The start of the year is always surrounded by a hazy fog of weight loss hacks, new year new you promises and campaigns, alongside fancy new tech & fitness apps at the forefront of time stricken individuals. Whatever method you have chosen to meet your goals in 2020, are you using these 5 points to hold yourself accountable?
- Share your goals
Discussing your goals with like-minded individuals will not only bring them alive but will help you build confidence in achieving them. Share your highs and lows, and surround yourself with people who will keep you on track.
- Have someone hold you accountable like a personal trainer
Whilst it can be easy to make excuses and find reasons to avoid exercise, it is always a lot harder when someone else is relying on you to show up. A good personal trainer will not only guide you but will hold you accountable for your actions. Guilt in this instance is a blessing in disguise.
- Train with a friend or family member
Training on your own from time to time can become repetitive, so break it up by working out occasionally with a friend or family member. This will help to keep variety running through your fitness regime. If you are particularly competitive, see if a healthy challenge among friends will add a bit of excitement to a session.
- Track your progress
There are some great apps out there now which makes tracking your progress easier than ever. Popular apps such as My Fitness Pal can assist with logging exercise routines as well as calories and macros. Only by logging your progress will you be able to personally hold your self accountable.
- Be Honest with yourself
No matter all of the tips above, if you are not honest with yourself and the choices you make then all of them can be cheated in one way or another. We all have off days, but don’t let one bad day make for a bad week. Reset and start again.
Thanks for reading
PT Workspace Team
P.S If you are interested in finding out about personal training or studio hire at PT Workspace you can contact [email protected].
Foam rollers is one thing PT Workspace has never been short of! The studio manager swears by them to help improve mobility, prevent injury, boost performance and help you recover from exercise. Now if you’re wondering what those round cylinders in the corner of the studio are good for, then maybe we can help answer that question.
Foam rolling can help address muscle stiffness and pain by applying pressure to specific points on your body. It can aid recovery as well as assist normal function of muscles which might feel tight or knotted.
Whilst it may cause slight discomfort at times, it can also leave your muscles feeling relaxed and ready to perform if used correctly.
- Listen to your body…
You will understand better than anyone, which muscles need attention and where the sore spots are. Start slowly, your muscles respond to different types of pressure so adjust accordingly.
2. Be mindful…
If you have an injury avoid rolling the affected area, foam rolling should not cause you to feel immense pain. By using your own bodyweight you can roll major muscle groups, and be mindful of pressure, releasing or lifting off the roller if it becomes too much. You have the power to control the amount of force applied, so again, start slowly and ease into it.
3. Take your time
Foam rolling is not something you can really rush, to feel the full benefits of rolling give your body time to adapt and your brain time to tell your muscles to relax. Spend a little time working tight spots but remember not to overdo it! Move on, prolonged time can cause tissue damage among other injuries.
Regardless of whether you choose to use foam roll before or after a workout, it can be a great way in which to increase motion and performance whilst helping prevent injury. Give it a go next time your in the studio.
Thanks for reading
PT Workspace Team
P.S If you are interested in finding out about personal training or studio hire at PT Workspace you can contact [email protected].
Mornings… Now they are not for everyone! A battle we all face but not everyone conquers, and as winter sets in, the harder it becomes to plant those two feet on the floor. The cosiness of bed will have you fighting your own thoughts and questioning your own sanity. But there are some great benefits to working out in the morning which can help set you up for the day ahead.
- Rise and Shine…
Exercise believe it or not wakes you up! It can be as effective as your morning cup of tea or coffee. “Even a short bout of any cardiovascular exercise wakes us up, speeds mental processes, and enhances memory storage and retrieval, regardless of our fitness or fatigue levels.” – Harvard Health Blog - Bite the Bullet…
It’s done! And out the way for another day. By exercising in the morning you are less prone to worry about your workout hanging over your head, meetings running over, distractions or anything else life has to throw at you. - Personal space to focus on you…
Exercise is great for not only improving just your physical health but helping with your mental health as well. Its time you can invest in you! sweat out your frustration and stress, where work and everything else can take a backseat for an hour before you prepare for the day ahead. - Consistency is key…
Working out in the morning will help develop a routine, and with routine come consistency. As much as you want to hit your snooze at 6am, showing up each day and staying committed is the key to achieving those all-important goals. - Feel Good…
To put it simply exercise releases endorphins and endorphins make you feel good as well as reduce your perception of pain. Starting the day off right with exercise has many great benefits to not only your mood but mental cognition, leading to better alertness, focus and concentration at work.
Mornings can seem like the enemy sometimes, but when you have learnt the knack of using them to your advantage, then there is a lot to appreciate about them too! Like Sunrises, you will see certainly see your fair share of those.
Thanks for reading
PT Workspace Team
P.S If you are interested in finding out about personal training or studio hire at PT Workspace you can contact [email protected].
Well, now that’s a question to behold! and usually one answered through trial and error over time, with experience. But if you are anything like us, then waiting around to find out the hard way may seem pointless, so we thought we would lend a helping hand to get you started.
Let’s start with saying…It’s OK if you don’t hit the nail on the head first time, but when it comes to setting your own rates as a personal trainer, having the correct expectations based on informed research and the market in which you are trying to target, is important. It can stand between you converting clients or losing them in the fitness industry, and we all need that bread and butter to make it out there in the big wide world.
Please understand that just because your mate Colin charges upwards of £150 an hour, throws the word celebrity around occasionally, does not necessarily mean you can charge the same, especially if your situations differ. Regardless of personal training being a luxury, this does not mean you can always charge copious amounts. Understanding your personal worth is the key to setting the right rates. There is no one size fits all when crunching numbers, so to find the answer you have to examine a few things first such as…
- How much experience do you have?
- What qualifications do you have?
- Who are you targeting? Need help check our previous post for tips. https://www.ptworkspace.co.uk/5-top-tips-to-market-yourself-and-a-pt/
- Where are you located?
- How many people have you worked with so far?
- Are your clients pleased with their results?
- How confident are you in your consultation practices?
- What are you comfortable charging?
Once you have answered these questions you can start building market research, seeing how other local businesses in your industry price themselves. Explore what you may need to work up to in which to achieve the same level of success. It always helps to be in the know with the market and your competition, and this will help create rates in line with what clients will expect to pay in your area.
Before finalising your rates make sure you have factored in your living costs, rent of the gym or studio and taxes. Also if you work with a package system which decreases your hourly rate with an increase in sessions or larger packages, check your margins because little losses here and there can add up at the end of the month.
Rate Structures you can explore
Standard hourly rates – Setting your rates per hour for which you charge the same to all clients across the board.
Flexible rates– Dependant on the client and what goals they are seeking. If you have to travel or pay more to train in a specific location or specialist facility, then these charges can be factored in.
Packages– Sessions which are grouped together which the client can choose, such as ( 4, 8, 12, 24). Sometimes trainers may wish to discount larger packages to make them more attractive.
We hope you found this helpful.
Thanks for reading
PT Workspace Team
P.S If you are interested in finding out about personal training or studio hire 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 here.
In a society where it is becoming ever more normal to question where and how things are sourced, such as meat and vegetables, clothes to name a few. Why then do we not question the Health & fitness industry more? In this new wave of popular blue tick fitness professionals on IG, thankfully more and more of us are starting to question what really works. Not just for the short term but for the long haul.
The key is education!…Enabling you to make a balanced and informed choice. If you don’t know everything there is to know about achieving muscle growth or fat loss for example, that’s fine! Because that is something you can learn from a personal trainer. Have an issue with your diet then a nutritionist can give you direction. It’s okay to ask questions before you hire a health or fitness professional. In fact we highly recommend you do! Because bad practices can put you at risk from an injury or worse…Before you get started consider asking some the questions below:
- Is there an initial consultation? Health Screening?
- How long have you been practicing, and what are your qualifications?
- How will you track my progress?
- What kind of training and exercise will we be doing in our sessions?
- How many sessions a week would you suggest we have and Why?
- What Should I Do Between Sessions with You?
- What are your rates?
- And maybe throw in a question that will showcase the personal trainers personality to see if you are a good fit.
Once you have the answers it’s time to do the homework!
- Request testimonials
- Ask for qualifications and check accrediting bodies!
- If unsure of qualification type, Google it! (boring I know) and do a bit of research on the course.
- Keep away from multiple sales offerings (bad sign for confidence in delivering one service)
Thanks for Reading We hope you found it useful.
PT Workspace Team
P.S If you are interested in finding out about personal training or studio hire 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 here.
They say three is a lucky number, and we could not feel luckier than to have the wonderful Holly Davidson in the studio with us, for the third installment of our PT Interview series.
Holly has been in the fitness industry for upwards of a decade and has built a solid foundation through her brand Holly Active. Joint founder of PT Workspace Nathan delves into Holly’s past, in hopes to break down her recipe for success, and explore what the future holds in the ever-changing landscape of the fitness industry.
With Special thanks to Holly for sharing her journey with us. You can find Holly’s profile under our PT Directory if you are interested in personal training also.
Thanks for Reading
PT Workspace Team
P.S If you are interested in finding out about personal training or studio hire 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 here.
Whilst Adulting in the gym may seem like common sense…And it is, we all know that one person who needs to check themselves occasionally because they are most likely completely oblivious. Oblivious being the keyword in that sentence, which is why gym etiquette is so important. Here is how you can help:
- Use a towel and wipe down equipment! Cleanliness is a must because no one wants to follow on from a sweaty Betty or Bob when the bench or machine has sweat patches. Don’t be that person! Wipe down the surface your skin touches.
- Put Equipment back… Sound obvious? That’s because it is… For anyone else looking for that weight or If you are lifting and using a bar, please put the weights back in some resemblance of order. This is just common courtesy.
- Blasting music from your headphones or music device is never a good look, especially not in the gym because it will always upset someone in a busy space, you can almost guarantee it!
- Blocking the someones view in the mirror… Not cool.
- Blocking the dumbbell rack, so others cannot reach the weights because you are in the midst of doing your curls. MOOOVE BRO! Step away from the rack and find some space.
- Saving Equipment! It must be up there with one of the most annoying attributes to any gym facility. If you are not using the equipment, then put it back. Putting your sweaty towel over it, whilst you take a 20minute toilet break is not ok. Hoarding equipment is also not ok, even if you are doing your own personal HIIT session. Note that everyone around you in that moment thinks you are a numpty. FACT!
- Give people space if they are lifting, at the very least a meter. For safety and for personal space. Also, no one wants a conversation or to be spoken to whilst lifting… Just Saying.
- Offering unsolicited advice. Now unless that person is in immediate danger then don’t do it. Even if someone might need it, no one appreciates the “know-it-all”, and you never know someone’s goals, previous or current injuries, or experience.
- Don’t Stare it’s creepy. Whilst the gym can be a distracting environment with lots going on, you are not invisible, and you will be noticed.
- Dropping Weights after finishing your set… Don’t Do it, it’s not cool and damages the equipment.
- It’s understandable that having a mobile on the gym floor is useful – whether using it as a timer, tracking your workouts, or filming your workout/technique. Just refrain from loud, distracting conversations on the gym floor (take it elsewhere!). If you can talk on the phone loudly throughout the entirety of your workout, you’re doing it wrong. Also, don’t occupy a piece of equipment if you’re going to sit there scrolling through Instagram or Facebook. You’re there to train, so train!
So there we have it! Adulting 101 in the gym, whilst we can all be guilty of having committed one or more of these offenses in the past, the majority is just common sense & courtesy.
If your standard gym environment is as annoying as this post then maybe you should consider a different environment to train.
Thanks for Reading
PT Workspace Team
P.S If you are interested in finding out about personal training or studio hire 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 here.
Bose SoundSport Free Wireless Headphones
£179.95
When it comes to audio for fitness, one brand of head phone seems to be cropping up a lot in 2019. The popular Bose SoundSport Free Wireless Headphones. The weather and sweat-resistant earbuds come with three different pairs of sports tips for the perfect fit and an app to personalize all the sound settings. The volume-optimised EQ and Bose digital signal processing make music sound full and balanced at any volume. No matter how crowded the gym is, your workout playlist will keep you energised.
Cool Featured include a five-hour battery life and a ‘Find My Buds’ feature in case you happen to lose them during an intense gym session. When you’re done, place them in their case to recover.
Skulpt Performance Training System
£94.37
Skulpt Performance Training System allows you to grab accurate data and analyze which of your muscle groups needs more attention so you can achieve peak performance. The system is capable of identifying the relative strength of 24 muscle groups in various areas of your body so you can personalize your workouts further. The App also delivers workout advice tailored to your physique and goals.
Apple Watch Series 4
£399+
This fourth-generation Apple Watch has great coaching features, is water resistant to 50 metres and is 70% faster than previous models. Thought to be the best Apple Watch yet with ultimate usability and simple but rich fitness capabilities.
Apple has created a three-ring design. The inner ring is blue and ensures you stand at least once an hour. If you’ve been sitting, you’ll get a nudge at 50 minutes past the hour. The middle ring is green: to complete this ring you need 30 minutes of brisk exercise. The outer ring is the toughest to complete. You need to burn a number of active calories during the day. Active calories are the ones you burn in addition to, you know, breathing, eating, talking and so on. You set the target yourself but it can still be a challenge to do it seven days a week.
Fitbit Aria 2
£119.99
Known for their fitness trackers Fitbit also make great bathroom scales too. But these are no ordinary scales, in addition to measuring weight it can also track an athletes percentage of body fat and calculate BMI too. The smart scale can store profiles for up to eight individuals, keeping each of the users’ data private and separate from one another. That information syncs wirelessly with a smartphone, which can be used to track trends, displaying charts and graphs that provide a clearer picture of weight loss and overall health as a result.
Beast sensor
£279+
Beast sensor streams data about strength, power or speed for each lift on your smartphone or tablet in real-time, in order to stimulate you giving the best on each training session. Being magnetic, Beast is also compatible with a variety of different weights, machines and supports bodyweight exercises too.
Following each training session, your data will be made immediately available online to review. Collecting data from your past performances
allows you to better understand your strengths and weaknesses and train better in the future.
Thanks for Reading
PT Workspace Team
P.S If you are interested in finding out about personal training or studio hire 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 here.
We are officially two videos into our interview series all about the journeys taken by successful trainers, and why they choose to go it alone and establish their own businesses.
There is no one size fits all in personal training and this week we Nathan has had the pleasure of interviewing Chris Zaremba, the proud owner of Fitness over 50. Chris has an unconventional story to tell about his route into becoming a personal trainer, but one which his clients within his niche market can relate to.
To Quote Chris ‘ People know what they want, not who they want’ which has helped define him in his corner of the fitness industry.
Watch the full interview below.
With Special thanks to Chris for his time and taking part in our second of many behind the scenes interviews yet to come.
Thanks for Reading
PT Workspace Team
P.S If you are interested in finding out about personal training or studio hire 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 here.
Making or creating your own success will always be one of the most rewarding aspects of owning your own business. How you arrive at destination successville is completely up to you! Every personal trainer will have had experiences, good and bad which will have helped shape their journey. If you have time feel free to check out our latest interview series which takes an indepth look at the businesses which have continued to succeed whilst working alongside PT Workspace. For those of you just starting off or in need of some helpful options to explore within your business, then we have some top tips to get you going.
What’s your Niche?
In an industry where sometimes it’s better to be something to someone, instead of everything to everyone, having a niche can help you stand out from the crowd. Whether you choose to explore additional CPD courses such as post natal, or market to a specific gender, religion, age or group of individuals (for example: athletes) then understanding your target market in key. If finding your target market is challenging, then building a customer profile can help develop a visual representation in your mind of who you might be aiming for, you can be as detailed as you like.
Website
In this digital age it’s important to have a presence online, clients will want to look you up and it’s a great way in which to attract online traffic to your business. Whilst having a website might be obvious as necessary for your business, building one might be slightly terrifying for those of you who may not be as tech savvy as others. Thankfully websites such as Squarespace and WordPress for a small fee have lots of templates you can personalise for a fraction of the cost, if a website builder is not within your budget.
Social Media
Now there are people who will tell you to post every day, and there are those who will say, only post when the quality of your content is at a level in which to do so (quality over quantity). However you choose to post on social make sure your profiles are professional. Whilst its great to show a little lifestyle & personality within your feed, your clients won’t want to see you buzzing on a Saturday night.
Utilise Your Location
It is known that the return rate on flyering is never usually very high, however you do not often need a high conversion rate in which to make it worth it. A personal trainer recently came to PT Workspace and alongside the support of studio manager, handed out his business card/ flyer to the local businesses surrounding the gym. Just having one client sign up, has now made his investment worth while. If designing flyers is not your thing then try sites such as Canva, which have fantastic templates to personalise for free.
It’s always worth asking if the facility in which you are working at is happy to support marketing your services. For example many gym facilities will offer an online personal trainer profile, which is another way that clients can find you.
Thanks for Reading
PT Workspace Team
P.S If you are interested in finding out about personal training or studio hire 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 here.