, it’s okay to operate at a lower staff level than normal because usage will be lower than normal.  But we really do appreciate employees who can make it in safely to do so because we always have clients who will make it in no matter what. And we so appreciate the great team work and communication (i.e. calling clients to confirm they are coming in, calling to determine which team members will be able to make it in and which won’t and ensuring adequate coverage).

Regarding PT sessions, if a trainer cannot make it in or we close the studio due to poor weather, the client will not be charged.  However, if a trainer can make it in during bad weather but a client cancels, that client is still charged a late notice cancellation. We don’t want anyone driving if they don’t feel safe (staff or clients), however, our trainers’ income and the business revenues are significantly affected during poor weather days so we’ve got to have a policy that we all agree on and that is fair to the clients.

If a trainer opts not to charge a client because the client is upset, the trainer must sign themselves out during that time and take a break or go home.  As a business, we cannot afford to lose client revenues and still pay out trainers’ fees.

When we do charge, it is mandatory that the trainer works on the clients’ program during that time.  It is also protocol for the trainer to call the client during their time slot to soften the ‘blow’ – ask them a few questions to help with upgrading their program, setting new goals etc. so then they would know for sure their trainer is working for them.

Remember, NOW is a good time to either set up your bad weather protocol and/or review your bad weather protocol with your staff!

Yours in health, fitness & business,
Sherri McMillan

THE BUSINESS OF PERSONAL TRAINING SYSTEM

Hey did you know that I wrote the ONLY complete training business  system designed to help you run a million dollar personal training business?! You can have this same business system that will help you work SMARTER and generate HUGE profits like we do here at Northwest Personal Training. The fee to purchase the Business of Personal Training System can be made up within 1 month of increased PT sales and there are NO recurring franchise or licensing fees. A comparable business system in other industries would require an initial investment of tens of thousands of dollars.  

DON’T REINVENT THE WHEEL! Let us give YOU the systems that we know work!

It is that time of year when clients are going to start wanting to set goals for 2016. How will you help them set goals that they will really keep?  Here is what I do and what I suggest that my clients do. These steps really seem to work when setting goals and when trying to keep them! Share with your clients and Happy Holidays!

Close out the year as you plan for the next. 2016 will be the year where you create your dream year!

As we wind down the year, it’s a great opportunity to reflect on the last 12 months.

Recap

It’s a great drill to grab a piece of paper and answer the following questions:

1. What are the highlights of the last year?
2. What were the struggles of the last year?
3. What do you wish you would have done that you did not? What opportunities did you not act on that you wish you would have?

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As you examine your answers above, do you notice any trends? For example, if your highlights are of a certain type, can you include more of the same in 2016?  Or if you notice your highlights involved certain people, be sure to invite them to more of your life’s happenings. If there are certain things you wish you would have done, can you add that to your plans for 2016?

Set your intentions for 2016

You can either coast through life and see where it takes you – you’ll wind up somewhere but it may not be where you want! Or you can create a map of who you want to be, what you want to do and what you want for your life. 

So be very clear with your goals for all aspects of your life…physically, professionally, mentally, socially, travel, relationships…Paint a very vivid picture of what your dream life would look like. Write it down! The brain processes things differently when it’s written down and you read it.

Grab a sheet of paper and create a list of all the goals you would like to achieve in 2016. It is your personal wish list or game plan. Remember when you were a kid making up your Christmas wish list? You wrote down everything under the sun. You did not care whether you thought you would actually get it or not. You wrote it anyways. That is what I want you to do. I want you to write down anything you have ever thought of achieving. So in terms of health and fitness, which goals, if you achieved them, would make this year unbelievable?  Have you ever wanted to hike the Grand Canyon, complete a marathon, cycle through Italy, learn to Rock climb, or would you be happy with working out 4x/week consistently? What are you health and fitness wishes?

Setting goals is the key to success

But it is not enough to say, “I want to get into shape”.  Effective goals are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Reward-based and have aTime frame.

Here are some examples of SMART goal setting:

• Hike the Grand Canyon for 1 week this June.
• Run on the treadmill for 30 minutes 3x/week so complete 24 workouts by April 1^st.
• Resistance train every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday so complete 48 strength workouts by July 1^st
• Train for and complete the Half Marathon on April 24^th
• Be able to exercise non-stop on the cardio machines for one hour without stopping by February 1^st
• Work out with a personal trainer 2x/week
• Sign up for the Scuba Diving course that starts March 1st
• Drink 6 glasses of water every day by February1^st
• Eat 5 small meals/snacks every day by March 1^st

Each goal is clear, easy to measure your success and has a deadline. Now go back to your fitness wish-list and make sure each goal is specific, measurable, attainable and time-framed.  Revise all your goals to make them as SMART as possible. You will also notice that none of the goals that I have listed include anything about body weight or size. Deciding to lose 10 pounds is an “Outcome-oriented” goal.  I prefer to use “Behaviour or Action-oriented” goals. I firmly believe my approach is a lot more positive. For example, in the process of training for a half-marathon, you will definitely lose body fat but your focus is on something so much more positive.  So avoid setting any weight or fat loss goals. Instead focus on the actions you can take which will promote fat loss.    

But don’t stop there. Successful goal-setting requires two more things.  Be prepared to reassess and reevaluate your goals on a regular basis and reward yourself once you have achieved a goal.  For example, treat yourself to a massage, a new outfit or a trip. Then set your sights on the next goals. Go back to your goals and attach a reward to each one.  Be sure that the reward is motivating enough to encourage you to stick to your plan.

Do the same for every aspect of your life – your career, relationships, mentally etc

Taking Action

Be a Human Doing, not just a Human Being. You can’t just set goals and dreams, you actually have to DO something.

If you are undertaking a major lifestyle change, the big picture may be a bit overwhelming. Take the big goal and split it into small, easily achievable goals and itsy bitsy baby steps. It will help you succeed on a regular basis and that will give you the momentum you need to reach the ultimate goal.  It’s called “Results Momentum.”

No matter how small or insignificant the action step is, if you do it, it will give you the belief and self confidence to achieve the next goal and the next goal and soon you will be there!

Go back to your fitness wish list. Take the top 1-3 goals from your fitness wish list and break them down into smaller goals and action steps that will act as milestones towards your ultimate goal.

For example, if your ultimate number one goal is to complete a half marathon, here’s how you’d break it down into smaller action steps.

1. Enroll in the local half-marathon running clinic that starts on January 7^th.
2. Purchase new footwear and clothing by December 25th
3. Consult with a personal trainer for 2 sessions to get help with designing my program by January 15^th.
4. Schedule 3 morning runs a week with friends
5. Register now and pay for the local 10km fun run mid-way through my training program
6. Register now and pay for the half-marathon event on May 1^st.

Surround yourself with people who are more motivated than you are and/or who have achieved the goals you have set for yourself.  That energy, discipline and motivation will rub off.

Find an activity that you love

Adherence will go up dramatically if you enjoy what you are doing. Feel free to add music, a fun environment, and/or great people to make the activity even more enjoyable.

Find a workout buddy or group

When you can’t find the motivation within yourself, it’s nice to have a person, a trainer or a group waiting for you to hold you accountable.

Start this process now and you will be well on your way to an incredible 2016!

Yours in health & fitness,
Sherri McMillan

Can you believe 2016 is here!  As you know, January is a great time of year to recharge your clients programs to set a game plan for the new year.  No matter what our client’s goals may be, it is necessary to have a solid way of how to best track their progress.  January at Northwest Personal Training is our client fitness assessment month. We will be conducting these fitness assessments in both group training classes and personal training sessions. We have specific assessment forms for both group training clients and personal training clients. (Want more forms? Want to get your business organized? You can have the system I created and use everyday at our studio….and use it to run your fitness business. Check out the Business of Personal Training System.)

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For Personal Training Client Fitness Assessments:

It is key to have measurable progress when conducting a client fitness assessment. Use numbers and specific measurements so that your clients can see their results when you check back on their file. Make sure that all client files have a blank fitness assessment form included in them before starting the first sessions of the year. Be prepared, take assessments seriously and show your clients how much you care about their health and fitness. They will notice!

For Group Training Fitness Assessments:

We keep this as simple as possible to ensure it gets done because we know how hectic it can be before, during and after group training sessions. We leave a binder in our group exercise room with the names of all of our group training clients listed in alphabetical order. We also leave blank copies of the group assessment form in the front of the binder. During the start of the group training session we simply pass around the binder and have each client grab their assessment sheet and ask him/her to fill it out and give it back to the instructor.

Here are a few of the assessments we will be conducting in our group training classes:

Interval/Adrenaline Cycle – 5 minute stage for Distance

Muscle Tone and Sculpt, Muscle Strength and Power – DB Bench Press

Indo-Row – 500m for Time

Core Conditioning/Pilates – Hover time on Toes

Bootcamp – Jump-Rope 1-min for revolutions, Push-Ups max reps

Go ahead and take care of these client fitness assessments now. You and your clients will be glad you did!

Yours in health, fitness & business,
Sherri McMillan

THE BUSINESS OF PERSONAL TRAINING SYSTEM

Hey did you know that I wrote the ONLY complete training business  system designed to help you run a million dollar personal training business?! You can have this same business system that will help you work SMARTER and generate HUGE profits like we do here at Northwest Personal Training. The fee to purchase the Business of Personal Training System can be made up within 1 month of increased PT sales and there are NO recurring franchise or licensing fees. A comparable business system in other industries would require an initial investment of tens of thousands of dollars.  

DON’T REINVENT THE WHEEL! Let us give YOU the systems that we know work!

Here’s some tips to ensure you set the stage for an incredible 2016.  Think of this as a 2016 Fitness Business Pep Rally! Share with your team….

Be at Your Best:

Well, as a fitness professional, we expect that year-round, right?! But it’s even more important in the beginning of the year. You can’t afford to be away or sick – your clients and classes need you! So get lots of good sleep, eat well (lots of fruits and veggies) drink lots of water and take your Vit C or Echinacea if you’re feeling run-down. Put your game-face on no matter what is going on – you need to be positive, energetic and customer-service oriented. It’s show time!

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Be Present:

If you can help it, try not to be away over the next few months. In the fitness industry, it’s important to be present and at your best in January-March and September-November. The best time to schedule holidays in the fitness industry is July & August and December (keep that in mind as you plan your 2016 vacations.)…see more info on our time off policy.

Be Mentally & Physically Prepared to Work Hard:

You might need to stay late, come in early, work on a weekend. You might be juggling multiple tasks. You might be doing things that aren’t part of your normal job responsibilities. You should be prepared to take phone calls, do tours and be really good at this. Be ready to find out what a clients’ needs are and to show them how you can help them. Be genuine and honest and highlight how much we will take care of them.

Hone Your Skills Now:

We all spend a lot of time and $$ to get people to check us out, so we all need to be masters of the phone scripts and tours so we can highlight what we are all about when potential new clients do come in! What a waste it would be if an individual is motivated to call or come in to check out your business and their first impression is a poor one. Focus on customer service!

1. Everybody has to be ready for a lot of phone calls and drop in tours (and help out in any way needed if things start to get backed up). Listen for the phones. Let your fellow team mates know when you are available to help out in any way.
2. Your Customer Service Representatives must always be control of your situation and the studio. Know who might be available at all times to take a phone call or tour if you get crazy busy at the front desk.
3. Note, if someone calls and you can’t give them adequate attention and service, it’s perfectly okay to say “I’m so sorry, I’m just taking care of one of our clients right now. Can I please take your name and number and I will call you right back so I can focus my attention on you”.  People will appreciate that and it will give them a better impression than you trying to juggle too many things and not really taking care of them.
4. Have your phone call scripts and tour forms ready to go to help guide your staff and ensure the process is smooth and professional. Remind your staff to always take control of the conversation and use their scripts. First and foremost, be sure your staff knows to connect with potential new clients, develop a good relationship and understanding of their goals and encourage them to come in and try out YOUR facility.

Do you have a touring protocol? Make sure your staff is using it! And remember, the most important thing is to listen to them, find out their needs and then show them that you are the ones who are going to help them reach their goals.

Get in People’s Minds:

Now is the perfect time to call or email those clients who haven’t been in for a while or haven’t made the commitment to join yet. Now is the perfect time to ask for referrals. As people are thinking about fitness, you want them to think about you! Hand out those trial passes to everyone you know, book those comps and help inspire a lot of people!

Use Social Media:

Get the buzz going and help share the message to your sphere of influence. Ask your staff to like and share any upcoming programs or events. Post and invite people to participate. Also ask your staff to tag and message those who they think would benefit. Give people the opportunity to say YES!

I hope the beginning of the year excites you as much as it does me. I love coming into our studio when classes are energized and at capacity, the private area is full and the studio is just humming. It always makes me feel like we’re really doing a good job and are positively impacting our clients’ lives. So embrace the busyness and celebrate it!

Yours in health, fitness & business,
Sherri McMillan

REGISTRATION IS OPEN FOR THE
2016 SPRING FITNESS & TRAINING FORUM!
~ Sunday March 6th ~ 7:30 am – 5:15pm ~ Live ~ Local ~ CECs/CEUs! ~ 
We have gathered the best and brightest fitness brains in the Pacific Northwest to bring you cutting edge info like we have never done before! 
Register TODAY!

THE BUSINESS OF PERSONAL TRAINING SYSTEM

Hey did you know that I wrote the ONLY complete training business  system designed to help you run a million dollar personal training business?! You can have this same business system that will help you work SMARTER and generate HUGE profits like we do here at Northwest Personal Training. The fee to purchase the Business of Personal Training System can be made up within 1 month of increased PT sales and there are NO recurring franchise or licensing fees. A comparable business system in other industries would require an initial investment of tens of thousands of dollars.  

DON’T REINVENT THE WHEEL! Let us give YOU the systems that we know work!

I am sure your clients are like ours and are wanting to get in great shape fast with summer approaching quickly! This is a great time of year to launch a Weight Loss Challenge. If you don’t have time to launch a Weight Loss Challenge right now….save this info for a different time of year or for next year!

What you can do is give your clients a little motivation to help them reach their goals over the next month or so! Here is an article I recently wrote for our clients. Go ahead and share it with yours…

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In the colder climates, it is common over the winter months to gain a little weight. The days are shorter, it’s cold outside and we just don’t get as much activity and access to local healthy fruits and vegetables. It’s one of the reasons that many fitness clubs and training studios usually launch some type of Spring Weight loss, Cleanse or Makeover Challenge. At our studio, we have many clients that use our annual Spring Makeover Challenge to help shed that extra winter layer. Each of our trainers have teams and we all compete against each other to see who can ramp it up the most and achieve the best results.

There’s nothing like a friendly competition and peer pressure to get you to do what you need to do to reach your goals.

Although the principles to fat loss and healthy living are pretty simple, there can be many different approaches that can produce great results.

The key is finding the program that works best for you that allows you to adhere to the program.

But there are typically a few key principles that would be consistent with any type of program and if you focused on these, you would experience some pretty fantastic results.

Exercise – Move That body!

• Exercise aerobically 3-6 days each week for 20-60 minutes each session at various levels of intensity. Sometimes go hard and fast (1-2x/week), other times moderate intensity and duration (1-2x/week) and other times long and slow (1-2/week). Activities like walking, jogging, cycling, swimming, rowing, hiking, stair-climbing, or Group classes will do the trick.
• Incorporate strength and muscle workouts a minimum of two times per week. One set of 8-15 reps of a variety of exercises for 20-60 minutes is perfect! Movements like squats, lunges, step ups, burpees, pushups, pullups, core conditioning and other functional strength moves are great.
• Mobility & Flexibility – Finish each workout with some release and lengthening to assure we maintain our mobility and flexibility and help to prevent getting injured which can put a damper on our progress.

Nutrition – Eat Like a Champion!

• Drink 10—8 ounce glasses of water each day.  Drink water before and with each meal and snack
• Eat 8-10 vegetable and fruit servings each day. Go local and organic as much as you can.
• Eat a balanced diet that is high in fiber content. Every macro-nutrient is critical including protein, carbs and fats. They all play an important role in optimal conditioning.
• Plan your meals so that you eat smaller portions more regularly throughout the day.  Portion control is critical to a makeover challenge Try to eat every 3 hours.
• Avoid eating anything high in fat or calories 3 hours before bedtime.
• Eliminate any unhealthy temptations from your environment (work, home, car) and replace with healthy alternatives that make adhering to a nutrition plan easier.
• Grocery shop at least once per week to stock up on healthy choices and fresh fruits and veggies and take the time to prep your meals for the week.

Lifestyle – Set Yourself Up for Success!

• Maintain a more active daily lifestyle. Move your body as much as you can in addition to your exercise program. The International Journal of Obesity released a statistic that reported we expend an average of 500-800 fewer calories than we did a few decades ago because of our more sedentary lifestyle. If you start moving more in your life, then you won’t have to spend hours in the gym every week! Consciously choose the more active option whenever you can!
• Get enough sleep (7-8 hours per night).  Sleep is when your body recovers and repairs.  If you do not sleep enough, you will not be prepared for each workout session and you will not function optimally. Plus research suggests that a lack of sleep triggers appetite and fat gain.
• Control and manage your stress levels. Identify your stresses. Outline methods that help you to reduce your stress and practice them regularly. Stress is also linked to increased appetite and weight gain.
• Complete an online (or paper) Activity and Nutrition logs every day and submit to someone to review (a trainer, a nutritionist, a friend)
• Do a Daily or Weekly weigh-in and monthly measurements to help to monitor your progress. It helps to hold you accountable.

Enrolling in a local Spring Makeover Challenge or even starting a competition among friends, family or co-workers can really help you commit to doing what you probably already know you need to be doing. Alright, let’s commit to get fit! (this is where you want to include your facility information, information about how to sign up for small group training etc.!)

Yours in health, fitness & business,
Sherri McMillan

THERE IS STILL TIME to register!
Join us  for a Schwinn Cycling Instructor Certification – MPower with Watts
EARN 1.20 ACE CEC’s, 08 NASM CEC’s AND 8.00 AFAA CEU’s!
Sunday May 1st @ 8am. Register soon! Space is limited.

THE BUSINESS OF PERSONAL TRAINING SYSTEM

Hey did you know that I wrote the ONLY complete training business  system designed to help you run a million dollar personal training business?! You can have this same business system that will help you work SMARTER and generate HUGE profits like we do here at Northwest Personal Training. The fee to purchase the Business of Personal Training System can be made up within 1 month of increased PT sales and there are NO recurring franchise or licensing fees. A comparable business system in other industries would require an initial investment of tens of thousands of dollars.  

Summer is starting to wind down and many kids are either back in school or will be very soon… but it’s still super busy as many of our clients are shopping for school supplies and clothes, filling out school forms and trying to get in a little more fun before the summer is over!

Encourage your clients to get at least some exercise in if the don’t have time to see you this week.

Send them this 10 min quickfix workout to remind them that you are thinking of them!  Tell your clients that something is always better than nothing and if you work it, 10 minutes can be an amazing workout!

“Complete each of the following 3 exercises for one minute each with a 30 second rest at the end of each of the 3 exercises. Then do it again 2 more times for a total of 10 minutes. Remember to take a few minutes to warm-up and cool-down and feel free to take breaks if you can’t make it one minute without stopping. Never sacrifice quality for quantity!

Don’t forget to sign up to automatically receive my latest blog post in your inbox!
Right at the top of the page.

10 Minute QuickFix Workout:

Warmup first.

“Rectangle Drill”

Place 4 cones or mark 4 corners with tape in the shape of a rectangle or square with each cone about 15 feet apart from each other.  Start at one corner and sprint to the top of the square.  Then shuffle across the top of the square.  Then back-shuffle.  Then laterally shuffle back to the start.  Do this 30 seconds one way and 30 seconds the other way.

One Leg to Push-up

Stand on one leg. Slowly reach down towards the floor and crawl your hands forward until you are in a push-up position. Complete a push-up keeping the foot lifted (if needed, drop to both knees to complete the push-up). Then slowly crawl your hands back towards your feet and slowly push away from the floor back to the starting position staying on one leg if possible. Keep your core strong throughout the entire exercise. Switch legs and do it again. Complete for 1 minute alternating legs.

Bridge

Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.  Tighten your abdominal and buttock muscles and slowly lift your buttocks off the floor until your body weight is resting on the top of your shoulder blades and your knees and shoulders are in a straight line.  Keep your hips square to the ceiling. Try to avoid letting your pelvis rotate. Hold this position for a few seconds and then slowly release down. Continue for one minute.

30 second recovery and then complete 2 more times for 10 minutes total full body workout!”

This is a great one to send to your clients to try when they can’t see you, but you can also try this exercises during sessions with your clients!

Yours in health, fitness and business
Sherri McMillan

Registration is now OPEN for the
2016 Fall Fitness & Training Forum
Sunday Nov 6th – 1 Day Fit Pro Event – Portland, OR

 

Choose from TONS of different sessions.
Mingle with Pacific Northwest Fit Pros.
Lunch included.
No high travel fees.
New, relevant & immediately usable info.
0.8 ACE, NASM & NSCA CECs/CEUs

BUSINESS OF PERSONAL TRAINING SYSTEM

Did you know that I wrote the ONLY complete training business  system designed to help you run a million dollar personal training business?! You can have this same business system that will help you work SMARTER and generate HUGE profits like we do here at Northwest Personal Training. The fee to purchase the Business of Personal Training System can be made up within 1 month of increased PT sales and there are NO recurring franchise or licensing fees. A comparable business system in other industries would require an initial investment of tens of thousands of dollars.  

We require our trainers to conduct performance assessments with their clients three times per year. The months that these performance assessments will take place are listed in our yearly marketing plan that we share with our staff at the beginning of each year. Our personal training manager sends out reminders to our personal trainers explaining that they need to do performance assessments with their clients during that month.

Below you will find a copy of the form that is either already in a client’s folder or will be placed in their folder. If previous performance assessments have been conducted clients can see their progress. The first time conducting a performance assessment with a client provides a baseline to work from.

Clients don’t always love doing performance assessments and trainers don’t always love conducting them, but in the end your clients are working with you because they want to SEE RESULTS! They many see results by looking in the mirror, but seeing evidence on paper is powerful too.

Also, sign up right here on my blog to receive my FREE 20 min streaming video where I reveal my top 5 revenue generating secrets. This video WILL help you bring in more clients and more revenue.
Don’t miss it!

Keep up on your performance assessments. They may not be sexy, but the results clients see keep them motivated and that helps you keep clients!

Yours in Health, Fitness & Business,
Sherri McMillan

Registration is now OPEN for the
2016 Fall Fitness & Training Forum
Sunday Nov 6th – 1 Day Fit Pro Event – Portland, OR

 

Choose from TONS of different sessions.
Mingle with Pacific Northwest Fit Pros.
Lunch included.
No high travel fees.
New, relevant & immediately usable info.
0.8 ACE, NASM & NSCA CECs/CEUs

 

NOW IS THE TIME TO TAKE YOUR FITNESS BUSINESS TO THE NEXT LEVEL, AND WRITE IT OFF ON YOUR 2016 TAX RETURN!

Did you know that I wrote the ONLY complete training business  system designed to help you run a million dollar personal training business?! You can have this same business system that will help you work SMARTER and generate HUGE profits like we do here at Northwest Personal Training. The fee to purchase the Business of Personal Training System can be made up within 1 month of increased PT sales and there are NO recurring franchise or licensing fees. A comparable business system in other industries would require an initial investment of tens of thousands of dollars.  

Buy now and catapult your PT business to a new level and get a tax write off for your 2016 tax return! 

Need some info to send to your clients that will interest them and motivate them to work with you? Try sending them this article I just wrote for our local paper. Remind clients of all the multiple reasons muscle conditioning is critical. Share with potential clients as well….

“As we get older, we tend to lose muscle – approximately 7 pounds of lean tissue per decade with this loss accelerating after the age of 40.

As a result, our strength and endurance is reduced, our metabolism drops resulting in weight gain, our bone density is lowered, our posture and alignment deteriorates, our balance falters, and we experience an increase in general aches and pains. So it is ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL that we do whatever we can to maintain our muscle tissue by participating in muscle conditioning exercise at least 2 to 3 days per week.

Also, sign up right here on my blog to receive my FREE 20 min streaming video where I reveal my top 5 revenue generating secrets. This video WILL help you bring in more clients and more revenue.
Don’t miss it!

Many physiologists and researchers are deeming Muscle Conditioning to be the true Fountain of Youth – the magic “pill” to reverse or prevent a significant portion of the aging process.  Many of the changes people experience as they age are due to a loss in muscle mass due to inactivity…not just aging itself!  So if we can maintain a significant amount of muscle tissue as we age, we can expect to age much more slowly.

Here’s a list of some of the research and benefits of strength training:

1. Increased strength between 7.5-226.7% – that’s a huge increase!
2. Increase lean tissue weight by 3 pounds after 8 weeks of strength exercise.  Now remember that each pound of muscle you have on your body will burn an additional 30-40 calories every day. This definitely raises your metabolic rate – in fact, by 7%. So if you gain 3-4 pounds of muscle this equates to 90-160 extra calories you’ll be burning every day just by having more muscle on your body. This makes it so much easier to maintain your body weight and keep your body fat levels at a minimum.
3. Lose 4 pounds of fat weight after 3 months of strength exercise, while eating 15% more calories.
4. Increase bone mineral density after 4 months of strength exercise (important for reducing risk for Osteoporosis). In one study, it was found that women over the age of 40 who strength trained not only didn’t lose bone mass but they experienced a 1% gain in bone mass.
5. Improved posture – most postural problems can be treated by following a structured muscle conditioning program that strengthens weak muscles
6. Increase glucose uptake 23% after 4 months of strength exercise (important for reducing risk for developing diabetes).
7. Increase gastro-intestinal transit time 56% after 3 months of strength exercise (important for reducing risks for colon cancer).
8. Reduce blood pressure after 2 months of strength exercise.
9. Improve blood lipid levels after strength training (Important for those with high cholesterol).
10. Reduce low back pain after 10 weeks of specific strength exercise.
11. Reduce arthritic pain after strength training. One study reported a 59% decrease in joint pain.
12. Increased walking speed by 48%
13. Increased climbing power by 28%
14. Decreased risk of falling. One study of women over the age of 40 found that sedentary subjects experienced an 8% decline in balance while those women who strength trained, demonstrated a 14% improvement in balance scores.

On top of all these benefits, muscle looks good and it improves your posture so that you hold yourself better and with more confidence. You’ll move with better strength, balance, coordination and agility and your performance in your recreational pursuits will be enhanced significantly. Remember, strong is the new SEXY!”

Yours in Health, Fitness & Business,
Sherri McMillan

Registration is now OPEN for the
2016 Fall Fitness & Training Forum
Sunday Nov 6th – 1 Day Fit Pro Event – Portland, OR

 

Choose from TONS of different sessions.
Mingle with Pacific Northwest Fit Pros.
Lunch included.
No high travel fees.
New, relevant & immediately usable info.
0.8 ACE, NASM & NSCA CECs/CEUs

 

NOW IS THE TIME TO TAKE YOUR FITNESS BUSINESS TO THE NEXT LEVEL, AND WRITE IT OFF ON YOUR 2016 TAX RETURN!

Did you know that I wrote the ONLY complete training business  system designed to help you run a million dollar personal training business?! You can have this same business system that will help you work SMARTER and generate HUGE profits like we do here at Northwest Personal Training. The fee to purchase the Business of Personal Training System can be made up within 1 month of increased PT sales and there are NO recurring franchise or licensing fees. A comparable business system in other industries would require an initial investment of tens of thousands of dollars.  

Buy now and catapult your PT business to a new level and get a tax write off for your 2016 tax return! 

We have interacted with clients who succeed easily and others who struggle tremendously. The sad fact is seven out of 10 people who start an exercise or nutrition program drop out within a few months. If you know people who have been among those drop-out stats, the problem may not be with them– it may be with the method.  Most people attempt to do too much too quickly.  They do not do any planning and they don’t know how to monitor their progress.

This is where YOU come in! Over the next 4 weeks we will review the 4 steps that will help your clients dramatically increase their chances for success.

• Step 1.  Determine how ready your clients are to make the changes.
• Step 2.  Help your clients develop concrete internal motivation for helping them to adhere to their program.
• Step 3.  Help your clients set SMART goals
• Step 4.  Outline potential obstacles to success and strategies for overcoming them

We will spend the most time discussing step 1 because I believe it is absolutely critical to your success as a Personal Trainer.

Step 1.  Are your clients ready?

We generally know within a few minutes whether a client will succeed easily or not. If the client accepts our recommendations for changes to their exercise or nutrition program immediately and unconditionally, we know we will achieve success easily. If the client begins to make excuses or give reasons they feel they will not be able to adhere to the program, we can generally expect struggles throughout the process. They are not ready to make the changes required to see the results they want.  It is a good idea to use some type of “Readiness” questionnaire with your clients. This will help determine the approach to take with your client and will give you a good idea of they are truly “ready” to adhere to the programming you provide.

Also, sign up right here on my blog to receive my FREE 20 min streaming video where I reveal my top 5 revenue generating secrets.
This video WILL help you bring in more clients and more revenue.
Don’t miss it!

Change is a good thing!

It is important to understand that change is a process.  When initiating any major lifestyle change, your clients will experience the following stages:

1. Pre-contemplation: They have no intention to change their behaviors
2. Contemplation: They are aware a problem exists and are seriously thinking of changing
3. Preparation: They are intending to take action in the next month and have unsuccessfully taken action in the last year
4. Action: They are presently modifying their behavior or environment
5. Maintenance: They are working to prevent relapse and maintain their gains

This entire process may take up to two years to complete.  Do not be so hard on yourself or your clients if they are struggling with their program.  Recognize where they are in the stages of change. Because your clients have chosen to hire a Personal Trainer, they are probably at stage two, three or four. Don’t be surprised, however, if you find your clients shifting between different stages. For example, many people attempt to stop smoking numerous times before they actually succeed. Do whatever you can to help your clients take action and this will move them closer towards their goals. Consulting a Personal Trainer was an action step that has taken your clients closer to success!

Laws of Success:

We have noticed a number of characteristics that separate those clients who succeed and those who do not. Those who succeed buy into the “Four Laws of Success”. We discuss these laws with our clients and it is clear that they must be ready to accept these laws without exception if they want to succeed.

First Law – The law of possession.

Your clients need to understand that if they are going to achieve results, it is going to be up to them. The phrases “If it is going to be, it is up to me” or “If I think I can or think I can’t, I’m right,” ring very true.  Your clients have to take ultimate responsibility for success or failure.  Sometimes we’ll get a client who believes their personal trainer is going to be the one who makes it happen for them. We set them straight right away. We tell them we cannot do anything for them. All we can do is educate and guide. They must be willing to make and stick to the changes. Your clients can not completely rely on someone else like a personal trainer or workout partner to make it happen for them and likewise, they cannot blame their kids or their partner for any failures.

Second Law – The law of effort.

Anything worth achieving is worth working for. Exercise and healthy eating takes discipline, will power, character, persistency and a commitment to delayed gratification.

Third Law – The law of consistency.

A month-long effort is not going to get your clients where they want. In order to achieve any goal, your clients must stick to the game plan on an ongoing, long-term, consistent basis.  Getting off track for a week is no big deal if they are consistent in their efforts. But if they are regularly tempted away from the program, they will not succeed. Consistency and persistence are the keys to manifesting any goals. Remember that if your clients want to be 10 pounds thinner 10 years from now, it is not what they do over the next eight weeks that matters, it is what they do over the next 10 years. All the changes you suggest to your clients must be followed for the rest of their life. There are no short-term, quick fix solutions. Researchers have found only one characteristic common to those who succeed with exercise. All such people move towards their goal one step at a time. They are committed to constant, never-ending improvement. In practical terms, it means that regardless of anything else – busy work schedules, lack of energy, lack of time, feeling old, feeling lazy, hating exercise – they made no excuses!  They kept exercising, taking their long-term goals and splitting them up into smaller goals.  They took it one day at a time.

Fourth Law – The law of self-efficacy.

If your clients are already questioning whether or not they can actually make the required changes, they are going to have a difficult time with the program you have designed. Your clients must believe they can do it!  They must think of self-esteem as a bank.  Each time they keep a promise to themselves, the store of self-esteem gets bigger, making it easier to keep the next promise.  It’s all about “Results Momentum.” Each time a promise is broken, however, their self-esteem goes down, making it easier to break the next promise.  Reinforce this belief by introducing your clients to others who are doing or have accomplished what they’re attempting. Your clients will feel if these other people can do it, so can they!

So take the time to understand if your client is ready to make a commitment, understand what stage of change your client is in and then explain the Laws of Success to your client to ensure you are both on the same page.

Motivate the change, believe it will work and be patient!

Yours in health, fitness & business,
Sherri McMillan

Like what you see here? Want more info, more details and more forms for your business? The Business of Personal Training System is for you! I give you the exact system that I use everyday at our small 5,000 sq. foot Personal Training studio.

ONLY UNTIL DEC. 31ST! GET $1000 OFF THE
BUSINESS OF PERSONAL TRAINING SYSTEM!
That is only $999! Write it off on your 2016 taxes. Be ready to face 2017! Don’t reinvent the wheel….generate more revenue with a system that really works.

NOW IS THE TIME TO TAKE YOUR
FITNESS BUSINESS TO THE NEXT LEVEL.
WRITE IT OFF ON YOUR 2016 TAX RETURN!

Did you know that I wrote the ONLY complete training business  system designed to help you run a million dollar personal training business?! You can have this same business system that will help you work SMARTER and generate HUGE profits like we do here at Northwest Personal Training. The fee to purchase the Business of Personal Training System can be made up within 1 month of increased PT sales and there are NO recurring franchise or licensing fees. A comparable business system in other industries would require an initial investment of tens of thousands of dollars.  

Buy now and catapult your PT business to a new level.

I am sure many of you are busy working with potential new clients, current clients working on new goals and past clients that have decided to start working with you again. It IS a busy time of year and a great time to learn to help your clients dig deep to find true and lasting motivation and understand how to help them navigate successful change in their lives.

Last week I covered Step 1 in this process: Are Your Clients Ready?

Now we move on to…..

Step 2.  Getting Your Clients Internally Motivated

If your clients want to change something, they have got to change something! 

Makes sense, doesn’t it? But change is difficult. Most people attempt major changes in their life without setting up a framework for success. How can your clients get anywhere without a map or a game plan?

Helping your clients find the motivation and inspiration to adhere to the changes in their lives day-in, day-out, is challenging. Many people have very good intentions and start an exercise or healthy nutrition program, but within a few months 70 percent of them have dropped out. They could not find a reason to keep going.

Also, sign up right here on my blog to receive my FREE 20 min streaming video where I reveal my top 5 revenue generating secrets.
This video WILL help you bring in more clients and more revenue.
Don’t miss it!

Much of being motivated boils down to your clients wanting to achieve their goals bad enough.

In order to get attached to a goal it is important that they associate some level of pain or discomfort with the situation or fitness level they’re at now….

1. Being “sick and tired of being sick and tired”
2. Associating pleasure with the situation they will be in once they achieve their goal

If you can help your clients develop these pain and pleasure sensations, you will help them pinpoint their internal, personal motivation for exercise and healthy eating and they’ll find it much easier to stick with the program.

Try to get your clients to connect to the real reasons they want to achieve their goals….ask a lot of guided questions. They must be so committed to their goals that they’ll stick to them no matter what. If not, have them go back and think more carefully.

Maybe, you will have to inflict self-imposed pain to their present situation. For example, in Anthony Robin’s book, Awaken the Giant Within, two friends were sick and tired of starting an exercise program or diet and never actually succeeding.  So they made a public bet that if they wavered from their program they would each have to eat a can of dog-food.  So whenever they were tempted to skip their workout or not follow their nutrition plan, they would go and read the ingredient’s label listing Horse chunks etc and the urges would quickly disappear. So, you may have to help your clients come up with a painful consequence to them not following their program.

In contrast, also try to help them associate extreme pleasure with sticking to them plan and achieving their goals. 

For example:

• They may reward themselves with a $500 shopping spree
• A romantic dinner out with their spouse
• A weeklong trip to a spa or a well-deserved day off or holiday

Make sure your clients have come up with enough pain and pleasurable sensations so there will be no doubt that they will stick to the plan!

The motivation and inspiration to stick to the program is within your client.  You have just got to help them find the right reason – the reason that will make them so emotionally charged that they will take action, make the changes and stick to them regularly.

Have your clients refer to their pain and pleasure lists regularly to help remind them why they have chosen to become healthier and fitter.

Yours in health, fitness & business,
Sherri McMillan

Like what you see here? Want more info, more details and more forms for your business? The Business of Personal Training System is for you! I give you the exact system that I use everyday at our small 5,000 sq. foot Personal Training studio.

Did you know that I wrote the ONLY complete training business  system designed to help you run a million dollar personal training business?! You can have this same business system that will help you work SMARTER and generate HUGE profits like we do here at Northwest Personal Training. The fee to purchase the Business of Personal Training System can be made up within 1 month of increased PT sales and there are NO recurring franchise or licensing fees. A comparable business system in other industries would require an initial investment of tens of thousands of dollars.  

Buy now and catapult your PT business to a new level.

We have asked the question: Are Your Clients Ready?
We have taken essential steps to get our Clients Internally Motivated.

Now it is time to discuss goals. We know that helping client set goals and keep those goals is a big part of our jobs, but how do you really make those goals stick….and work?

Step 3. Help Your Clients Set SMART Goals

Try having your clients write down anything they have ever thought of achieving with regards to their own individual health and fitness. Ask them which goal, if they achieved it, would make this year unbelievable? The only rule with this wish list is that none of their goals can be related to their body. Have them stay away from listing a goal such as losing 10 pounds or 4 inches off their hips. Keep this list positive and focused away from body image.

Also, sign up right here on my blog to receive my FREE 20 min streaming video where I reveal my top 5 revenue generating secrets.
This video WILL help you bring in more clients and more revenue.
Don’t miss it!

Many clients take this approach – ‘As soon as I lose the weight/get fit, then I’ll start doing the things I’ve always wanted to do”. But try helping them take this approach…..set the goal and in the process of training for the event or activity they’ve always wanted to do and along the way they will lose the weight and get fit! And it’s such a positive, motivating focus.

Haven’t you noticed that when someone succeeds at a goal such running a 10k or completing their first sprint triathlon…they inherently look towards the next goal? So, they want to attempt a half marathon, full marathon, a challenging hike, biathlon etc. It’s a positive spiral. Whereas with weight loss, it’s a negative spiral.  They lose the 10 pounds but they are still not happy.  They then desire to lose another 5 pounds and get rid of this fat and so on and so on. Some of our clients who have had the most ‘perfect’ bodies have been those that struggled with their body image the most! For all these reasons, try to keep the focus away from Body Image and instead focus on behaviors, events and actions. 

Helping your clients set realistic goals is the key to success.  But it is not enough for them to say, “I want to get into shape”.  Effective and realistic goals are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Reward-based and have a Time frame.  Here are some examples of SMART goal setting:

• Hike the Grand Canyon for 1 week this May
• Run on the treadmill for 10 minutes 3x/week by November 3^rd
• Resistance train every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday until December 31^st
• Train for and complete the Half Marathon on September 10^th
• Exercise on the cardio machines for one hour without stopping by February 1^st
• Work out with a personal trainer 2x/week
• Sign up for the Scuba Diving course that starts March 1st
• Drink 6 glasses of water every day by June 1^st
• Eat 5 small meals/snacks every day by March 1^st

Each goal is clear, easy to measure and has a deadline. You will also notice that none of the goals that I have suggested include anything about body weight or size. Deciding to lose 10 pounds is an “Outcome-oriented” goal.  As we mentioned, we prefer to use “Behavior or Action-oriented” goals.

But don’t stop there. Successful goal setting requires two more things. Be prepared to reassess and reevaluate your clients’ goals on a regular basis and have them reward themselves once they have achieved a goal. For example, have your clients treat themselves to a massage, a new outfit or a trip. Then set your clients’ sights on the next goal. Have your clients go back to their goals and attach a reward to each one. Be sure that the reward is motivating enough to encourage your clients to stick to the plan.

Yours in health, fitness & business,
Sherri McMillan

Like what you see here? Want more info, more details and more forms for your business? The Business of Personal Training System is for you! I give you the exact system that I use everyday at our small 5,000 sq. foot Personal Training studio.

Did you know that I wrote the ONLY complete training business  system designed to help you run a million dollar personal training business?! You can have this same business system that will help you work SMARTER and generate HUGE profits like we do here at Northwest Personal Training. The fee to purchase the Business of Personal Training System can be made up within 1 month of increased PT sales and there are NO recurring franchise or licensing fees. A comparable business system in other industries would require an initial investment of tens of thousands of dollars.  

Buy now and catapult your PT business to a new level.

We have asked the question: Are Your Clients Ready?
We have taken essential steps to get our Clients Internally Motivated.
We know how to help our Clients Make SMART Goals

Now we will start discussing the obstacles/excuses our clients have for not starting our for quitting and exercise program….and how you can help them overcome these obstacles.

#1 Excuse for not exercising: I don’t have enough time.

This is the most common excuse/obstacle that our clients have for not starting or for quitting an exercise program.  But the “no time” excuse really does not wash. We have clients who manage large businesses, clients with 6-8 children and clients who seem to do it all. How do they do it? They make health and fitness a priority in their life.  When life gets rough, exercise is usually the first thing to go when, in fact, it should be the last. Exercise is the glue to mental sanity when life becomes chaotic.

Also, sign up right here on my blog to receive my FREE 20 min streaming video where I reveal my top 5 revenue generating secrets.
This video WILL help you bring in more clients and more revenue.
Don’t miss it!

Somehow, when other people need your client, their needs tend to end up on the back burner. Commitments, responsibilities and the demands of work, family and social life are always going to be there. When your clients allow their own needs to become second to everything and everyone else, they will end up the loser.

Research, in fact, shows that people who exercise are more productive at whatever they are doing. Translation:  Your clients will be able to do more when they are in good shape.

Have your clients make an appointment with themselves, just as they would for a doctor or dentist or a meeting with their boss. That way, when someone asks if they can meet at 5, they can honestly say, “Sorry, I’ve got an appointment. How about at 4:00?”  Scheduling fitness into their life is why personal trainers have become so popular. Now, they are accountable to you as their trainer as well as to themselves.

Convince your clients to stop putting it off!  You’ve probably heard these before. “I’ll start exercising right after New Year’s…in the spring…right after I’m finished with this huge project…once the kids get older…once the kids leave home…after I’ve retired…Stop making excuses. Now is the time for your clients to start because there will always be things competing for their time. They can choose to make exercise a priority in their life now or wait until they’re forced to make it a priority. Unless your clients take care of themselves now, one day they may find themselves unable to take care of their business, family or any of their other interests.

Another helpful strategy for overcoming the time obstacle is to have your clients sit down and record how they spend their time in a typical day. Have them then go through the list and identify any time wasters. Help them determine how they could manage some of these time wasters.  For example, if someone at work takes up a portion of their time, have your client make it known that from 10:00 until noon they are not to be interrupted so they can focus on some important projects. Your clients will discover that they do have time to exercise – they just need to restructure their schedule to make sure they have time for the important things in life.

Next week we will review a few more of the top obstacles/excuses our clients have for not exercising….and review the strategies to help them overcome those obstacles.

Yours in health, fitness & business,
Sherri McMillan

Like what you see here? Want more info, more details and more forms for your business? The Business of Personal Training System is for you! I give you the exact system that I use everyday at our small 5,000 sq. foot Personal Training studio.

Did you know that I wrote the ONLY complete training business  system designed to help you run a million dollar personal training business?! You can have this same business system that will help you work SMARTER and generate HUGE profits like we do here at Northwest Personal Training. The fee to purchase the Business of Personal Training System can be made up within 1 month of increased PT sales and there are NO recurring franchise or licensing fees. A comparable business system in other industries would require an initial investment of tens of thousands of dollars.  

Buy now and catapult your PT business to a new level.

We have asked the question: Are Your Clients Ready?
We have taken essential steps to get our Clients Internally Motivated.
We know how to help our Clients Make SMART Goals
We have addressed the “no time” excuse

I wanted to address a few more of the top excuses/obstacles our clients give us and the strategies to help them overcome each of these common obstacles.

#1: I have No Energy

Those who exercise regularly know from experience that exercise actually leaves you with more energy!

Some Helpful Strategies for Overcoming This Obstacle Are:

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• Have your clients’ schedule exercise when they are less likely to feel exhausted from a long day at work or with the kids.
• Have them get up 45 minutes earlier than everyone else and go for a walk.  It will start their day off on a positive note.
• Suggest they keep their fitness gear in the car so that on the way home they can stop at the gym for their workout.  If they go home first, the couch and TV may be too tempting after a long day at work.
• If they do find themselves skipping out on their workouts because they’ve have no energy, have them schedule their workouts with you or a friend. Whether they are tired or not, they still have to be there because someone is waiting for them

#2 I’m Too Old to Start Exercising

Every decade a 30-year-old sedentary individual will suffer from a 10 percent decrease in muscle mass and aerobic capacity and a reduction in flexibility. Bone density deteriorates starting at age 35.  By the time your clients are 68, they will have experienced an 80 percent decrease in strength.  By age 80, an individual will have lost half of their muscle mass.  The good news is that if your clients exercise, these statistics will improve dramatically. Even people as old as 90 have experienced the positive benefits of exercise so it is never too late to get started. The Surgeon General’s Report indicates that 30 minutes of activity every day is enough to achieve various health benefits.  The level of activity is equivalent to gardening, performing household chores or light walking or cycling. Consider enrolling your clients in a line-dancing or ballroom dancing program. Perhaps Tai Chi or Mind/Body stretch would be enticing to your clients. It doesn’t have to be intense, but they do need to start doing something!

#3 I Hate Exercise

In the beginning, exercise may feel like a chore to your clients, but eventually it will become a physical and mental health need. It is important to find activities your clients enjoy doing so that they will participate in them regularly, see the results and get hooked.

Have your clients:

• Use music
• Try hiking
• Try walking
• Add variety to their program to make it more fun.
• Exercise with friends

Studies show you tend to achieve better results that way because it will become more difficult to skip workouts.  There is also no evidence to suggest that exercise needs to be painful.  If it hurts that much, your clients may be doing too much, too soon.  While exercising, they may feel some discomfort, muscular fatigue or a burning sensation near the end of a set or an exercise bout. These feelings are normal.  However, while performing an exercise, they should not feel sharp pain. This is not normal and they should stop the exercise immediately and consult a sports physician or physiotherapist.

Many participants rate the effectiveness of a workout by how sore they are afterwards. But it you are training appropriately, there is no need to be sore. It is okay to think “Hey, my muscles feel like they had a great workout yesterday.” However, if your clients have a problem getting out of a chair, walking, or even just moving, they are training too hard – and not very sensibly.

To reduce the likelihood of extreme muscle soreness from training sessions:

• Always warm up
• Cool down
• Stretch your clients
• Progress clients slowly

Once they have established a consistent exercise routine, there are no extra health benefits from pushing them to be extremely sore. Remember – pain is a warning signal that their body has done too much too soon. When they experience extreme muscle soreness or pain, back off on the intensity of the program and progress more slowly.  “No pain, no gain” is a myth. Pain is not necessary to improve their fitness and get results.

#4 I’m Too Out of Shape to Exercise

One survey found the top reason why people choose not to join a gym is because they want to get into better shape or lose weight first.  This backwards approach may never get your clients to their goals.  Help your clients feel comfortable going at their own pace and wearing whatever they want or design a program that allows your clients to workout in the privacy of their own home or neighborhood.

Like what you see here? Want more info, more details and more forms for your business? The Business of Personal Training System is for you! I give you the exact system that I use everyday at our small 5,000 sq. foot Personal Training studio.

Did you know that I wrote the ONLY complete training business  system designed to help you run a million dollar personal training business?! You can have this same business system that will help you work SMARTER and generate HUGE profits like we do here at Northwest Personal Training. The fee to purchase the Business of Personal Training System can be made up within 1 month of increased PT sales and there are NO recurring franchise or licensing fees. A comparable business system in other industries would require an initial investment of tens of thousands of dollars.  

Buy now and catapult your PT business to a new level.

OK Fit Pros. We are entering into Feb and as many of us know we tend to see some “new years resolution” clients start slipping away. Don’t let them be quitters! So why do some of our clients quit long before they’ve achieved their goals? Let’s dig deep and find out…starting with the reasons clients don’t renew memberships.

The most frequently reported reasons for not renewing a membership are as follows:

• Couldn’t afford the expense 30%
• Overcrowded facility 27%
• New demands made on my time 26%
• Inconvenient club location 18%
• Lost interest/motivation 17%
• Moved/relocated 16%
• Switched to outdoor exercise 15%

Not surprisingly, concerns about price and time were among the three most commonly cited reasons for quitting a club. While lack of adequate disposable income or time are certainly legitimate explanations for leaving a club, it’s likely that a significant percentage of the ex-members surveyed hadn’t been successful in making fitness or exercise a priority in their life. If your client’s fitness level and health are very high priorities, they find the money or the time to commit…and you can lead them in that direction. But, if they never use their gym membership, it becomes harder and harder to rationalize paying for it.  Conversely, regular usage yields greater satisfaction and more benefits, making it easier to identify the value received, and understand the cost and time requirements. So, if you want your clients to actually use their membership, you’ll have to figure out what you need to do to actually commit to their exercise program.  A consistent, committed effort will make a club membership worth the investment.

Also, sign up right here on my blog to receive my FREE 20 min streaming video where I reveal my top 5 revenue generating secrets.
This video WILL help you bring in more clients and more revenue.
Don’t miss it!

Here’s the Top 5 club-related reasons people will cancel their membership…don’t let this happen at your facility!:

• Overcrowded 27%
• Dissatisfied with staff 13%
• Lack of personal attention from staff 13% Dissatisfied with programs/activities 8%
• Club management inaccessible/unresponsive 6%

These are the things your clients should be watching for/doing during their tour of your facility….so be ready for them:

• Ask for a complimentary workout.
• Get a tour of the facility and take note of equipment usage.
• If you notice that every piece of equipment is being used and line-ups extend out the door, you may want to consider shopping around.
• Talk to some of the other members and inquire about busy times at the gym. Ask them how long they’ve been a member and how happy they are with the gym.
• Find out if the gym is always crazy or if there are times that are a little slower that fit into your schedule.
• If an overcrowded gym is one of the number one reasons people will cancel their membership, you want to make sure you’re not setting yourself up for failure right from the beginning.
• Are the classes or programs you’re interested available and scheduled at times that are convenient for you? For example, if you love to swim, a pool would be an important feature to ask about.  If you love basketball, make sure they’ve got some hoops.
• If you want a coach to oversee your program, make sure that nationally certified trainers are available to help you.
• If you want to work on improving your flexibility, be sure to ask about Yoga and Pilates programs.
• Create a detailed list of questions to ask.

Be ready to answer questions like….”What are your….

• …Upfront fees”
• ….Monthly dues”
• ….Minimum agreement terms”
• ….Cancellation policies”
• ….Money-back guarantees”

Remember that first impressions count. So don’t speed through the tour. Make sure to really pay attention to the needs of your potential new client. Be authentic and don’t push the sale too much.

Here is what your staff members SHOULD be do during a client’s first introduction to your facility:

• Make the client feel welcomed right from the beginning.
• Ask the client about their fitness and health history and goals.
• Learn and use your the clients name.
• Introduce the client to other staff and members so they feel part of the group right away.
• Spend enough time getting them acquainted to the facility and its services.

If your clients don’t feel like they have been taken care of in that first meeting, how can they expect they will get treated any better once they join? It’s like a relationship – if your partner treats you terribly while you’re dating, how can you expect it’ll get better once you get married?

The fitness industry is just like any other industry – customer service is critical to success.  If your customers aren’t happy they will go elsewhere!

Remember both you and your clients have equal responsibilities in helping clients achieve fitness goals. You provide lots of top-notch, well-maintained equipment, personable and educated staff, cleanliness, and a variety of excellent fitness programs. Your clients, in turn, must take the responsibility to actually use the facility and its services!  If both parties are holding up their end of the bargain, you can expect a long-term healthy and fit relationship with your client. You CAN help them avoid being quitters.

Yours in health & fitness,
Sherri McMillan

Like what you see here? Want more info, more details and more forms for your business? The Business of Personal Training System is for you! I give you the exact system that I use everyday at our small 5,000 sq. foot Personal Training studio.

Did you know that I wrote the ONLY complete training business  system designed to help you run a million dollar personal training business?! You can have this same business system that will help you work SMARTER and generate HUGE profits like we do here at Northwest Personal Training. The fee to purchase the Business of Personal Training System can be made up within 1 month of increased PT sales and there are NO recurring franchise or licensing fees. A comparable business system in other industries would require an initial investment of tens of thousands of dollars.  

Buy now and catapult your PT business to a new level.

Lasts week we discussed how to get the commitment for your weight loss challenge from both existing and new clients. After writing that blog post I thought that this excerpt from our Fitness Results Manual (which you can have and make your own…go HERE for more details) could be a message you send to your clients to help keep motivation and commitment on track.

“The number one reason clients consult with us is to help them manage their weight. Americans are getting unhealthier each year. Health-related disease such as diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disorders, and various forms of cancer are at an all-time high. We must consider the effect of excess weight on our joints and backs, not to mention the psychological effects on our self-esteem and confidence!

Also, sign up right here on my blog to receive my FREE 20 min streaming video where I reveal my
top 5 revenue generating secrets.

Have you ever noticed that people who are active or play sports always seem to be able to do more things – they just appear to enjoy life more than their sedentary, unfit counterparts. Of course, fit people generally do not smoke, so they are less likely to get cancer than smokers. They generally don’t carry a lot of excess body fat so they suffer fewer heart attacks than those unfit. Fit people have stronger lungs, muscles, joints, bones, immune system, and healthier hearts. Their cholesterol levels and blood pressure measurements are better.  With these facts in mind, you can see why we are so passionate about the benefits of exercise and a healthy lifestyle.

Most people recognize the benefits of exercise and eating well. Many have good intentions and decide to make some changes. In fact, Americans have no problem initiating the process. We have done it numerous times. We tend to lose the same fat over and (over again.

Our struggle lies in the challenge of keeping the weight off. Most people who undertake an exercise and nutrition program have not really taken the time to fully understand the complexity of the process. 

If you are going to be successful at initiating these major changes in your life and, more importantly, maintaining the changes, you are going to have to establish a very strong foundation for success. 

There are literally hundreds of exercises, nutrition, fat loss and health books on the shelves at book stores; with most of these books, you read them and then they go back on the bookshelf.  By the time you start to initiate any of the changes, you have forgotten what those changes were in the first place and you have probably lost the motivation anyway.  When working with us you will regularly be asked to take action towards your goals. You will be asked to answer questions and complete homework drills.  This will force you to implement the information immediately and keep your goals at the top of your priorities.

Research demonstrates that the safest and most effective program for optimal health and ideal weight management is a program that combines exercise and a healthy diet. Research also shows that you must be involved in the process to enhance success. You know your body and life better than anyone. It’s never successful if we just blindly tell a client what to do without considering their individual scenario. So we need you to help us help you!  We are firm believers that there is no quick-fix solution. If you want something enough, expect to put forth a bit of effort. You know what they say – if anything is worth getting, it is worth working for! So, it will not be a ‘walk in the park’, but we can guarantee that it is probably not going to be as difficult as you would imagine. It is all about “Results Momentum”. If we ask you to do something – even a very small task – when you complete it, you have succeeded. This will give you momentum so the next goal becomes that much easier. If you do not do the task – no matter how insignificant, it makes it easier to skip out on other tasks – perhaps those that are much more important to your success. Think of this process as a series of very small baby steps and each one takes you closer and closer to your PERSONAL BEST!

Let’s get started right away.  Remember, we have full confidence that you can do this because we know “If you think you can, you can!”  Plus we are here to support you throughout the entire process.”

One of the reasons our Spring Makeover Challenge (Yearly Weight Loss Challenge) is so successful is because we offer and use the Fitness Results Manual as the main resource for participants. This is a 100 page resource tool that walks participants through the importance of cardio, strength training, nutrition and more. There is a 6 week plan that both trainers and the participants follow to ensure they are reviewing all the material.

This is a resource tool we use for this Spring Makeover Challenge, we give it to new clients, use it for corporate wellness programs and so much more! You can learn more from this quick video I shot where I review the Fitness Results Manual:

Click here to view the embedded video.

We sell this resource to fitness professionals like you to use in your own business. Change our name to your name and our logo to your logo and run with it! During the month of April you will get an automatic %25 off ($124 savings) the Fitness Results Manual! Now you have the information you need to run a super successful makeover challenge and the resource tool you need can be yours too! Don’t hesitate. 

Yours in health, fitness & business,
Sherri McMillan

Like what you see here? Want more info, more details and more forms for your business? The Business of Personal Training System is for you! I give you the exact system that I use everyday at our small 5,000 sq. foot Personal Training studio.

Did you know that I wrote the ONLY complete training business  system designed to help you run a million dollar personal training business?! You can have this same business system that will help you work SMARTER and generate HUGE profits like we do here at Northwest Personal Training. The fee to purchase the Business of Personal Training System can be made up within 1 month of increased PT sales and there are NO recurring franchise or licensing fees. A comparable business system in other industries would require an initial investment of tens of thousands of dollars.  

Buy now and catapult your PT business to a new level.