SGPT: A Magic Acronym
Outdoor SGPT class at Gainesville Health and Fitness
Results Fitness students enjoy rope-undulation exercise
the right staff will either make you or break you.” At Gainesville, the group exercise instructors must receive one of three approved personal training certifications before moving into SGPT. Then, after that, they’re trained internally. At this point, there aren’t many certifications specific
to SGPT, although there are a few on the horizon, so it’s generally up to clubs to get trainers up to speed. “Our trainers get specific extra training in-house,” reports Mike Wunsch, the director of training and program
SGPT: the payoff
“Through small groups, the club becomes, in reality, that third place the industry is always talking about. It’s not the office, and it’s not home—it’s the club, and people get really connected to it.”
design at Results Fitness, in Santa Clarita, California. Wunsch suggests that, to engage members at different
levels, circuit-based classes may work well. He advises picking an exercise of medium difficulty that’s adjustable in level. “With the circuit, a trainer has all of the exercises on a worksheet in front of them, along with the variations. There are no last-minute decisions, and nothing is done ‘on the fly,’” he points out. In choosing an SGPT trainer, clubs are advised to look
for someone who’s concerned about, and appropriately trained, on safety measures; a creative programmer; adept at teaching to different levels; able to foster inclu- siveness; and possessing an engaging and motivating personality. Few club programs place such high demands on a trainer’s skills as SGPT. Often, explains McCall, the best SGPT trainers have a
team sports coaching background. “If you’ve coached a team, you can give directions and lead a number of people through a workout at the same time.”
58 Club Business Internat ional | JULY 2011 | www.
ihrsa.org
When a club is staffed with talented trainers and stocked with appropriate equipment, the profitability of SGPT classes is a virtual given. Members are happy because they’re saving money and seeing results; trainers are happy because their earnings are climbing; and the club is happy because it’s offering a program with a high return on investment. At Gainesville, members can choose from any of six small-group options, all designed to be consistent with the club’s brand. These Custom Fit offerings include Body Ulti- mate, Boot Camp, Dance Definition, Pilates, Wedding Ready, and Yamuna Body Rolling. Members can purchase a single session for $25 or a 10-pack for $199 ($19.90 per session) with no time limit.
Results Fitness offers two options. The first involves
SGPT and semiprivate sessions (less than four partici- pants) for $267 per month. The second offers SGPT only, on an unlimited basis, for $147 per month. Because SGPT attracts more people, the club more than makes up the difference in fees through increased sales volume. “When we first switched from one-on-one to small-
group, we thought that members’ results might not be as dramatic, since we weren’t providing that extra attention,” Wunsch explains. “But we thought, ‘We can give a person a cheaper membership, serve more clients, and make more money, and there’d only be a slight reduction in results.’ What we discovered was that we had better results, which was very unexpected.” Since Results Fitness introduced SGPT, Wunsch notes
with satisfaction, its membership renewal rate has increased by 70%. —|
– Jean Suffin,
jean@fit-etc.com
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