If you are getting this email, there is a decent chance we have spoken.
Sure, some people might randomly sign up to get emails from a gym they have no interest in attending. Just as some people might enjoy watching slap fight competitions or performing high rep sets of Bulgarian Split Squats.
They exist. But they are psychopaths.
Most people who get these emails are either current or former members or they have signed up for an introductory call.
And since I currently hold the staff record for most sales calls - an accomplishment I am almost as proud of as my record for eating the most slices at the CiCis Pizza Buffet on Jericho Turnpike - there is a good chance that you spoke with me.
While the goal of these calls is for you to learn about the gym and get a better understanding of how what we do might help you, I’ve noticed something else happening over the years of taking these calls.
Without ever having seen you squat or run a mile or max out your deadlift, these calls can reliably predict (with 97.4% accuracy!) whether or not you have a chance at reaching your fitness goals.
“How is that even possible,” you yell incredulously at your brand new iPhone 17.
“How can one phone call be the predictor of my future fitness success?!?”
You’re right to be skeptical, but that doesn’t make it any less true.
To put the proverbial proof in the pudding (as well as get this blog post to my contractually obligated 800 word minimum), I am going to share with you the two very important traits that are critical for your fitness success which also happen to reveal themselves on every call.
So turn up the brightness on that aforementioned iPhone, hit the pause button on Kiss’s “I Was Made For Loving You” (which I just know is playing in your headphones right now) because you are going to want to give your full attention to this.
First, everyone who is successful takes action.
They might not sign up on the call. They might not even sign up for our gym.
But they use the phone call to push the process forward and try something that could be successful.
Often this is just jumping in and giving our 6 session trial a shot (bonus points if you had already decided you were going to jump in before the call even started or if you sign up and get started in the next day or two).
Some people don’t like to make decisions on the spot. Fair enough. So they want to think it over or comparison shop or discuss with their partner.
And here is the difference between the people who are successful and those who are not, they actually do it. They take the couple of days and actually get back to me.
Some of them jump in (great!). Some of them find a gym that is more convenient or costs less or whatever and they sign up for that (also great!). In either case, they are moving the ball forward. It is remarkably frustrating to talk to people who want better for themselves, know what they are doing isn't working and still decide to do nothing about it.
Of course I want you to give our gym a try. But more than that, I want you to give something you believe in a try.
Doing nothing is death. And I don’t want you dead. If you are dead my subscriber number would go down and that is a blow my ego just can’t take.
The second unifying trait is that they are honest.
You want to train with us? Awesome.
It costs more than you are budgeted for? I understand.
You don’t want to walk the extra two blocks to get to us? Hmmmm, I don’t love that but appreciate the candor.
You want one-on-one. You don’t want to lift weights. You were looking for a combo of boxing, yoga and pilates (boxingyogalates??) because you know that is the only thing that works for “your body”? Ok, sure. No problem.
But if you know that you aren’t going to sign up for this (or anything else) and you are just stringing me along, you are kind of being an asshole.
Asking for an email recapping everything we spoke about rather than just saying “no”. Signing up for a tour that you no-show and never had the intention of attending. Scheduling a follow up and then ghosting.
These are the traits of the person who will never reach their goals.
Not because you haven’t signed up for our gym or that you inconvenienced me. It’s because you can’t be honest. And you are going to need to be very honest with yourself and, ultimately, your support system if you are going to accomplish the seemingly daunting task of getting in the type of shape that would satisfy you.
Training is constant confrontation with your limits and your humanity. And I realize that sounds grandiose but that doesn’t make it any less true. You will get to the point where you won’t be able to move the needle forward if you aren’t brutally honest.
It could be your consistency or your strength or your range of motion or your attitude or about a million other things that are holding you back. Whatever it is, you are going to confront that thing with a level of determination, humility and, yes, honesty if you are going to move forward.
And if you can’t achieve that level of transparency on a phone call with someone who genuinely wants to help you (and gives you every opportunity to tell me the truth) how do you expect to do that if you have a I-don’t-know-if-I-can-lift-this bar on your back or you are so breathless from a 2k row that you wonder for a full 5 minutes if you will ever recover from.
I know, I know. Those of you who perhaps recognize this in themselves are cursing and think I’m kind of an asshole and can’t get to the unsubscribe button quickly enough.
But since this may be my last opportunity to give you some coaching advice before you disappear forever, let me leave you with this.
Fix this problem. It’s not only the way that you’ll get in shape, it’s the only way to get anything you want.