590 North Kays Drive, Kaysville, Utah 84037
590 North Kays Drive, Kaysville, Utah 84037
See also: 10 Reasons To Join
As the owner of Lifelong Fitness, I used to answer this question based on how our trainers looked on paper. I would write out accomplishments, such as “our trainers have 4-year degrees,” or “our trainers are certified through nationally accredited organizations such as ACSM, NSCA and/or through world-class organizations like the CHEK Institute,” and finally “we tackle nutrition!”
However, I soon discovered that while a personal trainer’s resume is very important, it does not tell the whole story. For example, I have hired trainers in the past who have had master’s degrees, but when it comes to working with a client, they lack people skills, and they often do not practice what they preach. They also tend to think that because they have a degree, they already know everything and only work for the money. I soon realized that a person is so much more complex than what a simple resume can portray.
My main objective now is to capture the best of BOTH WORLDS! I require my trainers to both possess excellent credentials, as mentioned above, AND, most importantly, to possess an ability to interact with another human being who is seeking coaching and mentorship. Making personal change is not easy, and it takes a patient, caring, and knowledgeable trainer to help facilitate that change.
That is my promise to you. When you join Lifelong Fitness Personal Training Gym, you will be paired up with someone who is invested in your journey. You will have the opportunity to consult for free so that we can find you the perfect match. If you consult a trainer with whom you don’t feel comfortable, then I will gladly get you set up with somebody else.
At Lifelong Fitness, we believe that getting in shape requires a true lifestyle change. Sure, you can make temporary changes (getting ready for a wedding, reunion, vacation, etc.), but if you want to make lasting change in your life, you will need to change habits that have been engraved in your psyche for many years. How many times have you told yourself that you don’t have enough time? How many times have you sworn that you were not going to have that last bowl of ice cream before you call it good for the day? How many times did you promise yourself that you were going to get in shape come January, Monday, or tomorrow?
Making a true lifestyle change can be one of the hardest tasks that we human beings do. Why? Because habits rule our lives for better or for worse. If we don’t change our bad habits, we set ourselves up for long-term frustration, roller coaster dieting, and quick-fix solutions that never seem to help us in the long run.
This is the power of a coach, a mentor, and a personal trainer. And the good news? At Lifelong Fitness, you get all three! Our trainers are highly skilled in habit change, goal setting, mentorship, and coaching. If you want to go beyond simple personal training and work with somebody who can mentor you, coach you, and train you, then you have found the right place.
Lifelong Fitness is all about lifestyle change. As such, there is no place for judgement or overly large egos. We pride ourselves in treating clients as family. As a matter of fact, we have often been accused of being the Cheers of gyms. Talk to any member of Lifelong Fitness, and they will instantly confirm that everybody says hello to them by their first name when they walk in the door, and it does not matter if they are a first time client or a 5-year veteran.
Our goal is to provide you with a training environment in which you feel comfortable. We want you to feel at home when you are training with us and that simply cannot happen if you feel intimidated, embarrassed, or ashamed. You will notice that we are laid back, professional, and friendly.
I have occasionally been asked “so what exactly do I get when I join Lifelong Fitness?” Our main mission is to promote lifestyle change within our clientele. For us to reach that goal, a few things have to be in place:
-Hour long sessions so that we can go through the coaching and mentorship process. A typical session will include both office time (during which discuss accountability and nutrition coaching) AND one-on-one gym time.
-We offer significantly MORE than any other gym at a fraction of the cost. If you go to any other gym, you will be expected to pay a monthly membership on top of an initiation fee. We do not charge those fees, and you still get 24/7 access to the gym. The current rate of an hour- long personal training session in Salt Lake City is $65/hour, and we are well under that rate.
-If you were to hire a private nutritionist, get a separate gym membership, and then hire a personal trainer, it would cost over $200/month MORE than what you would spend at Lifelong Fitness. We firmly believe we are one of the best-kept secrets of the health and wellness world here in Davis County.
We know that our clients expect us to be 100% committed to them. We also expect our clients to be committed to us. We expect that there will be a physical, mental, and financial commitment from our clients, and we also expect that those commitments will help them on their journey to long-term health and wellness. We appreciate symbiotic relationships of mutual investment and our promise is that we will help you reach your goals if you are willing to commit to us.
We are looking for clients who are committed to change despite “external circumstances.” Yes life happens, and, yes, there are times that life throws us off course. We are looking for clients who are eager to change their lives and will DO WHAT IT TAKES to get there. We are not looking for clients who are not willing to take personal responsibility for their choices and instead make excuses for inaction. This may seem harsh, but we take what we do very seriously, and we are seeking clients who are also serious about change.
Back in 2000, I earned my first personal training certification, quit my nine-to-five job, and headed to Gold’s Gym to become a personal trainer. That sounds simple enough . . . except I had recently bought my first home, and I thought that I was going to march into Gold’s Gym and instantly be loaded up with another nine-to-five job with plenty of clients to pay my mortgage.
OH, HOW WRONG I WAS!
When I entered the doors of Gold’s Gym, I was greeted by the manager who took me into his office. I proudly displayed my shiny new personal training certificate, and he merely nodded and proceeded to tell me that all of the trainers were “1099s.” I acted like I knew what he was talking about, and then I asked him when he wanted me to start. Needless to say he gave me the deer in the headlight look and then spoke words of terror into my soul that I shall never forget:
“Griff, you are not understanding. You are an independent contractor, and you will have to build up your own clientele. You are self-employed and will have to pay us $400 rent every month to train here.”
“What? Really? . . . Oh no . . . ”
I can still remember the fear coursing through my veins as I asked myself how I was going to pay my mortgage and make ends meet with NO other job in sight!
Well, as they say, it’s amazing what we human beings are capable of when our backs are against the wall. I made the commitment to myself at that very moment that there was NO plan B and that I was going to be the BEST personal trainer in that gym.
Long story short, I began reading and studying to better myself professionally and personally, and, within 3 short months, I had build up a clientele over 30 clients–more than any other trainer there, even more than the trainers who had been there for years. The manager pulled me aside and told me that he had never seen this happen over the course of his career.
This trend continued for 4 solid years. After seeing my success remain constant and steady, the manager again pulled me aside and informed me that they were taking their training “in-house,” and that they would like me to be the head trainer. Four years ago, I would have been ecstatic about the offer, but something in my soul told me it was the wrong move.
I was now stuck between a rock and a hard place. I could go with Gold’s, but I knew it was a dead end. Not to mention, I was also not pleased with their standard of training. Personal training had become nothing more than a moneymaking machine for big box gyms at the time, and the level of service given to the client was nearly non-existent.
Things had to change. It was time to take things into my own hands. I wanted to create a personal training gym that was devoted to helping people change their overall lifestyle. I wanted to create a gym that taught people how to eat in a simple and sustainable way. I wanted to create a service where people felt comfortable, unintimidated, and loved. I wanted to create an environment filled with very confidant and competent personal trainers who love people and want to serve them.
I am happy to say that Lifelong Fitness began its journey in 2006 and has never been stronger. We are currently adding new services and making the dream ever better.
If you have ever been frustrated with big-box gyms giving you a “one-size-fits-all” approach, I would sincerely invite you to come and see what we have to offer. I think you are really going to like what you see.
Life is Good!
Your friend and partner in health and wellness,
– Griff
Helping Utah change for life
Lifelong Fitness Personal Training Gym
590 North Kays Drive
Kaysville, Utah 84037
801-444-2796