traine r · 2019. 11. 5. · ideatrainersuccess editorinchief sandytoddwebster managingeditor...

Supplement to September 2009 IDEA Fitness Journal

TRAINERSUCCESS

IDEA

HERE’S WHAT YOU CAN LEARN THIS MONTH:Use 2009 IDEA Personal Training Programs & Equipment Trendsdata to focus your marketing and to plan your budget; explorewhat autumn—the season of change, reflection and beauty—means to you, your clients and your business.

Business insights,strategies &

directions to helpyou Inspire the

World to Fitness®

9 Survey Data2009 IDEA PersonalTraining Programs &Equipment Trends

14 Training for GrowthSeasonal Change:Autumn Color

SEPTEMBER 2009, VOLUME 6, NUMBER 4

SURVEY OVERVIEW by Jan Schroeder, PhD

Personal training is still king of the hillin the fitness industry. Whether in anentrepreneurial or a facility setting,trainers are steadily filling sessions as agrowing variety of clients are inspired tofitness and wellness through personaltraining leadership.

Not all personal trainers offer all cat-egories; trainers have tailored their serv-ices tomatch or attract a specific market

share rather than stretch themselvesover the vast range of specialty cate-gories. This targeted approach mayreflect the rigors of a tough economy,but niche specialization is nothing newamong smart trainers.

There is strong growth potentialalong the continuum,which gives mosttrainers the luxury of choosing theclientele with whom they are passionate

Personal TrainersMeet the Needs of Savvy,Cost-Conscious ConsumersThe 2009 IDEA Personal Training Programs &Equipment Trends report shows that training styles,equipment and choices have broadened to servean ever-expanding, discriminating market.

IDEA Trainer SuccessEditor in Chief Sandy Todd Webster

Managing Editor Katherine Watson

Production Editor Margie Rogers

Contributing Editor Alexandra Williams

Design Patera

Publisher and CEO Peter Davis

Executive Director Kathie Davis

IDEA Health & FitnessAssociation10455 Pacific Center Court

San Diego, California 92121-4339

Phone: (858) 535-8979 or (800) 999-IDEA

Fax: (858) 535-8234

E-mail: [email protected]

Website: www.ideafit.com

© 2009 by IDEA Health & Fitness

Association. All rights reserved.

Reproduction without permission is

strictly prohibited. Printed in the USA.

For a complete directory of IDEA staff

or information on article selection and

submission, see the “Your Membership”

section in IDEA Fitness Journal.

IDEA’s Mission StatementIDEA and its members are passionately

committed to improving the health and

fitness of all people. We are focused

on delivering compelling member value

by imparting knowledge, credibility,

inspiration, marketability, and personal

and professional growth opportunities.

IDEA’s PurposeTo Inspire the World to Fitness®

Core Values� We believe that ethics come first;

fairness and integrity guide all of

our decisions and relationships.

� We have a passion for providing

fitness information and education.

� Our decisions are guided by the

professional needs of our members.

2 September 2009 IDEA Trainer Success

about working. Survey respondents cus-tomize their offerings to suit the widearray of clients’ ages, abilities and goals—from the apparently healthy and thehighly athletic to those who need spe-cialized training like postrehab and backpain prevention programs.

Generally speaking, the survey revealsthat training methods focus on functionby using a range of techniques, such asstrength, balance and flexibility training.Overall, respondents report that they con-tinue to use various types of equipment,both small and large, in order to meettheir clients’needs.However,most skilledprofessionals help clientsmeet goals withthe use of small, portable equipment.These training tools (resistance tubing,stability balls, dumbbells,medicine balls,etc.) remain solidly in the top 10 piecesof equipment most frequently used.

Group personal training activities—such as boot camps, circuit training andsocial activity groups—are offered byapproximately one-third of respondentsand appear to be poised for growth.

Client retention is robust across theboard. IDEA trainers report that 77% oftheir clients stay with the business 1 yearor longer.Amagnified look reveals evenmore impressive client loyalty: mostclients stay with their trainer for morethan 5 years (32%),while the remainingcustomers stay 1–2 years (21%), 2–3years (15%), 3–4 years (12%) or 4–5years (8%). Just 12% of clients stay withtheir trainer for less than 1 year.

Do these numbers reflect your expe-rience? If not, diving into these trendsmay help you determine what’s missingin your mix. What are IDEA personaltrainers doing to achieve this longevityamong their customers?

Taking the Long ViewAccording to the personal trainer mem-bers who completed the 2009 survey,training adults one-on-one remains thebread and butter of their business. Thefocus within sessions includes strengthtraining, stretching, balance and func-tional resistance training.

These are the session options offeredby over 50% of survey respondents:98% personal training, adult,

one-on-one97 strength training96 stretching and/or flexibility96 balance training96 functional resistance training89 flexibility/range of motion

assessment86 height and weight assessment85 training for weight management85 personal training, 2 clients share84 balance assessment81 cardiorespiratory interval

training79 body weight–only training77 circumference measurements

assessment77 body composition assessment77 resting heart rate assessment76 cardiorespiratory circuit

training75 cardiorespiratory endurance

training73 muscular endurance assessment72 back pain prevention72 cardiorespiratory cross-training72 plyometrics71 senior-specific training70 postrehab following injury70 activity heart rate assessment66 cardiorespiratory endurance

assessment65 speed, agility, quickness

conditioning65 personal training, youth, aged

18 or younger, one-on-one61 exercise for chronic medical

conditions (e.g., diabetes,coronary heart disease)

60 nutrition coaching60 personal training, outdoor

sessions59 blood pressure assessment58 personal training, 3–5

clients share57 nutrition assessment54 online client reminders and

information54 sport-specific training52 walking

September 2009 IDEA Trainer Success 3

How Is Personal Training Offered?� One-on-one personal training has

once again found itself topping thelist of programs, with 98% ofrespondents reporting that they offerit to their clientele. A little over half(53%) believe one-on-one personaltraining is stable, while 33% believethere is still potential for growth inthe industry.

� Personal training in which 2 clientsshare a session is still very popularamong IDEA trainers. This year,85% offer it, a percentage that hasheld steady from 2008. When welook more closely at who is offeringpartner training, those trainers whowork within their own homes(91%), in personal training studios(90%) and within clients’ homes(90%) are slightly more inclined tooffer the service.

� Personal training with 3–5 clients isoffered by over half of the respon-dents (58%); this is up 9 percentagepoints from last year’s results. Inaddition, 46% of respondents believethis category will continue to grow.The increase is likely due to a com-bination of factors: (1) the increasedpopularity of boot camps and circuit

training for small groups; (2) theeconomies of scale for both personaltrainers and consumers; and (3) thesocial aspect of training in a group,which makes exercise more fun formany.Michelle Reiter,MS, a fitness profes-

sional in Los Angeles, says, “These areexciting times. I believe we are experi-encing a shift within our collectiveculture in taking responsibility forimproving our health and wellness;therefore, the potential of our industryis growing evermore!

“Our clients are looking to us to pro-vide direction and guidance in design-ing customized programs. I believe whatmakes a training program successful isnot only the trainer’s knowledge andexpertise, but also serving our clients tothe best of our ability, being flexible andadding safety and fun to the workouts. Ilike to use Dr.Wayne Dyer’s quote, ‘Howmay I serve?’ as my motto for runningmy personal training business.”

According to the survey, only 5% ofrespondents’ clients are younger than 18years; however, 65% of trainers offerone-on-one personal training for thisage group, and 39% offer small-groupactivities for youth. Even with the con-

stantly increasing numbers of over-weight and obese youth, the growthpotential in this population is seen asrather small (less than 30%).

Sabrena Merrill, owner of FitnessLogic in Lawrence, Kansas, observes thatthe majority of clients are middle-agedwith adult-aged children. “There reallyis no ‘referral’ base to work with, becausethe kids are already out of the house,”she says.When examining this categoryin more depth, we see that 43% of per-sonal trainers offer programming forteens (13–17 years of age), while only23% offer programming for kids (12years and younger). Merrill also feelsthat some parents do not view struc-tured exercise programs as “safe” forchildren under 12 years. “I think someof them still operate under the assump-tion that preadolescents will stunt theirgrowth if they participate in resistancetraining,” she says. “In addition, a sig-nificant percentage of parents are over-weight or obese and do not place a hightime commitment or financial priorityon formal exercise. But by the time thekids reach the teen years, their oppor-tunities have really opened up throughschool programs/sports and the wholefamily becomes more aware of the

How Is Personal Training Offered?Personal Personal

Personal Training in Training inAll Health Training Trainers’ Clients’

Respondents Clubs Gyms Homes Homes

n (number) 528 218 105 131 239personal training, adult, one-on-one 98% 100% 100% 99% 100%personal training, 2 clients share 85 89 90 91 90personal training, 3–5 clients share 58 59 61 60 60personal training, outdoor sessions 60 65 58 73 72personal training, youth, aged 18 or

younger, one-on-one 65 74 75 64 67personal training, youth, aged 18 years

or younger, small-group 39 46 47 40 37

% of respondents offering the activity.

TRAINING BY FACILITY TYPE

© 2009 by IDEA Health & Fitness Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction without permission is strictly prohibited.


that to train functionally, a movementpattern must incorporate eccentricloading of the muscle prior to concen-tric unloading; be triplanar in nature;overcome gravity and ground reactionforces; and incorporate balance andflexibility.“Functional training benefitsthe client by integrating movementsrather than isolating movements; helpspromote mobility and stability; canenhance quality of life and daily move-ment patterns; and can improve overallhealth and well-being,”Wolf says.“Fromthe trainer’s perspective, this approachcreates myriad ways to design programs,provides time efficiency and signifi-cantly reduces burn out. It makes train-ing—and our business—fun.”

The majority of the training sessionis devoted to resistance and flexibility

training; the portion spent on cardio-vascular training is just 23%.With heartdisease being the number-one cause ofdeath in the U.S. for both men andwomen, 23% is simply not enough, feelsJason Karp, PhD, exercise physiologistand director/coach of REVO2LT Run-ning Team™ in San Diego. “Researchhas shown that low cardiovascular fit-ness is a strong predictor of death fromcardiovascular disease and even of all-cause mortality, with the risk beingcomparable to the risk associated withother primary cardiovascular-diseaserisk factors, including diabetes, hyper-tension, high cholesterol and cigarettesmoking,” Karp says. “Cardiovascularendurance is arguably the most impor-tant component of health-related fitnessbecause the functioning of the heart,

Focus Is on FunctionPersonal Personal



n 528 218 105 131 239Resistance Trainingstrength training 97% 99% 100% 99% 99%functional resistance training 96 98 100 96 98body weight–only training 79 87 83 84 82plyometrics 72 79 83 75 77very slow strength training 38 43 43 43 36Olympic-style lifting 17 20 21 19 16Cardiorespiratory Trainingcardiorespiratory interval training 81% 89% 85% 88% 87%cardiorespiratory circuit training 76 84 81 82 82cardiorespiratory endurance training 75 83 79 79 78cardiorespiratory cross-training 72 78 81 78 76Flexibility Trainingstretching and/or flexibility 96% 97% 98% 99% 98%Other Trainingbalance training 96% 97% 97% 99% 98%speed, agility and quickness conditioning 65 73 76 70 68


METHODS USED IN TRAINING SESSIONS


importance of physical fitness. It is atthis time that theymay begin to seek thehelp of a fitness professional.”

Focus Is on FunctionSurvey respondents report that theirtraining sessions break out as follows:53% of the time is spent on resistancetraining, while the remainder is spenton cardiorespiratory (23%) and flexi-bility training (18%), as well as othertrainingmethods (19%). Strength train-ing (97%), functional resistance train-ing (96%), balance training (96%) andstretching/flexibility (96%) are themostcommonly used training methods.

ChuckWolf,MS, director of HumanMotion Associates in Orlando, Florida,has a good idea of why trainers are usingsuch techniques so frequently. He says


lungs and circulatory system are soessential to overall health.”

Among cardiorespiratory trainingtechniques, interval training (81%) isused slightly more than other methods,like cardiorespiratory endurance (75%),circuit (76%) or cross-training (72%).

The most common types of equip-ment used for cardiorespiratory train-ing are treadmills (78%), followed byelliptical trainers (71%), upright cycles(63%), recumbent cycles (62%) andstair climbers (50%). Equipment thatuses more upper-body musculature—such as indoor rowing machines(42%) and arm ergometers (20%)—are used by fewer than half of therespondents.

Benefits of Group TrainingDespite all we hear about the economiesand profitability of group training,fewer than half of respondents reportthat they train clients in such activitiesas small-group circuit training (48%);indoor small-group boot camps (38%);social activity groups (walking or run-ning clubs, group trips, organized groupactivities) (31%); outdoor group activ-ities (29%); and outdoor boot camps(26%).Although these activities do notrank very high, the majority of theIDEA trainers surveyed believe there isgrowth on the horizon.

Ayla Preszler, MS, personal trainerand group fitness director at Frog’sFitness in Long Beach, California, finds

that training in a group setting hasmany benefits for the personal trainerand for the participants involved: “I seefour main benefits to group training:efficiency, cost-effectiveness, motiva-tion/accountability and retention,” shesays. “If the trainer takes the time up-front to assess each participant’s fitnesslevel and goals, a well-designed work-out should cater to most of the group’sneeds. The trainer can then take timeduring the workout to work with eachindividual one-on-one to demonstratemodifications and progressions as nec-essary. The trainer is now designingone workout (with modifications andprogressions) that can apply to manyindividuals.” >>

Benefits of Group TrainingPersonal Personal



n 528 218 105 131 239boot camp classes, outdoor 26 31 25 33 29group activities, outdoor 29 32 26 37 32small-group boot camps, indoor 38 41 42 47 40small-group circuit training, indoor 48 54 57 52 50social activity groups (walking or

running clubs, group trips, organizedgroup activities) 31 32 29 37 30


WORKINGWITH GROUPS: IS IT TIME TO GROW?


cialized instruction.The vastmajority ofsurvey respondents have clients with spe-cialmedical needs (83%), chronic injury(85%) or physical disabilities (54%). Inorder to assist these clients, trainers offerspecialized programs, such as back painprevention (72%), postrehab followinginjury (70%) and exercise for chronicmedical conditions (e.g., diabetes, coro-nary heart disease) (61%). In addition,approximately half of the trainers sur-veyed believe that these types of specialprograms will continue to grow.

As Anthony Carey, MA, owner ofFunction First in San Diego, points out,“Nearly every trainer in the field isworking with someone who is, was orwill be classified as a special population.The prevalence in society of issues suchas lower-back pain and cardiovasculardisease makes it nearly impossible notto work with a client with medical con-cerns. And as the currentmedical modelbecomes more restrictive, greater num-bers of people will be seeking help andguidance from the fitness community.Fitness professionals need to remainwithin our professional boundariesand within our level of education andexperience.Working with special pop-ulations requires special preparation.”

Small, Portable EquipmentRemains on TopSurvey respondents reported using alltypes of equipment, with an emphasis


Ayla further pointed out that forthe trainer, group training is a way toincrease income while decreasing thehourly cost of a training session for par-ticipants. “Instead of training one clientper hour, you are training 4, 5 or even6 clients in an hour and can charge eachperson a ‘discounted price’ per hour,which will still hold a higher hourly rateoverall for the trainer.”

Finally, Ayla has found that grouptraining provides even greater motiva-tion and accountability for participantsthan one-on-one training. “If someonedoes not feel like working out, they areno longer just canceling on the trainer;they are canceling on their workout bud-dies,” she points out. “I also encouragemy clients to spur each other on duringour workouts.Due to the cost-effective-ness andmotivation/accountability thatgroup training provides, I find that par-ticipants are eager to come back formore. Affordability does not tend to bea problem, and they have guaranteedworkout buddies to share the challengewith. This leads to great retention bothfor the trainer and for the fitness cen-ter in which the trainer is working.”

Programs for Clients WithMedical ConcernsFaced with the realities of an aging pop-ulation, personal trainers work moreandmore often with clientele who—fora variety of medical reasons—need spe-

on the smaller portable pieces. These arethe 10 pieces of equipment most fre-quently available:97% resistance tubing or bands97 stability balls95 barbells and/or dumbbells93 balance equipment (BOSU®

Balance Trainers, disks, wobbleboards, balance boards)

90 medicine balls85 foam rollers and small balls81 steps and platforms78 treadmills75 weighted bars71 elliptical trainers

Once again eight of the top 10 mostfrequently used pieces of equipment aresmall and transportable. “The growingtrend of [using] small, portable piecesof training equipment offers bothclients and trainers many benefits inaddition to allowing us to train morefunctionally,” observes Fabio Comana,exercise physiologist with the American

Programs for Clients With Medical ConcernsPersonal Personal



n 528 218 105 131 239back pain prevention 72% 72% 72% 75% 73%exercise for chronic medical conditions

(e.g., diabetes, coronary heart disease) 61 65 62 59 61postrehab following injury 70 69 77 67 70


TRAINING SPECIAL POPULATIONS



Council on Exercise.“However, wemustalways remember that functional train-ing is not driven by the equipment weuse, but by the results we seek. Con-sequently, while small, portable equip-ment can be very functional, it dependson how it is utilized. The added benefitof this portable equipment [is that it]allows trainers and clients to selectappropriate training environmentswhile not suffering the constraints ofthe past, [when] we were limited inwhat we could use outside of the gym.Much of the growth of in-home train-ing can be attributed to the develop-ment of effective, small, portable piecesof equipment.”

Even though only two pieces of largeequipment (treadmills and ellipticaltrainers) made the list, the majority ofthose surveyed use stationary itemssuch as pulley equipment (67%), plate-

loaded machines (63%), upright cycles(63%), recumbent cycles (62%), selec-torized (pin-selected) machines (62%)and stair climbers (50%).

About the SurveyThe percentage (%) shows the numberof survey respondents who answeredyes to a given survey question. All per-centages have been rounded up at 0.5and down at 0.4. Percentages do notnecessarily total 100, because of multi-ple or missing responses.

About the RespondentsIDEA personal trainer members whogave us permission to use their e-mailaddresses were sent three e-mail invi-tations to link to aWeb-based survey inFebruary 2009. The 557 trainers whoresponded represent 77% personaltrainers, 12% owners, 4% fitness direc-

tors, 1% personal training directors, 1%general managers and 3% other titles.There was an 8% response rate, with a95% confidence level and a ±5% mar-gin of error.

About the DemographicsOn average, the respondents work attwo separate facilities. Forty-three per-cent offer personal training in clients’homes, whereas 24% offer personaltraining in their own homes; otherwise,20% work in fitness-only health clubs,12% inmultipurpose health clubs, 19%in personal training gyms, 9% in Pilatesor yoga studios, 10% in parks or recre-ation programs, 7% in aYMCA/YWCA/JCC, 6% in corporate fitness centers, 6%in group exercise studios and under6% in other venues.Most of the respon-dents are self-employed (56%), while31% are independent contractors and


26% are employees. A number of train-ers (26%) earn additional revenue byselling products to their clientele.As forlocation, 24% work in suburbs, 33% inlarge cities, 36% in small cities or townsand 7% in rural areas.Most respondentslive in the United States—35% in theWest, 26% in the Northeast, 20% inthe North Central region and 19% inthe South; 4% live in Canada.

About the ClienteleOur trainers serve a predominantlyfemale clientele (72%), with the mostcommon age ranges being 35–44 years(24%), 45–54 years (32%) and 55–64years (23%).Most clients are at an inter-mediate fitness level (48%) or beginnerfitness level (40%), while only 19% areadvanced. While 97% of trainers haveclients that are apparently healthy, theyalso train individuals with special med-

ical needs (83%), chronic injury (85%)or physical disabilities (54%). Amateurathletes (64%) are also a common clien-tele for trainers, while professional ath-letes (14%) are clients less frequently.Almost half of all trainers work withchildren and teens (aged 18 years oryounger) (49%), whereas 25% of train-ers work with women only.

The average cost of a training sessionis $56 (median $55). Most clients payfor their training sessions either as apackage (63%) or as individual sessions(51%); just 14% pay for sessions with amonthly membership fee, and 5% paywith an annual membership fee.

About Median and MeanThe mean (average) is found by addingtogether all the numbers and dividingby the number of responses. Very largenumbers and very small numbers can

create a wide range, whichmaymake anaverage less representative of most ofthe people.

The median is the midpoint, mean-ing 50% of respondents answered abovethat number and 50% answered belowit. A median is useful because it helpseliminate the distortion that an averagecan cause.

About Health ClubsThe“health clubs”category in the chartsincludes multipurpose and fitness-onlyhealth clubs and YMCA/YWCA/JCCfacilities. �

Jan Schroeder, PhD, is an associate pro-

fessor in kinesiology at California State

University, Long Beach. Visit her website

at www.janschroederphd.com.

© 2009 by IDEA health & Fitness, Inc. All rights reserved.Reproduction without permission is strictly prohibited.

www.acefitness.org/ACELive

Don’t miss out on live workshops from ACE coming to a city near you!

NEW! Personal Training in Practice: Effective Tools & Techniques 1.6 CECs

Gain must-have skills for a successful career in personal training with the latest in physiological assessments, behavioral and motivational strategies, weight management and ACE’s new program design model in this all-new interactive workshop. A comprehensive learning opportunity you won’t find anywhere else!

Functional Training & Assessment 0.8 CEC

Enhance your knowledge and applied skills in training to improve posture, movement efficiency and overall muscular performance. This popular course sells out quickly, so don’t delay!

ACE Fitness Symposium 2009 1.8 CECs

Join us Nov. 4-7 at the San Diego Hilton Resort & Spa for an inti- mate, educational event designed to advance your fitness career, providing new and creative ideas and networking opportunities with peers and industry experts. www.acefitness.org/symposium

traine r · 2019. 11. 5. · ideatrainersuccess editorinchief sandytoddwebster managingeditor...

Documents