Talk to any gym business mentor, and they’ll emphasize the importance of boosting average revenue per member.
- While there’s a limit to what you can charge for group classes, there are several ways to add value for current members and encourage them to pay more (and hopefully stay longer as they see more benefits and better results).
One common approach is nutrition coaching, while a less common method at CrossFit gyms is personalized programming.
Whenever I ask affiliate owners why they don’t offer personalized programming for members who, for example, have specific goals they won’t reach through group classes alone, or for those recovering from injuries, their response is always the same: “Programming is time-consuming. I don’t have the time.”
- But does it really have to be this time-consuming? If done efficiently, could more affiliates provide some personalized programming and, as a result, create an easy and substantial new revenue stream?
We contacted Carl Hardwick, CEO of OPEX, a company focused on individual design, to get his thoughts.
Hardwick maintains that experienced coaches within their network – those working with as many as 40 or 50 individual design clients – can reduce their programming time to just seven to 10 minutes per client each week while still providing a high-quality program.
- As an affiliate owner, let’s say 20 of your clients start paying an extra $100 a month, in addition to their regular group class fee, for individual design services. At 10 minutes per client each week, that’s about 13 hours a month, earning roughly $150 an hour and bringing in an extra $2,000 in monthly revenue.
So, what are the key factors for improving programming efficiency? How do you reduce the time spent on programming enough to make $150 an hour? That’s the question we put to Hardwick.
Three Keys to Programming Efficiency
Build the Right Environment
One mistake Hardwick notices coaches make is waiting until Sunday to write all of their programs.
- And then they find themselves hating their jobs as they “squeeze it into their day,” pumping out 20 programs when it’s the last thing they want to do.
Hardwick recommends adding dedicated program design time to your weekday routine, such as scheduling a two- or three-hour block twice a week, similar to how you schedule personal training clients.
It’s also important to consider the time of day, your environment, “and how you set yourself up into a flow,” he said. “Make it a time when you’re most cognitively there.”
For some, this is right after they work out, while for others, it’s the first thing in the morning.
- “Create a personal system around training programs and give yourself some time to fall into rhythm within your system,” he added.
Build a Big-Picture Plan
Programming, whether in a group class or as an individual design, becomes more effective when you develop specific long-term and short-term plans.
For individual design clients, he explained, the process begins with a thorough intake and assessment, which provides a clear understanding of the client’s fitness level, limitations, priorities, schedule, and goals. The key, however, is their goals, as achieving them ultimately determines the program’s success.
- “Consider the person’s goals and then write out a long-term, one-year plan, for each client [before you begin],” Hardwick said.
With a 12-month plan or framework in place, it’s much easier to then fill in the smaller cycles on a weekly or monthly basis as you progress.
Get the Right Software
In the past, programming involved creating many individual spreadsheets for each client. If you’re still doing it this way, there’s no hope for efficiency, Hardwick explained.
OPEX coaches use CoachRx, an app designed specifically to help coaches save time on program design.
Within the app, coaches can quickly access all their clients’ assessment data, consultation notes, available equipment, goals, and short- and long-term plans. Then, with a click of the mouse, they can view the current training week and finalize that week’s training sessions in just a few minutes.
Furthermore, CoachRx also features a built-in AI tool, RxBot, which analyzes a client’s data and goals to create a personalized training program. Coaches can then review the training plan generated by RxBot and make any necessary adjustments.
- “We’re seeing some huge increases in efficiency using that tool…It can cut the time down by 75 percent,” Hardwick said, adding that the goal isn’t to replace the human touch.
Instead, the time saved on programming allows the coach to focus more on the relationship aspect of coaching, ensuring they have enough time to engage in those critical, honest conversations with their clients.
Another Software Option: Semi-Private Pro
Another software option for those thinking about offering individual or semi-individualized programming is the app Semi-Private Pro.
Like CoachRx, Semi-Private Pro gathers data on each person and creates a customized program, which the coach can then modify as needed.
For the affiliate owner, where Semi-Private Pro can be especially helpful, even for CrossFit group classes, is its ability to personalize group workouts for each individual.
- “Instead of asking your coaches to juggle 15 movement substitutions on the fly, you simply load your group class programming into the app,” explained Semi-Private Pro owner Tim Lyons.
Then, the app automatically adjusts each workout to the client’s level, mobility, strength, limitations, and so on.
- “The result is scaled workouts that are accurate and consistent, take away the guesswork and inconsistent coaching, and deliver smarter scaling that meets every athlete where they are without slowing down the flow of the class,” Lyons explained.
What Gym Owners are Saying
Ayn Toppin, owner of Pioneer Valley CrossFit and Guide Personal Training, a semi-private training gym in Northampton, MA, says Semi-Private Pro has completely transformed her business.
She used to wake up every morning at 4:30 and spend two to three hours writing programs for her 90-plus clients. Today, she spends “zero time” on programming, as one of her coaches easily handles the workload, she said.
- It has also helped her programming become “more personalized” and effective, as coaches can make quick changes on the fly in the app if need be, she explained.
Furthermore, having each client’s data available to them and their coaches in the app has only enhanced their ability to deliver more effective coaching.
Finally, Toppin said her clients are “way more knowledgeable now” as they receive more personalized workouts that better suit their needs.
Similarly, for years, Scott Wilson, owner of Results by Design Fitness in Louisville, KY, dedicated 10 to 15 hours a week to writing “individualized paper written programs” for his 120 clients, leaving him overwhelmed with spreadsheets, he explained.
Today, with Semi-Private Pro, Wilson says he spends just 15 minutes a week on programming because the app handles most of the work and creates more effective programs.
- “Its ability to progress and regress truly allows us to tailor a program to the client, which obviously helps them reach their goals faster and more safely,” Wilson added.
The Big Picture
When it comes to increasing revenue, it’s often easier to focus on boosting income from existing members who are already committed than to hunt for new clients month after month.
In this sense, adding personalized programming as a service option can be an effective way to add value for clients and increase overall revenue. And with the right systems and software in place, it might not be as time-consuming as you think.
More CrossFit Stories
Featured Image: @welcome_to_the_mill / Instagram
