1-2-1 Personal Training revenue growth is declining slowly. Presently, 1-2-1 PT revenue is growing in less than half of U.S. health clubs. Just three years ago, it approached ?uptrend breakout status? of 60% of reporting facilities. Now it has moved into ?near downtrend? territory and will take only two more quarters of present results to declare it a definite industry downtrend.

Small Group Training revenues are gradually rising. While second-half 2013 results negated what appeared to be a breakout into ?definite uptrend? status for SGT, 1st Q ?14 stats showed SGT revenue growth in 54% of clubs. On a 5-year basis, SGT is on the rise as more and more clubs program SGT into their offerings.

More types of GEX classes are really Large Group Training. Full-body training GEX classes (think Les Mills Body Pump or MOSSA?s Group Power) are being integrated into an increasing number of clubs? fitness programming. Clubs are beginning to grasp the effectiveness of large group training?both in payroll efficiency and ?group satisfaction? for members.

Members don?t think what passes for ?personal training? in clubs is really ?personal? training. Clubs have milked ?equipment demonstrations? as ?introductory personal training? for years. Club customers know that it isn?t ?personal? training?and likely will not buy real personal training, following this poor representation at the outset of membership.

Club members are going outside-of-club for their personal training needs. Increasing numbers of club members are opting to buy memberships in low-price fitness-only clubs?and put their personal training dollars into studio offerings?thereby not only decreasing membership numbers and dollars, but cutting into clubs? profitable PT sales.

Quality trainers are leaving clubs to work in, or open, studios.  Thousands of facilities have had to cut back training session percentage payouts. With profit margins across the industry at more-than-a-decade lows, clubs need every dollar they can get. The result is that quality trainers have had their incomes reduced by clubs?so the trainers have moved on to studio employment or even ownership.

Statistical evidence shows that clubs are generally suffering member, trainer and dollar drain. As we see more facility competition coming into most markets, independent club operators will have to re-create their personal training programs?or risk losing even more revenues in the very near future.

What?s your ?take? on personal training at this point? Email Michael with your opinions.

(Michael Scott Scudder is Founder/CEO of Fitness Business Council, the independent club business network. Michael can be contacted at 575-751-1212 or mss@fitnessbusinesscouncil.com .)

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Here are 3 ways the right gym software can help you enhance your personal training programs:

1. Automate Training Schedules – The best case scenario for your club is that your trainers have days full of happy clients but the worst case can easily occur if those trainers don?t have a way to manage the dynamic nature of scheduling, rescheduling and scheduling again.The best software gives an automated template that is user friendly and time efficient so your trainers can spend their time where they are best suited – on the floor with happy members.
2. Manage Weight Room Traffic – Take a look at any successful gym at 6 p.m. on a week night and you?ll see more traffic than on the runways at La Guardia. It isn?t the easiest time for trainers to run through their programs but sometimes they don?t have a choice.Let your software serve as a health club traffic controller by making it easier for trainers working with clients that are paying for sessions, as well as the members who are following their own routines. You can create multi-use schedules for machines and areas of the club (such as the soft turf area or basketball courts).
3. Track Progress – Clients need to track their progress to experience the success that comes with consistent hard work – but so do trainers. Personal training monitoring relies on goal setting and reporting just as fitness building does.Gym software can be customized to create any range of reports including such elements as:

   – New Training Goals
   – Fitness Milestones Reached
   – Training Session Sales Expectations
   – Personnel Training And Education Certification Requirements

The beauty of gym software isn?t just the customization of such reports, it?s the timeliness in which you can adjust and distribute those reports on demand.

By taking the guess work out of the behind the scenes tasks, you can give more freedom to your personal training team in providing members the positive fitness experience they?ve been promised. And you can keep your teams motivated and energized at the same time.

For more ways to enhance your personal training services with the right software, request a demo from ABC Financial.

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