By Greg Justice, MA

Corporate Boot Camps have gotten a lot of attention lately and there’s no better evidence than the first session of my six-week “Corporate Boot Camp System” coaching course selling out before the website even went live. We’ve had to start a waiting list for those that didn’t get in during the early sign-up period.

Opportunity in the corporate fitness market is everywhere. A recent report by Hewitt Associates indicated that 75 % of companies surveyed plan to focus on improving employee health and productivity in the next three to five years. Companies are finally starting to realize that a pro-active approach to reducing health care costs makes dollars and cents (pun intended). Did I mention that Opportunity is everywhere?

During the past few months the question I’ve been asked the most is “When I get a corporate contract, can I take my regular boot camp program into the workplace?” My response is “They’re the exact same thing… just totally different.” Let’s talk about three major differences between corporate and regular boot camps; the paying client, the corporate environment and the motivation.

Who is the client? Seems like a simple enough question, doesn’t it? In a regular boot camp, the client is the individual boot camper and you’re accountable to them. Regular boot camp clients pay from their own pockets. They have to budget and weigh the value of what they are getting and what else they want. Sometimes your boot camp is competing with mortgage payments and utility bills, sometimes with vacations and family member needs. This budget is usually a lot tighter than a corporate budget.

In a corporate boot camp, your client is the corporation and usually the business pays for their employees to participate. They usually have a budget for employee programs and benefits. The boot camp still has to be worked into the budget, yet the process of deciding on the extent and type of program is determined by a more scientific method of calculation than the regular boot camper.

The corporate vs. regular boot camp environment. Regular boot camps are usually run outside in a park, or a big open gym area where the instructor can yell, scream and motivate with reckless abandon. If you tried that in a corporate setting, you would probably get thrown out before your first “Drop and give me 20 pushups.” Don’t get me wrong, you still have to bring the same energy, passion and enthusiasm; it just has to be done in a controlled manner.

Another consideration is the time factor. In a regular boot camp, you ask your boot campers to arrive early and participate in pre-warm up and socializing. Then, you take them through a 45 – 60 minute workout and encourage them to stick around for more socializing. This can take up to two hours out of their day. If you tried that in a corporate setting, you would be taking up to 25% of their “9 to 5” day. The boss wouldn’t be very happy about that. That’s why it is very important to get in, get out and let them get back to work. My recommendation in a corporate environment is a 30 min. workout program that consists of a five minute warm up, 20 min. H.I.I.T. program and a five minute cool down routine.

What is the Motivation? Regular boot camp clients do need motivation. They came to you for a concrete reason. They want to lose a certain number of pounds. Or they want to get in shape or build more muscle tone, or lower their blood pressure and cholesterol. They know what they want. You just have to deliver it and keep them on track with their goals. They want you to deliver it. They expect you to deliver it.

The corporate boot camp client (the business) also knows what they want in their employee’s health and performance and they expect you to deliver it. The corporate boot camp exerciser (employee) may or may not know what they want or need. Some will feel pressured and just want to get thru the time without expending much effort. Others will be aware of what their health issues are and know what they want their bodies to look and feel like. Those individuals will be more like regular boot campers. The pressured individuals will have to be helped along and encouraged a bit more. Another factor in motivation – there is less of it naturally when the thing you are doing is not being paid out of your own pocket. However, there must be accountability. Most of our corporate accounts will pay for their employees, but if the employee doesn’t show measurable results, they are required to reimburse their employer.

That sums up the major differences between regular and corporate boot camps, now it’s time to put these into practice. Remember, opportunity is everywhere.

Greg Justice, MA is owner of Corporate Boot Camp System and AYC Health & Fitness, Kansas City’s Original Personal Training Center. He has been actively involved in the fitness industry for more than a quarter of a century as a club manager, owner, personal fitness trainer, and corporate wellness supervisor. Find out more at www.aycfit.com or follow him at http://twitter.com/aycfit

Eight businesses.

Tons of travel.

More projects than I can count.

Not to mention trying to do my part as a husband and stepdad.

So I, like you have a LOT going on. Here are some tips on how I get stuff done.

1. Plan your day the evening before. This has been the foundation of my time management system for 15 years.
2. Do the most important thing first. Nothing sets the tone for a productive day like knocking out a big task early.
3. Don’t leave email sitting in your in box. Once you decide to open an email, act on it. Either delete, reply or read. You don’t want to ‘touch’ the same email 3-4 times.
4. Admit multitasking is bad. Focus on something and finish it.
5. Know when you work best. For me early mornings, late evenings and Sundays are best for writing.
6. Make it easy to get started. Prep the night before, keep what you need handy and eliminate distractions.
7. Organize your To-Do List every day. Your To-Do is your productivity road map for the day. Treat it accordingly.
8. Dare to be slow. Don’t mistake activity for achievement. Only go as quickly as you can while still delivering quality work.
9. Set and respect deadlines. If you don’t have deadlines you don’t get things done. Period.
10. Goal set. Why bother doing something if you don’t have a goal for the outcome of that activity?
11. Allocate your time. Know how much time something should take and plan accordingly.
12. Use your time wisely. We all have the same 24 hours each day, so why is there such a disparity in what high achievers accomplish versus what they average person does? How they use those hours. Use yours wisely.
13. Avoid disruptions. If you’re working on something, don’t let other stuff interfere. You’ll lose your momentum and reduce your productivity.
14. Time Block. You’d be amazed at what you can get done with one uninterrupted 30-50 minute block of time. Have a couple of those each day to work on your business or projects and watch your productivity and income soar.
15. Get a kitchen timer. Use it to time block.
16. Delegation. 20% of your stuff needs to get 80% of your attention. Delegate as much of the rest as you can.
17. Outsource wisely. This means outsourcing the right things and setting whoever you’re outsourcing to up for success.
18. Effective scheduling. Group phone calls or training sessions together. Look for ways to minimize wasted time.
19. Prioritize ruthlessly. Focus your time on high ROI activities. This doesn’t happen by accident. Track the return on the things you spend time on and prioritize accordingly.
20. Stop doing research. I could’ve said stop reading crap on the internet instead, because that’s what most people do when they say they’re doing research.
21. Say NO more often. Refuse low ROI projects or activities. Not everything merits your time or attention.
22. Neglect stuff. Some things can sort themselves out without you spending time on them. Hard to believe, but sometimes people can figure things out for themselves.
23. Beat Procrastination. Just start. All you have to do is get going and more often than not you’ll get on a roll and accomplish a lot.
24. Avoid being a perfectionist. It will never be perfect. Never. Good enough is good enough.
25. Keep a notebook/PDA with you and write down your thoughts. I use a small Moleskin I keep in my pocket all day.
26. Consider a paper planner. I’ve used a Franklin Covey planner since 1994. Simple & effective for To-Do lists and it goes everywhere with me.
27. Google Calendar. Simple. Can be shared with colleagues and VA’s. Free.
28. Google Docs. Can be accessed anywhere and shared just like Google Calendar.
29. One Email Account. Have all of your emails funneled to one account.

I could’ve gone on for days, but the keys to productivity are Getting Started and Getting Done.

So this should get you started getting more done!

Dedicated to your success,

Pat Rigsby

PS I’d love to hear what productivity tips you are using to get more done in your fitness business

Pat Rigsby is a Co-Owner of the International Youth Conditioning Association & the youth fitness franchise Athletic Revolution as well as a fitness industry consultant serving thousands of personal trainers and fitness entrepreneurs. Sign up for his fitness business free newsletter to discover proven marketing, sales and business strategies, along with blog updates, news, and more! While you’re at it, follow him on Twitter.

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Myth: Milk isn’t as effective as calcium supplement.

Truth: Milk isn’t only a source of calcium, it also provides carbohydrate, protein, vitamin A, ribofalvain, zinc, potassium and magnestium. Most calcium tablets only contains calcium and will not provide as much nutrients as milk does.