So we know the basics:
We are a gym.
We are open 7 days a week.
We have a team of dedicated, passionate staff.
We have awesome, hard working members from all walks of life.
…and you are welcome to join us.
All too often, we hear members say: “I’m so glad I joined, I was worried it was going to be…” …followed by a variety of different things that we not. We’ve heard all sorts – whether it was an assumption that we were for a certain age group, or that we were purely a competitor’s gym for professional athletes, right up to someone thinking we were only open at the weekends!
So now – let’s clear up some of these rumours and talk about what we are not.
We are not about mirrors, egos and comparisons
One of the first things new members will observe when they enter the building is a distinct lack of mirrors on the gym floor. Why is this?
We feel that seeing your own reflection whilst you’re working out can do more harm than good. We have noticed that in some gyms, it can create an atmosphere of comparison, and promote negative feelings of self-judgement. It can make us too self consciousness to work hard for fear of becoming sweaty and red faced, so the workout becomes more about how you look rather than how you feel. This is not what we are about. So we say – away with the mirrors!
We are about helping you at the point you are at on your fitness journey, and celebrating your successes, however big or small.
We’re not about ranking individuals or comparing physiques, and do not have ‘A Team’ and ‘B Team’ classes. We have no time for egos or judgement. Every one of our members is there to work out together, at their own level, in a welcoming and inclusive environment. Red faced and sweaty? Who cares! That’s awesome. We’ll be there to cheer you on and congratulate you for pushing yourself.
And to check your form? That where our coaches come in. We keep group session and class caps low, to ensure you have plenty of time and attention from your coach, and so they are able to see everyone, always checking on movements and form. So – you can relax, focus on your workout – and not be distracted by what’s in the mirror.
We are not exclusive, and there’s no such thing as being ‘fit enough’ to join
It saddens us when we hear people say they felt as if they were too unfit to join. You’d never hear of someone saying their hair was too long to go to the hairdressers, or that someone was too ill to have a doctor’s advice… so why is it that there is this belief that someone needs to be of a certain fitness level before they join a gym… to get fitter?
If this is you: you are not alone.
We hear it time and time again, and the great news is: it’s simply not true. We welcome anyone and everyone, regardless of ability, background, injury, existing gym or sporting experience, disability, or fitness level. We run a comprehensive introductory 1-2-1 programmeme called ‘Get Started’, which will be tailored to you to suit your needs. And, if you feel the group sessions aren’t the thing for you, or that you’d like more support before joining the class setting, we have an enormous range of 1-2-1 options so we can help you on your journey on an individual basis.
The beauty of functional fitness is that all movements begin with the function. Don’t think you can do a squat? If you can sit down and stand up again – that’s a squat! You’ve already done one! Don’t feel you’re ready to do a deadlift? If you’ve ever picked anything up, then that’s a deadlift! You’re already there. This might be our starting point. There are no entry requirements, no minimum standards, no tests and no ‘must-haves’. We can help you from your starting point, and work towards the goals that matter to you.
We are not a business that relies on its members NOT turning up
Yep – you read that correctly… and it might sound pretty obvious at first, but it’s not as common a feature as you would think (and hope!).
Before joining the SCFIT team, one of our staff member worked at a high end chain-brand ‘Globo gym’, and was amazed to learn that they had a staggering 3000 members. But, and possibly even more surprisingly so, only around 450 were what the gym called ‘active’ members – i.e. ones who would either attend the main gym area, attend a class, or book a racket court once a week or more. So less than 20% attended four times a month. So what on earth were the other 2,550 or so members doing…?!
Quite simply: not attending. Whether it was that they lost motivation, or simply forgot they had the membership – the majority, yes – majority of members didn’t use the services regularly. So consider this: what would happen if all of those members did decide to come in a week? Would there be enough space? Unlikely. What if all of those members suddenly realised they weren’t using their memberships, and cancelled. Would the gym still be able to run with such a drastic drop in income? This where the harsh reality sinks in… that some gyms will rely on members not coming in order to function. That’s where we are different.
Our memberships are built around how many times you want to attend in a month (allowing for the odd busy week and the odd quiet week where a member might come more or fewer times – but it tends to average out over the month). These are built with you in mind, so you can tailor your membership to your routine. If we don’t see you in the gym for 10 consecutive days, we get in touch via email. Often there’s a reason (big deadline at work, holiday etc) but ultimately it’s our way of reaching out to check in, and make sure everything is ok. Perhaps the gentle reminder that we’re here is all it takes to encourage you to book in and come down. If we don’t hear from you after that, a member of the team will personally reach out and give you a call.
Hopefully it’s clear from this: we care.
We want our members to be just as invested in us as we are in them. We don’t want to have hundreds of members who pay their monthly membership rate and then don’t run up: that is not what we are about.
So there you have it… a lot of what we are not, and a whole lot of what we are too.
If this sounds like the kind of community you want to be a part of, get in touch to book a Free No Sweat Intro today. We would love to meet you and hear all about you and your goals!
Adele Wayt