Health Club Industry Tips, Tricks & Ideas

May 4, 2018

Welcome to Club Solutions Magazine’s 103 Health Club Industry Tips, Tricks and Ideas issue! Inside, you’ll find 103 profiles, facts, takeaways and pieces of advice (with a few bonuses) spanning 23 categories. Enjoy!

 

Education: The Backbone of Your Fitness Department

Jared Deptula, the vice president and general manager of the Chelsea Piers Sports Center in New York City, weighs in on why continuing education is so important for club employees — especially fitness staff.

028 • Why is continuing education important for club staff?

Our industry moves and evolves at such a rapid pace that it is critical for our staff — more specifically our personal training team — to stay engaged on what they currently know, including their credentials, education, certifications and work experience, and continuously refine those skills. Continuing education is the backbone of any great fitness department. It creates an environment of collective development with a “growth mindset” so that sharing, peer development and collective wisdom become daily practices.

029 • How does Chelsea Piers invest in employee education?

We hold continuing education as one of our most valued practices and it has three main categories:

1. In-House Curriculum (including roundtable discussions, practical work, film viewing, book and article sharing). With the help of our incredible leadership team we have developed an extensive in-house curriculum for our training staff that covers all topics including technical proficiency, anatomy and physiology, biomechanics, movement assessment, program design, customer service, sales and more.

2. Guest Lectures (from industry experts, doctors and practitioners). We most recently hosted a group of surgeons who specialize in sports injuries from a medical group we partner with. Guest lectures also include high-level coaches.

3. Hosted Specialists (for weekend workshops and certifications). This year alone we are a host site for Stop Chasing Pain, Stick Mobility, TRX, Art of Breath and possibly FRC. This allows for us to open our doors to outside trainers and be a hub of education for New York City.

030  What trainings or certifications have you found to be extremely valuable?

In terms of certifications, our experience has led us to develop the unique differences among our training staff. Our trainers must have one of the major certifications as a baseline standard (ACSM, NSCA, NASM or ACE), but when it comes to specialty certifications, we really encourage trainers to follow their passions. Some of our favorite certifications and workshops are: CSCS, FRC, Stick Mobility, Art of Breath, Precision Nutrition, Strong First and Stop Chasing Pain.


Learn about Chelsea Piers Fitness Programs: NEW YORK CONNECTICUT