Over the last 4-5 years low-cost box gyms have exploded onto the fitness market. Situated in highly accessible areas with a no-frills approach and memberships as low as £10 per month, they have become the most common places in which to work out.
Up until recently these large mainstream gyms appeared to have got the formula just right. Relying on a high membership rate due to the attractive low monthly membership and lengthy contractual tie-ins means less focus is required on customer care and turnover is of little consequence. These gyms do not have to fight to keep their clients as there has always been a constant influx of new members. It also doesn’t matter if members do not turn up – the monthly fee still gets paid to the gym – so it’s a win-win for the Box Gym!
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So what does a Box gym provide?
Other than it’s cheap membership fee you will likely have access to rows of cardio machines, a wide range of resistance machines and some free weights. This is all absolutely fantastic – provided you know how to use them! That swanky cafe and plush changing room that compelled you sign on the dotted line won’t mean much when you haven’t got a clue where to start!! Your options are to either hire a Personal Trainer (ave £35 per hour) or just get on the nearest cardio machine and spend your precious membership fee pounding a treadmill (after all, everyone knows how to run, right?) Eventually you realise that you’re not getting anywhere, you lose motivation, you stop going to the gym and the life-changing journey to a healthier you is lost.
Then came the boutique and micro-gym movement – the current trend to hit the fitness industry.
Focusing on niches, such as ladies only or specific styles and areas of fitness, these establishments offer a more personal service for a concentrated number of members and are considered higher end than the mainstream gyms. Appointment only studio sessions with small groups and dedicated personal training sessions offer an exceptional level of service which box gyms simply cannot touch. Some provide you with you own personal shower/locker room, freshly laundered towels and even send you on your way with a fresh apple! This style of gym does come at a premium, but it offers a more tailored service which will almost certainly guarantee results.
Consumers are now wising up to the lack of support and guidance a box gym provides, and box gyms are now trying to grab a slice of the action – looking at constructing micro-gyms within their premises to cater for this fast-emerging market; however not everyone can necessarily afford the high price tag of a boutique or micro-gym, so maybe the box gym of the future will strike that balance of client care and reasonable membership fees; though there’s a long way to go!
Enter the original concept of dbPT Transformation Studio – we have struck that balance.
We are a small dedicated Fitness Studio offering exceptional client care and support for all of our valued members, having Personal Trainers on hand to assist at all times as standard. Unlike box gyms we are not about the numbers and unlike boutique gyms we are not about the price. We believe that anyone who comes to the decision to improve their life through diet and fitness should have full support and not have to pay exceptional fees to do so. Simply, we tick all the boxes to ensure that we track and assist our clients from the outset until their goals are achieved – oh, and we always have some fun along the way!