10 Reasons You Need a Dedicated Ab Training Area
Every person - members and future members - want to improve their midsection, and they all desire a lean, defined waistline. So it only makes sense to provide a separate area of your club that is focused on the core. Several successful Club chains have already figured this out and are now dedicating space specifically for core training. It is proving to be smart business because members love to work their abs. Still not convinced?
Top 10 Reasons Why Your Club Needs a Dedicated Core Training Area:
1. Everyone Wants Great-Looking Abs
Men want to get rid of the love handles and beer belly and to develop a lean six-pack. Women want a flat tummy and a slender waistline. Installing a dedicated Core training area in your Club will instantly appeal to your members’ desire to have great-looking abs.
2. Surveys Show that Health Club Members Love Ab Machines
Recent IHRSA surveys rank Ab machines as a top activity that your members value the most in their Health Club, right up there with treadmills, elliptical machines and free weights. The American College of Sports Medicine also released its top trends for 2015, and once again Core training is on the list.
3. Abs Sell
The next time you are in the supermarket, check out the headlines on the covers of popular magazines. Many of them feature articles about getting a trimmer waistline, such as: • How to Get Flat Abs Fast • Blast Belly Fat • Two Weeks to a Tighter Tummy • Six Pack Secrets The magazines use Abs and belly headlines because they help sell Millions of copies. People want great-looking abs, so marketers use abs to sell. With a dedicated ab training area, your Club can do the same thing.
4. Dedicated Ab Training Areas are Becoming Popular at Successful Clubs
Ab training areas are becoming mainstream in several club chains across the country. Both Planet Fitness and Retro Fitness offer a special area or circuit dedicated solely to ab training, and the trend continues to grow. More clubs are jumping on board everyday because members love having a dedicated zone for core training.
5. Training Variety is Key
There are many ways to train the abs and, like any muscle group, the key to improvement is Variety in Training. Installing a dedicated ab circuit area provides your members with a place to work their abs many different ways with different types of machines.
The last 5 reasons your club needs a designated core zone! Should we do this?
6. Members Want to see Results
Before you hire another salesperson or run more generic ads with price discounts in the hope of increasing sales, you should first consider this: People care about seeing results, and they love to work on their abs. Appeal directly to the needs and desires of your members by installing a dedicated ab training area and showing how to get great-looking abs.
7. You can offer Short-term Ab-focused training programs
Increase your membership and generate more revenue from existing members by offering short-term ab-focused programs in conjunction with a dedicated core training area. This will enable you to deliver to people what they really want: great-looking abs and a slender waistline. By offering short-term ab-focused programs to prospects without the long-term membership commitment, you will attract people who probably never would have stopped by your club. These programs also work for your members who need a little challenge to get them back on track. Just make sure your member price is less than the nonmember price.
8. Ab Machines are “Silent Salesmen” that help Close Deals
A dedicated Ab training area with innovative Ab machines can become your “silent salesmen” to help new prospects get excited about joining your Club. Think about the key decision moment for new prospects – the Club Tour. People understand the Cardio area is for your heart, the Strength area is for your muscles, and there are rooms for fitness classes such as Spinning, Zumba or Yoga. Most clubs have all of these things. Now, imagine showing them an area in your Club dedicated to core training. What better way to complete your Club Tour right before you begin reviewing various membership options.
9. A Thin Waistline Means a Healthy Heart
A slim, strong waistline is not just about looking sexy. Many studies show that a healthy waistline also is an indication of heart health. In other words, where fat is located on your body matters when it comes to health risks. Researchers have found that people who have high amounts of fat in their abdomens compared to other parts of the body have higher risks of cancer and heart disease. The bottom line: You are not just selling vanity when you are selling abs—you also are selling good heart health.
10. Ab-Focused Marketing Works
When you focus your marketing message on what people want, you can dramatically increase the number of sales you make. That means, focusing your Health Club marketing on showing your members how they can achieve a lean, sexy waistline with a dedicated ab training area in your Club.