Tom Holland - Beat the Gym: Personal Trainer Secrets--Without the Personal Trainer Price Tag

Y ou have invested hours of your time and a significant amount of money in your gym membership and workouts but have yet to see a big return on your investment. But dont beat yourself up; instead, BEAT THE GYM.

I have worked in the fitness industry for almost two decades now, first as a personal trainer at many of New York Citys top gyms, then as a fitness instructor for elite athletes and celebrities, and now as the owner of my own gym, the Tom Holland Athletic Club in New Canaan, Connecticut; and I know that the big bad secret of seeing results is having a personal trainer provide you with a personalized workout and stand next you to motivate you to get it done. But personal trainers are incredibly expensive, and often it is difficult to find the right one. What I have set out to do in this book is give you the advice, training sessions, and support that are unique to the personal trainer experience so you will have the motivation and knowledge to finally reach your fitness goals.

I am here to be your personal trainer. I am here to help you look better, feel better, and, best of all, live longer. I have worked with thousands of people around the world to achieve all of the above, and I can help you do so as well. The best part is, it makes no difference which of the three is the reason you first decided to join a gym and start working out, you get all three.

But its not that easy.

More than 60 percent of people who join a gym never return after three months. If youre like most people, you joined the gym with the best of intentions, all fired up and ready to change your body and your life, but so far all you have ended up with is frustration. I know how you feel; I see it every day at my own gym. It drives me crazy to watch people work out in vain. Members who have paid good money for their gym memberships take the time to show up and work out, yet they see few to no results. That really stinks. I often return to my old clubs in New York City and see the same people doing the same routines, looking exactly the same as they did years ago . They show up and work out three, four, five times a week but have literally nothing to show for their efforts. Thats not okay. I want you to enjoy going to the gym and be committed and passionate about the workout. The way to do that is to be knowledgeable about what the gym truly offers and how you can make it work for you. How you can BEAT THE GYM.

I have the greatest job in the world, and I am in the unique position of being able to help you to look better, feel better, and live longer. There is nothing I enjoy more. Thats why I have made that endeavor my lifes work. I have both worked in and worked out in every type of gym imaginable. I spent years grinding away as a trainer and group fitness instructor in New York City, seven days a week, often seventeen-hour days. Crunch. Sports Club LA. Reebok. Equinox. New York Sports Clubs. The Cardio Fitness Center. Private homes and private gyms. Celebrities, CEOs, real people, I have shaped every body type imaginable. And I can transform yours.

At the same time as I was working my butt off as a trainer, I also set out to learn as much as I could about fitness. I have been certified by all of the top fitness organizations: the American College of Sports Medicine, the National Strength and Conditioning Association, the National Academy of Sports Medicine, the American Council on Exercise, and the Aerobics and Fitness Association of America. I went back to get a masters degree, not only in exercise science but with a concentration in sports psychology as well. After working with hundreds and hundreds of private clients I realized how important the mind is to this whole process of getting in shape.

Everyone is different; we all have different body types, different fitness histories, different personalities, different likes and dislikes, different schedules, and different goals.

So this book has many different plans. Should you do cardio or weights first? Whats the best exercise to get a flat stomach? Are you a guy who wants bigger arms? Do you want to get the most out of your cardio workouts? Do you have an event you need to drop weight quickly for?

I also answer many of the most common questions you have when it comes to the gym: What classes should I take based on my goals? Do I need a trainer, and, if so, how do I go about choosing one? Which are better, free weights or machines? What should I eat before a workout? And after? After I achieve the body I want, how can I keep it? If I want a home gym, what equipment should I buy and why? I answer all these questions and many more. You signed up, now sign on . It is time to BEAT THE GYM. I have to warn you, I may come across a little strong in certain parts of the book. A little harsh, even. Just remember that I have your best intentions in mind. I want you to succeed. I know that you can. Its just that I get frustrated with all the misinformation out there that is keeping you from attaining your goals.

Beat the Gym is your road map to getting the most out of your workout. The most out of your gym membership. As I tell all my clients, you are now my advertising. I have a vested interest in your looking great, feeling great, and living longer. No more wasted time and wasted money. Today is the first day of your new program, the one that will actually deliver results. Results that will last a lifetime!

W hen I first started working as a trainer at one of the major clubs in New York City, my goal was to learn as much about the fitness club world as possible, not simply the personal training and group fitness side but every aspect of the operations of a fitness club.

One day, when I was a very wet-behind-the-ears personal trainer, I stopped to talk with the general manager, who was standing at the front desk running reports.

Quick question: how do you know when to stop taking memberships?

She continued to type on the computer without looking up.

What do you mean?

You know, is there a formula for the size of the gym and how many members it can have? Like, ten thousand square feet means two thousand members or something like that?

She looked up at me and laughed.

You mean when do we cap memberships? What is our cutoff number? There isnt one. It doesnt exist. We just sell, sell, sell.

She laughed again and resumed typing.

There is no formula. Fitness club sales people make money based on sales. They have monthly goals to hit. All they want to do is get people in the door.

And they hope many dont come back in. Ever.

Think about it: if just 25 percent of all the members of a gym showed up all at the same time, there would be complete chaos. Mayhem. There would be long lines for every treadmill, elliptical trainer, and leg-press machine. This leads to Rule 1 about most gyms:

Rule 1: Gyms Hope You Sign Up but Never Show Up

Its absolutely true. Most gyms are actually selling you a membership, asking you to come and join the club, welcoming you with open arms and big smiles, yet they really dont ever want to ever see you again. You would be shocked to find out how many total members there are in your gym. There are hundreds, sometimes thousands, of people at every fitness club who literally join, go a handful of times, then never step through the doors again. Ever. A huge percentage continue to have their credit cards billed month after month, often year after year.

Gym owners love those members.