Defy Functional Fitness was founded on three pillars; Coaching, Competition & Community. You will see elements of these pillars in every class, every PT session and everything in between.
I often tell people that we are not really a gym, not in the traditional sense. We are a coaching facility. Gyms are full of equipment that you pay to have access to. Some people have home gyms, there are gyms connected to parks and you can even buy a ‘multi-gym’.
Confuse gyms with coaching facilities and you will miss the point of how a place like Defy can help you with your fitness journey.
When you need a haircut, you go to the salon – not many people will try to do it themselves or watch a youtube video to follow along with. Similarly, when you need to do your taxes, you’ll use an accountant or something similar to make sure you get them done properly.
But, when it comes to fitness – a lot of people think they can do it themselves. While this is possible for some, for the majority it really doesn’t work. That’s why you have stats such as; “around 60% of Planet Fitness members don’t attend in a 30 day span”
A coach is more like your accountant than your barber. They can’t do the workout for you like a barber would cut your hair. They will guide you through the process of taking you where you are to where you want to be. They have the knowledge to know what is needed at different points throughout the journey.
Don’t be fooled though – you have to put the work in (but we kind of help with that too)…
Going into a gym can be intimidating. If you don’t know what you’re doing then it’s common to have the feeling that everyone is judging you. Having a coach waiting for you lowers that intimidation factor, especially once you have built up that relationship. You know that they are there to help you and make the process enjoyable.
It’s common for people to do the same routine every time they go to the gym. Two problems; this gets boring and progress isn’t that great. The usual 10 mins on the treadmill then 10 reps on every piece of equipment that you know how to use will only get you so far. Coaches have a program that you can follow, it will be progressive and help you reach your goals. It’s unrealistic to expect to be able to build out your own program without spending a lot of time studying.
Our (not so) secret weapon is the accountability we provide. It’s easy to bail out of going to a gym that you can show up to at any time. While the idea of being able to go at ‘any time’ sounds great – it actually isn’t that good for people. It’s much easier to procrastinate, let something get it the way of it as you’ll ‘just go later’. But when you have an appointment that is booked, you have to be committed to that. Coaches will hold you accountable, they want you to attend so they can do their job of helping you get results.
The obvious benefit of having a coach is the security that you are less likely to get injured. It’s unfortunate that injuries do occur in the gym, just like they do from doing house chores or going for a run. A coach will show you how to do the movements properly, fix anything you may be doing wrong and lower the chance you’ll get injured.
Gyms are great for people who know what they are doing, have the discipline to be consistent on their own and don’t need anyone to correct their form…
That’s not the majority of people.
And if that’s not you, find a coaching facility instead.