We’ve all seen the funny memes about January in the Gym – the influx of new members walking around looking scared and confused, no idea about workout etiquette, getting in the way and being a general pain in the booty. Those are scenarios at OTHER clubs of course and not how we perceive first timers in the idyllic land of Chuze Fitness. While it is in our nature to make those members feel welcome and included, to smother them with kindness, friendliness and friendship, to want to show them the ropes, invest in their success and render them lifelong Chuzers, it’s still worthwhile to consider for just a moment what it feels like for them to walk into a gym on January 2nd and what we can do to make that experience just a tad bit easier for them.
Remember that if we’ve seen the jokes and memes, so have they. They know people around them are moaning and groaning, even if it’s just in their heads, about how they’re being inconvenienced by the newbies and how they’re sure that they’ll disappear by Easter if not sooner.
Sad right? That alone should be enough encouragement to handle the influx of newcomers with patience. But remember that our attitudes set the tone in the clubs and some of our members may need a little more convincing.
Here are a few reasons why a full gym in January is actually a pretty awesome thing……
A FULL GYM IS THE POINT
The main goal of the health and fitness industry is to get people to exercise, so if there are more people in the gym, that’s a good thing, right? I mean, more people working out means less people subject to sedentary health issues, more money for gyms, which can help lead to growth, new locations, expansions, more high quality equipment, more opportunity for the teams and a generally better experience at the end of the day.
YOU MAY HAVE JUST MADE A NEW FRIEND
Some of these new members may become long term members who in turn become your close friends, your babysitters, your givers of free legal advice, and your bringers of treats from Portos (Anaheim you know what I’m talking about). You become their confidantes, hear about their grandkid’s graduations or fawn over pictures of their new puppies. Bottom line – you become a bright spot in their day and perhaps they in yours.
NOOBS ARE ROCKSTARS
Have you heard the term NOOB? My kid screams it all the time when one of his friends does something stupid in Fortnite. You may hear it relation to someone who is new to working out. Keep in mind that that NOOB in the club is really a GOAL CRUSHING ROCKSTAR. So many people have ‘joining a gym’ or ‘working out more’ on their New Year’s Resolutions list but the majority of them never follow through, meaning they never even take the first step. Getting to the gym for the first time ever or after a long absence is really hard. If they have the courage and drive to make that healthy lifestyle change, they deserve props for their bravery not judgement for being inexperienced
WE ALL HAVE TO START SOMEWHERE
Most of us weren’t born with the ability to jog multiple miles a day or lift heavy. We all had a first day. Maybe some of us had a couple of false starts before we gave it a real go or before it really stuck. Maybe some are still trying to make it stick. And maybe for some of us, it’s so stuck that a day without a workout is unthinkable. But the point is that each one of us has a unique journey and a story that deserves respect and understanding.
YOU HAVE A CHANCE TO BE AN INSPIRATION
Think about your first days at your first gym – did anyone help you? Was anyone cheering you on and pushing you to do more? Giving you advice, inspiration, encouragement? I hope many of you are thinking YES!!! Here is your chance to pay it forward……or inspire….or at least assist our members in taking steps towards their goals. Even if they fall off, you’ve helped give them a taste of how good healthy living can feel. And if they don’t fall off….they continue forward and achieve their goals and better their health…..well now you’ve actually helped change someone’s life – that’s incredibly powerful. Remember – January workout starts aren’t just a FAD for everyone. Many people will begin there and make this a lifelong habit and you have the privilege to be a part of that.
YOU’VE HELPED MAKE THE #FITFAM A BIT BIGGER
The world of health and fitness has exploded in the last couple years and Chuze Fitness is making its’ place as a major player in that world. How many of you have had thought provoking conversations about nutrition, exercise and healthy living with people – members – who are just as passionate about those things as you are? Know that in January, there will be even more people sharing this movement with the world. That’s freaking awesome and you’ve helped contribute to that.
So…what happens when your regulars aren’t as excited as you about the influx of new members or the shortage of parking spots (I’m talking to you Mission Valley)? How can we contribute to changing their viewpoint……? If you have the opportunity to have this conversation, you can provide those valued members of the Chuze Family with a few tips on surviving the New Year. By modifying their workouts slightly, they’ll still get amazing results (if not better cause they’ve made a change) and get through it with little to no frustration
- Ditch Supersets and Circuits in Favor of Straight Sets – chances of setting up a bar, bench, plyo box, band, bosu and 3 treadmills to replicate the greatest treadmill dance music video ever made are slim to none. Keep it simple. Instead of linking 15 exercises together for an extended AMRAP, try straight sets of a single exercise or piece of equipment.
- Find Out When Peak Hours at Your Gym Are and Avoid Them – if schedules allow for a bit of flexibility, try it. Come a bit earlier, do weekends for a while if you hadn’t been, try lunch times, get creative. It’s only for a short while – in July, you get the whole place to yourself again.
- Do More Body Weight or Non-machine-based training – it might prove to be worthwhile to sub out barbell squats for some higher volume Goblet squats for a few weeks. Or maybe instead of endless sets of bench press, you sub in some band loaded pushups.
Or maybe you do some single leg work, like split squats, lunges, or single leg deadlifts. You know you should do them anyway, so now’s as good a time as any.
- Have a Plan A, and Also a Plan B – Having a plan is right up there with having your gym shoes in terms of important stuff to consider when getting to the gym. The challenge comes down to looking at your workout, then looking at the gym and seeing everything you had scheduled is currently being done by everyone else in the place. So there has to be a PLAN B and you will be able to still salvage something. But with no plan A or B, you will either be walking around confused and not accomplishing anything OR frustrated, angry and stressed and still not accomplishing anything
- Just Breathe……. and do a CLASS or SESSION – for every reason we’ve ever suggested taking GX or TT – the comradery, the knowledgeable and motivating instructors and coaches, the fun and results driven programming….all that aside, you have the additional benefit that you get to workout in a more spacious studio with all the equipment you need, a super fun leader giving you the best chance to get the best workout with cool music and your new gym buddies around you cheering you on. There is nothing better than that.
Before I finish, I want to leave you with some fun attendance facts from the Fitness Department:
In Personal Training LAST YEAR, we trained 5,473 sessions. THIS YEAR, Mike and the Tucson team are on track to train over 6,100 sessions.
In GX LAST YEAR, we provided 31,771 classes to our members, THIS YEAR, the GX Team is teaching over 41,500 classes.
In Team Training LAST YEAR, we coached 14,148 sessions. THIS YEAR, the TT Team is on track to coach over 19,800 sessions.
I am immensely proud of the work we’re doing as the Fitness Department, and as Chuze Fitness and for the impact that each of you as individual fitness professionals in every department at Chuze are making on countless lives.