Note from Rachel
I just got back from California where we did a huge road trip checking out fitness centers, gyms, conventions and finally landing at my brothers wedding in San Diego. I had THE best time. As you know California has to be the worlds capital of fitness and well being. Everyone you talk to has a trainer, goes to the gym, does Yoga or Pilates and generally looks after themselves. Its like a breath of fresh air, the service is amazing everywhere you go and you just realise that there is such a big wide world of fitness out there. I’ve returned feeling more motivated and super enthusiast than ever before, there is simply SO much to go at in fitness industry and why only confine your teaching and business to the UK. Fitness is global and the internet allows us to reach out to places and people we could only every dream about a few years ago. My motto this week is to Think BIG not small
The newsletter just get better and better and this weeks is no exception you have some FANTASTIC articles from Paul Mort, Marvin Burton, Becky Lane, Jill Gardner and introducing Nikki Swindell with her first article for The Choreographytogo Newsletter ( Go Nikki!) Do feedback to me via Twitter or Facebook http://Twitter.com/RachelHolmes or “Like” The choreographytogo facebook page http://www.facebook.com/Choreographytogo Im putting more info and offers up on the Choreographytogo Facebook page so do make sure you check in and “like” it for all the discounts.
Niche Bootcamps
If you have read Seth Godins marketing book Purple Cow then you will get this right away. If not I’ll briefly explain, driving along in the country side you pass hundred and hundreds of cows in a fields, when suddenly you see a purple cow! OMG you shout “theres a purple cow” and you realise how unique and interesting this phenomena is, the purple cow stands out like nothing before it, then as you pass more purple cows and hundreds of purple cows they blend back into the norm and the purple cow isnt so unique after all. This is the same with fitness classes and Bootcamps especially.
There’s a massive amount of people that are “turned of” by the image of the typical Bootcamp. They want the weight loss but the thought of being beasted at 6am by a super fit trainer scares the living daylights out of them so why not take your Bootcamp systems and tweak to fit a different client group?
The Fitness Pilates Bootcamp Package
The FPBP was born when I had a light bulb moment in class. I was away for a week and my class was cancelled, after asking what would the group being doing instead that week, 90% said they would be going to Weight Watchers or Slimming World. Gobsmacked! I realised that my group were in desperate need of proper, cutting edge fat loss information. 90% of my group were going to be weighed every week and listening to the WW and SW talks so If I created a course for them they would be interested.
“But I can give you all the Fat Loss information you need in my regular Bootcamp” I said to my group
“But your Bootcamps are too hard for us we only like FP” was the general consensus
It all goes back again to knowing your client profile. My local FP classes are aimed at 45 +, female, retired or part time person, older children maybe grand children, have niggly injuries, regular back pain, not a fan of hard core exercise, likes attending with friends, is involved in the local community, used to do “aerobics” back in the day but finds it too hard on the joints now, will stick to a programme she likes come rain or shine, reads the local paper, has a good network of friends in the locality, doesn’t really use social media that much but has an email address.
Whenever I market my FP its this client I have in mind. She is who I am talking to when promoting FP through different media outlets..
The point I overlooked is my client profile ALSO goes to SW and WW— gasp shock horror\\
And so FPBP was created.
It runs exactly the same as my Bootcamps expect we do 2 progressive FP classes per week. I also provide home workout downloads containing interval and cardio workouts for the clients to do in addition to my FP classes. They get all the fatloss information , the support, kick start fat loss info, emails , group discussions etc. The results have been amazing and its THE most popular Bootcamp I teach.
There are loads of Pilates classes in my area but NO FPBootcamps it differentiates my business from the competition and was one of the best ideas I have ever had.
So my Fitness Pilates Bootcamps is the Purple Cow! For more information https://www.choreographytogo.com/2011/08/niche-bootcamps-the-purple-cow/
click to watch VLOG on Niche Bootcamps
click to get more information on Fitness Pilates Bootcamps
Movin Monkees by Rebecca Lane
Movin Monkeez is a fantastic way for parents, grandparents, uncles / aunties to bond with their little ones. There are many baby, toddler and pre-school groups on the market but Rebecca feels that due to the interactive sessions the children and adults will be fixated on what they are doing and will want to continue every week. The Movin Monkeez reward scheme, for the older children will encourage them to continue as they will see their development improving before their eyes.
The emphasis on Movin Monkeez is exercising in a fun and relaxed environment whilst educating the children. It’s a great programme for developing social skills, physical development, coordination, spacial awareness and will really prepare the child for when they start school and undertake extra-curricular activities. As children move up through the programme they will explore motor skills, working alone, in pairs and groups, looking at how the body moves and functions in different ways, rhythm, an understanding of the human body and much more…
Vitamin D – The health accelerator By Sally Ghafoor
Very recently I was shocked to read in our local news that a consultant at my local hospital had come out to say they were seeing an increase in the disease rickets amongst children. To me rickets was something that never happened anymore so it was shocking to read that it seems to be making a comeback.
Professor Clarke says he and colleague Dr Justin Davies, a consultant paediatric endocrinologist at Southampton university hospital trust, have checked over 200 children for bone problems and more than 20% of them have significant deficiencies.
“A lot of the children we’ve seen have got low vitamin D and require treatment,” he said. “This is almost certainly a combination of the modern lifestyle, which involves a lack of exposure to sunlight, but also covering up in sunshine, and we’re seeing cases that are very reminiscent of 17th century England.”
He added: “We are facing the daunting prospect of an area like Southampton, where it is high income, middle class and leafy in its surroundings, seeing increasing numbers of children with rickets, which would have been inconceivable only a year or so ago.”
Unbelievable? Research suggests that 85% of us are deficient in Vit D, which is catastrophic; every cell in our body needs vitamin D for optimal health, every cell in our body has vitamin D receptors, so to achieve optimum health we all need a good dose of Vitamin D.
Vitamin D has many jobs within the body, the primary regulator of calcium metabolism, bone health, it modulates neuromuscular function, enhances immunity, enhances gut function, reduces inflammation, and has an influence of stopping the self-mutated cells that cause cancer. So vitamin D is really really needed for optimal health, yet we are covering ourselves up in factor 50 the minute the sun comes out which means, most of us are missing out on getting our dose of this wonder vitamin as the factor 50 stops the absorption of vitamin D into the body.
So what can we do to increase our Vitamin D
As little as 10-15 minutes of sun exposure a day gives your body a big dose of vitamin D and is the most natural way of gaining your Vit D fix – ever wondered why you feel so much better in the summer than the winter – well Vit D is your answer
Vitamin D rich foods – Eggs (yolks), fish, cod liver oil, fresh fruit and vegetables.
The benefit the human body gains from Vitamin D is huge, take a little time to research it you will be amazed at what this health accelerator does for us.
Sally Ghafoor
Message from Morty
“I’m starting a new (insert name) class, what time would suit you best?”
Sound familiar?
“Hey (Insert YOUR name) I know you’re busy but…..”
“Oh I can’t do that time, can you do the weekend? as that suits me better”
Nodding again right?
Yup, I thought so. You see, in this wonderful profession of ours I hear and hear this waaaaay to often and it makes me a little sad.
Why?
It’s the fastest way to burn out and the fastest way to get drained of your energy and your passion.
We have the GREATEST job in the WORLD right?
Yet it pains me, in fact, scratch that- it HURTS me to see so many trainers BITCHING and WHINING when I’m both on tour, at other events and on social media platforms.
Like seriously whining, like they’ve had the stuffing kicked out of them.
So is it your fault that you’re tired, stressed and fed up?
Normally (you know me, I say what I think) I’d say yes, but in fact it isn’t really. O
Or is it?
Yes- it is, because you’re letting it happen and NO- because NOBODY teaches this stuff.
The REAL problem?
You let other people (your clients and prospects) control your life and when you can have one.
So much so, that if you think about it- you don’t actually run a business at all- your business runs you.
Don’t start cursing me yet, I’ve been there and want to help you.
You plan your holidays around classes; you don’t get paid when you’re on those holidays.
You start a class on a Friday night –‘ due to requests’, when you’d rather be spending your time with friends and family.
You take on a Sunday morning client or class when you’d MUCH rather be having a lie in with your partner because you could ‘do with the extra cash’.
You get fed up when people don’t listen to your advice but then complain when they don’t get results.
You answer texts about nutrition and stuff on a Saturday night or when you’re out with friends because you ‘want to help’
You seem to constantly dish out free advice that the same people then go and do the complete opposite to what you told them.
When Friday comes you’re totally shattered and you haven’t even started your ‘admin’ yet.
Some of those HAVE to sound familiar right?
How do I know all this? Am I just a bigheaded asshole?
PROBABLY.
No really, I know this because I’ve been there too.
Its tough.
I’ve worked from 6am till 9pm (in fact sometimes I still do, I’ll explain later)
I’ve missed out on things I wanted to do because I ‘had a class’ or I ‘had a client’
You know the deal.
Sure you have bills to pay but I promise you, there’s a better day.
It’s as simple as this.
WRITE YOUR OWN RULES.
Sounds easy enough right?
Yet I know most of you wont do it, in case you ‘lose clients’
I can guarantee that if you do, do it though, that it will CHANGE YOUR LIFE.
It really is that powerful.
You wanna see mine? Rules that is!
Okay here they are J
Now I must warn you, you might not agree with some of them, they may come across as arrogant and self centered, you may dislike my for it (if you don’t dislike me already) but they’re my rules and I work my ass off to be able to provide my family and myself with the lifestyle that I DESIGN.
So if it makes me a few enemies, so be it. I can handle that.
PAULS RULES OF BUSINESS
IF I DON’T ENJOY OR I’M NOT GOOD AT IT- I DON’T DO IT
Sounds good right? The way I look at it is like this. I’m good at teaching, motivating, writing and creating. I SUCK at all of the other stuff.
So if I get someone else in to do the other stuff then it frees me up to do the things I LOVE, the things I’m GOOD at and the things that take me closer to my perfect day (earn money and give me more time with my family)
I SET MY SCHEDULE
I want to spend as much time as I can with my son. But I LOVE training people and coaching trainers to create a kick ass life. I find a balance between these two to work like this:
Wednesday and Friday are ‘stuff days’ this is when I teach sessions, do consults, do calls, write and do videos. NOTE- I chunk these together IE do all my calls back to back.
Thursday is ‘development day’ this is when I do things that BUILD my business to move it forward.
Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday are ‘daddy days’ here I do what the hell I want, and I spend time with my boy. MOST of the time.
Sometimes in building my dream I have to travel. But 90% of the time, my week looks like that
MY PHONE IS OFF AFTER 5PM and is OFF all weekend.
That’s just the way it is. I need to recharge my brain and I’d HATE to be the dad/husband that’s always on his phone.
Wanna tick me off quickly- text me on a weekend about ‘work’ when I’m with my friends and family 😉
I recently went 3 MONTHS with no phone at all- VERY liberating.
I CHECK MY EMAIL TWICE PER DAY
It makes me more productive
IF AN EMAIL TAKES MORE THAN 3 SENTANCES OR DOESN’T HAVE A TEMPLATED ANSWER- IT GETS IGNORED
UNLESS IT’S FROM A PAYING CLIENT.
Nothing worse than people wanting LOTS of free advice then ignoring it. I’ve experienced it too many times.
NO idiots
Yup- if you’re AN IDIOT, I wont work with you REGARDLESS of how much you offer to pay me. That goes for ALL ASPECTS of my LIFE. Not just business
iDIOTS include negative people, whiners, people who think the world owes them a living, lazy people, rude people and just plain dicks.
EVERYTHING I DO MUST FIT IN WITH MY VISION OR BIGGER PICTURE.
No exceptions, it NOT about money at all. Its about being able to do what I want, with who I want whilst HELPING AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE.
ALWAYS DO THINGS THAT I ENJOY OUTSIDE OF BUSINESS
For instance I LOVE watching football. I planned my last 2 tours around me being able to watch my team. That’s my VICE.
DON’T WASTE ENERGY ON PEOPLE FOR MONEY
If someone wants a refund- give them one. Regardless of whether they’ve followed the plan- they’re gonna bad mouth you if you don’t and you don’t need the negativity of arguing.
NEVER THINK I’VE MADE IT- CONSTANTLY IMPROVE
I LOVE reading and I LOVE learning. This is super important to me, especially since I help make people better at what they do.
PAY IT FORWARD
If somebody helps me out and I can’t help them in return, I’ll pay it forward to someone else. I let someone on my mentoring program for free this year after Dax Moy helped me out with something for free.
ALWAYS LOOK TO ADD VALUE- NEVER DISCOUNT
This is huge for me. Blow people away with better service and better quality. Don’t devalue what you do.
CHARGE WHAT YOUR WORTH
Don’t charge what everyone else is. SIMPLE
NEVER READ FACEBOOK MESSAGES
If I answered all of the FB messages I got, I’d spend 23 hours day on it. This is the NO 1 place for people looking for free advice they can ignore. CAN IT.
NEVER EVER TRY TO BE SOMEONE I’M NOT
Sure I may offend people, I may piss them off- I have bad language but it’s who I am. You gotta stay true to yourself.
I have more but this article is getting a little long and my fingers are hurting J
I hope its inspired you to take actions- GO WRITE YOUROWN RULES!
Marvin Burton
The fitness industry has a way of bringing the best out of people. We make them hurt and do things that they don’t like. Then we try and create positivity by saying that they are simply using muscles they usually don’t! Or it needs to be this way for anything to change. Can you imagine going to your doctor with a cracked rib only for them to say “it means your body is getting stronger” or “it just takes a few days to recover”
I love unleashing fury upon a class. In fact it you come on my tour this year that is exactly what I am going to do. But I am going to do each and every workout with you. Pound for pound, toe to toe.
Just because it hurts though, doesn’t mean it works. The best example was always the 15 minute ab’s classes. Endless sit ups don’t in different ways, styles and speeds. “If it hurts it must work” so I took that principal and came up with some alternative workouts for you to try this week
1. Getting punched in the stomach.
The ultimate abdominal workout! Guaranteed to make you “pull in” your pelvic floor and breath “diaphragmatically” keeping neutral spine is a tough ask though (6 months of Pilates required before participating)
2. Walking on Glass
Perfect for the people that think that we should just walk barefoot because thousands of years ago our ancestors did – evolution defined. Just go back to the Stone Age today. Guaranteed leather feet.
3. Crashing your car at 80MPH
If you are suffering from khyphosis this is your quick fix. Snapping the thoracic spine back into place is surely going to get you back upright. The seatbelt also restrict lateral flexion and rotation (while being rocketed forwards) at the same time so you’re sure to stay in “neutral spine” throughout your ordeal. The ambulance will also fit you with a spine board and neck brace. All you need to do if do single leg slides at the same time “perfect” technique
4. Running after sheep’s
Subconsciously this will improve your speed and endurance all at the same time. This countryside workout is perfect for getting fresh air, being target driven and strengthening your ankles with all of the unexpected holes and stones
5. Doing the splits – with somebody on your back
If you can’t do the splits, you’ll be able to in seconds. This flexibility challenge will ensure you need assistance walking (perfect for the lonely hearts) and maybe even a wheelchair (perfect for the overweight) multiple benefits!
These are great fitness challenges that hurt. So they must work! These fine facts will be making my eventual best seller “fitness is the worst thing you can do” along with my all time great nutritional and weight loss advice:
Eat bowls of cereal to lose weight
Wear special shoes to burn more fat
Stretch marks cream
Run every day until you can run a marathon
The baby food diet
And electrical Ab belts that cost over £100.00
Have a great week fitness industry. Keep doing such a great job. Together we can form a perfect network of physiotherapists, Doctors, therapists and nurses – to keep our circle of pain a happy and healthy industry.
Marvin Burton – Think about what you’re doing and have a good reason why!
Jill Gardner My story!
If 20 years ago someone had told me I would be on this journey that I am on right now I would have told them they were barking mad! In fact I would have died laughing!
20 years ago I was overweight, deeply shy and quite frankly, I didn’t want to exist 🙁
So how did I get to where I am now? – I hated it! So I changed it!
Like most people there have been a number of significant events in my life. Some more significant than others. Painful memories of being teased and bullied. Painful memories of being insignificant at school. Painful memories of wanting the ground to swallow me up! Am I angry and bitter?
NO! No I am not 🙂 Because those early life experiences through childhood, teens and early adulthood have sculpted me into the person I am today. Without those experiences and struggles with disordered eating and self-loathing I would never understand the very people I am helping now. Without the taunts and comments as I grew up about my height and weight I would never appreciate what others felt when they went through the same.
These deeply painful experiences eventually led me to start a journey. A journey that I am still on. A journey that I can now help others begin.
I tried every diet know to man. I starved, I binged, I took pills, I would try anything. But I learnt the lesson that every serial dieter has learnt and is still learning! DIETS DO NOT WORK!
Well maybe they do for a time for someone? Show me that person in 5 years time. Statistics for successful long term weight loss are shocking. To put it into perspective – if you were to embark on a diet and aerobic exercise regime every year for five years straight, you would fail every year except one! The success rate of achieving and maintaining that for more than two years is around 5%
DIET = Do I Eat Today?
I soon learnt the yo-yo dieters ‘weigh’ of life. The elation at a short term loss and crushing despair when it all piled back on and more. Equalling more self loathing, equalling more dispair 🙁
In the UK alone the dieting industry is worth £2billion
I learned at school that I was useless at sport! But NO-ONE ever told me that exercise wasn’t just sport! I had always loved music so when a friend suggested I try an aerobics class I didn’t hesitate!
WELL!!! What a revelation. I left the class on a complete natural high. A new found way to make me feel good. This led to an interest in food as I naturally leaned towards healthier food choices. Exercise was the new comfort food that I had been using all those years to ease my inner sadness.
Over the years I read books, magazines, talked to others about diets. I experimented with different foods and noted the way it made me feel. Over time I began to realise that certain foods made me feel good. Certain foods stripped me of my energy and made me crave more.
The average woman spends over £20,000 on dieting in her lifetime!
Breaking out of the cycle of bingeing and starving and the calorie counting mindset was the hardest thing I have done. But it has been the most significant catalyst to the change in my body. BUT I was still doing crazy aerobic exercise – I thought I could jog the fat away by just burning loads of calories!!! But over time my body broke down. So was there a better way?
I wanted to understand not just what foods to eat but also how to move my body. Again several books later and observations on the lean body builders in my gym I discovered that final piece of the puzzle! Resistance training and then EPOC (the burn!!!!!)
This powerful medium of exercise really helped me change my body shape and it gave me the confidence I should have had years ago. So the ending? The right food for ME is information for MY body, the right exercise for ME ignites MY fat burning machinery and MY understanding of MY body is completely unique for ME! This mission to help others find understand their own unique machinery is what continues to fuel my journey to keep learning!
I want to transfer this knowledge and experience onto others. I know I can help to free women from the dieting misery that consumes so much of our lives. This is what inspires me to do what I do and that’s why I HATE diets!
Jill Gardner – live life, eat well and burn fat!
Have a wonderful day everyone!
Love and Hugs Rachel xxx=
Another Big Achievement at Choreographytogo This Week! We are thrilled to celebrate Helen Wilson and Sue Wakefield, who have officially become the first-ever certified Fitness Pilates
Good Morning Team! I hope the snow hasn’t disrupted your classes too much this week! It’s been incredibly heavy here in Derbyshire, which reminds me—it’s always
We are thrilled with the messages coming in from our Fitness Pilates Summit Event THANK YOU to all of you wonderful people 🥰 We can’t
We are proud to announce that our Fitness Pilates Reformer Certification is endorsed by National Governing Body EMDUK ✅OUR NEXT COURSE is running on Friday
PRESS RELEASE Big Achievement: First Graduate of the Fitness Pilates Reformer Course. We are thrilled to announce that our very first learner, Helen Wilson, Helen
Launching the new YMCA Level 3 Award Menopause Qualification Be the first in the UK to gain your Level 3 Menopause Practitioner qualification. Delivered online via Zoom,
