Summer is here! This month the kids start to break up from school and holidays are fast approaching on the horizon. Now more than ever there is an urge to escape the last 18 months and find some enjoyment in getting away. So with clients taking time off, cancellations, isolation and rearranging because of parental duties etc, how are you going to navigate the next couple of months as a PT? Summer for most trainers can be a quiet time, so how to best prepare for this?
Our advice would be to use this time wisely and hears how…
Marketing & Content
Clients want to see professionalism, which is why it’s so important to make sure your social media platforms represent this. Creating content is a great way to communicate and generate interest in your services. Spend some time planning what you think potential clients might want to engage with. Find some quiet time at your gym or studio and see if the studio manager will let you utilise this time to create content.
Google/ Facebook reviews are another great way to help potential clients buy into your services, kindly suggest to your current clientele to share their thoughts on your services when they have some free time. Most will understand how vital this can be for small businesses.
Improving client Retention
How can you improve the services you already offer? What extra could you provide which will go above and beyond your client’s expectations? Even if they are leaving for a holiday could you be supporting them? With so many resources available to use, it has never been so easy to connect and check in with your clients. Checking in can make all the difference for retention, if you show you care your clients will often show their loyalty.
Goal Setting
We are halfway through the year and whilst goal setting generally takes place at the start, it’s important to check in with yourself to see where you are at. Is there anything you could have done better this year so far for example? Sometimes big goals can be overwhelming, could you break them down into smaller goals to help towards the bigger picture? Once you have achieved your goals, what’s next?
Be Proactive
Success rarely falls at your feet and sustaining a successful business take time and nurturing. It’s been a tough year all around for business, so if you are not sure how to move forward consider a mentor or someone who can help offer advice having got the T-shirt.
Thanks for reading
PT Workspace Team
We are back and ready for business! April the 12th was long-awaited for many in anticipation of gyms finally opening, alongside restaurants, bars and shops in line with Government guidelines.
Private personal training Studio
Never in all the years of operating have we had to close our doors, a feeling echoed by many business owners, but now we hope we are finally over the finish line. Since 2016 it has been our mission to elevate the industry for personal trainers, providing luxury private studio space where personal trainers could grow and develop their own businesses without the worry of extortionate rental rates which are unwavering and impractical for many small businesses.
Flexible Studio Rental Model
Thankfully since then, the industry has come a long way, and whilst the giants of commercial gyms continue churning over trainers like they are replaceable, at least there are now options available, as private personal training studio’s and small group training facilities have continued to grow in popularity, offering a more flexible and community feel to what can be a lonely business at times. Clients, as well as trainers, enjoy a more private space to train in, especially with the pandemic causing crowded spaces to feel unsafe.
Before the birth of private personal training studio’s such as PT Workspace, meant finding a gym space that you could call your own was near on impossible unless you were fortunate enough to have your own private studio. Many London parks now charge upwards of £100 per day to train clients, and many gyms want to keep their PT’s and clients in house where possible.
Studio Hire in London
With the expansion into online training, private studio hire has moved into different realms, where personal trainers now seek space not just for one to one training, but also a professional backdrop to create online content for websites and social media. Now is an amazing time to enter the industry with health at the forefront of peoples minds and the encouragement to live a more active and healthy lifestyle. There are finally options for trainers!
Stay healthy and Safe.
Thanks for reading
PT Workspace Team
Studio Hire at PT Workspace
Since opening our doors in 2016 in the borough of Highbury & Islington, PT Workspace has gone from strength to strength and the fully equipped personal training studio has now many wonderful new additions like the recently renovated outside space. Our Facilities include but are not limited to, equipment such as weight racks, dumbbells, kettlebells, spin bike, battle ropes, punching bags, pull up bar, leg press, sledge, tyres (etc)
We understand more than most, how difficult it can be to find the right space in London. Which is why we are now offering studio hire opportunities for photographers, videographers and personal trainers alongside collaborative projects & events relevant to the fitness industry. Whether personal or commercial we welcome you to get creative in our personal training studio with hourly and day rates available.
Please request rates: [email protected]
As we are a full-time personal training studio, we do have personal trainers and their clients to consider when confirming your booking. Weekends and most flexible and our prices reflect this. Weekday bookings are subject to the studio manager’s approval and will be priced accordingly.
For more information please contact [email protected] with studio hire in the subject line.
P.S If you are interested in finding out more about personal training at PT Workspace you can contact [email protected]. In addition, why not take a look at some of the personal trainers who already work with us https://www.ptworkspace.co.uk/trainers/.
Running a business is not for the faint-hearted, it’s often a big chance you take a step out from the comfort of a secure job, into a self-sufficient role which can be incredibly demanding on your time, as well as your mental and physical well being. Often failure can come at a high price, but success can be all that much sweeter for it.
In a turbulent year for businesses big and small already, what can you be doing to help stay afloat as we battle the ongoing pandemic? Many small businesses are being resourceful and turning to options currently available to support their product or services online. Personal trainers are no different and in their millions have migrated online utilising applications like Zoom to support coaching and their social media to create a presence. But could you be doing more? How many can you tick off below…
Check-in REGULARLY
There will be many casualties from lockdown the inevitable fact that being forced to adapt rapidly online, will not have sat well with all clients, especially if zoom or online coaching just does not work for them. It’s not for everyone, but when was the last time you checked in with them? Asked how they were doing? If you could help in any way, even if it was just someone different for them to speak to. Because when the gyms open back up, they might well be the first to want to jump back in.
Reflecting back on a conversation had with a recent client who said during the first Lockdown, their PT dropped off the grid, so when he popped up after lockdown lifted the client had lost complete interest by then. Checking in on all your clients regularly is important for retention and loyalty, its important to show you care, especially in times where your clients may feel isolated or cut off from human interaction.
Social Media
Making your social media work for you!
Who is your professional profile aimed at? Your clients? New potential clients? Other PT’s? Your friends? Just posting pictures for likes?
Social media can be a great tool to create leads and generate interest in your services if you are using it properly, and it can be easy to lose sight of this. A good tip is to DM new followers and check-in to say hi, introduce yourself, and start up a conversation, say “thanks for the follow!” You never know where it will lead. Be proactive with your communication, and reach out where appropriate to those who show interest.
Be Selective
Pick and choose what works for your business, how you spend your time is valuable, so choose which social media sites work for you. Same with the content you put out. If writing blogs do not come naturally to you, maybe focus more on creating video content instead. Use your time constructively and work to your strengths.
Fundamentals
As personal trainers, it’s understood that there are a number of reasons, which often implicate clients leading a healthy lifestyle, be that sleep, nutrition, injury, bad form, not understanding the basics. Which can hinder your clients making progress or reaching their goals. Could you be offering your clients something more, such as an online workshop to help? Going above and beyond with your clients will again help with retention and invariably be beneficial in the long run. If your workshops become a success then maybe this could become another revenue stream to explore.
Ask for feedback
Some clients you may have had for a while and it’s important that they feel like they are being heard. Constructive feedback from our clients can be really helpful and will allow you to see your service through their eyes. If there are improvements to be made, this may help keep future clients in the long run. Send them a survey, Survey Monkey is always a popular choice and its free!
Whilst many of these hints and tips may not make your business an overnight success, there are some great habits to start implementing in order to give yourself the best possible chance of success through these challenging months.
Thanks for reading
PT Workspace team
As we approach the end of 2020 it is quite clear to see how tired and exhausted trainers have become navigating the most unpredictable and challenging year to date. Whilst we can take positives out of 2020, such as online personal training and a better understanding of health in relation to Covid-19, the long hours training clients in the parks during Lockdown 2.0 has finally caught up with us. December is a cold dark month which is usually overshadowed by Christmas cheer, but understandably not everyone is feeling so festive this month.
As we enter the busiest time of the year for the fitness industry, December is the month to lay the groundworks for January and the year ahead. As demanding as this year has been already, the time you put into planning now will make the transition into 2021 smoother. It’s time to re-evaluate this year and get SMART.
S – Specific, significant, stretching
What will be accomplished? What actions will you take?
M – Measurable, meaningful, motivational
What data will measure the goal? (How much? How well?)
A – Agreed upon, attainable, achievable, acceptable, action-oriented
Is the goal doable? Do you have the necessary skills and resources?
R – Realistic, relevant, reasonable, rewarding, results-oriented
How does the goal align with broader goals? Why is the result important?
T – Time-based, time-bound, timely, tangible, trackable
What is the time frame for accomplishing the goal?
Setting realistic goals will guide you in the right direction and keep you motivated no matter how hard things get.
Between prospecting for new clients, getting existing clients results, and billing more hours, setting SMART goals can help you stay on track so you know exactly what steps to take on a daily basis to reach your specific target.
The time to elevate your business is now!
Thanks for Reading
PT Workspace Team
Get ready and plug your seatbelts in because it’s most likely going to be another bumpy ride for the fitness industry over the next couple of months. There is no telling what exactly the future holds right now, but be rest assured we can weather this storm by supporting each other and the industry. When lockdown lifted the first time, people in their millions returned to gyms and private studio’s. Why? Because health and mental wellness matters! Covid-19 has shown how obesity and poor lifestyle choices can make it harder to fight the disease and making recovery longer in those who suffer the worst. Public Health England recently stated in their Better Health campaign that…
- People living with obesity are twice as likely to be hospitalised with COVID-19
- Current evidence suggests that COVID-19 patients living with obesity, and in particular morbid obesity, may be more likely to be admitted to intensive care; require advanced treatment; and potentially have poorer outcomes, including a greater risk of mortality
- Data from intensive care audit weekly reports, which detail adult intensive care, indicates that 7% of those in intensive care are morbidly obese – this is twice the rates of morbid obesity in the population as a whole
For many years health professionals have said obesity is the secret pandemic in this country. Only now is it becoming more known to the masses. This is not about body shaming, it’s about giving people the best chance to live a full life where disease, illness and mental health problems are not killing the nation.
All things considered, there are many reasons why an individual might fall into the obese or morbidly obese category, and without getting too political, economical or sidetracked with semantics, as professionals, we all understand that we have to be part of the solution. Which is partly why trainers have been so passionate about the response to gym closures. There is more than one pandemic we are fighting this year.
As we move forward in the current climate it is likely that we may have to live with Covid-19 long term until something drastically changes. The first time round no one was prepared for what Covid-19 had brought to the door, but as time goes on we can learn to adjust and make positive changes. Hindsight, as they say, is a wonderful thing. It’s never too late to start.
On a side note, we would like to thank all those who have continued to support small businesses and the fitness industry this year.
Thanks for Reading
PT Workspace Team
‘Whilst we are all in this together, we are not all in the same boat’. This quote you hear bounded around rings true for many of us facing lockdown and the monumental effect it has had on our lives and businesses.
Whilst despair can plague your thoughts guessing which month is finally going to ease restrictions, your moral compass goes into overdrive and you are left wondering what, when, where, why… Is this the right time? Then BOOM! You’re down the rabbit hole spiralling. So easily done and stressful at the same time. You go online or switch on the TV which stokes your anxiety, and before you know it you’ve dreamt up a hypothetical situation with no way of knowing which part is fact or fiction. Before all context is lost, take a moment to see what positives you can derive from this unrivalled experience, no matter how small they are.
- Keep Focused! Exhausting energy on what you cannot control will not help your mental health, neither is it the best use of your time. It’s draining! Although, that is not to say you should not prepare for change, as in these challenging times being able to adapt is important. However, making informed decisions from the evidence provided by trusted sources is advised, as you would in all other areas of health and fitness. You got this! Think smart.
- Health is important! We know this, you know this, and now the rest of the world knows just how important it is also. Never has it been so vital to look after one’s health, the days of waiting for a miracle cure or quick fix are drifting into the abyss (well we hope so). Which means good old hard work and determination can prevail. Opening the door for personal trainers and fitness/ nutrition professionals to do what they do best, especially for those seeking help.
- Kindness! Yes, headlines and social media will showcase the most frustrating people society has to offer, but in challenging times, the kindness of strangers has been a beautiful thing. At least there are a few good eggs still knocking around to restore faith in humanity. Maybe you are one of them?
- Time is precious! Nobody appreciates change being thrust upon them when they least expect it, and not many envisioned 2020 quite like this. So if this has given you time to re-evaluate a few things that have needed your attention, then hit the reset button and work on what is viable during the quiet days.
- Starting something new! Whether you are an avid weight lifter and suddenly found your running feet, or decided that now is the time to create an online personal training platform, then take kudos in starting something new which you may not have done otherwise. All about the small wins, acknowledge them because we all have to start somewhere.
Finding positives might be a stretch too far some right now and that’s okay. But on reflection at some point, there will surely be some important lessons learned and maybe positives down the line.
Stay Healthy and safe!
Thanks for reading
PT Workspace Team
It’s a difficult time for the fitness industry with all gyms ordered to close as of the 23rd of March. So making the best out of the current situation has been challenging but not impossible for fitness professionals. Many have chosen to reach clients through online personal training and classes, which have proven popular for some more than others. Whilst online personal training and Instagram lives have become the new normal, there are other ways in which to engage and support your clients, call it another string to your bow. Until the day that the gym doors open, we have a few tips to help…
- Nutrition advice: As a personal trainer you will know how important a diet is in the overall grand scheme of exercise and calories. Nutrition is, of course, a touchy subject in regards to the limitation of advice you can offer. Often said in a passing comment, that it’s important to stay in your lane. This does not mean that you can’t offer helpful advice about tracking calorie intake and macros. Help your client understand how to maintain some progress through what they are eating, especially if they are worried that they are reaching for the fridge too often. Planning meals in advance, with ingredients that can work across several meals, limiting food waste could be a great help.
- Check-in: Days and weeks are starting to roll into each other, so make sure you are touching base to see how your clients are doing and coping. A personal trainer can be so much more than the person who beasts them at the gym. Someone’s lifestyle impacts heavily on progress and if they are struggling, whether that be stress or anything else, you can be an outlet to drive positive constructive behaviours moving forward. Again, know your boundaries and refer where applicable.
- Focus on technique: Depending on how well prepared your client is with equipment at home, will dictate much of what you will likely do with them. But like the majority of the population, who didn’t quite see 2020 turning out like this, means there will be limitations. So it is a great time to really focus on getting technique airtight with your clients. Technique, after all, is the backbone to succeeding in their goals.
- Keep Moving: All trainers know that increasing general daily activity can go a long way in helping burn calories, but maybe not your clients. Encourage them to get that Vitamin D whilst the sun is out and make the most of the one daily exercise allocated during this time. Set them a challenge to achieve to keep them motivated with incentives, hopefully, this will stop them from moulding into the sofa if you are concerned about isolation. Obviously, be mindful of the current guidelines around COVID-19, that your challenges do not encourage your clients to break these, for example, 10,000 steps daily may not be safe or achievable in some cases.
With no end in sight as it stands, it’s all about the daily small wins which will keep both you and your clients motivated through these tough times. Stay Healthy and safe!
Thanks for reading
PT Workspace Team
There is no telling how long the UK will be in lockdown, as it has been said on many occasions these really are unprecedented times. Many of us would never have experienced anything like this in our generation or even our parent’s generation for that matter. So its completely natural to feel a level of uncertainty or anxiety especially if you have had to face temporarily closing your business, or are particularly worried for friends and relatives which you cannot see.
As it stands we have to take each day as it comes and have faith in the kindness and humanity shown in the community when some days can look pretty gloomy. Now more than ever looking after your mental & physical health is pivotal to making your way through the next few weeks and months ahead, so we have some ideas to help you through isolation and keep your mind and body stimulated.
Some might be obvious but hey, give it a go anyway…
- Limit the amount of media you listen to every day. Some of the great mental health charities in the UK are suggesting limiting yourself to around 5minutes of news every day if you feel like it’s impacting on your health. If it gets too much change it over or turn it off!
- Find 15minutes a day to clear your mind, whether you meditate, pray or just listen to your heartbeat. Allow yourself to let go and focus on the moment. It may sound very hippy but this does wonders for the mind.
- Develop your online presence, now more than ever you have something which we don’t often have…Time, time to work on your brand, time to present the best version of yourself to your clients.
- Declutter- Follow people on Instagram who inspire you, keep your feed insightful and positive, delete those who question your self worth or elicit a negative reaction
- Further your education, If you are a personal trainer there are lots of CPD courses available on sites like https://www.premierglobal.co.uk/ where you can develop your skillset. Times are tough and if upfront payment is not a viable option, explore payment options the company has available to you. Just ask.
- Bake- Now we know some of the essentials in the stores can be hard to come by, but there are websites such as ‘BBC good food’ which feature recipes from bits which can be found in your cupboard or are less difficult to come by in the shops. https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/collection/storecupboard-baking
- Find a Podcast which holds your attention. Personally, we are always partial to a good Ted Talk, but here is a list of highly rates podcasts of 2020 to explore for yourself https://shapescale.com/blog/health/best-fitness-podcasts/
https://player.fm/featured/fitness - Learn a new skill or language. There are sites where you can learn beginner languages for free, such as https://www.duolingo.com/. Or if you have always wanted to learn how to do a handstand, now is the time! I bet there is a youtube video for that. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oLt5RXhch8E
- Read a book, whether you download it to your fancy phone or tablet, or enjoy the old fashioned feel of the pages, Amazon have their best sellers on hand to prompt inspiration if you are stuck. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Best-Sellers-Books-Fitness-Exercise/zgbs/books/270721
- Keep in touch with friends and family, with the rise of apps like Houseparty and Zoom it has never been easier to connect with loved ones. Oh, and you can play games too.
Of course, if all else fails there is always the classic Nexflix and chill for the evening. Stay healthy and Safe.
Thanks for reading
PT Workspace Team
Guest Post by Intake Nutrition Okay. I’m going to try and not to get too triggered, I promise. I’m not ‘triggered’ by those who believe these myths. How are you supposed to know?! And believe me, I’m not ashamed to say I’ve fallen victim to a good few of these in the past myself. I am, however, triggered by the fact that this information is still spouted and perpetuated by those who should know better, despite the swathe of research that has continuously disproven, or failed to support, these ideas. In the interest of keeping this to blog-post length rather than dissertation length, I’ve picked my top 5 most infuriating myths to debunk. Or we’ll be here all day. So, let us begin… |
- ‘Carbs make you fat’. As does eating fat or eating after 6pm, apparently.
Really? What we know is the law of thermodynamics. This gives us energy balance and says:
- If you are consuming more energy (eg. calories through food and drink) than you are expending, you will gain weight.
- Equally, if you are consuming less than you are expending, you will lose weight.
- And if you are consuming just as much as you are expending, you will maintain weight.
The only thing that will make you gain weight is consuming too many calories. I’m not talking about acute fluctuations in scale weight – there are a number of reasons for that. I’m talking about weight gain through increased energy storage in adipose (fat) tissue.
The ONLY reason for that is too many calories. It’s not because you’re eating carbs. Or fats. Or after 6pm. Or 3 large meals rather than 6 small meals.
If any of these factors lead to an increase in your caloric intake and put you into an energy surplus then sure, but you see my point.
2. ‘Being vegetarian/vegan is better for your health’
Well this is a weird one but essentially, no.
There is associational data that finds vegetarians to be ‘healthier’ but can we definitely say this is due to the fact that they are not eating meat? Correlation =/= causation people.
Vegetarians and vegans are often more health-seeking individuals who lead generally ‘healthier’ lives, something that is not often accounted for within the research on this topic.
We seem to have gone from a world where everyone was suggesting that you HAD to eat meat to be healthy (wrong), all the way to one in which a solely plant-based diet is now the only way to achieve physical health (also wrong).
The recent Netflix document, ‘The Gamechangers’, is a prime example of this but the fact of the matter is that yes, you can be healthy and perform well without eating meat, but the natural conclusion is not then that eating meat is unhealthy.
Can we get a bit of balance please people?
3. Celery juice and its magical healing properties
Okay please no.
Firstly, anything that claims to have magical healing properties is something to be approached with caution. If only it was that easy.
Most importantly, however, these magical claims are not evidence-based and are ultimately disempowering to people who are desperately looking for answers, particularly when managing chronic illnesses.
So just eat your veggies and save yourself the trauma of having to down a glass of celery juice every morning.
4. ‘Sugar is as addictive as cocaine’
Okay so, imagine this: You’re up in the club. You’re having a great time. Someone offers you a drink. NO BISH GIMME THAT SUGAR. Now you’re being dragged out of the club, with white powder all over you and gummy bears coming out of your ears, the shame sets in… but at least you got your fix, amirite?
But seriously though.
This idea originated in a study performed on rats. Putting aside the fact that you can’t draw direct conclusions for practical human application from animal studies, the ‘addictive’ nature of sugar has since been refuted.
“There is no support from the human literature for the hypothesis that sucrose may be physically addictive” – Benton (2010)
Added sugars can increase food palatability making these foods easier to over-consume and weight loss harder, but that is not the same thing.
5. ‘Yeah but, Starvation Mode’
Ooh this one will get ya. I must admit I got caught by this one.
The idea here is that, if you eat too little, your body will notice this and go into ‘starvation mode’, causing you to store everything you eat as fat.
The Minnesota semi-starvation study by Ancel Keys in 1945 showed us what really happens when the body is pushed into a state of starvation, and it wasn’t that. The law of thermodynamics will always apply and, if you are in a calorie deficit, you will lose weight.
What is often confused is a process called adaptive thermogenesis. This is a process that can occur after prolonged periods of dieting. Essentially your body starts to adapt to the lower energy intake and, alongside some hormonal changes that can increase hunger and decrease satiety levels, it starts to become more ‘efficient’. This is mostly seen through a reduction in NEAT (Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis – your conscious and subconscious daily activity) and EEE (Exercise Energy Expenditure). You might start sitting instead of standing, fidgeting less, feeling too tired to go to the gym and even using less facial expressions. All of which is your body trying to conserve energy.
Adaptive thermogenesis can make prolonged dieting harder because it reduces your energy expenditure, but it does not negate the idea of calories in vs. calories out.
Now, I really could continue all day but I’ll save you the trouble of seeing me type myself into a full-blown fury.
Again, my fury is at those who actively decide to ignore the research and disempower so many people with these claims. This sort of food fear plagued me for years and made my life so much harder than it needed to be but now, hopefully, that won’t happen to you.
So if any of you have fallen victim to any of these myths, do not worry yourself. I’ve been there. I get it. You’re most certainly not alone.
But now you know and you can go forth, ignore the bullsh*t and ENJOY your nutrition without any of these fears weighing you down.
Because you’re doing great.
Much Love,
Intake Nutrition x
Intake Nutrition is a London-based nutrition consultancy, founded by MNU Certified Nutritionist Florence Seabright, specialising in evidence-based nutrition advice for individuals and within its workplace wellness programmes.
Follow Intake Nutrition: https://www.instagram.com/intake_nutrition_/
Get in touch with Intake Nutrition for more support with your personal nutrition, or advice on workplace wellness: https://intakenutritionconsultancy.com/contact-a-nutritionist/