Fitness Industry’s Dirty Little Secret, Perfection

My Cheat Sheet To Help You Succeed

Table of Contents

• Intro
• Credentials for this blog
• Fitness Industry Marketing Tactics (Dirty Little Secrets Exposed)
• Strategy For Success Playbook (Understanding the Game)
• Action Steps
• Podcast

Blog Intro

Let’s talk about what nobody will talk about regarding the multibillion dollar fitness industry. I could write many blogs related to this topic, (more to come), but for this blog I’m going to focus on the Fitness Industry’s Dirty Little Secret, Perfection pitch and every gym’s casino odds that are against you and for them (the house). Surprised? You shouldn’t be.

I feel compelled to write this blog as we’re in a new year, January, 2024 as this is Christmas season for the fitness and diet food industries (one and the same in my mind). This is their cash cow month and why every person in the gym membership market this time of year needs to be mindful of this industry’s tricks, especially perfection. I’m going to teach about the dirty little secrets of the fitness industry perfection so that you are empowered by your decision to proceed despite their sales and marketing tactics. I’m giving you their playbook in this blog (and my podcast) that’s how much I want you to succeed. Let’s demystify the fitness industry’s dirty little secret perfection influence.

Credentials

What are my credentials to speak about this? How do I know? Well, I’ve held a gym membership my entire adult life, since the age of 18 through to today. I’ve been a gym member multiple facilities and am an instruction (10+ years) I understand how the fitness industry operates and personally witnessed so many people come in with high hopes every January, but only few last. They just drop off he radar gone. If this is you, I want this to be the last time you experience the cycle. I want to empower you with knowledge so that you are in control of your goals, not intimidated by gym employees or its members. Ultimately, this is probably one of the best communities on the planet and why I want to help you join and stay. Once you understand it’s all marketing, then you can proceed with your personal goal(s).

First, I’d like to clarify that I’m an advocate for joining a gym. I’ve personally have held a gym membership since the age of 18, many decades ago. I could write more blogs on the benefits I’ve received over the years of going to the gym that prevented many illnesses and more as a result, (and one of the best communities on the planet regardless where you join) but I’ll stay focused on this blog’s topic, Fitness Industry’s Dirty Little Secret, Perfection. I’m focusing on the Perfection tactics they use to lure you in to fail. Let me be clear, there are amazing instructions inside of the walls of the fitness industry, but I’m speaking to the fitness industry’s dirty little secret of perfection marketing and am going to demystify it for you.

Fitness Industry Marketing Strategy (Dirty Little Secrets Exposed)

If you pay attention to the images in their advertisements, these people are perfect. The add’s for the gym, the promos you see on social media, the lure is only perfect people can be at the forefront of the brand. Think I’m making this up? I’ll show you later in this blog. Keep reading.

For now, for those who want to shop for a gym membership, let me break a fundamental marketing tactic for the fitness industry. It’s perfection. All of their marketing, models, advertisements, supplements, instructors, clothing, sponsors and branding is always focused on perfection. You know what I mean, that perfectly sculpted body, with those amazing biceps, glutes, back, shoulders, male and female. The perfect instructor in class, the perfect personal trainer, they’re everywhere you look, front and center.

Don’t believe me? Here are some images I just happened to grab online for kicks.

You won’t see overweight people or older people in their promos. Because they are selling you on the unattainable, perfection. You see many people aspire to have those results by going to the gym, right? We want to develop some sort of muscle, definition and change in our physique by going to the gym. As we should and you most definitely will. But, their models are perfect and that is the myth and biggest lie they push. They put their best face first, the first people you see when you walk in the door, the first people who greet you to give you the tour, the instructors, you can’ help but notice their perfect bodies. Here’s another fitness industry dirty little secret perfection in their sales people. The people who are the first to greet you in the gym are “salespeople”, their job is to sell you a membership and they look the part. Remember, they’re not your friend, they’re not going to hold you accountable, they just want to sign you up and then that’s will be the end of your relationship, as it should be.

No don’t mistake what I’m sharing here, the salespeople are eye candy, they’re there to sell you on the hope you will look like them if you join. This again is the dirty little secret of the fitness industry perfection. After they’ve done their job, they will greet you when they see you, they will direct you to other people like personal trainers, but they will never hold you accountable to your membership. Never. They’re not going to call you if you stop coming. They don’t care.

Okay, back to the marketing, I do understand that we don’t want to see overweight people promoting the gym, right? Where’s the incentive? Right? I understand to a degree we want to see fit people and those people will inspire us. I get it, but I also want people to understand the discipline and determination that it takes to achieve that level of fitness and they are only 1% of the population. My intention here, because I’ve seen it soooo many times, is don’t fall for the perfection lure to get you to set a goal so high that you won’t achieve it and then give up. That is what I’m focusing on teaching people. I’ve seen this rinse and repeat cycle in the many gyms I’ve belonged to over the years and this is the fundamental reason why people fail. They were sold on hope, but had no plan of action to achieve it.

Strategy For Success Playbook

We can achieve anything we set our mind to, anything. People have to start where they are and take incremental steps to ultimately achieve their goal. That is a process. It takes time, there is no fast lane in the gym, everyone is on the same playing field and the only difference is those who stick with it and those who quit. Those who have high goals and get to that level and those who’ve set different goals and have achieved them as well, both are winners. Read that sentence again.

I’m going to talk about bodybuilders quickly. Most of fitness industry models are bodybuilders to some compactly. Bodybuilders are one percent of the population and are the most dedicated, disciplined people on the plant. They live, eat and breathe for the mirror reflection. They compete, take supplements, steroids, have surgeries, what ever it takes to gain that perfection. Even Arnold Schwarzenegger admitted he took steroids. (They all take something, it’s part of the gains process). This is their world and they love it.

Most people want to join the gym for improvement, but usually we’re bombarded with advertisements or gym employees who greet us that are perfectly fit. When you are in a state of stepping outside of your comfort zone because you know your body is not in the best shape and you’ve made a decision to make a change, you will not feel better being around Mr. Muscle head. You might feel inspired temporarily like (well that’s possible, he/she is my age and they’re here all the time, so if I come all the time, I can look like them). You assure yourself there’s hope to look like them. Well, there is hope, but mostly it’s a whole lot of work, it’s a full-time job.

Please understand this when you walk into a gym and Mr. Or Ms. Perfection greets you. Now that’s not to say they can’t help you improve by connecting you with personal trainers, etc., but understand it will be 100% up to you to achieve your goals and if you aspire to look like a bodybuilder it’s going to take a significant amount of discipline, routine, dedication and serious gym time. Let alone a dual membership for a personal trainer, because that fee is not included with your gym membership. This is step one of The Fitness Industry’s dirty little secret perfection sales tactics.

They lure you in with Mr. Or Ms. Perfection to show you around, sign you up and auto-draft and your “free” 1 or 2 sessions with a trainer is the pre-game for the second membership, Personal Training. Remember this.

Now I’m not saying this can’t work for some people, but you have to know yourself. You have to know how much you can commit and where you’ve failed or quit in the past. Why? Why didn’t it work before? Why have you never considered joining a gym and you’re in your 40s? 50s? 60s? Do you need an accountability partner? Are you the type that needs someone to coach you? Know yourself and what will work for you whether in the long term or short term.

After spending decades in the gym, all sorts of gyms, big box, small box, boutique, mom and pop, you name it, I’ve belong or taught in all environments, most people join without a gym history. They are stepping into this arena because they want to change, their intention is there, they don’t know how to change or what will work, so they are depending on this person who has greeted them and introduced them around the gym. This person who they’re signing up with, they are mentally connecting to that person as their coach, accountability partner to some degree. But the truth is, they’re in sales, that’s the beginning and end of the relationship. So you see the odds? They’ve got your money, you signed the contract, you’re all set up for auto-draft, but no one is ever going to reach back out to you and make sure you use that membership. No one is ever going to make sure you reach your goals. That person who signed you up will greet you merrily every single time you walk into the gym, call you by name like you’re their bestie, but they will NEVER help you reach your fitness goals, it’s all up to you. This a the fitness industry’s dirty little secret and why perfection greeted you first.

Action Steps

So what are you going to do?

I can’t stress this enough, “do your homework on yourself before you check out your gym”. Understand what you like and what will keep you coming back for more. If you need a personal trainer, then sign up for one, for whatever amount of time you need. But if you’re the type of person who just wants to go solo and check everything out yourself, then stick with that, don’t do it all. What I mean is take the group exercise classes for a month, see how you feel. Try circuits, see you how you feel. Figure out what you like and do more of that. Period.

The fitness industry’s dirty little secret, perfection will sneak up everywhere. You will see it in the instructor that teaches the class, or the personal trainer that you sign up with, so understand you are shopping for yourself. You are shopping for what works for you, so ask questions, notice if the instructor engages you and has a serious intention to get to know you and help you. Notice if your personal trainer has successful clients who were in your shoes (your age, your challenges) and ask for references. Remember, this is your journey, you are hiring a gym to serve you and your needs.

So this year, 2024, make it the last time you go through this process. Follow the steps, understand the industry’s marketing and know thy self. Once you understand what you want, the type of person you are self-motivated or not, you will be able to choose wisely, set realistic goals and proceed towards your goals. Don’t fall for the New Year’s Resolution hype because it’s temporary and you will fail if you don’t have a plan that works for you.

You may feel a bit intimidated, scared, etc. because you’re stepping outside of your comfort zone. But now that you have a playbook, you have been empowered to take charge, shop for yourself, ask the right questions and those feelings will subside. In the end, the gym environment is s super friendly one, both employees and members, I just want you to understand the employees have roles and that’s their job. Period, don’t take anything personally. If you have questions, ask for help, they WILL help you. Members will help you too, so don’t be afraid to make friends. I love the fitness industry and community and this blog and podcast were produced to empower the average person who may not be aware of the fitness industry’s dirty little secret, perfection.

Best wishes to you in this magnificent year of the dragon, 2024! 2024 is a year of prosperity in health, wealth and happiness. May you be blessed with everything your heart desires in 2024! Go get that gym membership, your future self will thank you!

Podcast