Critical question: When you started training them, did they come to you, or did you talk them into it?
Rip et al,
I asked, a couple of years ago or so, about starting a non-profit gym and coaching veterans. I was fresh on the program and wide-eyed at the pure potential of strength training to help veterans with physical mental health issues related to service/deployments. It helped me in immeasurable ways. I've used myself as a grand experiment since then... even forgoing training the last several months to finally get a solid diagnosis (T issues, random overtraining, GI tract issues, etc.) that strength training was helping TOO MUCH. By the way, don't fucking do that to whoever else is reading this. That being fixed, I'm back on the novice progression to return to intermediate levels with a baby boy on the way and a move coming up.
But enough about me- about the second part of what you told me. I started coaching people (other than my wife). Trying to get people to coach has been the bane of my progression to being confident enough to attempt a SSC certification at a conference. Granted, I'm not a gym owner. I have a full-time job, and the only people in the area that have decently equipped gyms are the CrossFit boxes. I've trained people, successfully, but never for a period of longer than 3 months.
1. Friend - Male, 30, 360 lbs, 5'6": Rapid body composition change, squatting (safety bar) 340+ to depth after three months. Obviously increased hip mobility with slow but steady progress for his shoulders. Reduction of blood pressure and blood glucose. Quit training but bought a rowing machine.
2. Friend - Male, 34, 220 lbs, 6'2": Complained of major pectoral tear while benching 8 years ago with complaints of exercise-induced pain. Had him benching 135 within 5 minutes pain-free. Trained for 4 weeks and quit.
3. Friend - Male, 38, 165 lbs, 5'10": Rapid progress from very light loads, linearly, in 8 weeks. Already visible muscle hypertrophy in a skinny motherfucker. Stopped training after 9 weeks.
4. Neighbor - Male, 40, 225 lbs, 5'11": Sheriff's deputy, natural athlete. Made great progress for 5-6 months, but quit on the verge of transitioning to intermediate programming due to work. Never came back after getting moved to permanent day shift.
Now, my wife assures me that I'm not an intolerable person (although, she may be biased...). I'm not a SSC, but I've had nothing but positive results with people teaching them on the SS model. No one's gotten hurt. Everyone has improved their form and their weights have progressed linearly. All reported increased general sense of well-being and health. None have stayed.
How the fuck did you other people do this? I can't GIVE this shit away. People who have witnessed great results in themselves (and me) don't stick with it. I don't have the time or means for the next 1-2 years to facilitate opening up a gym myself, so I have to continue working out of the garage. I feel like I'm stuck in a loop where I need the experience coaching to get the certification, but I don't feel adequately qualified (at least on paper) to charge people and expose myself to that risk without one.
As always, I greatly appreciate the advice.
Dave
Critical question: When you started training them, did they come to you, or did you talk them into it?
Is this the unfortunate reality that there is something you want to do, but enough others just don't want to pay you for it that you can make a living ?
This is the situation with lots of special interest professions: athletes, musicians, self-help gurus, etc, etc, etc.
It is just an unfortunate reality that only the best-of-the-best, or those willing to suffer for a long time to build credibility can be successful in these.
But you can still live a happy productive life in other employment that is available and has a demand.
Another problem is the age of your demographic. 30-somethings are terrible clients. Life is too busy and they haven't experienced the negative health consequences of aging and loss of strength.
Clue.......no one pays you for extended periods of time because barbell training is so awesome and they want a 500 lb squat. They have deeper motivations, usually fear based. 30 year olds aren't scared yet
It isn't really a "training" issue but a "business" one. A business plan should be the first step - a study of demographics, location, access, all the things any business has to deal with. If you could convince every single veteran near you - are there enough of them to actually support a gym? Gyms that target everybody struggle enough with this. And being pretty much "free" doesn't really help retain people. You can't make people want to be healthy or workout - they have to actually want to. Perhaps targeting older veterans might be better.
Ah, the paradox of good coaching services. Whenever people get what they want, they suddenly don't want it anymore. Hence the narrowcasting. Fuck them. I'm sick of people who have everything to lose that just open their windows and throw everything out while some sap with nothing left to lose is trying his best to keep what scraps are left and maybe gain some back. Take their money and wave them goodbye when they leave.