The Microgym Client Is Changing
If you've been paying attention to the industry at-large, then you may notice a new customer segment emerging.
I need to clarify something.
You just opened the 19th issue of WTF Weekly, and apparently, I haven't made its intentions clear enough.
I've received several emails asking why I cover the fitness industry's latest business news instead of solely niche microgym specific content.
To quote one email specifically: "Why are you talking about businesses that aren't microgyms! I don't care about what Planet Fitness or some trendy boutique gym in the UK is doing. Get back to what you're good at."
To put it simply, this is what I'm good at, fuckface.
And any owner who wants success in the fitness industry should realize the power of understanding THE INDUSTRY in its entirety- not just their tiny sliver of the overall pie.
I attribute so much of my success, financial independence, and the freedom to retire at age 35 to knowing THE INDUSTRY.
See, compared to other industries, the fitness industry is very young.
There are few, if any, definitive works that detail the origin of the fitness business, how it has evolved, and where it's going.
Hence, you need to be a student. Be curious—study other models, ideas, and concepts outside of your own to understand the industry truly.
For example, my curiosity around operational capacity sparked when studying the financial success of yoga and spin studios.
It peaked when OTF arrived, and I witnessed the 45 person class orchestra they had created.
Then, fast forward to rebranding CrossFit SouthEnd, de-affiliating with CrossFit, and creating Urban MVMNT.
A significant portion of my inspiration came from my industry knowledge, experiences, and relationships.
Traveling the country to experience first-hand models like Alchemy 365, establishing relationships and learning about upcoming franchise players like MADabolic, and witnessing the growth of hybrid concepts like Box+Flow, all had a hand in shaping Urban MVMNT.
So I leave you with this...
If you want to stay small in your business (and thinking), stay within your box (literally).
Don't acknowledge your competitors as colleagues you can learn from.
Don't get excited and curious when a new fitness concept is started.
Don't try to understand how the entire fitness industry ecosystem works.
Instead, sit there, talk shit on everyone else, denounce any training methodology that isn't yours, and probably unsubscribe to WTF Weekly while you're at it.
I'm sure it will lead you to meaningful success in business and life :)
As always, my inbox is open for discussion.
xoxo
Stu
Pure Fitness Comes To The US
And what microgym owners can learn from their boutique, open gym model
American gym-goers will soon have a new option to help them achieve their fitness goals, and the fitness industry may have a new potential disruptor, with the opening of Pure Fitness, a new US brand by European company PureGym Group.
Pure Fitness aims to offer a boutique experience at a fraction of the price and focuses on providing a brilliant gym at a budget price.
The brand promises friendly and supportive gyms where everybody is welcome and offers commitment-free memberships, 24-hour flexible gym hours, and three tiers of affordable monthly memberships.
Memberships start at $9.99 per month without any contractual commitment. Members can freeze, leave and rejoin whenever they want in a matter of minutes through the Pure Fitness app.
Additionally, through its app, members can choose the best time to visit the gym, provide contactless entry with a QR scanner and access a library of more than 400 on-demand workouts.
Each Pure Fitness gym will have more than 150 cardio and strength equipment pieces, a Turf Training Freestyle area, and more than 80 digital and instructor-led classes per week.
Pure Fitness has opened two US locations; a 15,000-square-foot facility in Tysons Corner, Virginia, and a 22,000-square-foot club in Elkridge, Maryland.
An additional 27,000-square-foot location will open on Jan. 27 in Springfield, Virginia, with other sites planned across the United States.
Founded in 2009 in the United Kingdom, PureGym Group has 500 clubs in the United Kingdom, 40 sites in Switzerland, 180 sites in Denmark, and one location in Saudi Arabia with more planned through franchising.
MY TAKE
As I said in my love letter, I am sure some are reading this and thinking to themselves, "Cool, man, another HVLP model. We don't care."
And if that is you, girl, bye.
The interest in the Pure Fitness news for me is less about another High Volume, Low Price (HPLV) model like we discussed last week with Planet Fitness, and more about a new subset of fitness avatar I predict is only going to grow.
Market Demands Shift as Fitness Consumers Become More Educated
After 20 years of group functional fitness, two things are for sure:
More people do functional fitness now than any other type of fitness.
Those who have been at it for years are more educated on how to move appropriately and self-aware about what they WANT to do from a workout perspective.
Let's look at the fitness market in three subsets; solo, group, and autonomous.
There will always be clientele who prefer solo-dolo fitness and are content stationing themselves on an elliptical at a globo-gym or utilizing digital fitness options - let's say their subset makes up around 30% of functional fitness users.
Solo - 30%
There will also always be clientele who must rely on a group class's motivation, accountability, and energy to complete a workout - this subset accounts for 50%.
Group- 50%
I view those two subsets as opposite sides of the spectrum, leaving about 20% of functional fitness users within the heavily growing and evolving autonomous users group.
Autonomous- 20%
BTW, the source of data for these numbers was entirely pulled out of my ass, but I like to think they are somewhat accurate for the purposes of this discussion #science.
Who Are Autonomous Functional Fitness Users?
This subset of clientele are people who have been doing functional fitness for an extended time and are now starting to specify and seek out the aspects of functional fitness they like the most.
They still want to sweat socially in a group class because of the fun, competitive nature that it entails.
But they also look at the programmed workout and think, "I'd much rather be working on my chest today than doing 100 slamballs." or "Ugh, I hate when we run. I’d rather work on deadlifts and glute exercises?"
And given the rise of online programming that is extremely niche and inexpensive, it allows for this individual to follow along with programming specific to what THEY want to do and then attend class when they LIKE what you're doing.
For example, CrossFitters who follow Functional Bodybuilding because they know their pecs and arms will not get the love they need with a daily WOD.
Or the pilates members who also follow Enduro Method because they ride dirt bikes on the weekend and are educated enough to know that their studio workouts won't cut it alone.
(Yes, Enduro Method's programming is specific for dirt bike riders + every other niche concept you can think of...check them out.)
The rise of the experienced, educated autonomous user is a trend that is here to stay.
Because with every class they attend, they become more self-aware of what they want out of fitness and more confident they know how to achieve the results.
Right or wrong, we can all think of members that embody this exactly.
However, few microgyms offer a boundless open gym model that allows autonomous users to do their own thing while also providing the option for them to cherry-pick which classes they want to attend.
And I know some of you offer open gym during off-peak times. That's great, but it doesn't help if members can mainly attend peak times, which prioritize group class.
Because who the fuck is available for your 3 pm open gym?
So what does a member do when they want to add in their own training, but their current microgym can't offer them both?
They may grab a cheap globo-gym membership - or if Pure Fitness has their way, join one of their clubs that emphasizes functional fitness equipment (instead of boring ellipticals and isolation machines) and offers 24/7 access at low price point memberships and exceptional amenities.
Yeah, I think Gold's Gym is in trouble.
IMO, Pure Fitness could be an inspiration to microgym owners looking to evolve into what I call the “Hybrid Model”.
The Future Hybrid Model
In a recent episode of the WTF Gym Talk Podcast, I jammed about what I believe to be the future of the hybrid model.
Future successful hybrid models will create a fitness facility that offers sought-after group classes regularly but also provides an open area with all-day access, equally appealing functional fitness equipment, and amenities.
Allowing members a space to pursue training on their own combined with attending a certain amount of group classes per week.
The best of both worlds.
Personally, upon retiring, I joined a gym that recently added a hybrid premium membership option which includes access to both open gym and group classes allowing me to pop into group classes when convenient or work out individually when necessary - or let's be honest, if I am just not feeling the programmed workout that day.
*Disclaimer: I’m fully aware that some globo-gyms offer group fitness and that some microgyms offer niche programming. However, let the above chart as a representation of the industry ‘average’.
Your Takeaway
Plain and simple: It might be smart to consider adopting a hybrid model, depending on your business aspirations.
You may be able to evolve your current client avatar to fit the subset of the much more independent autonomous client avatar.
I believe things like 24/7 access and/or various open gym times at your facility are going to be a smart play.
For one, it allows microgym owners to activate their facility during dead times when they're paying for square footage but not making any money on that square footage.
Secondly, It will also allow microgym owners to embrace the idea of allowing people to play and explore what they've learned in group classes to follow their own pursuits.
It's very idealistic for any microgym to believe that the daily class programming is exactly what everybody wants. Audacious even.
My ultimate recommendation is this… observe this hypothesis.
If you end up agreeing with it, and you can confirm that you also see this coming, then embrace it, don't fight it.
Think of ways that you can turn your microgym into a place where someone could stay and maybe even pay a premium more to utilize the facility in off class hours, have access to the equipment, and pursue the type of fitness they want to follow, while occasionally jumping in to enjoy the camaraderie of a group class.
Much like I stated earlier in my love letter, it's all about observing the industry, understanding what's happening, taking it into account, and seeing if it is right for yourself.
I know I'll personally be going to visit one of Pure Fitness' locations and once again become a student of the industry to see what's out there and share what I learn with you all so you can continue to evolve as a microgym owner.
