Rant/Powerlifting Gym

[Knockout_Power]

I apologized profusely, offered to pay the cleaning crew's salary for that night and told her it would never happen again. Her reply; "Your membership is gone" and she hung up on me.

^^^ here is your problem

I hate to sound like a chauvinistic prick (and I know I will get backlash) but this seems to be a common theme when problems arise. Women in management can be such bitches. I know its usually because they have to work harder to get to these positions and have to deal with asshole guys most the time, but they take every situation too far.

She presents the issue, you offer to MORE THAN SUFFICIENTLY remedy the problem and she still fvcks you in the ass... not cool.

As for the gym going to "fad zone"... this is the new wave of BS hipster style training. Gyms recognise that in order to draw in new fresh money, they need to have the newest name of whatever fad class is drawing people in. Not nesseccarily cause people actually want these classes, but more so so they can tell people they are doing these classes so they can sound like they are always on top of whats new and "hip"

Its bad enough that the gym Ive been using for the last 16 years is now more than 50% cardio equipment (which I can understand to a degree) but they took the only awesome thing that I use away, the punching bags, so they could fit 3 more people into that room for random spin, zumba, BS classes

End rant, I'll stop now...

[Knockout_Power]

So, the second part to this thread; how much would it run to open up a small gym dedicated solely towards powerlifting and athletic performance enhancement? Places like Westside Barbell are really nothing more than little dungeons with basic equipment. This town sorely needs something like this gym.

the problem with this scenario is that the return rate on a gym like this is far worse than going big. Leasing space and filling it with equipment is the least of your worries. If you focus a gym on being "hardcore", you will get these people coming in, but once they find that the limited equipment "always has someone on it", they leave... so you keep adding one machine/rack/bench at a time till you run out of room.

A friend and I looked into doing this and we pegged start up capital needed around $400k. Without future planning to go franchise, there is no realistic way to make this financially feasible for any kind of return

[Knockout_Power]

People are lifting 7 plates a side and having their asses reamed by management. Guys benching 5 plates are being dangerous. Guys squatting 6 plates are gigging weights. Guys db pressing 120's should have someone take the weights off them so they don't hit the floors. Pretty lame mainstream gyms around here

wtf!!?!?!?.. if I heard shit like this, my response would be and taking an obese fvcker and running them through HIIT is the SAFE way to do things?

[jimmyinkedup]

If you think you can make enough money at it, go for it. Problem is there are too many horror stories of people running failed gyms. As Gix said, you're not going to keep the lights on with just the hardcore lifters and bodybuilders.

So then you're going to run in to a problem of real estate. Every piece of equipment in there takes up space and costs money. You also can only make so much money off each piece of equipment or open space in the gym. So you run in to a situation where you're going to be debating "a squat cage and rack of heavy DB weights and various types of benches that will satisfy 10-20 lifters who will train for 45 mins to an hour or so each per day? or a few bikes and wood floors that will accomodate zumba, spin, fitness, etc and serve several hundred people for a half hour each?" If that's not enough once you factor in the cost of upkeep for the equipment and replacements, it really speaks for itself what you're going to do. It's kind of sad, but it's a business you're running. It's not a charity.

Maybe you Gix and I should open our own Gym. It sounds like we have some cumulative experience that could work out very well!

[Armykid93]

^^^ here is your problem

I hate to sound like a chauvinistic prick (and I know I will get backlash) but this seems to be a common theme when problems arise. Women in management can be such bitches. I know its usually because they have to work harder to get to these positions and have to deal with asshole guys most the time, but they take every situation too far.

She presents the issue, you offer to MORE THAN SUFFICIENTLY remedy the problem and she still fvcks you in the ass... not cool.

As for the gym going to "fad zone"... this is the new wave of BS hipster style training. Gyms recognise that in order to draw in new fresh money, they need to have the newest name of whatever fad class is drawing people in. Not nesseccarily cause people actually want these classes, but more so so they can tell people they are doing these classes so they can sound like they are always on top of whats new and "hip"

Its bad enough that the gym Ive been using for the last 16 years is now more than 50% cardio equipment (which I can understand to a degree) but they took the only awesome thing that I use away, the punching bags, so they could fit 3 more people into that room for random spin, zumba, BS classes

End rant, I'll stop now...

I hate quoting things this long but I have to agree.

In the military many of the women are so hard to deal with. NOT ALL. I'm not trying to offend anyone but generally they seem to have a chip on their shoulder or it seems they feel the need to compensate for being a woman. That being said, many dudes are d bags to lol

I do appreciate all our service women though regardless.

[Brick]

My old gym was the SH.T! Like the bees knees!

Grunt, yell, swear, drop and crash.

Only rules were put your weights away, wear a shirt and don't smash the mirrors.

Switched though to a fitness center/gym which is an unreal facility but I get in trouble sometimes for being to loud

[Honkey_Kong]

Maybe you Gix and I should open our own Gym. It sounds like we have some cumulative experience that could work out very well!

I'd be down to open a gym if it wasn't for profit. I really just want my own private gym where I don't have to ever wait to use equipment. Where sick people are getting their germs all over the equipment so I get sick after I use the bench. And where they don't have the air conditioning running in the fvcking middle of winter and the heater running in summer.

I unfortunately don't have the money or the space for a gym right now.

But as far as running a gym as a business, I honestly don't think there is a way to beat the big chain gyms in cutting down operating costs and gym membership fees so that you could compete against them. We'd really have to provide what is missing at the other gyms to be able to justify to the consumer the elevated costs.

[gixxerboy1]

Your right there really isnt a way to compete unless u have some unique niche.
Im thinking topless tuesdays with a sexy gym staff

[kelkel]

Toss in a Friday night Happy Hour!

[jimmyinkedup]

I'd be down to open a gym if it wasn't for profit. I really just want my own private gym where I don't have to ever wait to use equipment. Where sick people are getting their germs all over the equipment so I get sick after I use the bench. And where they don't have the air conditioning running in the fvcking middle of winter and the heater running in summer.

I unfortunately don't have the money or the space for a gym right now.

But as far as running a gym as a business, I honestly don't think there is a way to beat the big chain gyms in cutting down operating costs and gym membership fees so that you could compete against them. We'd really have to provide what is missing at the other gyms to be able to justify to the consumer the elevated costs.

You dont have to charge more. They make money hand over fist in spite of. You could charge the same - your margins would be lower but you dont have to support the huge back end that big chains do. The "corporate" back end im referring too. Long term lease (25 yr) on building. Negotiate fit out. Lease Cardio and machines. Provide the service and maintenance aspect they are lacking. Ive run presales out of a trailer on a building site when the next closest gym in the chain was across the country at that time. In a 6 month presale the gyms opened well in the black. To be honest Id open right by a big chain gym...and bury them. No initiation fee for their members. The real money is in the monthy dues - not the initiation. Hell i didnt even mention that in my earlier post. Add that to the numbers 10,000 members that pay between $100-$150 in initiation fees on top of the monthly dues. Another cool 1-1.5 mil in revenue. Its really is astronomical.

[Honkey_Kong]

You dont have to charge more. They make money hand over fist in spite of. You could charge the same - your margins would be lower but you dont have to support the huge back end that big chains do. The "corporate" back end im referring too. Long term lease (25 yr) on building. Negotiate fit out. Lease Cardio and machines. Provide the service and maintenance aspect they are lacking. Ive run presales out of a trailer on a building site when the next closest gym in the chain was across the country at that time. In a 6 month presale the gyms opened well in the black. To be honest Id open right by a big chain gym...and bury them. No initiation fee for their members. The real money is in the monthy dues - not the initiation. Hell i didnt even mention that in my earlier post. Add that to the numbers 10,000 members that pay between $100-$150 in initiation fees on top of the monthly dues. Another cool 1-1.5 mil in revenue. Its really is astronomical.

You know what, the more I'm thinking about it. There is a ton of opportunity to make a ton of money. Without the corporate vig, that would leave some room to wiggle, but don't the major chain gyms have their own repair crews for equipment? Not to mention get deals for buying/leasing equipment in bulk? The gym would still need to have to cater to a unique that separates it from the rest.

It would have to be in an area with a large enough population that is employed that has a disposable income. I think also the best place to snag memberships is to advertise at places like Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, etc.. You've got a bunch of people there motivated enough to get themselves locked in to long-term contracts. And let's face it, most of them will quit going after about a month, but their credit cards will still be charged every month.

[jimmyinkedup]

You know what, the more I'm thinking about it. There is a ton of opportunity to make a ton of money. Without the corporate vig, that would leave some room to wiggle, but don't the major chain gyms have their own repair crews for equipment? If your equipment is leased it is under service contract by the manufacturer for the term of the lease Not to mention get deals for buying/leasing equipment in bulk? You would pay more than they do BUT look at all the revenue you have to play with The gym would still need to have to cater to a unique that separates it from the rest.

It would have to be in an area with a large enough population that is employed that has a disposable income. Which is why you follow the big boys - they have done the demograhics already - they wouldnt be there if the $ or demographic wasnt there I think also the best place to snag memberships is to advertise at places like Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, etc.. Cross promote with all of these type organizations - set up a special corporate rate for them/their clientsYou've got a bunch of people there motivated enough to get themselves locked in to long-term contracts. And let's face it, most of them will quit going after about a month, but their credit cards will still be charged every month.

Honestly Id do it month to month or 1 year contract then month to month at the very most.
I firmly believe it could be done.
The other consideration is the value added services revenue. Many big gyms outsource PT , juice bar , merchandising. It may make sense to say outsource juice bar, but PT done right is a money maker. Especially if you get a good PT director and good trainers, You have to pay like a Golds - on a spilt with the trainer - not hourly like an LA Fitness paying trainers $16/hr but only when they are actually training. No good trainer will stay under those terms. This a weakness to be exploited with most major chains. Their service in general is.

[Honkey_Kong]

Honestly Id do it month to month or 1 year contract then month to month at the very most.
I firmly believe it could be done.

I think also targeting kids is a great idea. Parents usually don't want their kids growing up to be tubs of lard. They also have to worry about daycare in the afternoons after school. A good sports-oriented afterschool daycare for them could probably do well.

[jimmyinkedup]

I think also targeting kids is a great idea. Parents usually don't want their kids growing up to be tubs of lard. They also have to worry about daycare in the afternoons after school. A good sports-oriented afterschool daycare for them could probably do well.

Daycare is a must. With background check (FI the largest chain in the country does no background check on child care employees - fuking scary). Child care not only generates revenue but it eliminates objections to joining. The sports programs are an excellent idea you just need to watch as insurance costs for children under 14 with those programs- it is high.