Seeking Help and Direction: Is It Our DNA?

Fitness + Wellness

Jul 2

Written By

I came across the following quote from a client in survey response: “It is not Curves. Men can attend it without shame.” And it got me thinking… Do men really think that Fitness on the Run is like Curves? Nothing against Curves, but if this true…come on in. We have a set of kettlebells (and some awesome trainers) that can quickly put that notion to rest. Putting the lighthearted ribbing aside, why don’t we have more men working out with us?Is the lack of Y chromosomes running around the gym specific to Fitness on the Run, or is this something that other gyms experience, too? So I set out on a quest for answers, albeit in a very non-scientific way. I talked to trainers at other gyms/studios, I attended a CrossFit class, I hit one of the big box gyms, and I started perusing other gym websites. What I found was interesting, but unfortunately left me no closer to a clear cut answer.Let’s start with my discussion with other trainers. To a person, they all said the majority of their clients were women. To this, I just have one thing to say: ladies, good for you!When I posed the question “why do you think this?” everyone pretty much shrugged their shoulders. Great…strike one.On to the next set of observations. Were the client demographics any different at CrossFit and the big box gyms? Yes. Now, again, this is just my observation from the few gyms I visited, but the male/female ratio at both these types of gym was much closer to 50/50. Strike two.So, two observations and no common denominator. Great, I was no closer to coming up with an answer or even an opinion (which I’m not typically short of). So this lead me to searching gym websites. Here I noticed we were back to the gender gap. I would say, on average (again, non-scientific), for every one picture of a guy there were three of women. Putting my marketing hat back on, it’s easy to understand the reasoning behind this, especially from gyms with corporate marketing departments. But smaller studio gyms, I think, anyway, tend to use photos more representative of their clientele, if not of their actual clients.Anecdotally, what I determined from this small research endeavor is that men do seem to be reluctant when it comes to the small studio gym that caters to one-on-one personal training. I’m not going to make wild guesses as to why...although maybe there’s something in that Y-chromosome about our inability to "ask for direction." But I am going to give you five reasons why you should seriously consider working out with a trainer, especially a Fitness on the Run trainer:

1. Trainers provide expertise.

A trainer’s expertise isn’t just in showing you exercises. Yes, we correct form, but we also know your body and program workouts to help you reach your goals.

2. A trainer will push you just enough.

We will push you harder than you will push yourself. Left on your own you likely workout until you feel uncomfortable and then you lower the reps, modify the exercise, or move on to something new. A good trainer knows how to push you beyond your comfort zone in a safe and effective manner.

3. Accountability.

Let’s face it. If you’re putting money on the table you’re more likely to show up. But also, good trainers will keep in touch with you if we see you’re missing sessions. If you’re wondering how to find a good trainer – see #4 below.