There’s always something to do. That was a realization I came to about 2 years after opening the studio. I never lock up at night or get up from my desk at home telling myself everything is checked off my “to-do” list. This realization taught me to prioritize my time into quadrants of things that are urgent and things that can wait. On that list of things that can wait is to shop my competitors and to observe and learn from organizations I strive to be more like. When I opened the doors of J & D Fitness in 2015 my #1 objective was to be considered the best in Las Vegas at providing both semi-private and private training. When I had two clients away last week, I had time to visit Soul Cycle in the Wynn Plaza. An opportunity to check something off my list of things that I normally don’t have time to do.
Soul Cycle is not a direct competitor of mine. I provide small group training for mobility, strength, and fat loss. They are a spin studio, offering a cardiovascular workout in a large group setting. They are part of a publicly traded company that has been considered to retain some of the best coaches. I believe a good coach is a good coach, no matter what they are teaching or to how many. They have also recently opened a location in the Wynn Plaza. With or without Steve Wynn at the helm, the Wynn organization has built a strong reputation as one of the best in hospitality. I saw this as a chance to observe great coaching and service. I also decided to bring my operation’s assistant. I know my opinion can be biased. I wanted another honest opinion. My assistant isn’t a coach, but she watches good coaching all day from her desk at the studio and she knows how important it is to serve others.
Our greeting was pleasant. They set us up with the necessary shoes and got us set up on our bikes. The instructor came in and went throughout the room asking for the names of people who were spinning for the 1st time. I loved it! Making the newbies feel comfortable. Then the workout started.
I won’t get into the specifics of the movements we did, but I will say I can see how you can experience tight hips and shoulder issues from spinning. Physiologically, there were things I didn’t like. This isn’t my opinion, this is based upon the way the body moves, and that we live in a society that people are sitting more than ever. The big issue arose for me when I intentionally started doing things wrong. I wanted to be corrected. This never happened. I never received any feedback letting me know if I was doing things correct. The music was uplifting and did make me want to push, but I came to be coached. I could replace that by creating my own playlist on Spotify and getting on a bike. Did I sweat? Yes. Does that equate to a productive work-out? No. I could jump up and down in place for 45 minutes. That would make me sweat. Would it be productive, make me stronger, help me drop body-fat? No, no, no.
I looked around the room during the workout. Did I see people enjoying the workout? What I saw were people holding on to finish. I questioned, were these people here to get a workout or check something off their Las Vegas bucket-list?
I didn’t see the faces of the people that walk through my doors at the studio. People with past injuries or movement issues. People who have a history of a sedentary life-style. People who are willing but don’t know how to train. At Soul Cycle, I didn’t see the faces of people intimidated to walk into a gym.
I came home that evening with my beliefs more ingrained. I will continue serving the people that don’t get served. J & D Fitness will continue to be a leader in providing safe and effective workouts for strength and fat loss. We will continue to personalize our programs to the needs of our members. I guess I also need to add updating my music playlist to my list. That list that never seems to end.
See you at the studio.