I’m closing my studios down.
I’m quitting personal training for good.
I’m going to stop running courses for personal trainers with immediate effect.
Not!
But perhaps I should. Especially if I go by what many fitness marketing gurus and are telling me.
They’re saying that personal training is dead. That the public neither want nor can they afford PT and that it’s the bootcamp that holds all the promise for the fitness professionals of tomorrow.
So maybe I and every other personal trainer on the planet that still works one on one with clients should quit and open up bootcamps in the very same parks as all these other guys and their bootcamps?
Maybe we should have 20-30 bootcamps to choose from in each and every park, beach and greenspace in every city to cope with this overwhelming demand for bootcamps that we keep hearing about.
Or maybe not.
Maybe this bootcamp craze that we’re going through is part of the process that my good buddy Alwyn Cosgrove is always talking about; over reacting in the short term and under reacting in the long term.
You see it all the time in fitness.
Swiss balls. Resistance Tubes. Bosu’s. Weight vests. Plyo’s. Functional Training and, dare I say it, kettlebells.
They’re all examples of the same short term over-reaction that I believe we’re currently experiencing with bootcamps; Fitness professionals getting carried away by the latest version of ISAIWI.
It’s Shiny And I Want It.
ISAWAI happens whenever something’s new and suddenly everyone has seen the light and believes they’ve stumbled upon the definitive answer to all their prayers. They’re so hypnotised by the new, shiny thing in front of them that they never stop to ask whether or not it actually does the job better than whatever came before. In fact, they don’t care, they just like the new.
I don’t blame them. I like new too.
New’s fun.
New’s stimulating.
New’s fresh.
But new isn’t always better, it’s not always right and, well, it’s rarely truly new.
Bootcamps are a bit like that when you really think about it.
Can they be fun? Absolutely!
Are they stimulating? They certainly can be.
Are they better?
Well, there’s a question…
To answer it you need a definition for ‘better’ in the first place, right?
In this instance we could say that bootcamp training makes fitness more affordable than PT. We could say that in most communities it will get more participants involved in exercise than PT which is no bad thing. And yes, it can create a fairly decent per hour income for the instructor that, in many cases, exceeds the income generated for that same hour by personal trainers.
So far so good for bootcamps.
But here’s where it gets… ‘hazy’ for me.
See, few of the truly great fitness professionals I’ve ever met, worked with or even heard of believe that lasting change in either fitness, fatloss or health in general is the result of attending organised exercise classes. None of the ‘field’ experts nor none of the researchers or scientist for one second believe that classes in and of themselves contribute to the lasting change that most clients seek and that most fitness professionals claim they want to provide.
Anyone who knows anything about long term adherence to health strategies knows that it’s a very cerebral process. One that requires coaching, reinforcement and, ultimately, paradigm shifting on the part of the client. I know of only a handful of bootcamp instructors who come anywhere near to offering anything near that approach and, clearly, with just 2-3 sessions of 30-40 minutes a week shared by 20-40 other bootcampers, even as good as they are, they aren’t going to be very effective at doing any ‘mind work’ with their class participants.
And let’s be honest here. It IS just a class.
Other than a few people out there who are delivering military style bootcamp ‘beastings’ (which is a subject for another post) most ‘bootcamp instructors’ are simply delivering fitness circuits outdoors. No problem with that at all. I was a soldier myself, I went through bootcamp training for real and I love outdoor training but calling it ‘bootcamp’ doesn’t suddenly elevate it to another realm of fitness provision. It’s still a circuit training class, right?
Yet you don’t hear the guru’s calling for personal trainers to give up PT to become circuit training instructors do you?
Why?
Because the industry would see it for what it is. A market that would soon become over-populated and over marketed just like aerobics, pilots, step and all those other church-hall fitness businesses leaving some with busy, thriving classes and others struggling to find available space that they can afford as well as trying to find people to their classes.
But name it ‘bootcamp’ and people don’t see it anymore.
Funny that.
So look, here’s how I see it. Outdoor circuits are here to stay. Just like aerobics, step, tae bo, spinning and all of those other group classes you’ve heard about over the years. And just like these classes, outdoor circuits will go through a massive surge in popularity, a slow dropoff and, eventually, they’ll be run by the relatively small percentage of instructors who can make them profitably work in their local parks and greenspaces (even now, local authorities around the globe are catching on to the bootcamp craze and looking for ways to charge you to a licence to use their parks, forests and beaches).
Just like PT, bootcamps will become the province of those professionals who know how to get a good mix of marketing, results and experience shared around their communities and the rest will either be discouraged by low attendances, low profits or high overheads as the parks ask for their share of the wealth.
One thing’s for sure though. There will always be a need for those people who are able to offer a highly personalised, highly professional and highly niched, specialised blend of lifestyle, exercise and nutrition especially among those for whom exercise class participation is inappropriate, inadvisable or simply ineffective.
So let the guru’s talk about the death of the Personal Trainer all they want. It ain’t happening anytime soon, and nor should it.
Personal training may need to change and become even more specialised than it currently is but it ain’t dying. It’ll still be here when bootcamps have gone out of vogue and the next instalment of ISAIWI shows up and some people will still be making a fortune at it and some will still struggle, just like in any industry or profession.
Cream rises to the top. Always. Regardless of whether you’re a PT, bootcamp instructor or anything else, choose to be the cream and your success is assured.
Dax Moy
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Fitness Professionals HERE!
P.S – I’ll get this out of the way so that you’re clear before any outdoor circuits instructors post me hate mail : )
1. I have nothing against class instructors of any kind. They perform a vital role in our communities and make fitness fun and affordable to a large number of people.
2. I have myself run outdoor circuits very successfully and helped numerous students to do so.
3. I have been in a real bootcamp both as a recruit and as an instructor so feel more qualified than most to comment on what is or is not a bootcamp.
4. I have issue with any class that randomly throws exercises, loads and reps together in a ’screw it let’s do it’ fashion.
5. I believe that ‘beasting’ type of training has no value for the public, limited value for soldiers and athletes and even then in limited doses.
6. I believe that if your idea of long term exercise prescription is a deck of cards then you’re doing yourself and your clients disservice.
7. I don’t believe that a class of 20, 30 or 40 people can ever get enough attention from 1 instructor to ensure that the workouts are truly safe and effective.
C’mon then, let the Dax-bashing begin : )
Tags: dax moy fitness marketing personal trainer training london bootcamp
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Swiss balls. Resistance Tubes. Bosu’s. Weight vests. Plyo’s. Functional Training and, dare I say it, kettlebells.
Whoa! Wait for the hatemail from the kettle bell Jedi’s, lol
No bashing here…not even from me..:)…I believe PT is not dead as evident by owning my Studio…I always did and will always offer both small group,bootcamps and one on one training…as well as nutritional services,supplements,dvd’s etc ..you get my point…we need additional revenue streams that work ..as well as that are quality..ie deliver results! In fact ,bootcamps can also be a funnell in for other services..
so again ,no bashing…even from the bootcamp queen…lol,very valid points dax
I agree, but I don’t agree.
I don’t think boot camps are a fad. Maybe calling a circuit class is a fad, but group classes that are being developed by trainers is most certainly not. When done correctly in a structured fashion these classes are very beneficial to clients.
I do see your rationale in that 20+ people in a class can be quite ridiculous, but where is the cut off point. Is it a group of 5? 10? 15? Can these clients not learn a ton from the guidance a pt delivers through a series of classes? What about the effect that training with support group provides? From what i’ve seen (especially with women) clients tend to stick to programs more when they have others in the same position around them. They like to have a sense of belonging to something.
I do agree though that the cream will rise to the crop, and that boot camp instructors should first have years of hands on experience in one on one and small group settings.
I can go on and actually structure this comment, but its time to exercise myself. Good post though. I like anything that challenges what the rest of the “gurus” are saying.
Great article Dax, I am a CHEK professional and was completely gung-ho about specializing in one-on-one and still am! I have however started my first round of bootcamps with some blog guidance from the “gurus”. I feel like my training with CHEK and NASM-CES provides an advantage in training larger groups. Or then again, that could be my ego talking…Thanks for the read.
Group exercise will NEVER replace one on one personal training. While the occasional group class is fun and an interesting change of pace it is ludicrous to assume broad brush stroke applications like bootcamps can cover all the particular issues or concerns (postural, orthopedic, neurological etc.) relative from person to person.
If you are making money from bootcamps, more power to you and congratulations. In the meantime those of us who have actually taken the time to study the human body and it’s various intricacies and idiosyncrasies to develop individualized, incrementally progressive and appropriate exercise plans will continue to charge a premium for our premium service. To the discriminating client who demands and deserves the best there simply is no substitute.
Further claiming your bootcamp no matter how well run, no matter how well educated you are (or think you are) can be all things to all people is not only unethical and irresponsible but downright dangerous! We must get away from systematic protocol based training and get back to what is required, individualization and specificity based on personal requirements and needs. Enough with the dispensing of movements, identify what your client/patient needs and address accordingly, no more forcing a square peg into a round whole!
Whew, glad I got that off my chest!
M.
great post again dax.
Marios ‘assumption’ that because we’re teaching groups that we havent spent time and money on education is BANG OUT OF ORDER though…
theres my 2 cents right there.
Paul Mort
http://precisionfitness.co.uk
http://thefitnesscamp.co.uk
Great article Dax, I wrote an article about PT vs bootcamps a while ago essentially saying the same thing – there’s just no contest between 1:1 and bootcamp results and in my opinion never will be http://www.charlotteord.com/pdfs/Beating_up_bootcamps.pdf
I do however think that semi-private training will overtake traditional 1:1 as it offers essentially the same service at a reduced cost to the client and is more lucrative per session for the trainer. It’s a win-win all round. Any reduction in time spent 1:1 for mind coaching etc is, in my opinion, counter-balanced by the additional group accountability factor.
I still offer both semi-private, private and class training but haven’t jumped on the bootcamp bandwagon, it just doesn’t float my boat. I’ve called my once-a-week kettlebell course ‘kettlebell bootcamp’ in the past though – it’s a buzzword at the moment so we gotta make the most of it right?!
Char
http://www.phoenixprofitness.com
To your point Dax, most the bootcamps I see out there are nothing more than glorified group exercise classes one could take for free with a $30/month membership at a commercial gym. Furthermore, I have physical therapists and chiros in my network who love bootcamps (along with yoga and pilates) because it keeps a steady flow of injured people coming into their practices.
IMO, one cannot prescribe appropriate exercise for 10, 20 or 30+ people at the same time (I know a guy locally who gets 80 women 5 days/week at his gig…and yeah, I’m jealous of the $ he’s making
. You can’t screen and assess all these people and try to accommodate all their needs in a bootcamp type setting. You are going to have a bunch of different people with varying levels of fitness and different orthopedic concerns. For some participants, the intensity and exercise selections may be perfect, for others in the same class (or camp), it may be completely inappropriate. Some will be satisfied while others will have a negative experience. Just having a bunch of people do burpees, push-up variations, jump squats, sprints, etc in some chaotic format is ridiculous (and I realize not all bootcamps or bootcamp owners fall under this umbrella).
I get the group camaraderie thing. I realize their is a social component to it. I think it’s great these camps get more people moving. I clearly understand the revenue and profitability aspect of it as a fitness pro (although I think people are eventually going to catch on and realize they could take group classes for free at any commercial gym as part of monthly membership). I also realize there are some really good bootcamp owners out there who stand head and shoulders above the rest in regards to sane programming. But by and large, as Dax pointed out, we are in over reaction mode.
As Georgette pointed out, if these are used in conjunction with more personalized programming (preferably after one has went through a few months of more supervised, individualized programming), I think they can work. If the camps are tiered based on fitness level (a tough thing to do), I think they can work. But a revenue driven cookie cutter bootcamp template with complete disregard to one’s fitness level, orthopedic history, etc. is a step in the wrong direction.
Amen, Dax. Thanks for being a voice of reason in an otherwise confused fitness landscape.
I too have gone through real bootcamp and to this day cannot understand the appeal of any exercise option comparing itself to a bootcamp. Not a real bootcamp anyway.
way to go Dax !
I have long thought (but not dared say) what is the difference between a bootcamp and a class you can get down at your local gym where you can get a whole variety of classes run all day long at times that suit you for 100 bucks a month for which you can do unlimited classes plus shower, steam, and maybe some weight training if you feel inclined. Anything you can do in a “bootcamp” you can do in an aerobics room. So the success of these bootcamp classes are very dependent on exceptional individuals running them with magnetic personalities and style, But just calling you a class a bootcamp does not make you exceptional.
So there is a place for them, but they will not replace anything, least of all not personal training
Good post Dax,
I think the point you make about some ‘cerebral’ input of real quality is difficult with very large groups. Maybe a possible way forward would be to have smaller groups 5 – 8 people who pay a little more, form some real bonds with the other people as they would get to know each other if the group was that small and offer some extra ‘cerebral’ input.
I love your point about trainers always going for something ‘new and shiny’ I think we’ve all been guilty of that at some point, I guess it’s a question of knowning when to start getting on and making money out of what you already know.
Keep the posts coming
Erak, Weight Loss Coach and Trainer, Salisbury
Yup, I’m not above new and shiny addiction either : )
It’s about choice, it’s about variety and it’s about knowing the place in the spectrum of fitness offerings.
People want both and they always will : )
Hooya! : )
I dunno Char, I think we’ll see an increase in semi-private but I don’t think it’ll overtake PT… of course, I could be wrong : )
I think that semi-private offers the same EXERCISE experience if managed correctly but I for one could never have the same impact on my clients lives in a 3:1 setting that I currently do 1:1.
I’ve trained to deliver in-depth nutritional coaching, lifecoaching and more. I don’t think my clients would enjoy talking about their personal life stories, goals, dreams and aspirations between my running back and forward to 2 other people.
If it’s just about fitness then sure, small group works fine. If it’s about paradigm shifting your clients into lasting change…
Good article Dax,
I have feel the same about 1-1 PT. In fact i call myself an exercise coach because thats what i do i coach my clients to understanding how their bodies work, and what it likes to eat.
I cannot do that for 30-40 people in a bootcamp. I think your right they are here to stay and have there place i guess but nothing will ever beat a personal service, after all if you went out to eat and the waiter shouted to everyone What do you want to eat he would get so many orders at once get most of them wrong and miss a lot of orders.
This is why as a profession we should make sure we get it right and make sure we listen to our clients, you can only do that on a personal basis.
Paul,
I think perhaps you misunderstood me. I wasn’t suggesting or assuming group trainers weren’t educated. My point was rather; no matter how well educated you are actually or imagined (I’m sure we all know so called trainers who claim all sorts of education and certification with very little by ways of qualification) there is simply no way to provide quality training to multiple individuals and their specific needs at one time!
Hope that clears it up.
M.
Well said Paul…
“great post again dax.
Marios ‘assumption’ that because we’re teaching groups that we havent spent time and money on education is BANG OUT OF ORDER though…
theres my 2 cents right there.”
Paul Mort
Co