janessa

People often ask us what the Greco experience is about. Greco members come to our studios for personalized training, accountability & results. Plain and simple.

Before the lockdowns, our members trained with us in-studio 4-6 times per week, the Greco Method addiction, a healthy one at that. When all of our studios were mandated to shut down in March, we made it our mission to bring that same addiction from our in-studio experience to member’s homes as quickly and with the highest quality as possible. We started by committing to continue servicing our members at the highest level. This meant that an On Demand workout library or a build your own workout template were not going to cut it – we needed to go BIG.

So, in the first week of April 2020, our Virtual Studio Experience was born and has since evolved to offer 42 LIVE Interactive classes weekly with over 1,000 workouts (and counting) available 24/7. Our Virtual Studio offers circuit-style workouts using little to no equipment and workouts focusing on building muscle, burning fat and improving the way you move. We have classes that focus on targeting specific areas as well as full body circuits that are always fresh and unique. Each workout is different from the last ranging from 20-45 minutes, ready to accommodate anyone’s schedule. Our Trainers continue to provide motivation & technique improvements in real-time from the comfort of your own home. Learn more about Greco Method At-Home HERE.

3 Lockdowns and 11 months later…

Greco Fitness has become the #1 results-based hybrid training model in North America – offering results-based fitness programming online and in-studio to the everyday athlete. We know at-home workouts are here to stay, and we are excited that 2020 pushed us to develop an online training system that continues to deliver results with equipment varying from body weight to dumbbells to household items. We are excited to continue innovating our offerings and enhancing our member experience as we enter 2021.

The Future of Boutique Fitness is Hybrid/Omnichannel

We do not see a return to the old Greco group fitness model of large class sizes in a small space, anytime, if ever, as we believe the fitness industry has been changed forever with the pandemic. We see small class sizes, ‘on the spot’ training, clean, well ventilated boutique studios, no sharing of weights, awesome trainers focused on your personal improvement, weekly progress check-ins, personalized fitness and nutrition and the best member experience in-studio and online. To learn more about how we reinvented our in-studio experience watch our reopening video HERE and see how we are keeping our members’ and employees’ safety our #1 priority HERE.

Starting in March 2020, we’ve fully pivoted our business model, transitioning our in-studio only group training, specialty programs and personal training services to our Virtual Studio Experience where we offer On Demand & Live Interactive workouts. Our Greco Method results-based personalized experience will continue to deliver Real Results to Real People whether our members train with us in-studio, online or a combination of the two. You can listen to our podcast discussion on how we pivoted our business, the lessons we learned along the way, and where we see the Greco brand moving forward in the future HERE.

Exclusive canfitpro Offer

For a limited time, you can see what all the hype is about with our 5-day Greco Virtual Studio Experience HERE. We look forward to welcoming you to the Greco Fam! If you have any questions or want additional information, reach out to us at welcome@grecofitness.com and read more on our website at www.grecofitness.com.

Yours in Health,

The Greco Fam

Quick links

Listen to how we pivoted and the lessons we learned along the way in our podcast episode.

Learn more about our Virtual Studio Experience.

Unlock our Greco Method At-Home 5 Day Experience.

How we reinvented our in-studio experience – watch our reopening video.

Learn how we are making our members’ safety a priority.

Visit our website, or find us on Facebook, Instagram or Linkedin.

By Beth Yarzab, canfitpro Certification Development

Put your learning into action! There’s an optional CEC Quiz available for purchase to assess the knowledge you gained from this blog post. You’ll earn 1.0 CEC for all the certifications you hold upon successful completion of the Quiz (PTS, HWL, FIS). Login to your member portal. Click ‘Get Education’ and ‘CEC Quizzes’ to purchase. Need help navigating your member portal? Watch this quick video for help in purchasing the CEC Quiz.

Samantha Montpetit-Huynh

There are so many opportunities for fitness professionals during the pandemic. “More than you think!” said Samantha Montpetit-Huynh, the host of canfitpro’s at-capacity webinar on January 14^th.

The State of Fitness in 2021 brought together industry leaders who are changing the fitness landscape, in response to the pandemic, while supporting social change.

Highlighting the results of canfitpro’s 2021 Fitness Trends survey, the panelists spoke to a range of business and service delivery models – from big box gyms to boutique studios, and in-person, online, and hybrid fitness offerings.

Some of the topics from The State of Fitness in 2021 included popular training modalities, pivoting online, monetizing a fitness community, marketing, and making fitness more accessible to marginalized groups. Catch the on-demand replay here.

What types of training are the most popular right now?

Maureen Hagan

As Maureen Hagan, COO of canfitpro, explained, Canadians are relying upon exercise that requires little to no equipment during the pandemic. Canadians miss their gyms and the specialized equipment in them, so they are making do with simplicity. This means Personal Trainers and Instructors can help people by programming exercise that can be done at home or outdoors. When focusing on programming bodyweight and functional exercise, clients can return to their gyms having maintained, or even gained strength, stamina, and endurance while avoiding injuries.

According to Eric Wong Kai Pun, Sr. Personal Training Divisional Manager at GoodLife Fitness, trainers are helping clients get back to the gym in better condition than ever before. Trainers can program for mobility, stability, and speed, all of which can be easily trained at home.

How can fitness professionals benefit from the increased demand for at-home fitness equipment?

Eric Wong Kai Pun

While many people are relying on bodyweight training, there’s also a huge demand for fitness equipment. Still, consumers don’t always know how to use equipment properly. They need certified Personal Trainers to ensure proper use and to stay accountable.

Eric sees an opportunity for trainers to create service packages together with equipment companies. For example, a starter package with a sandbag and gliders, plus 10 Personal Training sessions on Zoom. An intermediate package could include training sessions plus a set of adjustable dumbbells. Finally, an advanced package idea involves a squat rack and barbells.

As Robert Robinson, canfitpro’s head of business partnerships discussed, club owners are finding revenue by selling or renting their fitness equipment that isn’t being used during closures. These business owners are leading the way with a customer-first mindset to help members replicate the gym experience at home.

Building the community-feeling of a gym within online platforms

Nathalie Lacombe

Every panelist emphasized that members appreciate customer-first, caring interactions, and become loyal when they know they’re cared for. On-demand, live/online, and outdoor fitness are now highly valued experiences. There’s nothing like a client hearing their name being called out in a virtual class, with love and encouragement. People need connection and want to be seen. Nathalie Lacombe, the VP of the Fitness Industry Council of Canada Board of Directors and canfitpro PRO TRAINER, inspired fit pros to connect with their clients in a meaningful way. It’s the strength of these relationships that will also bring members back to in-person fitness when it’s safe to open clubs again.

Take this opportunity to become pandemic-proof in your service offering

Nathalie knows that the fitness industry has the opportunity to create stability for people with the variety of ways we facilitate movement. Be it with safety protocols and physical distancing in a traditional gym, or outdoors. Or on virtual platforms. “When the pandemic is causing something to change everyday, fitness can be the constant support for people to trust and rely upon,” she says. It will take creativity in how you package your services, but this is our chance to focus “less on the bodies we sculpt, and more on the lives we save.”

Monetize your community so you’re there to serve them for the long-term.

Brady Johnson

Brady Johnson, CEO of Encompass Fitness, closed her boutique gym the day before the provincial mandate required it. Then she and her staff called every member to check-in with them and to explain the virtual offerings they had planned. As a result, they retained over 85% of their paying members.

“People come for the commodity and they stay for the community,” she says. A fitness community is transactional with constant giving and receiving. It is crucial that fitness pros receive financial compensation for their time, talent, and for the community they facilitate.

Brady suggests every business has two communities. An internal community made up of paying clients and an external community of non-paying followers. Serve both with the same quality, but with a different quantity. Nathalie affirmed that free workouts can be marketing, but not programming. You can add a short clip of your virtual class on social media but save your programming for your paying clients.

Your marketing message can be empathetic while also authoritative

As an empathetic and authoritative fit pro, Brady means you can be the compassionate expert who safely leads participants through exercise and holds them accountable to consistent movement. With the right blend of empathy and authority, you offer far more value than any free YouTube workout can.

Diversity & Inclusion: everyone deserves to be served and cared for

Robert Robinson

Robert as the Chair of canfitpro’s Diversity & Inclusion committee, encourages the fitness industry to accelerate their assessment, measurement, and response to creating safe, welcoming fitness spaces for all. Are you doing enough to ensure marginalized groups feel like they belong? He encourages each of us to acknowledge privilege, uncover unconscious bias, and make space for underrepresented groups. We are all better when we create a culture that fosters and encourages differences.

Maureen “Mo” Hagan encourages all fitness professionals to “step into the gap in 2021”. If you don’t know what to say, or do, be vulnerable about how these times of massive change, uncertainty, and much-needed social disruption are affecting you. Go deeper in your learning and admit where you have room to grow. Then take action and stay positive.

“Keep the fire lit, and more people than ever will pay you for your services” says Nathalie. No matter what the obstacles are, continue to build trust by showing up for current and future clients. The State of Fitness in 2021 from that perspective, is looking brighter than ever.

Five steps to becoming a sought-after Personal Trainer, even when you’re just getting started online.

Eric Wong Kai Pun’s vision to becoming an online trainer with a waitlist, will also pay off when you’re back in-person.

Step 1: Develop your winning mindset and know your “Why” (see Simon Sinek’s video “Start with Why”).

Step 2: Build your coaching connection abilities to create deep relationships that quantum leap your retention and referrals. (Reference: Joey Coleman “Never Lose a Customer Again”)

Step 3: Run your Personal Training practice like a business by focusing on your strengths and outsourcing your weaknesses. (Reference: Strengths Finder Assessment)

Step 4: Program to help clients self-regulate by selecting exercises, sets, reps, etc. that they can kinesthetically connect with the correct form.

Step 5: Focus on exercise execution – since we can’t physically cue correct form, we must use strong verbal cues and relatable analogies to explain safe and effective movement.

What type of business are you in?

onlythestrong is a Personal Training & Fitness Education organization with two locations in Toronto and Etobicoke.

Tell us about your business?

The common saying ‘only the strong’ is generally understood as a reference to physical strength. This could not be further from the truth in our business. We have structured our focus around education of both our clients and our students in order to empower them to continue to grow and evolve in whatever way they choose in the industry.

Our Personal Training programs are designed to focus on the teachables as we believe the key reason why people ‘quit’ is a lack of why. Therefore, we have constructed our programming to give clients educational takeaways about their personal fitness each and every session. In addition, our courses are designed for students to bridge their understanding of fitness education by challenging and improving their depth of knowledge in ways they never considered. Thus, when we reference ‘strength’ at our organization we are speaking about wealth of knowledge. The more you have, the stronger you are and only the strong survive.

How long have you been in the industry?

I have been in the industry for over 10 years.

What attracted you to the fitness industry?

My attraction to the fitness industry began as I transitioned from professional sports. I recognized soon after beginning my first job in the industry that there were definite gaps in the way we interacted with clients at a professional level as well as what we taught as core concepts for new Personal Trainers. After earning my way through my first few years I finally opened my own business with the unique design of being client friendly and completely transparent for the new fitness professional. We have seen nothing but growth ever since.

What has been your greatest challenge as a business owner/operator and how did you overcome it?

The greatest challenge in our organization is the narrative. Not changing it, challenging it. So much of the fitness industry (as is the same in many others) is created by influence. We are told where to work. We are told what constitutes good work. Told what we should learn and where we should learn it from. All of these things are driven by a narrative constructed by mass marketing or big box agenda.

I strongly believe that if you want any opportunity you can make it happen for yourself regardless of any of the variables presented to you. In fact, I would suggest the conventional way is conventional for a reason and the true value of this industry is doing what you want, not what you are told you should want. At onlythestrong we have created a ‘think tank’ approach that has challenged the narrative by providing Personal Training & Fitness Education that is cost effective and forward thinking so there are no barriers to entry and zero dips in quality. We have created a market in a void formally untouched and because of this our clients and students continue to thrive in their fitness and their careers. As I said the narrative still exists and I like that. What we are doing is showing you that there isn’t only ‘one way’. Consumer choice is paramount.

What do you hope your buyers achieve within your product/service?

I hope that anyone who interacts with onlythestrong is able to see that our organization provides a dynamic revitalization of what it means to be a client. In addition, I hope that our students are able to appreciate the importance of their role as a mentor and recognize the value of their contribution to our industry. Heightened awareness is how we create quality. Regardless of how you interact with onlythestrong, my hope is that we are able to create an environment for you to thrive whether you are a person or a professional.

Tell us your greatest memory/highlight in your career?

The greatest highlight of my career was getting up one day and walking away from a job that was paying me 100k+ with zero plan of action. That moment made me. It allowed me to finally live the way I wanted to and made me realize that everything I created after that point was solely the construction of the universe as I saw it. This allowed me to take who I was as a person and turn it into a product. Obviously it is clear the decision paid off. For anyone else who may have the desire, always remember to bet on yourself. You will never lose.

How long have you attended canfitpro events?

I’ve been attending canfitpro events for 15 years.

What is the percentage of Canadian business you currently have?

I currently have 100% of Canadian business.

How do you plan to grow your Canadian business in the next 12-24 months?

Getting back to what we do best. Service, service, service. We have survived on service and will continue to make that our focus as Canadians deserve better. We look forward to the future of fitness and welcome all of those looking for a change. Whether it is in-person, online or in-home, our team will be the solution for years to come.

Visit our website, find us on Instagram or email us for more information.

By Nathalie Plamondon-Thomas

The global pandemic bombarded the fitness industry with bad news after bad news. It is expected that your brain gets in what I call prefrontal cortex overload. Fear is taking over. How are you supposed to motivate and inspire others when you personally feel stuck? Do you feel like powerful emotions are having the best of you? Do you feel overwhelmed sometimes or angry, sad, afraid? Your clients look up to you for motivation and inspiration. You practically have written the book on confidence. So why is it that these emotions seem to have the upper hand? Why do they linger and keep us stuck?

How long should a powerful emotion last?

The full course of a powerful emotion is between 30 and 90 seconds. When you experience fear, or any other powerful emotion, you go through one loop and then you exit the loop so that you can move on with your life. The unconscious mind comes to the rescue. It removes the emotion from your prefrontal cortex and moves it at the back of your brain. You have surely witnessed that with children. They’re super happy. A second later, they are going through a full temper tantrum. A moment later, then they’re happy again. Emotions should not last for more than 30 to 90 seconds. So why do people get stuck for months at a time in an emotion cycle? Why are we still upset at the guy that cut us off on the highway, three hours after we arrived at work? Why do we maintain our state of negative emotion and don’t exit the loop like we used to do when we were children?

Here is how fear and other powerful emotions are generated inside your brain.

The prefrontal cortex of your brain creates all emotions equally. The brain does not know the difference between overwhelm and excited. If you decide that the emotion you are feeling is anxiety, your brain will send 1400 chemicals (including cortisol) in your body to pollute it, to slow you down, which will make you feel deprived of energy. However, if you decide that it’s excitement, then your brain will send very different type of chemical in your bloodstream. Dopamine, endorphin, oxytocin or serotonin are feel-good chemicals that will be released in your bloodstream when experiencing a positive emotion. The specific type of chemical released will depend on multiple factors, i.e. if there’s people around you, if you’re moving or not, etc.

So how do we “decide” that what we are experiencing is a positive emotion?

I like to explain how powerful emotions work with using the analogy of a delivery truck. When a powerful emotion enters your prefrontal cortex, it’s like you have a delivery truck in your driveway bringing you a package. The only thing the delivery guy wants to do is for you to open the door of your house so that he can give you the package and be on his way. The “package” represents a positive learning. Something that will make you grow. This parcel is like a gift that you should be excited to receive. Unfortunately, we are usually not very welcoming when it comes to powerful emotions like anger, fear, hurt, etc. Instead of opening the door to receive our gift, we ignore it. We are sometimes in front of co-workers or clients, so we keep on smiling and we pretend the truck isn’t there. We get home and the kids ask us: “Are you okay mommy?” and we answer: “Yes, mommy is fine!” with a huge pretend-smile. By not letting the delivery guy in, we postpone the delivery.

Unlike real life, the truck doesn’t leave the driveway. It stays there and idles until we open the door. Fear stays in the pre-frontal cortex. We keep going through life and The Show Must Go On, right? Sometimes, another truck drives in with another package that we ignore again. We don’t have time for these deliveries. Soon, our whole driveway is blocked with trucks and we feel stuck. We can no longer walk around them. There are too many trucks, too many unopened packages.

It seems that the pandemic has brought us many gifts. Many unexpected packages. There may still be many trucks waiting for us to accept to open the door and discover our positive learning.

If you feel there are a few delivery trucks in your driveway, get excited instead of overwhelm: “Oh, I’m receiving a parcel.” Enter your 30-second loop and go from “Oh no, what’s happening? I am uncomfortable!” to immediately remembering the delivery truck and repeat to yourself: “Okay, if I am feeling this way, it must be that I am receiving a gift. This is awesome. I’m going to grow.” Who doesn’t like gifts? Right? Ask yourself: “What is it that I’m going to learn? How will that make me grow? What am I going to become better at? What could be the silver lining?”

Remember that in order for the delivery truck to leave your driveway, you need to open the door and open the parcel. Receive the package. Take a moment to sit back and breathe and be excited about what you will learn.

You can now go through your life with more confidence because you know how emotions work and you know out to get out of the emotional loop whenever you feel stuck. Find the positive learning and the truck will leave your driveway.

Understanding powerful emotions is one of the 15 keys to finding confidence that I present in the course THINK Yourself® CONFIDENT. If you want to learn more about confidence, check out the course here: www.thinkyourself.com/canfitpro

canfitpro members get 50% off THINK Yourself® ACADEMY online courses.

In part 1 of our email marketing series, we went over the basic understanding of an email as well as the types of emails you can send. Read Part 1 of our Email Marketing 101 series.

In part 2, we’ll conclude by telling you about the best times to send emails, what key metrics to look for, best practices and which email platforms you can use to send emails.

BEST TIMES TO SEND EMAILS

Your customers and audience will tell you when they’d like to receive your emails simply by looking at your analytics (see below).

However, the general rule of thumb is to send an email earlier in the day – between 4 am – 6 am.

This ensures that people who like to read emails get it in the morning. If your customers check their inboxes in the afternoon or evening, it will also be waiting for them.

If you want to be certain that you’re sending it at the best time, you can either test different times (e.g. morning, afternoon and evening). You can also change your email client settings to automatically send the email at the best time based on their inboxes.

ANALYTICS

You want to know that your hard work is paying off. Optimizing and testing your emails will ensure that you can continue to improve the messaging for your audience. Although every email client is different, there are some things that you should watch for.

Pick one or two metrics to watch for a few weeks to get comfortable before moving on to the others.

Open rate – This indicates how many people opened your email. If you have a high open rate, it could mean you have a great subject line or people know you, the sender.

Clicks – This shows how many times people clicked on links in your emails.

Click-through rate (CTR) – The CTR of your emails is more detailed than just counting clicks. Simply, this means the percent of people who clicked on the links in your email. If you’re not sure which metrics to track first, start with CTR as it is one of the most – if not the most – important metrics. This gives you direct insight on how many people on your mailing list are engaging with your content.

Unsubscribes – Unsubscribes shows you how many people unsubscribed from your mailing list after receiving an email. If you sent an email and immediately saw a lot of people unsubscribe, it could mean that they didn’t like what you sent them.

BEST PRACTICES

Here are some best practices to build your emails.

Consistency – Try to send your emails on a consistent basis. Weekly or monthly newsletters are a great way to do this as people will come to expect your emails on a particular day.

Don’t send too many emails – Unless you have a really good reason to send an email to the same list every day, don’t do it. Where you can, try to segment your audiences based on different interests to make the emails more targeted and relevant to each audience.

Make sure you have permission to use images – If you’re going to use images or photos of your clients, make sure they’re OK with you using them. Alternatively, stock photos are a great way to convey your message.

Some great paid websites for stock images are iStock, Adobe Stock and Stock Photo Secrets. There are also plenty of free stock photo websites like Pixabay, Pexels and Unsplash, but you’re limited in the choice.

Include your social links in the footer – If you have active social channels, put them in the footer of your emails. This will help widen your social media audience and give your followers another way to stay in touch with your business.

EMAIL PLATFORMS

There are a lot of email platforms available on the market, each with their own pros and cons. Most email platforms will charge you based on the number of contacts you have in your email database, so the bigger your database, the higher your fees.

Some email platforms which are less costly include Constant Contact, MailChimp and Get Response. Full marketing automation systems like Marketo and Hubspot also have email functions, but are more expensive.

Whatever email platform you choose, make sure you get familiar with all its features.

No matter what kinds of emails you send, make sure to be consistent and deliver what your audience wants to hear. Don’t be afraid to test different parts of the email, whether it’s subject lines, colours, or CTAs.

With the right email strategy, your fitness business can attract new customers, build trust and engagement, and help your business grow.

AT CANFITPRO, WE OFFER AN ARRAY OF ADVERTISING OPTIONS THAT CAN FIT YOUR FITNESS BUSINESS. CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT MORE.