A friend is days away from opening up his studio [Forum Archive]

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A friend is days away from opening up his studio

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Posted by: AKIRA

Ok my friend, Old man Joe is his name, has decided to build, run, and open up a fitness center. I immediatley asked him if I could bring clients there at no extra cost to me or the clients. Because he is a good friend, hes allowed it. Now I have a place to train clients instead of doing it at home.

However..

I went and looked at the place yesterday which was my 2nd time checking it out to see how it was coming. The first time the equipment wasnt there, but yesterday, the equipment had arrived and was set up. He didnt order ANY benches or ANY squat racks. In fact, I see NO barbell, NO cambered bars, and really not that much space for stretching, core work, plyometrics, etc.

He has 2 treadmills, 2 elipticals, 2 cycles, and 1 machine where you pedal it with your

arms.
He has machines galore. He has a full pulley setup

, meaning the two pulleys on left and right sides, pull up bars in the center, rows to the right, pulldowns to the left.
A dip/leg raise station.

Dumbells that are coated with rubber that go up to 100lbs.

Free standing benches. 1 adjustable incline, 1 flat, 1 decline.

NO Leg Press, but a squat machine

(has racked weight, not free weight)
And of course, a smith machine

, with some weight.

Now this is NO bodybuilding gym, but I am a bit confused how he forgot the basics. I mean, not even a bench? He is basically relying on all those type of movements to the smith machine.

Now my question is, even though it's missing some parts (i mean, really), can I do a decent job with training people? I know that I can still do a LOT more there than I can at home, so I hope I am just not being too needy.

Posted by: Gazhole

Unless you can convince him to maybe buy a bench and a barbell, i guess itll come down to a coin toss.

If there was a few benches/barbells there itd be alright...but no benches...was he stoned?

Posted by: P-funk

DBs up to 100
adjustable bench
a bike, a Upper Body Ergomenter (UBE.....this is the thing you pedal with your arms)
cable tower

Don't need much more than that.

Train with the DBs, bench and cables
conditiong with the bike and UBE

Posted by: AKIRA

When I saw the dumbells and the bench, I thought upperbody was just fine, but lower body?

I can make it work, its just variety is limited, and as you know, clients are pains in the asses. If they dont stay interested, they just wont workout, trainer or not. So, I may be greedy to want more options.

The other things that good old Joe is doing is that he wants people to draw their blood when they first walk in the door, do cholesterol testing, and even hormone replacement. When I heard that, I didnt know if I should

so now I am

Posted by: P-funk

Quote:

Originally Posted by AKIRA

When I saw the dumbells and the bench, I thought upperbody was just fine, but lower body?

I can make it work, its just variety is limited, and as you know, clients are pains in the asses. If they dont stay interested, they just wont workout, trainer or not. So, I may be greedy to want more options.

The other things that good old Joe is doing is that he wants people to draw their blood when they first walk in the door, do cholesterol testing, and even hormone replacement. When I heard that, I didnt know if I should

so now I am

A lot of great programs have very limited resources. You honeslty can't think of what to do with the DBs for lower body?

DB front squat
DB goblet squat
DB suit case squat
DB clean
DB snatch
DB jerk
DB RDL
DB 1-leg RDL
DB split squat
DB lunge
DB backward lunge
DB walking lunge
DB lateral lunge
DB step up
DB split squat with foot elevated
DB bulgarian squat
DB overhead split squat
DB 1-arm overhead split squat
DB overhead walking lunge
DB one legged squat off bench
DB pistol squat
DB leg curls lying face down on the bench
DB lateral step up
DB lunge with anterior reach
DB lateral lunge and reach
cable split squat with anterior reach
cable split squat with row

can your clients make it through all those progressions?

You need to learn to work with what you have. Exercise is a lot more than BBs and a squat rack. There are tons of things you can do to work people out.

I think it is cool if he is going to do blood testing and check cholesterol....as long as it is (a) free and (b) sanitary.

Posted by: ReproMan

Quote:

Originally Posted by AKIRA

so now I am

Sounds shady man, that doc is a quack. Not too many people are gonna be down for getting blood tested at the door.

Lemme know the next time you go, I need to see what Joe got himself into.

Posted by: Gazhole

Hopefully blood tests arent an "at the door" entry requirement...

Like they have a day where only Type-AB blood groups can train, lol.

Really i think itll be fine. All my gym really has is dumbells to be honest.

Posted by: goandykid

Convince him to buy a few cheap benches and whatnot after opening.

Posted by: AKIRA

Quote:

Originally Posted by P-funk

I was thinking of using the DBs as a priority. I thought of some basics, but thanks for the extra suggestions.

The blood testing isnt a bad idea, but hes doing so many things at one. Hes even doing Botox.

The blood checking ISNT free and he wants to get every person into it. "Its a rejuventational studio, not a gym. I want every member to get blood work before they lift a weight." When he said that, it sounded like it was a requirement, which I think is nuts.

I honestly didnt know what he was going to charge, but a bartender I know was going to go to him for GH work. He quoted him $550! I hope that includes a membership...

Posted by: AKIRA

Quote:

Originally Posted by goandykid

Convince him to buy a few cheap benches and whatnot after opening.

Considering that they are cheap, I cant see why not.

However, now, space is limited. If this place does pick up, theres not going to be any room for such things.

Ill see if I can take pics...

Posted by: P-funk

Quote:

Originally Posted by AKIRA

There is no way he can make something like that mandatory. He can't tell you that you can't exercise there if you don't get blood work done. that is (a) insane and (b) he will lose a lot of business from people that can't afford to do it.

Posted by: AKIRA

That is basically the only reason why I am skeptical about this business. Too shady. Plus you got two doctors with..expired licenses? I dont know the term exactly, but theyre no longer practicing medicine, but somehow can still give prescriptions.

One of the jerks wants to be a trainer. This guy used to be a sports chiro for the Dolphins supposedly. I met him at Fridays during a business get together and I told him about my back. He said I didnt have a lower back problem, but a lower leg problem (cuz of the tingling and numbness of the leg), He then did some presses and movements on my leg. Yeah right fuck-o. I didnt feel any better from his magical touching and his diagnonsense. Three days later I got the MRI that confirmed my disk problem.

This is the kind of shit Id deal with! By the way, this is the asshole that convinced Joe that we didnt need free weights. I think old timers dont want to listen to youngsters like me regardless of my actual legitamate certification because of my age.

Quote:

Originally Posted by P-funk

There is no way he can make something like that mandatory. He can't tell you that you can't exercise there if you don't get blood work done. that is (a) insane and (b) he will lose a lot of business from people that can't afford to do it.

And theres your ticket. I told him over and over, that no one is going to pay for that shit. Even if he did find someone to be suckered into, it wont be enough to pay rent, equipment, services, etc.

Its just shady all around, but I do need more experience.

Posted by: GoalGetter

Is nobody else alarmed that this GYM is going to offer BOTOX?!

Posted by: luisfigo_benfic

Another thing u can do is give your clients DB while their on the bike and make them do curls, tricept extentions, or military press... all my clients hate it 'cuz its killer.

Posted by: ReproMan

Quote:

Originally Posted by GoalGetter

Is nobody else alarmed that this GYM is going to offer BOTOX?!

And if you knew the guy, you'd be even more alarmed.

Posted by: AKIRA

Ok the first two are one room with the smith machine and cable towers, the 3rd is a pic of the nice dumbells, and the last two are the other room with the cardio equipment and most of the machiens.

Posted by: Dale Mabry

Tell him to spring for a dumbbell stand for Christ's sake.

Posted by: fufu

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dale Mabry

Tell him to spring for a dumbbell stand for Christ's sake.

Good point, Jesus was always partial to db stands. I think it mentions it somewhere in Proverbs.

Posted by: goandykid

what kind of area is this gym in? what city too?

Posted by: AKIRA

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dale Mabry

Tell him to spring for a dumbbell stand for Christ's sake.

Its on the way already. Not sure why it didnt arrive with everything.

But as you can see, theres not much space. I mean, were talking one person at a time for stretches and such.

(Kinda hope it doesnt take off)

The gym is near a beach in South Florida. No immediate nearby gyms actually, but 10-13 min away.

Posted by: ReproMan

Quote:

Originally Posted by AKIRA

So what's the name gonna be "Below Average Joe's"?

Posted by: AKIRA

Ultimate Transformations.

Oh and I spoke to him about what he quoted the bartender. It does NOT include a membership.

I like Joe. He has good intentions, but I dont know what the fuck hes thinking. I will use this place for experience, but I dont see it lasting more than a year at all.

Posted by: P-funk

In this picture, it looks like there is a decent amount of space. What is out back? Is it a grass field? You can train people out there too.

Posted by: ReproMan

Quote:

Originally Posted by P-funk

In this picture, it looks like there is a decent amount of space. What is out back? Is it a grass field? You can train people out there too.

That's a big time illusion. That bench is only a few feet from that mirror and once the DB racks go in, it's over.

Posted by: AKIRA

Yeah its only a few feet. And there is little grass outside. The parking lot is 5 yards away.

Posted by: P-funk

oh, it looks bigger in the photo. that is what mirrors are for though.

Parking lots aren't the best surface. That is why I asked about the grass field.

If you aren't going to train your clients there, where will you train them at? Do you need to find a private trainer's studio to work out of?

Posted by: AKIRA

Its either there, my house, or their house. At least there, I have more than the latter.

A private studio doesnt grow on trees around here. Hell, I wouldnt even know the first place to look since everyones scared of getting sued these days.

Posted by: P-funk

Quote:

Originally Posted by AKIRA

Its either there, my house, or their house. At least there, I have more than the latter.

A private studio doesnt grow on trees around here. Hell, I wouldnt even know the first place to look since everyones scared of getting sued these days.

really? where do you live? Somewhere in florida, right? I would think there would be several studios around.

Posted by: Mudge

Quote:

Originally Posted by AKIRA

Plus you got two doctors with..expired licenses? I dont know the term exactly, but theyre no longer practicing medicine, but somehow can still give prescriptions.

The term is called, "those guys are idiots and going to be in deep shit if you keep posting and someone sees this."

Posted by: goandykid

Why don't you take a percentage and manage? It sounds liek he knows he knows nothing and trusts you to help him out.

Posted by: AKIRA

Welp, I dont know if what theyre doing is...possibly illegal? So, Id rather just be a peon and remove myself from any wrong doing.

From what I know, I am the only legally certified person to administer any sort of training!

Posted by: goandykid

Then manage under the table in a "friendly, yet payed" way. Make it a casual agreement, 10% of the first 3 months if you help him develop and manage his studio for the first 3.

Or somethign along those lines. Thre's money to be made here Akira

Posted by: squanto

That's some beautiful equipment, but a small space.

Just make sure your buddy gets some seats to use those dumbells on.

Hope it works out, that stuff looks expensive...

Posted by: fUnc17

Idk man, where I live we have a gym called crossfit. A few years ago, it was a no name cluster fucked gym. Now, its well known, and the guy has more business that he knows what to do with. It literally is one lane, with machines on either side of it. He has an additional spot with a mat to train BJJ but the actual gym is seriously so small two people can't walk side by side.

You can definately make it work.

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