10th March 2011

Hello and welcome to the Choreographytogo Instructor Newsletter. This is a free weekly resource that I designed 9 years ago years ago to provide support, ideas and back up for all Instructors and Personal Trainers. I love to receive your feedback, so if you do have any comments or would like to contribute in any way please email lesley@choreographytogo.com or please use the very lively forum.

For website/membership/course bookings and general admin email Lesley@choreographytogo.com or call the C2Go office 07854 739285. Please add Lesley@choreographytogo.com to your address book as mail sometimes can go to your junk/spam mail box. You can also find the answers to many of your questions in the FAQ section and Help section of the site click here for FAQs

Rachel Holmes Snippets and updates

First of all a massive thanks to everyone who came over last weekend to Fitness Pilates Explosion workshops in Oxford and Cambridge, it really was so fantastic to see so many old faces! There were Instructor friends attending who I had met over 20 years ago. I am loving delivering this workshop, it’s been a breath of fresh air and has been so well received. I can barely believe there are only 2 more dates till it wraps up in April. Pilates Instructors and their classes all over the UK appear to be doing well, with record numbers attending and Instructors with waiting lists. If you have qualified with me in Fitness Pilates over the years then why not launch in the community now? Maybe you used to teach in the community and perhaps let your classes go, whatever the reason, NOW is the perfect time to crack on in the community and make your business work for you, not the other way around.

Get Fit with Mel B

It’s been a pretty varied week already as this week I met up again with former Spice Girl Mel B to launch International Fitness Week with Fitness First and do press and interviews regarding the Get Fit with Mel B Workout, which I choreographed and designed for her. Mel is the ambassador for Fitness First and we have worked together before on this project, so it was great fun doing press and interviews with her. You can see some photos on my Facebook and Twitter.

This week’s newsletter has some great articles on launching Fitness Pilates classes, marketing ideas, setting up a slimming class and more information on my brand new Social Media Package for Fitness Professionals. So grab a cuppa, sit back and be inspired!

Facebook Debate

I’ve been talking on Facebook about the future of Freestyle HiLo & step and whether these formats are dying out. As I travel around the UK presenting in health clubs these classes seem to be few and far between on timetables. It’s all Zumba, Bootcamps, Conditioning classes, Indoor Cycling and Les Mills. Where has all the freestyle gone??? If you want to join in the debate please go to the Choreographytogo Facebook page and click LIKE and join in.

http://www.facebook.com/choreographytogo

Top Tips for launching a successful Fitness Pilates Business.

Fitness Pilates is a progressive and functional form of Pilates. FP takes the brilliant theory and techniques of Joseph Pilates and combines it with functional anatomy and physiology. Fitness Pilates utilizes tri plane movements and exercises, which ensures the client gets a fully functional and 3d conditioning class.

How to organize and run your FP Classes

I would recommend running your classes as 6 – 8 week course where clients pay up front in blocks that run concurrently with school holidays and term times OR run your classes ongoing but operate a monthly direct debit option. This works if you are running on going classes throughout the year.

Why?

You know exactly how many participants you are having and the income it generates. Pay as you go can be very hit and miss, some weeks busy some weeks quiet. It will help you plan your finances, plan each session in advance more effectively and prevent burn out!

How to kick off your Fitness Pilates class

1. Use your Facebook account – Start using Facebook as a business tool to promote you, your brand and your business.

2. Open a Twitter account and begin working Twitter in conjunction with Facebook.

3.Get a website or blog and a web account to capture everyone’s email who comes to your classes and visits your website. Update this with tons of great information pertinent to your demographic.

4.Send a text to everyone in your phone about your new class. Invite friends and family.

5.Have a free taster session and invite everyone. At the end sign up clients for your following course.

6.Promote like crazy in all of your existing classes.

7.Posters/leaflet everywhere

8. Network and word of mouth. Goggle local business groups, Women’s groups, WI and go along and network every week.

Embrace Social Media but don’t neglect marketing basics…….

You know I am a massive advocate of employing social media to help promote you and your personal brand but don’t neglect basic tried and tested marketing techniques. Ensure you get out and talk to prospective clients, network with groups and use leaflets and posters to get your launch right in front of EVERYONE!!!!

Factor in Easter, Royal Wedding and Bank Holidays nearly every week in May

Give yourself 4 weeks to promote your new class or course. The next great time to start a class is after EASTER but beware of Mondays as there are so many Bank Holidays in April and May with Easter falling late this year, then the Royal Wedding, then the late Whit break so a Monday might not be a great night to start during this time.

Are you ready for the next phase of your fitness business?

I think there are 3 stages to most community fitness businesses :

Stage 1 – Setting up community classes – building your name, your brand, your business.

Stage 2 – Employing other Instructors to teach your brand and expanding your business whilst you teach AND focus on building an online and passive income.

Stage 3 – Phasing yourself OUT of the majority of teaching and concentrating on online opportunities and managing your business rather than working IN it constantly.

Jayne Nicholls How Fit are you?

We are all fitness instructors on this list right – so there should only be one answer. I have noticed lately that there is so much debate on who should be doing what, how much we should be making and how is the best way to grab money form our clients so this week I thought I might give you my opinion.

1. People will come to your classes or hire you as a trainer if you are a true ROLE MODEL. If you are fit, practice what you preach and genuinely appreciate the intrinsic and extrinsic benefits of exercise you will be successful as you will be honest and genuine in your approach.

Being fit does not just mean being good at what you teach, it means having stamina, strength, endurance and flexibility, it means that you embrace all of the key concepts of fitness and can share them with your group.

2. Embrace new even if and especially if you perceive it to be worse or beneath what you do. If it really is, it will only endorse your own high professional standards.

3. Keep changing, one of the biggest comments we get on the FFY course is – ‘what am I going to tell my classes next week, how do I tell them that what they are doing is not right’ Here’s the thing if you constantly change and upgrade what you do, you never have to say it is wrong you just keep showing them a better way.

4. Get fit and be strong its the best ever marketing for your product

5. Get fitter and stronger every week by trying new things.

The moral of this week is THE ONLY PEOPLE WHO STRUGGLE WITH CHANGE ARE THE PEOPLE WHO KEEP DOING THE SAME THING OVER AND OVER AGAIN.

Keep rolling with the changes, keep updating and never look back.

jayne@groupxtraining.com

j a y n e 

jayne nicholls
Group X Training
07989433969

Social Media Package for Fitness Professionals.

You don’t have to behave like Charlie Sheen to get tons of followers and fans to your Facebook and Twitter accounts 🙂

There is a method to it and having the right strategy is the first step to getting the best results from Social Media

Here’s how I can help

I have come up with a 3 monthly trial “done-for you-package” with myself and my own personal social media team. We will schedule all of your Facebook messages, Tweets, special offers and help position your personal brand and online presence.

Between us we will work out the best strategy for growing your followers and promoting your brand.

As this is a new and exclusive service I am only offering this service for a further 10 clients and it will be first come first served.

There is no obligation – All you need to do is enter your email and answer a questionnaire about you and your brand

If you would like me to email the questionnaire click on the page below and fill in the form right away. Please fill it in as completely as you can and I will be in touch in the next few days to arrange a skype or mobile phone calla with you where we can discuss your needs.

Click here for Form and details

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important; }.af-body input.submit, .af-body input.image, .af-form .af-element input.button { float: none ! important; }.af-body input.text { width: 100%; float: none; padding: 2px ! important; }.af-body.af-standards input.submit { padding: 4px 12px; }.af-clear { clear: both; }.af-element label { text-align: left; display: block; float: left; }.af-element { padding: 5px 0pt; }.af-form-wrapper { text-indent: 0pt; }.af-form { text-align: left; margin: auto; }.af-header, .af-footer { margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 10px; }.af-quirksMode .af-element { padding-left: 0pt ! important; padding-right: 0pt ! important; }.lbl-right .af-element label { text-align: right; }body { }

I will then create a full profile for you for you to check and agree, we will then work out how to manage your Facebook, Twitter and Linked In accounts.

The cost for me and my team to run your social media is only £30 per week, which is the cost of a personal training client or a new client coming to you group exercise classes 4 times in 1 month…meaning your whole social media will be automated every week without you having to constantly check your accounts. I will personally oversee the whole process giving you my input and help. You will get a Skype Call from me to go over the whole process.

Functional Training MOVE YOUR FEET by Marvin Burton

One thing that I would like to expend on and share with the rest of our community is the importance to where your feet are in relation to the exercise you are performing. This will change, impact and increase/decrease the desired contraction or outcome from the exercise. Never take this tool for granted. The participants of my workshops all felt the difference and understand that by making small changes in foot position (the vector principal) you will manipulate the exercise more than you could have ever imagined.

By internally rotating your feet just 5 degrees, the chain reaction occurring in the Glute’s is very powerful. This foot position asks your Tibia to internally rotate and Femur. If you track the muscles line of the lateral leg you will be impacting lots of muscles. Mainly Perineal Brevis (which impacts the foot and ankle motion) lateral hamstring (which decelerates knee motion and can effect knee mechanics) IT band (that hurts) and switching on the Obturator, Piriformis, Glute’s etc, etc. So if you are looking to eccentrically load the leg better than any LBT class on the planet try:

Standing feet hip width apart

From this position perform an anterior lunge with your left leg

Keep your foot positioned at end range (in the lunge position)

Now internally rotate both front and back feet 5 degrees

Lean forward with your upper body

Rotate your torso left (over the lead leg)

Now reach bilaterally (both arms) at ankle height, left anterior laterally (north, west if you know how to use a compass)

I hope you are not in a tangled web… from this position try 20, 3 inch pulses up and down, in this position.

I hope this worked.

You just took your muscles through a 3-D trilogy of movement at the same time. Flexion, adduction and internal rotation of the hip joint on the left leg. This is the position your hip muscles load into during walking. Obviously not to this range. However training your muscles to accommodated extreme changes in length and still have power is a strategy that is confused by traditional methods of training. You would know this as flexibility. My point is this. With only range in your muscles you are powerless. Hyper mobility will not feed success in powerful movements, e.g. walking, running, climbing, jumping. To develop strength and flexibility you would need to load the muscles in 3 planes and be efficient at both end, and short range or the Proprioceptic response and muscle recruitment wouldn’t react subconsciously.

Few. That feels better. I needed to unload some science onto you all. If you don’t understand, have questions or need to see it to believe it then drop me an email. info@marvinburton.com

Have a good week and see you on Sunday in oxford if you are attending level 3 Fitness Pilates NVQ.

Remember! Your feet are attached to your legs, they can move. Try something different today..

Marvin Burton- Technical Director.

SET UP YOUR OWN SLIMMING CLUB by Jody Bunting

A weight loss session is so good to add on to your existing fitness program as you’re hacking into one of the biggest businesses in the world. It will increase retention and allows you to target the biggest special population there is, the obese. It’s also easy to add on to a fitness class 30 minute before or after to weigh individuals and give a short talk on nutrition or weight loss – and charge an extra few pounds for this service.

Weight Watchers are the world leaders in slimming clubs and dieting – many lessons can be learned from them business wise, most importantly; the weekly handouts, the weekly email newsletters, the KISS approach (keep it simple stupid) and the “we missed you” post cards/text/email they send out if any members miss a weigh-in.

How to set up your slimming club…

Your first port of call of course is making sure you have a qualification in Nutrition. Personal training and holistic qualifications usually cover nutrition, or you can go for a specific nutrition qualification (this is the bit where I should point you in the right direction for the best value course going… https://www.choreographytogo.com/V2Content/3NUT.asp)
Secondly, advertise to your class members and outsiders in the usual fitness class ways your new weight loss services. Use a strong testimonial if you don’t have a weight loss story for yourself, better still give someone 6 weeks of free coaching, get a photo of them in light coloured clothes looking sad at the start and then after the 6 weeks get them in dark colour and get them looking great. If you can say “Mrs Holmes lost a stone in 6-weeks” and the before and after photos show this you’ll have them rolling in.
Get yourself a pair of digital scales that weigh up to a high weight, it can be quite embarrassing when you have to tell someone they are too big for you scales. Remember to weigh people away from everyone else and don’t go shouting out weights. Also try to be quite balanced as you welcome people to the scales, if they have had a bad week the worst thing you can ask is “so how much have we lost again this week?”
Keep your talks on nutrition simple. I have invited some of the top nutritionists to my clubs and the members get lost when people start talking about anything too technical. You and I know our members the best and we are the best people to deliver information. Research information and bullet point things to talk about, or just read our your hand out. Visual aids are always handy for getting the message across, especially for portion sizes. Topical talks are always easy to engage people. The next few weeks we should be talking about BBQ’s, the holiday survival plan and home made ice cream. It doesn’t matter what your approach to nutrition is, all diets work (how it affects your health is a different matter), but as long as you are helping people lose weight you are doing your job correctly.
Weigh-in cards and a nutrition starter packs are also good, give an example of a weekly eating plan and other simple eating advice.
Try running free slimming courses to promote your weight loss clubs – either for a new testimonial or to increase your “word of mouth” advertising. Take ideas from shows such as The Biggest Loser and other promotions by slimming clubs, I am currently running Derby’s Biggest Loser (http://www.jodybun.com/biggestloser) and have received great support from my local news paper and local radio station who are both following my contestants. It cost me nothing to set up, I just give the participants free classes for 8 weeks and some extra bits of weight loss advice.

Be aware of…

Selling products – this can be a great money earner, but if you are selling pills or branded products like Aloe Vera people can feel like if they don’t buy them they will not be welcome and stop coming. Also you are usually more respected by the media and the public if you can stay independent when it comes to brands. The simple nutrition and exercise approach with a positive mind will always be best.
Weight loss courses – I have devoted years to running weight loss courses; the only problem is every time a new course starts it’s like starting a new class, you need to do all the advertising and marketing again to get your people in. An ongoing rolling class is much easier to keep people attending.
Charging a missed week or joining fee. This is the pet hate of most people for slimming clubs, keep your costs low on producing starter packs and only charge if you can give a t-shirt, water bottle or high quality manual or book. Missed weeks can be tricky if you need them to keep you open, but usually people are far more likely to come back to you if there is no fine to pay.

Enjoy watching your participants lose weight and if you have any questions please free to contact me by becoming my friend… http://www.facebook.com/jodyb

Lots of love… Xjb

Have a fantastic week

Love Rachel xx

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10th March 2011

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