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I’ve had plenty of time to think about my experiences in the corporate fitness world over the last year, simply because that’s where I cut my teeth and then subsequently got them knocked out. Now, if this is beginning to sound like a rant, you’re partially correct. It’s a bit of a rant and a bit of a cautionary tale.
I worked in the corporate fitness world for ten years, and before I was pushed out, I was as perfectly happy as a fish in an aquarium. Then something happened. I realized that I was captured. I was contained. Once I realized this, I started to expand my knowledge and do things that the competition wasn’t willing to do. I read more, listened more, and tested more techniques and programs.
As I was doing this, a funny thing happened. I got smarter, my clients got smarter, and we all grew physically and mentally. As this progressed, I found that gym management wasn’t too thrilled. I found this to be quite disturbing. I thought to myself, “Aren’t we, as professionals, supposed to bring 
our clients the best in training principles and training knowledge?” Unfortunately, I was in for a rude awakening. As with any corporate model, it’s all about the bottom line—money.
Now, don’t get me wrong. Money is necessary to live and get things done, especially in this economy. However, it isn’t the end-all be-all and at no point should it get between the coach/trainer giving his clients/athletes the best knowledge he can. I learned that this isn’t the case at your local corporate “Globo Gym.” In this environment, it’s a sanitized, watered down, politically correct form of fitness where everyone needs to feel good about himself and never push himself because he might get hurt.
I’m all for safety and making sure that clients and athletes don’t get hurt, but whenever you’re pushing the limits of what the human body can do, getting hurt has a higher probability of happening. I find that this happens only when both the coach and client get lazy and stop paying attention or they both get ahead of themselves in ability and coaching capacity. The lesson here is know your client/athlete and pay attention.
As I stated in the title of this article, the other problem is the dumbing down of both trainer and client because everything is so sanitized and watered down. What do I mean by this exactly? I mean that every trainer does the same thing. Every trainer uses BOSU balls and overuses core training and functional training. After a while, no one is different, and if you try to be, you run the risk of having gym management come down on you like an iron fist. This is why whenever you go into a corporate gym, you see everyone doing the same thing. Aerobics classes are the exception. There’s always a variety of classes for the women who year after year get hustled by the instructors into believing that dancing around for an hour is going to get rid of the cellulite on their butts (that’s another story). That, too, ties into this dumbed down, sanitized form of fitness that we see today. It frustrates me greatly to see people fall for these schemes and shortcuts when really if they learned how to not be afraid of hard work and put forth some effort in their training and diet, they would reach their goals much more quickly. I hope this article has been entertaining for you to read. Feel free to leave comments below. I’d love to read about your adventures in corporate fitness land.
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Charles Gardner graduated from Oakwood University with a bachelor's degree in science. He is certified with the ISSA, AFFA, and Parillo Performance and is an amateur powerlifter/Strongman. He is also an adjunct professor at Oakwood University. For more information, visit his website and YouTube page at 
I love this line: “There’s always a variety of classes for the women who year after year get hustled by the instructors into believing that dancing around for an hour is going to get rid of the cellulite on their butts.”
Good stuff Charles.
gad to hear about your awakening. sorry if you lost your job. i don’t have a training cert of any kind but have been competing in sports and lifting for over 32 years. it’s funny how if you are truely serious about your goals things in the gym become very simple, including the lifts you do. i train several kids and people and have them follow the same basic program i use for power lifting. i just adjust the loads and rep ranges to suit their levels of strength and switch their accesory lifts along with their me every training session so they don’t get board. it’s kinda cool when a 65 year old man with copd at a 180 pounds hits a 225 bench , a 235 comp squat and a 330 pound dead lift by using 4 or 5 basic lifts and is actually looking kind of buff while his peers are still ploding along on the tred mill and doing bosa ball curls. embrace the simple and dump the crap, good luck, rudy
Absolutely on the money, 100%. Unfortunately most fitness professionals (and I use that term lightly) don’t even realize the vastness of our industry because they are stuck under the false pretenses of “security” that working for a corperate gym setting presents. It’s never about you, never about the betterment of the client, but always about the bottom line. Even your knowledge base in working with these big box gyms gets stunted, and it’s sad really. Fortunately if one wants to grow and actually make a difference in someone’s life, the ability and information to be able to do just that is out there. All it takes is removing one’s blinders…
Good article, Charles. I’ve seen some of the things you referenced and it was frustrating. The management was keeping our workouts confined to a box. We tried to work outside of that and were knocked down. I like that my trainer does an incredible amount of research; research that is geared toward my needs as a client. This includes better ways of achieving a goal that takes into account my weaknesses or physical ailments. Kudos to you!
The fitness industry has regressed from a once beneficial outlet towards health and strength, into a rolling conglomerate of fat farms. They have no intention on solving the needs of their patrons, simply because it would result in no “repeat business,” subsequently it exploits horribly deconditioned people into NASM stability addicts. Therefore never requiring any true accountability of results aside from some increased “proprioception of limbs” and plank duration. Give me a squat rack and a concept 2 rower, real situps, and the responsibility of gripping the bar without straps, and il gladly change the hearts and glutes of the enslaved. great article, sorry for the rant, haha
This article hit spot on. I used to work at a “gym” called Club Fitness. It was owned by a chiropractor who was the biggest money grubber I’ve ever seen. He treated his employees terribly, employed the dumbest of “head trainers” and managers, and his philosophy was “Profit, and that’s all that matters.” Probably. All the trainers were encouraged to give the clients just enough so that they continue to purchase training programs (which was extremely expensive on top of an already expensive membership!) Now, I understand that a business is supposed to make profit, but having several “trainers” with kinesiology degrees at 8 bucks an hour isn’t exactly awesome. I believe their education and knowledge deserved to be encouraged instead of reduced to functional training and bosu ball crap. We utilized a computer system that trainers could load a workout onto a jump drive and the clients could record their training on it as they went. The only problem is that EVERY single person’s work out was the same. Not specialized. Not unique. All the same. And the only way to obtain something challenging was to purchase a personal training package! WEAK. It was a sad environment to work in because I only worked the front desk and I secretly gave training advice whenever I could. Our clients were so misinformed by not only media and fitness magazines, but our trainers fed them bull crap all the time. I always inquired about their progress and it was typically “I feel good, but I haven’t seen any results,” or something of that nature. Our manager was an arrogant prick who wouldn’t take any tips or advice. Ever. He was mis-informed, ill-advised and uneducated. Not to mention he never had the bar on his back to do a SQUAT! Typical yield-shaped meathead who roided up and did kick backs. Anyway, I have hopes to start my own training center soon. I’ve been working with graphic designers and such to create a logo, moto, etc. When I establish a training facility, I will definitely be using all of Dave Tate’s business advice as well as every bit of information from ClubFTS to NEVER be like Club Fitness or Globo Gym.
I train in a corporate gym in the UK and the experience is exactly as you stated above.
It’s the same old stuff every time I go in. You can almost guarentee that if you see someone doing something completely ridiculous (like standing on a medicine ball then squatting with a small 10kg fix barbell trying not to fall flat on their face) It’s come out of last weeks ‘Mens’ magazines. It seems the more crazy as an inventor you can be in the ‘fitness industry’ the more you are rewarded. Holographic wrist bands that ‘remove harmful frequencies’ from the environment around you and allow you lift more and large vibrating plates that will turn you into the next Arnie come to mind.
As for the staff (sigh)..I was deadlifting in the corner last week which is out of the way of most of the idiots and I noticed a guy having a personal training session. I was intrigued to see the trainer lead this guy over to the squat rack, it doesn’t happen often. My initial hopes of seeing something that is actually functional were dashed after the first rep. The guy having the session was about 5ft10 and probably about 160-170lbs so certainly not tiny yet the trainer had him load up the bar with 55kg (120lbs) then squat down about 4 inches, if that. It wasn’t even a half rep! And to make it worse, as I shook my head in despair, I heard the trainer say “perfect, well done! The last rep was perfect depth”….it wasn’t.
Well I train at a typical commercialgym. Almost nobody trains legs or uses freeweights. But there are lots of different machines and people training biceps. One day when I deadlifted 308lbs for a few reps all the people around me look at me in pity. They told me that I would destroy my whole back with this amount of weight and would have severe problems in at least 5 years. That was kinda sad I think
The “globo gym” bottom line – the smarter more educated better trainer will desire more compensation. The dumbed down “sheep” trainer can be interchanged with any other trainer if one has to be fired/quits. By being better you become an individual and are not easily replaced and the gym risks losing clients if/when (and it usually is a when) you leave.
This was a great article. I’m glad to finally read an article that makes sense in the fitness world. Everything today is so “cookie cut.” Variety or different forms of fitness exercise is great… but the client really wants “results” and something different from the norm. Thanks for this great article and I hope that this article goes public and thanks for being truthful about the “Globo Gym” reality.
A big thank you to everybody who commented on this article! I always try and put out good stuff and any time i get comments I feel like I have contributed something helpful as well as entertaining,
Today’s mainstream fitness trends are all about getting results as fast as possible with as little effort as possible.. Infomercials are making people think that getting results is the easiest thing in the world: Ab belts that “melt away” fat, just by wearing it, or an interesting looking piece of home gym equipment that gives you a “solid workout” in 11 minutes, or my all-time favorite: the shake-weight.
Bottom line, there is no substitute for hard work. The guys who are in the informercials for those products look the way they do because they eat right and actually work their ass off in the gym, they don’t take the easy/convenient route that the infomercial is trying to sell and make a quick buck off of, before it is proven wrong by a study or science.
I am a trainer at an LA Fitness. when I was hired I was allowed to bring several big tires and a sled with me. I thank them for this and the small amount of freedom I’m allowed, but its still only for $6 a session. not exactly an inspiring wage. But they let me do what I want and my clients get results and like the variety. pretty sure I’m the only one here who has people deadlifting and squatting regularly. not to mention the lack of curls in my programs…
the benefit is that people see what I teach and are curious. I’m in it more for bettering people at this point.
@ Jason, that’s great that they let you bring in tires and sleds most gyms would have issues with that unless its Steve Pulcinella’s place IronSport Gym or the EliteFTS compound, those inplements make up their cardio section.
Seriously Im a manager at a gym and all’s I can say this hits the nail on the head for me right now. Today I was told by one the trainers that probably needs training herself and her 140lb with a roll of quaters in his pockets boyfriend that I dont train right and should be training my core more on a bosu ball and doing some stupid one leg thing where your picking up dumbells my reply was you guys cant even squat your bodyweight and I squat 600 hmmmm.
Hands down 5/3/1 is the best program and It makes me sick to my stomach to see these people drop $3000 and look the same day in and day out and they ask me whats my secret and the trainers or other managers discredit what I have to say.
Nice work, Charles! Good to hear your thoughts on the whole thing since I was around while a lot of it was going on. I’m still not sure how me and Joe got away with hanging our climbing rope from the upstairs track in the gym, especially considering all the passive-aggressive comments we got from one former figure competitor turned trainer about making marks on the beautiful walls while doing handstand push-ups. We were always placing bets on where they were going to move the bumper plates next to make them harder to get to. I knew it was the beginning of the end the first time some girl that was supposedly a “gym manager” (and had been there for maybe a week) wouldn’t let me take dumbbells upstairs. Joe and I did our C&J right in front of the door and ran upstairs to use the rower every round. That was when I started saving up and buying/making equipment for my garage. I’m a big fan of being my own “gym manager” now
Nice Charles,
I was there when they first opened their doors, I was there when you were experiencing the issues you mention now and I’m still there now. You’re spot on with your assessment. When I first started using their racks and platforms as they should be used, I was given all sorts of “advice” and “safety tips”, but you already know how I train, so I’ll leave it at that. No one bothers me these days – partly because I train at 5AM now and I guess they’re still too sleepy to notice the ground shaking during my deadlift sessions, lol.
Just like I told you when you were there, keep doing what you do – if they want to stay on the sidelines and keep their illusion of training, so be it. I doubt “GLOBO-gym” heads will ever wake up and I guess I don’t care at this point. I’m going to continue to get my money’s worth at their gym by using the equipment as it should be used.
Still need to stop by your new place to get my sweatshirt…and a workout, lol.
-Freddie T.
@ Fred: Hey thanks for reading the article man. I appreciate the support!
Charles:
Great post.
“…a funny thing happened. I got smarter, my clients got smarter, and we all grew physically and mentally. As this progressed, I found that gym management wasn’t too thrilled.”
Management was not too thrilled because “business model” for personal training in most gyms is to make the client dependent on the trainer. It is hard to sell an educated client endless “packages” of training sessions. The “Globo Gym” mentality is the perfect fit for cash generation because if every trainer is doing the same thing and no trainer is helping clients define specific fitness goals, then you can string clients along for years. Since all the trainers are doing the same thing, once one trainer becomes too expensive for a club, you can just swap him/her out for a cheaper (read “newly certified” one) and keep the dough rolling in. The “Globo Gym” model puts all the pressure on the trainer to produce more clients, more sessions, while management gets to sit back and demand more.
Phil Kaplan did a good job of analyzing the psychological disconnect in the club setting between client and trainer. Once the trainer has sold that package of ten sessions, the pressure is off the client. From the first session, the client is counting down (“nine more sessions to go…”), while the pressure mounts on the trainer to sell another package. As you wind down to the last few sessions, the client is almost disengaged from the process (“one more session to go”), while the pressure is on for the trainer the sell another package. How can a trainer design effective programs for clients when he/she is constantly trying to sell more packages and attract more clients?
It all boils down to the current model of “personal training,” starting from the name itself has failed the client. Yes, people continue to hire trainers and keep the clubs humming, but the homogenization of training under the “Globo Gym” model will mean an increasingly dissatisfied customer base. At some point that base will grow to a point where they will be primed to adopt newer models. Where will YOU be when that day comes?
I’ve worked as a personal trainer, full time, for a large Gold’s Gym chain in the Midwest for five+years. It’s a huge globo-gym. But we have a tire and sledgehammer outside, homemade prowlers, many kettlebells, TRX straps, ropes, and 11 trainers. Management allows and encourages our diversity in training. I have a top-10 World’s Strongest Man competitor on staff (Jason Bergmann) an aspiring national-level strongman, a competitive Crossfit / triathlete, etc., as trainers. I assume most big shiny gymns are as written about, and I’ve certainly been in many of them, but there are good exceptions.
I’m with John here…I’m the “head trainer” at a commercial health club where in the last 6 years we’ve gotten more and more support from our owner and management because our results and passion have set us apart from the rest. When I started at my club (we have 5) our head trainer was a hobbyist who was a runner up in a Body for LIfe contest and knew very little about training. Our gym floor was littered with Hammer Strength and Nautilus. Now we’ve got tons of open space, power racks, kettlebells, Prowlers, chalk boxes, suspension training devices, SMR tools, specialty bars, etc. But more importantly trainers who are presenting at and attending NSCA conferences, getting advanced certs, critically thinking about and applying the wealth of information regarding training, and networking with the best and brightest to get better. Our company is behind us on this, so much that I’ve been tasked with getting the rest of our fitness professionals up to speed and better aligned with the philosophy that we’ve developed at my club–we were built to move, and we train to move better through appropriate means so that our members and clients can go out there and do whatever they want in life. Every time I read an article like this or see posts reflecting the negative approach to this business I’m reminded of how fortunate I am to work where I do.
Like John said, we’re not all bad!
Amen brotha!!!
Exactly right when he says “politically correct.” This country is being watered down and wimpified in EVERY ASPECT, from what we’re allowed to say without becoming demonized, to how we work out, by this political correctness that seems to want us all to be soft, malleable zombie robot lemmings. God forbid a trainer have a client do anything truly hard, an injury might occur and then the lawyers will sue! Somehow we have all wound up in the wrong side of the looking glass. I like to think of gyms like CrossFit or power lifting clubs and websites like this as the push back to all of that nonsense.
I couldn’t have come across this article at a better time. I work in an old school gym that is rapidly becoming a globo style fitness centre in northern california. In the past month or so the head trainers and owner have started to lay the hammer down about my ‘boring’ style of training. My ‘boring’ training consists of either strength training or horrendous conditioning, which leaves most of my clients on the verge of puking.
Here are some quotes I got thrown at me:
‘ At the end of the day its about making money. Thats whats important.’
‘ How about throwing in some jumping jacks between deadlifts?’
After seeing my client dragging a sled for the tenth time: ‘you aren’t making them do any cardio!’
‘Hit your clients with hundreds of exercises, don’t let them rest and they will think they have had a ‘ killer’ workout.’
I watched a trainer load a bar up to 225 the other week and without a warm up expected his client to lift it. The kids back nearly folded over instead and so I complained. The trainer makes the gym some good money because he can talk the talk and so he was never even asked about it. Its that kind of thing that drives me mad. Its a sad state of affairs when the good trainer gets reprimanded and the bad one can do whatever he wants as long as they make the gym money.
Sorry for the random rant.
Wow guys I appreciate all your comments, its nice to know that I am not alone in my viewpoints.
I got out of the fitness industry all together when I realized that there is too much money and influence in these Globo Gyms to ever really have financial security. Yes, doing your own thing like opening a Crossfit box or training clients out of your garage is a solution, but all of you in those situations can count on GloboGym lobbyists in the near future making garage gyms somehow illegal and requiring PT certs that are ‘approved’ by the State and some committee that will most certainly be oriented to a conservative bodybuilding/wellness approach. Yes, I’m saying that heavy deadlifting could become ‘illegal’ (or at least unauthorized) for a trainer to use on a PT client. Think I’m joking?
http://www.ideafit.com/fitness-library/personal-trainer-licensing-debate