If you’re a gym owner you may have considered implementing a dress code policy at your gym before. Many gyms and fitness centers today are known for having either a lax dress code policy or none at all. Just walk into any CrossFit, Spin, or Yoga studio for example and you will likely find shirtless bodies abound. However, there are many other gyms that do have dress code policies. Furthermore, some gyms have stricter rules or enforce their dress code policies more so than others. So how do you decide if a dress code policy is right for your gym?

For starters, it’s common practice for businesses, in general, to require their staff to wear a uniform or adhere to a dress code. On the other hand, enforcing a dress code amongst your members may not be as widely accepted. Issuing a dress code at your gym, or conversely, ignoring the need for one (if it exists) will certainly impact your member experience. Issuing a dress code has the potential to spark debate, divide your community, and even cause you to lose members. This risk is especially high if the policy is implemented after your gym has already been established. Before you decide if a dress code is right for your gym it’s a good idea to understand both sides of the argument.

The pro gym dress code debate

The rationale behind gym dress code policies varies from safety reasons to personal beliefs and in between. One gym owner received media attention when he issued a new dress code policy to his members. Graham Holmberg, a former CrossFit Games athlete and owner of Eleventh Element CrossFit Hilliard put in place a policy which prohibits all athletes from removing their shirts at the gym, including during and after the workout. Female athletes were also barred from wearing short shorts, better known as “booty shorts.”

The media attention given to Holmberg’s dress code policy created debate amongst the CrossFit community with differing opinions on the rationality of dress codes at gyms in general. However, many people seem to be in agreement that a dress code policy based on personal hygiene, health, and safety rationale is perfectly reasonable.

The anti gym dress code debate

Critics generally suggest that dress codes are problematic in the sense that they inhibit freedom of expression or reinforce harmful ideas about class, gender or sexual behavior. Similarly, speculations have been made toward gym owner’s personal motivations behind dress code policies.

Other dress code naysayers suggest that being able to take your clothes off should a personal right or that they are liberated by having the freedom to take layers of clothing off at the gym. The argument for wearing less also seems to be a big factor in CrossFit gyms which often have no-frills setups and therefore less air ventilation.

Further considerations regarding gym dress codes

At the end of the day, it is up to the business owner whether to institute a dress code policy at their gym or not. In order to help you further evaluate the need for a dress code policy at your gym, here are four considerations you should make:

1. Safety: Layered clothing can protect the body from injury but it can also be a risk. Alternatively, wearing fitted or less clothing can help prevent clothing from being caught on equipment such as barbells or machines.

2. Health: Requiring shirts at the gym may help to prevent transmittable infections or diseases and prolong the life of your gym equipment. However, simply asking your members to wear clean clothing and to clean the equipment after each use can also help prevent these problems.

3. Temperature: Allowing members to dress freely may enable them to help regulate their body temperature and feel more comfortable. This is also a safety consideration if you do not have an A/C system installed in your gym or are located in a warmer climate.

4. Member Experience: Implementing a dress code for the convenience or beliefs of one group of people will inevitably inconvenience or upset others. While you can’t please everyone, you should strongly consider the feelings and well being of your entire community.

What are your thoughts on implementing a dress code policy at your gym? Have you done it and seen any difficulties or successes? Or are you strongly against dress codes? Share your thoughts below!

If appointment booking is an essential part of your current business, or if you’re interested in upgrading revenue growth through this channel, get ready for Triib Appointments, appointment booking for fitness and wellness professionals. We’ve found that many gym owners are using separate systems to have the ability to schedule 1-to-1 appointment booking inside their facility.

Switching between two or more platforms to set up appointments is cumbersome and disconnects (or outright removes) the ability to track income relative to your other revenue streams like group classes.

Triib Appointments brings appointment booking capabilities into our all-in-one gym management software platform and it’s launching soon!

What is appointment booking?

Appointment booking allows a user, staff, or admin to book an individual appointment according to a customized availability calendar.

Let’s take a detailed look at what you can expect from Triib Appointments!

How will Appointments benefit me?

As a gym owner or fitness professional, you’ll be able to build out fully integrated appointments for your business.

There are two core benefits for you:

The ability to generate new revenue streams.

The clarity & cost savings of consolidating existing operations under one all-in-one platform.

NEW REVENUE STREAMS

Some gym owners are shifting to a Personal Training(PT) first model, while others are ramping up their businesses by being less dependent on recurring class revenue. This powerful new tool will allow you to explore what works best for your business and give you more ways to deliver value to your members.

You will now be able to offer all of the following from within your Triib platform:

• PERSONAL TRAINING

• NUTRITION COACHING

• 1-ON-1 PROSPECT CONSULTATIONS

• FITNESS EVALUATION SESSIONS

• RESOURCE RESERVATION (CRYO CHAMBERS, TANNING BEDS, ETC)

• PLUS MORE!

CLARITY OF CONSOLIDATION

If you’re already offering personal coaching or similar appointments through external platforms (other than Triib), you can now bring that segment of your business back under one platform, simplifying the reporting and creating a MUCH better member experience.

Ultimately, this can act as a cost-saver on your overhead while improving your understanding of which appointments/staff members are driving your business forward.

MAJOR FEATURES

Let’s look at the three major features inside appointment booking in Triib.

1. SEAMLESS MEMBER SIGNUPS

Here’s how quick and easy the signup experience is from the user’s view (prospect or member):

This shows the self-booking experience of a prospect or member selecting an ‘Intro Session’ and then an appointment length. A staff member and time is then selected and the user is brought to a standard form and waiver review to finalize the booking. 

After this, confirmation notifications are sent and the availability calendar for the selected staff will auto-update!

2. STAFF AVAILABILITY CALENDARS

Admins and staff can use the drag and drop availability calendar to set when they are available for bookings. This syncs dynamically with the member-side booking so users will only book into appointments that fit with your schedule!

3. COMPLETE CUSTOMIZATION

Triib Appointments was designed with tons of easy-to-use settings that will allow you to customize appointment bookings to how (and when) your team works. Here are some examples of customizations you can expect:

AVAILABILITY CALENDARS

Staff can set their individual availability for members to book into.

CUSTOM TYPES & PRICING

Set multiple appointment types, price points and durations.

PAY RATES BY STAFF

Custom pay rates by staff and appointment.

NOTIFICATIONS & RESTRICTIONS

Set member cancellation restrictions along with confirmation and reminder notifications.

SET PAYMENT POLICY

Set when payment is due (at booking or at time of appointment).

STAFF & APPOINTMENT DETAILS

Build out your bookings by adding staff photos and descriptions to appointment types and staff profiles.

LAUNCHING SEPTEMBER

There are tons of great details that will be coming out over the next few weeks including tutorials, deep-dives, and detailed overviews as Triib Appointments launches. We’re so excited to bring appointments to Triib and to help you build the best fitness business possible.

As always, shoot us a note below with any feedback and send any questions to support@triib.com!

Whether you’re ready to open your doors as a new gym owner or you’re trying to build your current member base, getting new members can be quite the mission. While you may be tempted to throw out discounts on membership packages to get those new members in your doors, it’s totally possible to get new members without offering discounts.

Sure, everyone loves a bargain. However, discounting memberships can devalue your time and your brand. Alternatively, by implementing membership standards early on , such as a no-discount policy, can help your gym attract quality leads, attain max profitability, and prevent you from financial troubles at the start of your business venture.

The problem with low barrier offers

All it takes is one early financial mistake like too many discounts or a bad offer to set your business up for failure down the line. Moreover, the wrong types of discounts or offers can attract the wrong types of members that won’t stay with your business. For example, low barrier offers tend to attract low-quality leads.

For reference, a low barrier (or LBO) is generally considered to be an offer that is less than 30 days long and costs less than $100, such as “Only $99 for your first month.” Similarly, the following list of common membership discounts can also backfire later down the line in the same manner as LBOs:

• “Lifetime”, “Grandfathered”, “Founding Member” or otherwise locked-in membership rates.
• 6-Week Challenges.
• Groupon deals.
• Bartering free or discounted memberships in exchange for other services.
• Discounted tier packages, ex: “Buy 1 class for $20, Get 3 classes for $50.”

Think about it, if you are offering $1 memberships and free pizza night, you might get a lot of people to sign up at first, but will they be motivated to stay at your gym without the commitment that comes from making a financial investment? When you offer low barrier deals, you run the risk of attracting members who are just looking for a deal.

Furthermore, you also chance that these “deal-hunters” will tell people in their network who are similar in nature and not qualified leads. The LBO method might get a lot of members in your door at first, but your churn rate will be high because when they have to buy a full-priced membership package, or your rates increase, many of these members will inevitably leave your gym to find the next deal.

Trying to lure members to your gym may not seem like a difficult task if you’re offering discounts, but you must then figure out how to keep them in order to avoid the revolving door dilemma. You can avoid this by adhering to your membership standards and avoiding discounts overall.

You can avoid this by adhering to your membership standards and avoiding offering any discounts at all.

Alternatives to offering discounts at your gym

So if you don’t offer discounts you might be wondering, how do I get new members in the doors of my gym? Savvy gym owners know how to offer so much value that they don’t need to discount their memberships because they have people knocking down their gym doors through the following incentives:

1. Issue a no-commitment policy.

The biggest argument in favor of offering LBOs is to convince members to join who are afraid of making a financial commitment such as a year-long contract, or cancelation fees. Avoid this by implementing a commitment and cancelation policy-free membership policy. The benefits of no-hassle memberships will also save you headaches down the line when it comes to membership management

2. Host free trial classes.

Letting someone try a group class or two for free is not going to cost you a thing. This type of try-before-your buy offer is a similar form of sales psychology as LBO’s, however, with a free trial class you have the opportunity to prove the value upfront at no cost to them or to you.

3. Offer feeder programs.

Otherwise known as “lite” or “intro” programs, memberships for these programs come at a lower price point than your core packages and serve as a segway to get paying members in your door while also making a financial commitment. The intention being that these members will love your product so much they will eventually upgrade to higher membership offerings. An example would be offering “sweat” or “bootcamp” class memberships that feed into your main, higher-priced CrossFit membership.

4. Promote personal training sessions first.

Generally, someone who purchases pre-paid sessions isn’t going to stop coming after their first few classes. They made a financial commitment that they are going to see through. Once they see your value, and the results, they will be more likely to stay and commit to a membership.

5. Partner with fitness marketplace programs like ClassPass.

ClassPass is a monthly fitness membership that provides users access to local studios, gyms, and wellness offerings. As a gym, you’ll never be charged a fee to be listed as a partner on ClassPass. In fact, they pay you for reservations.

Tips on maintaining your membership standards

Implementing a strict no-discount-policy may sound counterintuitive to starting and marketing a business, but keep in mind that manipulating your price is not a sustainable business approach. Here are some simple tips that will help you maintain your membership standards while adding value to your gym, and bringing members to your door:

Over-deliver on results:

Offer an unbeatable product. Hire knowledgeable, reliable and enthusiastic staff. Put all of your energy and efforts into making sure that you are offering the best of the best. If you succeed in doing this, your reputation will attract new members to the gym itself.

Add value:

Instead of lowering your prices, provide added value incentives, like free clinics, seminars or fitness assessments. Choose offerings with relatively little incremental cost and a high-perceived value to engage member satisfaction and drive loyalty. Another low-cost, low investment strategy is to offer giveaway items like branded t-shirts, water bottles, etc.

Build community:

For many, the gym can be an intimidating place, and by creating a sense of community at your gym, it will ensure that clients keep returning. Make sure that each person who enters your door feels like they are a member of a family and not just a gym.

Tell don’t sell:

Provide high-quality free content. Think fitness tips, motivation tactics, success stories, and healthy recipes. Share this information on your social media pages or create a free book that you provide to new members.

Offer incentives for referrals and reward loyalty:

Rewarding your loyal members is a proven strategy for attracting new members and a far better investment than offering a discount to someone just because they walked in your door. Remember, it costs more to acquire a new member than to retain a current member. As such, once you start building your membership base retention should always be your primary objective. Plus, long-term members are more likely to refer family and friends that will stick around.

Did you have a positive experience offering deals when opening your gym? Or do you wish that you had attracted new members without discounts in hindsight? Share your comments below!

Want to learn how to grow or manage your fitness business better but can’t seem to find the extra time or money? Podcasts are a great way to learn on the go, and they provide valuable information and advice for free! To start listening to fitness business podcasts, simply download a podcast app on your phone like Apple Podcasts for iPhones or Google Podcasts for Androids and check out our suggested shows below to get started!

We’ve compiled the ultimate list of fitness business podcasts for fit biz entrepreneurs, coaches and trainers focused on owning and running a gym or studio, or a remote or personal training program below for you. The shows on this list cover the full spectrum of fitness industry related topics such as retention, increasing revenue, the latest in software, interviews with important industry voices, and more. Happy listening!

Triib’s Top Picks:

Before we kick off the ultimate list of fitness business podcasts (which is quite long!) check out Triib staff top picks to help you get started.

1. Increase Your Impact – “Super short and easy to digest information, forces you to see the positivity even on the darkest of days.” -Ian S.

2. Barbell Business – “They’re fairly entertaining and give good insight as to how to run a successful gym, retain members, etc.” -Kieran K.

3. Tribe Method – (humble brag) Our new podcast for gym owners and fitness pros hosted by our very own Head of Marketing, Evan Bartus!

The Ultimate List Of Fitness Business Podcasts:

Below you’ll find a long list of shows geared toward gym owners, coaches, personal trainers, athletes, and entrepreneurs that make up the ultimate list of fitness business podcasts for anyone looking to learn the industry, grow their business, and learn from like-minded fitness professionals. Enjoy!

1. Active Life – The information you need to make the decisions you want regarding health and human performance is in this podcast. Delivered through monologues, call-ins, and inspiring interviews.

2. Barbell Business – A podcast for gym owners by Barbell Shrugged.

3. Best Hour Of Their Day – Hosted by Jason Ackerman, Best Hour of Their Day is a show dedicated to helping the CrossFit community. We cover all aspects of fitness including coaching, training, competing, starting and growing a business, and everything in between. Regular guests include world-class athletes, some of the best coaches in the world, fitness entrepreneurs, industry leaders, and more.

4. Box Talk – A podcast by Box Pro Magazine, the business resource for Affiliates and Coaches. Listen to experts on the essentials of the industry.

5. Brute Strength – Brute Strength brings you the latest in fitness, competing and life.

6. Chasing Excellence – A show dedicated to dissecting what it means to live a life of excellence, both inside the gym & out. On each episode, we’ll deep dive on various aspects of being an athlete & maximizing your potential.

7. The CrossFit Podcast – The official podcast of CrossFit INC. Exploring all things fitness from training and nutrition, to affiliates and communities and the battle against chronic disease.

8. Entrepreneurs ON FIRE – an award winning podcast (Best of iTunes) where John Lee Dumas interviews Entrepreneurs who are truly ON FIRE to help you learn from the best and achieve financial and location freedom.

9. Fit For Thought –  a bi-weekly podcast where fitness, technology and entrepreneurship intersect. From wearable devices that are redefining the limits of the human body, to risk-taking entrepreneurs making an impact on the industry, to practical advice on how to optimize your athletic performance, each episode is packed with insights, tools and inspiration.

10. Fit Pro Business – The ultimate guide for marketing your personal training business, Close more sales for your fitness business, and develop business building tips and tricks to grow your personal training business.

11. Fit-C – The Fitness + Technology Podcast is for club owners, operators, and fitness professionals! This show is your #1 trusted resource for the accelerating world of fitness technology. Each week, they bring you an expert interview with a global influencer at the crossroads of fitness and technology. You’ll get the insights, tools, and inspiration you need to stay connected to the pulse of what matters most for your fitness business in the age of exponential technologies.

12. Fitness Bootcamp Inner Circle – News, tips, and business building strategies for personal trainers and fitness boot camp owners. Fitness boot camps, group personal training, and CrossFit are the wave of the future. Learn how to start your own successful boot camp business, and how to thrive from industry experts that have been there and done it. Diversify your fitness business with multiple streams of income. Fitness business strategies, fitness marketing, and group training experts reveal the inside secrets to growing a successful personal training, boot camp, training studio, and fitness information product business.

13. Fitness Business Podcast – A weekly show to help fitness business owners, managers, career individuals and entrepreneurs lead, manage and run their businesses. Each week the show invites leading business experts, coaches, authors and owners from around the world to share their expert advice on a specific topic, make book recommendations and end each show with 3 specific actions listeners can do.

14. FitPro Industry Podcast – Candid conversations with leaders in the health, fitness & wellness industry. Join us each week as we discuss building a PROFITABLE business – what’s working, tools, resources and highlights. Lisa and Lucho Crisalle are the founders of Exercise & Nutrition Works, Inc., and the creators of the Certified Fitness Nutrition Specialist™, CEU accredited home study program. They are Business Coaches focused on helping personal trainers, coaches, health practitioners and fitness industry experts Monetize Their Nutrition Knowledge.

15. Froning and Friends – Podcast with 4-Time Fittest Man on Earth Rich Froning.

16. Girls Gone WOD Podcast – What started as a podcast about CrossFit(R) has evolved into a weekly discussion about wellness, mental health, body image, marriage, and community. Join Joy & Claire every Thursday for the best conversations you didn’t know you were missing.

17. Gymright live – The Gymwright LIVE Mission: 1) To increase the longevity and impact of motivated gym owners around the world who are committed to making a positive change in their community. 2) To ensure the leaders of this community are empowered with the information they need to fulfill their mission of building the kind of business that leaves the world better than they found it.

18. Icon Athlete – Conversations with a variety of people in the CrossFit community and beyond. Enjoy a cup of coffee or your drive with some education, inspiration, and entertainment along the way through shared experiences and information to give you the inside scoop.re two completely different things.

19. Increase Your Impact – Each episode is aimed to provide you with insights, principles and strategies to help you lead yourself so that you can lead others at work, home, and in life.

20. LifeChanger Podcast – The podcast for personal trainers and health coaches growing their online business.

21. One More Rep – A show delivering content for athletes of all types. We seek to inspire, entertain, & educate people of any fitness background from CrossFit, Olympic Lifting, Functional Fitness, or Weightlifting. Enjoy interviews, inspirational stories & lessons learned.

22. Powderkeg – Startup Stories for High-Growth Business Leaders with Entrepreneurs, Investors, and Top Talent Beyond Silicon Valley. Powder Keg Gives You the Best Business Strategy from SaaS Entrepreneurs, Startup Investors, and Business Experts.

23. Power Athlete Radio – The premiere podcast for strength and conditioning. The show is hosted by Luke Summers and Tex McQuilkin and features Power Athlete CEO John Welbourn. Each week the crew ignites earbuds across the globe with world class coaches, authors, scientists and more.

24. Powerful Personal Trainer – The podcast for personal trainers created by personal trainers. Listen in as Roger Dickerman and Tony Federico explore the world of fitness from the perspectives of both employer and employee. Building clientele, certifications, delivering value, finances, and marketing your personal brand – they cover it all.

25. PT Prophet Podcast – Interviews, insights and inspiration from the world’s most knowledgeable fitness business and life leaders.

26. Pursuing Health With Julie Foucher – Julie Foucher is a four-time CrossFit Games athlete, family medicine resident, and member of the CrossFit Level 1 Seminar Staff. Her passion lies in combining what she has learned through CrossFit and medicine to inspire and empower others to live healthier, more fulfilling lives. Every other Tuesday she highlights influential and inspiring individuals who use lifestyle to support optimal health.

27. Real Chalk – The official Podcast of Chalk Performance Training (Note: This podcast was picked up by Barbell Shrugged and is now part of the Shrugged Collective but old episodes can be viewed here.

28. Scale As Needed – FloElite’s Scale As Needed Podcast: where we care just as much about movies, TV shows, and comic books as we do about weightlifting, The CrossFit Games, and strongman.

29. Seven Figure Box – Strategies and tools for running a better and more profitable affiliate gym. We share our mistakes and lessons learned building CrossFit Palm Beach in Jupiter, FL into a 500+ member box. Whether you want to create a gym with seven figures of annual revenue or just your dream gym that you love showing up to each day, we can help.

30. Shrugged Collective – New episode every Wednesday! Join the Barbell Shrugged crew in conversations about fitness, training, and frequent interviews w/ CrossFit Games athletes!

31. Talking Elite Fitness – CrossFit Games Analysts Sean Woodland and Tommy Marquez, alongside filmmakers Heber Cannon, and Marston Sawyers, bring you all the latest information, updates, and analysis on the sport of fitness, and the CrossFit community.

32. The 321Go Project – From marketing to retention; SEO to building your brand – we cover it all. We’ve talked with over 600 gym owners and, every week, we bring you the best of the best. We talk with industry experts as well as deliver actionable advice you can use today.

33. The 4th Pull – A show about the sport of competitive exercise which dives into weightlifting, endurance sports and pretty much all things fitness.

34. The Business of Fitness – Hosted by Jason Khalipa, the Business of Fitness Podcast gets real about the fitness industry. Along with his guests, Jason will breakdown the good, bad, and the ugly in the business of fitness. Each episode is an AMRAP…literally. Unique in this short format style, Jason and his guests will set clock and you’re off! Topics will cover all aspects of fitness including: coaching, training, competing, starting a business, growing a business, and everywhere in between. If it goes down in the gym, it’s fair game. Regular guests include world class athletes, some of the best coaches in the world, fitness entrepreneurs, industry leaders, and more!

35. The Fitness Entrepreneur Podcast – a podcast aimed at teaching you how to generate more money, impact and freedom with your fitness business. The show covers a wide range of important business topics from Marketing, Sales, Service Delivery, Team Building right through to Personal Productivity and Self-Development. The show is hosted by Phil Graham and often includes guest interviews with some of the world’s most successful fitness entrepreneurs.

36. The Fitness Industry Podcast – The Fitness Industry Podcast, powered by Australian Fitness Network. Touching on everything from client coaching and hypertrophy, to nutrient timing, leadership and business growth, The Fitness Industry Podcast features insightful conversations with global leaders in the fitness industry.

37. The Gym Owners Business Podcast – Created by a Gym Owner For Gym Owners In Collaboration With Global Leaders by Mel Tempest.

38. The Mind Muscle Project – Weekly discussions and interviews on self-improvement, fitness and well being niche topics and exciting and influential minds. Join us on a journey of exercising the muscle inside your head.

39. The Strength Coach Podcast – The Official Podcast to Michael Boyle’s StrengthCoach.com, the World’s Leading Source of Strength & Conditioning Information. Each episode we will speak to Coach Boyle about the latest in Strength & Conditioning, forum hot topics and everything that is happening at StrengthCoach.com- including the latest articles, videos and audio content.

40. Tribe Method – Our show dives into the boutique fitness industry, investigating the stories behind some of the world’s best athletes and fitness business professionals. We explore successful strategies that make great gyms rise above the noise and attract the best and biggest communities.

41. Two Brain Business – A weekly podcast by Chris Cooper & Greg Strauch. Chris is the author of Two-Brain Business, Two-Brain Business 2.0, and Help First. Chris & Greg asks the BIG questions in the fitness industry and draws on 30+ years combine, of coaching experience to get the answers gym owners to need to thrive.

42. Voice For Fitness Professionals Podcast – The Personal Training Fitness Professional’s source for marketing, sales, programming and more profitable business with more successful clients.

43. Wodcast Podcast – If you CrossFit, this is the show for you! The Wodcast Podcast is a fun show about functional fitness hosted by Armen Hammer, Scott McGee, and Eddie Ifft. The hosts are knowledgeable (well except for Eddie), experienced, and love the “sport of fitness.” They blend CrossFit experience and insight with humor, providing meaningful content without taking themselves too seriously. Each week the Wodcast Podcast hosts some of the biggest names in CrossFit including Games athletes, subject matter experts, coaches, and many more. The hosts and guests hit it off so well you would think they are all sitting around having a beer which makes for a highly entertaining podcast whether you WOD or not.

44. WTF Gym Talk – WTF Gym Talk is a no BS resource for owners looking to own an actual business instead of just the gym. The rise of CrossFit gave way to a surge of entrepreneurs who wanted to open their own microgym. However, opening a business and staying in business are two completely different things.

Top 5 Podcasts For Fitness Business Entrepreneurs and Small Business Owners:

While the shows on the following list are not fitness business podcasts specifically geared toward gym owners, athletes or coaches, they made our shortlist of top business podcasts that still provide valuable insight and information for anyone who owns or runs a gym, studio or other fitness business.

1. School of Greatness – Lewis Howes is a NYT bestselling author, Lifestyle Entrepreneur, former pro athlete and world record holder in football. The goal of the School of Greatness is to share inspiring stories from the most brilliant business minds, world class athletes and influential celebrities on the planet to help you find out what makes great people great.

2. Small Business War Stories – Small Business War Stories is a weekly 30 minute show recorded in person with small business owners. We discuss different topics and get the triumphs, struggles, and funny stories from our guests’ everyday lives. Hosted by Pablo Fuentes, CEO and Founder of Proven, the leading small business hiring tool.

3. Social Triggers – Smart entrepreneurs who want to use the web to attract leads and make sales must master the fields of psychology and human behavior. And Social Triggers Insider helps them do just that.

4. Startup – A series about what it’s really like to start a business.

5. Foundr – We interview hard to reach entrepreneurs. (Mark Cuban, Tim Ferriss, Sophia Amoruso, Tony Robbins, Barbara Corcoran, Daymond John & many more). Unlike most podcast interview series Nathan Chan literally started from knowing nothing. He was just an average guy working in a 9-5 job he utterly hated. He knew nothing about entrepreneurship, nothing about startups, nothing about marketing, and nothing about online or how to build a business. So from launching Foundr Magazine he’s gone out and spoken to some of the most successful entrepreneurs and founders in the world to find out exactly what it takes to become a successful entrepreneur, so YOU can learn from them.

Know of any great fitness business podcasts to add to the list? Comment below!

Gym owners are always looking for a way to save time while improving or maintaining a strong member experience.  After all, a smooth and seamless member experience will drive your business forward. But where to start?

Identifying the friction points, or points of interaction, between your gym and your members can give you great insight into where to focus your effort for improvements. Optimizing at these points in your customer/member journey have the biggest positive impact on your member experience.

One of the biggest friction points in any boutique fitness facility or studio is the walk-in experience. It’s your best opportunity to deploy a solution that’s time-saving, seamless, and multi-functional.

Enter, the Kiosk.

Before we dive into that though, let’s first take a look at your current walk-in experience and what we’re solving for!

Defining Your Walk-In Experience

Your walk-in experience is the first 10 seconds to 60 seconds from when a person walks into your gym. Many gym owners obsess about theirs because they recognize, and with good reason, many people will walk through their doors for the first time and immediately decide how they feel.

This first impression is based on inferred judgments and it takes only 100 milliseconds for a potential new member to form an opinion. It’s an understatement to say the walk-in experience is a critical friction point in your prospective and current member’s journey.

Make this micro-window easy and enjoyable and you’ll win more business and retain more members. To maximize the experience in this window, we must have 4 goals in mind:

• Solve Immediate Needs
• Save Member (& preferably Staff/Owner) Time
• Keep It Personal
• Communicate Your Brand

Solve Immediate Needs

What’s the first thing people do when they walk in your doors? What are they looking to do and how is it being resolved. Is the front desk staff greeting them, checking them in, or signing them up? How are new faces handled? These needs must be quickly attended to.

Save Member (& Staff/Owner) Time

It’s real simple, a great solution should save everyone time.

Keep It Personal

Make the process enjoyable by making it personal. Any solution, human or automated, needs to be able to engage and acknowledge on a human-level. The power is in the details.

Communicate Your Brand

Make the process enjoyable by making it personal. Any solution, human or automated, needs to be able to engage and acknowledge on.

Choosing your Solution

A fully-staffed front desk can solve this in a 1-to-1, human way. Unfortunately, it is not always cost-effective or easy for the member to stand around and wait while someone manually assists them.

You hit on many goals for optimizing your Walk-In Experience but there’s a glaring miss in time-savings and ease of use. The Kiosk solves for the customer and hits all criteria for delivering the best member experience possible. Make sure you get one that can function as:

• Gym Check-In
• Gym POS
• Gym Payments

Pulled up on a front-facing iPad or Tablet, the Kiosk is the perfect self-service multi-functional screen in one of the key friction points in your gym.

If we look at the Triib Kiosk, for example, new or returning members can get exactly what they need, in seconds.

When you have a tool in place at this friction point your customers have a better experience and you get hours back into your weeks.

The Triib team is excited to announce the launch of our brand new podcast “Tribe Method: A Podcast For Gym Owners” hosted by Triib’s Head of Marketing, Evan Bartus. The show features in-depth conversations with gym owners and fitness leaders on everything from industry news to business tactics and more!

Listeners of The Tribe Method podcast will be treated to a dive into the boutique fitness industry, where we investigate the stories behind some of the world’s best athletes and fitness business professionals. We’ll explore successful strategies that make great gyms rise above the noise and attract the best and biggest communities. Moreover, each episode will be packed with informative, entertaining, and relatable stories, and we’re so excited to share them with you!

Why Did We Decide to Create The Tribe Method Podcast?

1. We’re always on the hunt for new ways to provide busy gym owners with highly valuable content that they can consume on-the-go.
2. We saw the need for an outlet that brings real stories from successful coaches and fitness industry leaders out into the open.
3. We wanted to create a community to celebrate fitness business owners’ successes and experiences to inspire others to achieve greatness in their profession.

The first episode of Tribe Method #1: The Coach/Athlete Relationship: Personalized, Remote and Owning It features Chris Hinshaw, world-renowned endurance coach and founder of aerobiccapacity.com, and Paul Tremblay, co-owner of CrossFit NCR. These guys shared with us an inside look into how their businesses have expanded and adapted, as well as their experiences with remote programming and encouraging athlete ownership.

Listen to the first episode of the Tribe Method podcast now below!

Here’s how to make sure you never miss an episode:

• Find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Sticher and SoundCloud and wherever you listen to podcasts.

• Subscribe to find out when new episodes are available.

• Rate & review us to tell us what you’re loving and help us to reach more listeners.

• Email us with your ideas and feedback or to request to be a guest at info@triib.com

• Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn and use #TribeMethod to connect with us!

At Triib we’re focused on making the gym owner’s day-to-day easier and optimizing business operations. We heard your feedback and we made sure the new and improved technology behind our Kiosk relaunch lives up to this standard. Checking-in is the first interaction your current members and new visitors will have when they enter the gym. We want to help you make an impression!

What’s awesome about the new Triib Kiosk?

For starters, we heard some gym owners are operating our software on older devices. We’ve reworked the code to allow the Triib Kiosk to display correctly on a variety of devices, even some older models. In order to have the best experience with Triib please review our compatibility requirements.

Additionally, it’s highly recommended to use the Triib Kiosk in an incognito browser window. This will prevent auto-populating of data in form fields, as well as contribute to protection with the addition of two new security features:

1. Auto-logout when toggling prevents members from accessing sensitive information.
2. The new required Kiosk pin for extra security.

What’s more, the Triib Kiosk can be your base of business operations on the gym floor. Our Kiosk handles class check-in, membership or attendance pack sign-ups, visitor drop-ins, store purchases, waiver signatures and more. Furthermore, all of these actions can be accomplished individually, or all at once for a seamless check-out experience for your customers.

You’ll also notice the refreshed, modern look of the main screen. We’ve improved the design to complement the new functionality for improved user experience. Additionally, the options on the check-in screen are now dynamic. If you don’t want the option for people to be able to drop-in or shop, for example, you are able to remove these options inside your admin account. Because you’re not a one-size-fits-all business!

Ask and you shall receive Triibers–there’s even more newness to behold! Additional new functionalities include:

• Dynamic form fields. Triib Kiosk Forms allow you to choose what options best fit your gym and your member’s needs.
• Kiosk settings page in the admin section. We’ve consolidated the Kiosk settings into their own tab, making it much easier to locate and get the kiosk set up for your gym.
• Admin ability to override prices on all store products and packages.
• Admin ability to restrict staff members from performing overrides.
• Admin ability to override class check-ins.
• Quick waiver button. Ever need to pull up a waiver quickly? Now you can simply click the new “Quick Waiver” button on the home page to easily make an account, sign a waiver and move on to class ASAP.
• Dynamic Kiosk background image. Choose from pre-selected options, or turn off the image.

How will the new Kiosk benefit me as a gym owner?

In short, the new, user-friendly Triib Kiosk will streamline check-in and check-out processes at your gym, saving time and money while also providing your members with a positive experience. The process is quick and intuitive, preventing front desk traffic jams and letting your coaches stick to coaching. Similarly, the check-out experience is user-friendly offering easy navigation for your members that requires little to no assistance from your staff.

Want more?

Visit our help center and access the Kiosk User Guide to learn more about the new features and functions!

We also offer first-look access to our “Tribe” by revealing sneak peeks of where we are in the process of updating and improving our software through our private Triib User Community Facebook Group. If you would like to be a part of an exclusive community of fitness business owners where you can share business tips, ask questions and stay up-to-date on all things Triib, just follow these 3 steps:

1. Request to join Triib User Community Facebook Group
2. Add the group page to your bookmarks for easy access
3. Enable notifications in the group so you get alerted when new information is shared

Additionally, follow us on @triibinc on Instagram for even more behind the scenes access, news, and updates.

Equipment costs are a business expense that can certainly add up for a new or growing gym. It’s easy to get sidetracked by all the bells and whistles that the fitness industry has to offer. Therefore, it’s important to set a strategic plan in place when outfitting your gym. It’s also important to keep in mind that you don’t need every single piece of equipment in order to open your gym doors. Moreover, while some pieces of equipment are trendy or “nice to have” (i.e., sandbags, sleds, climbing ropes, etc.) they are absolutely not required to run an effective gym. Hence, we strongly suggest buying the essential pieces of equipment to start and acquiring additional pieces over time as your gym grows.

To help you narrow down the choices and formulate a plan,  we’ve listed below the fundamental equipment every strength and conditioning gym should have to open their gym or improve their space. The list is segmented in 3 stages to fit every new, growing or established gym’s needs. Once you’ve decided on the equipment, you’ll also want to determine exactly how many of each piece you’ll need. As a general rule of thumb, you’ll only need enough of each item to run a full class to start. That might be 5, 10 or 15 pieces depending on your anticipated number of members per class. Keep in mind it’s better for your wallet to start off with not enough rather than too much. To run large classes with less equipment you can program partner or team workouts, circuit or Tabata stations. Plus encouraging communication and sharing amongst your members will foster your gym community.

Essential Equipment For New Gyms

1. Abmats

The AbMat is a fundamental core training accessory for more effective sit-ups. This piece of equipment might not be considered essential to some gyms, however, it is strongly encouraged for CrossFit gyms as it promotes safe positioning during the sit-up as well as provides the full range of motion necessary to train the entire abdominal muscle groups.

2. Barbells and Plates

A barbell is an essential piece of equipment for any strength and conditioning facility. You’ll want to stock up on several 45 lb barbells for men and 35 lb barbells for women. You will also need a few training barbells at 15 lb for On-Ramp or Elements classes or members who aren’t ready, wanting or able to lift a heavier barbell.

Cost can certainly be a determining factor in the decision on which brand of barbells to purchase. The old adage “what is cheap becomes expensive” holds true in regard to barbell investment. One consideration to take into account is the amount of wear and tear that barbells suffer during high-intensity workouts. Further, look for those with decent knurling (the cross hatch texture that makes the bar easy to grip), you don’t want your bars slipping out of any hands. Moreover, durable barbells, especially those with high weight limits, tend to last longer and are less likely to bow or warp with time.

Additionally, you’ll need some weight plates for all your fancy new barbells. First, you need to make sure the plates you select are actually compatible with your barbell. “Bumper Plates” are popular in strength and conditioning facilities because they are safe to drop or bounce during high-intensity workouts or barbell cycling. Bumper plates have a uniform diameter, but the weight and width of the plates vary. It’s best to get sets with a range of weights, and definitely, don’t forget smaller change plates in 5 lb and 2.5 lb increments.

Lastly, make sure you invest in some collars to secure the plates on your barbells. Quick release collars are great for CrossFit WODs, but there is no need to get fancy with these. The cheapest collars work just as well as the high-end, tricked out ones do. This is certainly an area where you can save some pennies.

3. Flooring

Gym flooring is vital to open your gym doors. You’ll need it to protect your members as well as your equipment, plus it has an aesthetic appeal that says “this is a gym”. This is another area where you can save some dollars–we recommend buying stall mats from a tractor or horse supply store rather than investing in gym mats which tend to be more expensive.

4. Jump Ropes

It’s nice to be able to provide some jump ropes for your members, especially if you plan to program them into your class workouts. You should also offer them in varying heights to accommodate all of your members. Some members will eventually want to acquire their own customized rope, so this is another area where you can get away with saving some money by buying the basic, more cost-efficient jump ropes.

5. Kettlebells

Kettlebells are a very versatile piece of equipment for any type of gym to have. They will come in handy for various movements including kettlebell swings, deadlifts, Turkish getups, farmer carries, goblet squats, and much more. You’ll want to get a range of weights and if you’re a CrossFit gym be sure to stock up on extras of the popular weights like 53 lb for men, 35 lb for women.

6. Medicine Balls

You’ll also want to acquire medicine balls in varying weights to suit all of your members. CrossFit gyms will want several 20 lb for men and 14 lb for women. Med balls are a versatile piece of equipment in the sense that you can perform wall ball shots, jump squats, and more. However, it is not advised to use these in place of slam balls as they are not designed to be slammed. Slam balls are another piece of equipment and a separate expense but are less versatile and therefore should be considered a stage 3 piece of equipment.

7. Plyo Boxes

Plyo boxes can be used for multiple movements including jump ups, step ups, box squats and even for your shorter members to reach high up pieces of equipment on your rig. They are offered in a range of different materials such as metal, wood, resin, and foam. Most gyms will find it beneficial to purchase the 3-in-1 boxes that can be rotated to 20”, 24”, and 30-inch heights for versatility and because they have a smaller storage footprint. If your budget can allow for it, it would also be ideal to own a couple of the foam boxes for members who are injured, afraid or physically unable to jump onto the solid boxes.

8. Rig

No strength and conditioning facility is complete without a quality rig. For starters, you’ll need a rig to rack the barbells, allowing your members to perform certain lifts safely and store barbells off the ground when applicable. The rig is also a multi-purpose equipment piece as it is also utilized to perform all sorts of gymnastic movements such as chin-ups, pull-ups and even more once you attach accessories to it. The dimensions of a rig can be customized to the size of your floor plan, so this is a key design point where the rest of your gym will flow from. There are many types of rigs out there such as wall mounted, free-standing and even collapsible to fit any gym space.

9. Rowing Machines

You may have noticed that this is the first piece of machine equipment in this list. Treadmills, cable machines, Smith machines, and the like are standard in most large gyms, but they’re not necessary for all gyms. For example, you won’t find many machines inside a CrossFit gym, however, there is an exception to every rule and the ergometer, erg, or rower, is one exception to this rule. The rowing machine is widely used in CrossFit for cardio in met-cons, or metabolic conditioning workouts.

Overall the rower is a great combination piece of equipment for any gym type to invest in as it develops strength in all of your major muscle groups – especially the core, back, and arms – while you’re elevating your heart rate. Furthermore, rowers make a great cardio option for when running is out of the equation due to weather conditions or location limitations. Plus, they store nice and compact when not in use. If you are running classes you can get away with purchasing 1 rower for every 2 people per class to start as they can share and rotate during workouts.

10. Storage

Don’t forget to budget in storage costs when purchasing all this equipment. You’ll want to optimize your floor plan and create the professional look you are seeking. If you, your coaches, or your members are handy, you may be able to save some money here by building your own custom storage shelves, etc. Consider where you will store all the above pieces of equipment as well as any tools listed below.

Essential Tools For New Gyms

Don’t overlook the items you will need to warm up your classes, demo and train movements and keep your members comfortable and safe. Make sure to leave some room in your initial equipment budget for these tools as well:

1. Lacrosse balls
2. Mobility/Resistance Bands – Utilized for both scaling movements like pull-ups and dips, as well as mobility
3. Foam rollers
4. Chalk and chalk buckets (Plastic construction buckets work great)
5. PVC piping cut to 4 feet in length – Utilized for mobility as well as demoing and warming up barbell movements

Equipment For Growing Gyms

The following list contains pieces of equipment that would be highly recommended for adding to a high-end, larger or more developed strength facility. These items can also be considered for the second phase of purchasing equipment for a growing gym. These equipment pieces may not be necessary to open your doors, but definitely make sense to acquire when you’re ready to invest in them:

• Benches
• Stationary or erg bikes
• Climbing ropes
• Cones
• Dumbbells
• Glute Ham Developer (GHD)
• Gymnastics Rings
• Slam balls

Equipment For Established Gyms

The pieces of equipment in this category are not essentials for most strength and conditioning gyms and are not used in the majority of CrossFit workouts. Some of the items on this list will be fun to have, allow for variety in your programming or may only be used by advanced or competitive members. Also included in this list are suggestions for storage and “extras” for your gym.

While this equipment is not essential it is very effective and the return on investment for your members is very high once you are established enough that you can reasonably afford it.

Further Equipment Considerations

In addition to traditional equipment, there are a few tools you may want to provide for your members in terms of safety and comfort, so you’ll want to be sure to factor them into your budget when outfitting your gym. Additionally, if you are already an established gym keep in mind that you may need to consider replacing or repairing some older pieces of equipment and should factor these costs into any budget for new equipment. Lastly, if your timeline allows or you’re just a savvy shopper be sure to check out our Gym Equipment Deal Guide for Black Friday and Cyber Monday updated yearly.

The CrossFit Affiliate model has seen a continuous trend of growth and expansion since its inception back in 2000. Today there are more than 13,000 CrossFit Affiliates worldwide. With the rising popularity in the fitness and health industries, the need for well-run gyms continues to increase as well. This demand has created an opportunity for CrossFit athletes everywhere to follow their dreams of opening their own CrossFit Affiliate.

Although CrossFit and functional fitness regimes are popping up everywhere, there are unique challenges associated with opening and operating an Affiliate today. One challenge, in particular, is how to stand out as a new Affiliate amongst a landscape of already established gyms. To get an inside look at the process today, we sat down with David Cardenas, owner of CrossFit Windrose which opened just last month in Johnston, Rhode Island.

How did you find CrossFit and how has the “sport of fitness” evolved since?

In 2012, I tried a free class at a local CrossFit Affiliate and like most, I was hooked after one class. I enjoyed learning how to perform movements correctly and pushing my body and mind to new levels of fitness. I knew I wanted to be part of this CrossFit movement, which led me to work towards becoming a coach later that same year.

Even in the short amount of time I’ve been doing it, CrossFit has definitely changed. CrossFit is now more than ever about helping anyone and everyone to improve their physical health rather than the competitive nature of the sport. Affiliates have changed their appearances to be more welcoming, improving curb appeal, and offering amenities to attract and retain members.

What was the driving force behind wanting to open up your own CrossFit Affiliate?

After coaching for a few years, I realized just how much I enjoyed helping people. I had the same level of excitement when someone got their first pull up or their first box jump as I did when I saw someone get a 300 pound back squat for the first time.

I spent a few years coaching at several Affiliates in the area, and realized that my own personal vision just didn’t line up with the leadership of particular facilities. At one point I had to make a choice… I could go back to the restaurant industry (which was the safe option), or  I could try to open my own CrossFit Affiliate (the option with more risk).

After many years at other gyms, I had built up enough experience, clients, and confidence to open my own CrossFit Affiliate. I had a great vision of how to help people and I knew that to achieve your goals and dreams you would have to put in the work. And that’s what I decided to do.

David Cardenas, owner of CrossFit Windrose, assists a member into a handstand. Photo: Whitney Kono Photography.

What have been some of the struggles you’ve faced when trying to open a CrossFit Affiliate?

Location, location, location. The biggest struggle when it came to opening an Affiliate nowadays is of course that there are already thousands of existing and established CrossFit Affiliates. You have to compete against gyms that already have a few years on you in the same community and audience you are working to attract. That means you have to find an area that has a need for a CrossFit Affiliate. 

Additionally, there are lots of other, smaller battles a new Affiliate owner has to overcome such as:

• Boring but important legal stuff to get your CrossFit Affiliate up and running
• Making a small, startup community more fun and exciting than an already established nearby gym
• Creating a team that will help grow the business to where you know it can be. As much as you think you can, you can’t do it all yourself
• Figuring out how to attract prospective clients

Luckily, for those looking to open a CrossFit Affiliate today, there are a lot more resources available now, and I found it beneficial to learn from what has and hasn’t worked for Affiliates in the past.

What do you attribute to your success in opening an Affiliate?

What has helped me stay “sane” and on track is having a support system. Having my significant other and friends to talk to and bounce off ideas helps as well as allowing myself to “get away” for a day or a few hours is important. As much as we want, we can’t be on 24/7. This is why it’s important to have help, even in the beginning, you can’t do it all alone or you will get burnt out.

Additionally, before I found a building or even got funding, I had crafted a detailed plan on how to run my Affiliate. I put myself in a member’s shoes and I thought of what their journey would look like. From how they would find me, to what happens when they walk through the door, to their first day, to their third week. It’s helped me come up with systems and processes that I knew I’d need to implement. I know my current systems and procedures will change over time, but right now the original gameplan is what’s helping me grow my CrossFit Affiliate.

Gym management software is crucial to the success of your Affiliate business, so why did you choose Triib?

I’ve used multiple gym software systems over the years and I’ve stuck with Triib the longest. The system is very user-friendly to the members and it’s helped with the business side of things, too. Triib provides me with the metrics I need to make educated decisions for the gym. It’s not perfect – no business or software system is – but they are constantly trying to better their software by listening to users (like me). They are always providing software updates to make my life and the experience for my members better!

Have you recently opened an Affiliate, or are you considering opening one? Share your insight and/or questions below!

No matter how often you work out, if your diet is lacking in nutritional value, you’re less likely to see results. However, it’s critical to the success of your business that your members see results. Offering nutrition at your gym is an added value that will help your members reach their goals. Plus, the more value that you provide, the less likely your gym is to become a revolving door. Additionally, nutrition services create a new revenue stream for your business. Above all, time is money to both you and your members. Adding nutrition to the menu at your gym will help your members save time, and help you make money.

Furthermore, due to busy lifestyles and the option of fast food, many of us tend to lean toward convenience. For example, anyone can easily google nutrition advice. However, is the internet the best source of nutrition information? Probably not. In the same way that you wouldn’t encourage your members to look up fitness advice online, you wouldn’t want them to do that in regard to nutrition either. Additionally, a major problem with online nutrition programs is that they are standardized and lack personal accountability. This is why a dedicated, in-person nutrition specialist at your facility is huge. Besides, having a nutritionist on staff will allow for a dedicated person to run and organize nutrition challenges at your gym.

When your members are exposed to nutrition regularly, the nagging thought of addressing their diet can become a reality. They will gain value in the ability to seek nutrition knowledge from a trusted professional, at a place where they feel comfortable. As a result, you’ll further earn their trust and therefore their business. Furthermore, following a diet that is not under the supervision of a professional while working out intensely can be a dangerous combination. For this reason, providing consultations with an in-house nutritionist can also ensure safety at our gym.

Making your gym a one-stop-shop for both fitness and nutrition will not only bring value to your members, but it will also set you apart from other facilities in the area. Similarly, adding nutrition services to your menu of offerings will bring value to your community at large. In conclusion, adding nutrition to your services can help grow your gym and provide value to your members. As a result, you’ll be able to deliver a range of services that keep your members coming back and keep your gym in business.