In my last post I talked about how feeling like I had a lack of time, energy and motivation was holding me back from improving my bootcamp.

Today I want to share with you 5 activities that helped me make the most of my time, re-energised me (when I didn’t have much left in the tank, these tasks would actually help fill it up again) and helped grow my bootcamp by making it better.

1. Delight Clients

It’s not enough to just turn up and run your class and expect all of your clients to keep coming. You need to make them feel seen and special.

No Hollywood grand gestures are needed here, there were small ways I could delight my clients that didn’t take up much more time like a message here, a few words after a session there or a special birthday workout.

Plus, I always felt good for doing something nice for someone else.

2. Say No

When I started as a trainer, I did what any new trainer does, I said Yes to every opportunity that came my way. Because of that I ended up working out of two different studios 30 minutes apart, doing shifts at a gym in reception and running bootcamps in three suburbs for two different companies.

Rushing from location to location through Melbourne traffic left me flustered for the next session and at the end of the day exhausted.

To change things, I got really clear about where I wanted to focus and that was with bootcamps as I could leverage my time for money the best. I said No to nearly everything else. I finished up at one of the studios, I finished up with a company I was running bootcamps for and said No to any new PT clients. I also added 5 more bootcamp sessions a week that were directly before or after my existing sessions.

That left me with just a few PT clients (who were my favourites), 10 bootcamp sessions per week and a lot more time and energy to give to those people.

3. Show Up Consistently

I’ll admit, most mornings at 4:45am when I rolled out of bed I was not a happy person. But making a commitment to myself to show up and be waiting with a big smile and lots of energy for class at 6:00am didn’t take anymore time out of my schedule and made the sessions more enjoyable for everyone (myself included).

To me showing up also about what you do between classes too like being at community events, sharing what you do online, getting in touch with missing clients. It’s not about necessarily working more, it’s more about being present and paying attention when you are.

4. Simple Business Systems

One frustrating thing about when I could find 30 minutes to do some work was the feeling that there was so much stuff on my to do list that I didn’t know where to start.

Creating some simple systems for managing different areas of my bootcamp meant that when I sat down to work I knew exactly what I needed to do and could get it done quickly.

Good systems are key to any great business and the better your business is the better if is for your clients.

5. Walk the Talk

Put your hand up if you’ve skipped a workout because you just wanted to go home and just relax after training other people for 4 or 5 hours straight?

Yep, my hand is up too.

Blocking out time each week to workout made all the difference for me. At the start of the week I would schedule in my workouts like I was scheduling in a PT session with a client.

I also found audiobooks and podcasts were a great way for me to learn as I could just listen to them for 10-15 minutes on my commute instead of finding time to read books.

Notice that these 5 activities are ways of carrying yourself in your life as a trainer, not just individual quick fix tactics or hacks.

By focusing on the bigger picture of improving my bootcamp and getting back some time and energy, I was able to pick the tactics that would help serve that goal.

If this article resonated with you and you’d like to learn more ways to make better use of your time and energy when it comes to improving your bootcamp, then you might be interested in the course I’m running soon.

It’s called 31 Days to a Better Bootcamp which is a revamp of my flagship course 31 Days to a Better Fitness Business. The focus is on improving the service you offer through your bootcamp (or group fitness classes) through daily actions.

If your bootcamp is in a bit of a rut or you’d like to show up more professionally (more organised and consistent) then this is the course for you.

The virtual doors to registration will open on Friday March 13th, 2020.

Anyone is welcome to join us to try out the first 5 days for free.

Students who’ve completed the course before can do so again for free (check your email if that’s you).

Kyle Wood

Kyle Wood created Bootcamp Ideas in 2010 when he was hunting around on the internet for workout ideas. He ran a successful bootcamp in Victoria, Australia and spends his spare time managing this site, adventuring (or lazying) with his wife and find new ways to make bootcamps even better.