All the badass boot camp marketing in the world won’t save your boot camps from the “Boot Camp Grim Reaper” if they’re being compared to a $19 a month aerobics class.
Lately I’ve noticed some local boot camps falling into the trap of replicating exercises, movements and themes done in a aerobics classes.
Here’s why this can be a HUGE problem, and you may not even know it.
Most of your boot camp clients have either seen or been in some sort of classes offered at those huge chain gyms.
When you imitate anything done in one of those classes, your members either consciously or unconsciously make a comparison in their brain.
When this happens, the value of your boot camp goes WAY down, and they suddenly start feeling like they are paying too much.
What’s weird is, they might not even know why they are feeling like that.
The bad news is this usually leads to “unexpected client cancelations”
And that SUCKS gorilla balls!
So, to make sure that shit doesn’t accidentally happen to you, I made a quick video to watch!
Enjoy -
Steve-
Good insight. I loved this video because I am getting ready to start a bootcamp in Gold’s Gym and am using the aerobics room for it, so i really need to distinguish my class from those. I’m gonna hit these people like theyve never seen before!
Casey G
Comment by Casey G — April 8, 2009 @ 10:16 am
Great schtuff Steve!
Mucho importante!!! Aerobics classes suuuuuck…who wants to be compared to them? ugh!
Anyone can throw a few high kicks, do some leg lifts, and say “go ladies, 5 more! feel the burn!”
gag.
Keep it comin’! Diggin’ your posts!
S
Comment by Sarah Rippel — April 8, 2009 @ 7:14 pm
Hey Steve
Another killer post. I totally agree with you on that. I already pride myself on not being the “typical” trainer and when I run my boot camps I make sure to throw the craziest shit at them. Hell I have a policy where if they ain’t cursing me out half way through then I havn’t done by job.
Comment by Bryan Ortiz — April 8, 2009 @ 7:17 pm
Steve, freakin’ awesome!
I had one of my brand new bootcampers go back to her mat pilates class at the gym (19/mo) and grab two of her friends to come workout with her tonight.
She wore one of those calorie counters during her workout at pilates, and burned 120 calories.
She wore it during a 50 min bootcamp and burned almost 700! (Don’t know how accurate that is, but who cares!)
This blog is the shiznit, and I can’t wait for May 2!
~ The Lukester
Comment by Luke "Serial Ass Grabber" Wold — April 8, 2009 @ 8:25 pm
Gold mate, as usual. I definitely try and position myself as the anti-gym guy so that’s all part of the gameplan.
Comment by Daniel Munday, Sydney's Fat Loss Expert — April 8, 2009 @ 9:11 pm
Nice post brother,
We want to do bootcamps becasue as you’ve shown they can make you a lot of dosh but you help a lot more people as well that would never dream of having a 1-1 Personal Trainer because of the expense.
But in bootcamp, they are getting a personal trainer with more experience and skills on getting fat loss and fitness.
As far as I see it, you’ve gotta use those PT skills and mix them in a BC environment so that you’re effective but cannot be compared to your poorer cousin in the aerobics studio.
Like Daniels comment about beingthe anti gym guy, that’s one to use for sure.
Laters
Mike Bach
Comment by Mike Bach — April 9, 2009 @ 2:04 am
Hi stev
Cool Point, thanks.
Henrik
Comment by Henrik — April 9, 2009 @ 2:08 am
Man I lived in Amsterdam for 13 years and not once heard of Personal Trainers or anything like it. Now through these sites I’m seeing Personal Trainers in England, Denmark, Sweden. That’s awesome, hope you guys are killing it over there. (btw Ajax Amsterdam is #1)
Steve, awesome post as usual – great reminder to keep the bootcamp sessions intense – Fitness Business Summit is gonna be CRAZY.
Comment by Michael Duivis — April 9, 2009 @ 12:50 pm
Thanks for another great post! I’ll be putting the human billboard marketing to the test (I know it will work amazingly) here in the next two weeks and I’m happy to not fall into this trap! Great reminder! Im gonna devide up my boot-campers into teams and have then do relays/obstacle courses to mix it up and get them commpeting with each other.
For example (10 burpee-pushups then the sprint over there-> and then 10 squat jumps and frog leas back <- to the start where the next teammate repeats the process etc, etc.
Keep these posts coming bro!
When will you release Video #3 for the human billboard series?
Thanks again for all the great info! C ya at the summit!
Comment by Chris Meredith — April 9, 2009 @ 6:07 pm
Hey Chris,
That sound great.. Your boot camp sounds kick butt!
Post #3 on my “how to be a boot camp dominator” series should be on kickbacklife either next tuesday or wednesday!
Looking forward to meeting ya at the summit!
Steve
Comment by Steve Hochman — April 9, 2009 @ 6:55 pm
Steve,
You da’ man! This is soooo important. You must kick you boot campers ass in a different way every time with combinations and exercises that they have never seen before.
One of my favorite lines when I walk into my camp is this, “Hey ladies, I couldn’t wait to get here today because I have an attitude problem and a lot of damn energy.” Immediate response, “Ohhhh noooo!”
Then I kick there ass and they tell me they don’t like me…and then they show up with a friend the next day.
It’s happens to be the most beautiful love-hate relationship ever established.
Thanks for the great content Steve.
Donovan “DFitnessguy” Owens
Comment by Donovan "DFitnessguy" Owens — April 10, 2009 @ 6:55 pm
Steve,
Thats so funny but so true, I’ve seen other “boot camps” in my area which are just glorified aerobics claases and I laugh!
No two sessions are ever the same at my camps and my clients walk away every time buzzing their tits off
Marc
Comment by Marc Kent — June 8, 2009 @ 3:17 pm