I've again been given the suggestion to attempt to get clients by doing what is called "The Hit and Run". Basically, it consists of hanging out in the weight room, finding someone who is doing something incorrectly or for no good reason interrupt someones workout, offering advise and then leaving, in the off chance that they might want to train with you, due to them thinking that you know your stuff, by giving them a nugget of knowledge, in non-pressure way. Has anyone had this technique work on any consistent basis? Or have any feedback on this idea?
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“I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times.” Bruce Lee
It's fine to help someone out with advice but obviously you can be more tactful. You could ask the person if they might want a little complimentary training. Don't approach them like they are doing something wrong or as a salesman.
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Working "hard," or the perception of working hard, doesn't really mean anything. Sweating, vomiting, and breathing hard could be a good workout or a tropical disease kicking in.-Dan John
If you are working floor shifts smile a lot and be available to help people if they ask for it. Learn members names. When I was at the gym and I saw someone doing something dangerously I would always politely interrupt them and explain what they were doing wrong. The exercise I corrected most was the deadlift and its variations.
In the beginning I gave a ton of free help to people. I noticed that when I was working with someone other members always kind of stopped and listened. It definitely got me more clients than hanging out behind the desk and being on the computer.
If you are working floor shifts smile a lot and be available to help people if they ask for it. Learn members names. When I was at the gym and I saw someone doing something dangerously I would always politely interrupt them and explain what they were doing wrong. The exercise I corrected most was the deadlift and its variations.
In the beginning I gave a ton of free help to people. I noticed that when I was working with someone other members always kind of stopped and listened. It definitely got me more clients than hanging out behind the desk and being on the computer.
You just NAILED it right there Ryan!
That is precisely how we teach our trainers to do it. Incidentally, it works so well that we call it the "trainer feeder program" at my facility.
Know your shit. After that it helps if you have a personality. That's pretty much it. If you are missing either one of these, no magic marketing technique will help you.
I left a gym because they had to much of this. Be careful of who you offer free advice too, most people dont want it (even if what they are doing is, in your opinion, bad).
If I see someone who really seems to know their shit I don't try to advise them, I start asking them questions. There's always room for more knowledge.
Like others have said (in different words): Don't go at it with the "Hit and Run" mindset. It will be too apparent and it will put people off.
As far as offering help:
Men: if the guy is deadlifting less than 200 pounds and is struggling or has bad form (or both), approach it like this: "Hey man, it's rare to see someone deadlifting. Very cool. It can be a tricky lift for some people. How's it going?" Then he has an opening to say, "It's ok, but I feel it in my lower back a lot."
If the guy is deadlifting a decent amount of weight but his form is not perfect, I either let him go or watch for tell-tale signs: massaging his lower back between reps, etc. Then you can open with, "How's your back doing? Just noticed you were rubbing it. That's a common difficulty with deadlifts."
But if a guy is lifting a decent amount, shows no signs of injury, I won't say a word, even if I notice anything. At that point most guys let their ego get in the way of advice. Same goes for bench press and shoulder issues.
With women, I'm very careful to begin with a compliment about the fact that they're lifting weights, and then follow it quickly with something like, "I've trained some people that have had (fill in soreness/injury) with that lift... would you mind if I mentioned something that seems to help that?"
The reason I begin with a compliment and a reference to clients is so that they know right off the bat that I take them seriously (for lifting) and that I'm not hitting on them (I'm in "work mode" talking about clients).
Does a guy like that get trained to lift like that, or is it just the way he started and it just works for him?
this style deadlifting, often called 'konsti style' is becoming more popular. I know a few 700+lbs pullers that pull this way without problems, kind of makes you wonder.
konsti claims that it wasn't until he surpassed a 800lbs pull that he modified his form to what he uses now which reduces the ROM.
yes, it is taught now a days. rounded upperback to reduce ROM, the main thing emphasized is that the lower back cant change position from where it started.
Hit and Run
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