for a vacation. We look at how well we’re doing financially and we ask our- selves how important it is to have it.” And if it’s an addition versus a re-
placement, their first concern is free- ing up space. “As it is now, everyone has to do a
little dance to make room for each oth- er during peak times,” says Duncan, who notes that up to 25 trainers and clients share the relatively small space during peak times. The club currently has about 400 clients. Despite these financial and space
limitations, the studio is constantly re- placing and upgrading. While it invests in small speed and agility pieces about every two years, a new large large-tick- et item makes an appearance only ev- ery four years. Why so infrequently? Momentum’s
keen attention to maintenance lets it squeeze several additional years out of its equipment. “Wear and tear on equipment is
huge,” says Duncan, whose club pays a few hundred dollars every three months to an independent repair tech- nician. “Because we’ve always done regular maintenance, almost all of our original equipment is hitting the 10- or 12-year mark and is as good as new. I think some new club owners forget to factor in the cost of maintenance, they don’t want to put out the money or they don’t know how important main- tenance is to the life of their equip- ment.” The result, he says, is that their big pieces fail long before they should.
Take a test drive When it’s time to buy, Duncan al-
ways arranges for an onsite equipment trial period in the studio. In fact, several years ago when Momentum was in the market for new upright bikes the studio tested four different brands before set- tling on one. “Some distributors will send you to
another gym that has the piece you’re interested in and suggest you try it there,” he says. But Duncan looks for distributors who will bring the piece to Momentum. “We want to see it experienced from
our members’ point of view,” he says. “We want to watch our members try it, and see if they struggle with the but- tons. For us the more user-friendly it is the better.”
Avoid the same old Because major equipment changes
July/August 2012 Fitness Business Canada 27
at Momentum happen relatively in- frequently (they’re currently trialing a new treadmill), Duncan has other strategies to keep visits to the studio fresh and interesting. “Every two years we move all the
equipment to completely different spots,” he says. “When you mix it up it forces trainers out of their standard rhythms and patterns. The result is that all of the equipment is used, not just the equipment that’s most con- venient to use. We want to make sure
all our clients get variety in their workouts.” The rearranging is also a bit of well-
intentioned trickery, admits Duncan: “Each time I’ve done it, even though it’s the same amount of equipment, people always tell me it feels more spa- cious afterward.” FBC
Barb Gormley is the senior editor of Fitness Business Canada, a freelance writer and editor, and a certified personal trainer. Contact her at
www.barbgormley.com.
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