Topic: Name Help

[Andy Dick]

Hey everyone, I need help coming up with a name.  At the "fitness" club I work at I got bumpers and want to try to get interested in oly lifting.  However, as of right now it has been difficult getting people interested.  There is a huge misconception that you have to throw up a ton of weight to do this and it is only for those who lift heavy weights.  Management is trying to tout "that this stuff isn't for our type of members."  This is utter crap and a bit offensive to me but whatever.  Needless to say I am tired of the "we don't like your big weightlifter types here" attitude.  So in short they want me to change the name to something that does not seem like it entails lifting heavy weight, even though I have stressed on numerous occasions that almost everyone starting out will be using very light to almost not weight.  If you have any ideas let me know it would be greatly apprecitated.

Right now I am milling around the idea of switching the format of the class to focus on the olympic lifts as well as jump training (plyometrics).  Then disguising it as a power development program.  Which I think would do very good at hiding the actual intent and possibly getting other members involved.  My biggest hurdle is that for many they want a Jane Fonda "feel the burn" type of circuit class, because they want to be constantly moving to lose weight.  This is obvisuly why enrollment is down.  I have 1-2 kids that really want to get this going but it is not enough for the club to justify doing a program. 

[Shaun Le Conte]

What if you just call it crossfit? You could just borrow the term and use it even if your program isn't exactly crossfit training. 

[Matt Erdman]

What if you just call it crossfit? You could just borrow the term and use it even if your program isn't exactly crossfit training. 

I was thinking the same thing. Just follow a successful format, and see where you can go from there.

[Danny Nemani]

I feel for you Andy.  I work in a fitness centre too and we're forever coming across perceptions that are not warranted or unrealistic ie. Women: I don't want to lift weights cause I'll get too big or (my favourite) what ab exercises will get rid of my gut.

From my experience people are more willing to follow an exercise program if:
1. it's endorsed by a famous person or sexy looking 50 year old with a six pack
2. it's in an infomercial
3. and it costs $500 for the programme (because if it's cheap it must not be of good value).

We know the benefits of Oly Lifting and how much the everyday gym goer can benefit from doing the Oly movements.  But how do you change the 'heavy lifting' perceptions that people have of Oly Lifting?

IMO Through marketing, education and endorsement you can change those perceptions.

Call it CROSS FIT (like Matt and Shaun said) and do circuit/pump type training, plyos and Oly lifting in it.  Give the clients the 'burn' training (through circuit/pump) that they want for one or two sessions a week and do Oly lifting/plyo training for one session a week.  Just say that this is the type of training that Olympic 400m runners do (have a pic of a famous lean/cut 400m runner and the programme he/she does).  Pretty soon they may grow to like Oly lifting, which is when you could focus all the sessions on Oly fulltime.  But you gotta give them what they want first IMO.  If your manager can see that you are getting numbers and the clients are enjoying it, the fact that they are doing Oly Lifting will be irrelevant.

Just my 2 cents.  Hope this helps.

[Chris Ⓐ LeRoux]

I'd be careful pushing weightlifting in a fitness gym. Make sure at the very least you are very political and get on everyone's good side because one jerk that doesn't like it (noise, chalk, intimidation, etc) could ruin everything and cost you your place to train. Also, most people in those environments do not like this stuff going on, for reasons listed and maybe others, and it isn't profitable for the gym since you can fit more people in to the same area using machines than platforms. Also, you are a young, talented weightlifter and coaching will interfere with your progress, though having people to train with would help you- catch-22. Best thing would be for you to move where there is an established club with some good lifters, as we have discussed. :)

[Dirk Wilcke]

I'm pretty sure crossfit as a name is protected:

http://www.crossfit.com/cf-affiliates/affiliation2.shtml

Maybe call it Xfit...

[Andy Dick]

This is what was resolved...it was very funny to see what happened.  My boss "the fitness manager" is all about getting olympic lifting implemented especially to draw in some of the high school athletes and to cater to them.  The owner is the one I have had issues with.  When we decided is this:

The new program is going to be called "Power Packed Performance" or P3 - kinda cheesy but it works.  It is going to be marketed to athletes now instead of just generally to anyone who seems interested.  We are going to focus on plyometrics, weightlifting, and strength training as well as flexibility.  This way we can get people to start to get more exposure to they lifts here.  We didnt want to go the crossfit route cause we are currently planning a program similar to that already. 

...coaching will interfere with your progress, though having people to train with would help you- catch-22. Best thing would be for you to move where there is an established club with some good lifters, as we have discussed. :)

Chris, that is funny you say that because that has been on my mind a lot as of late, especially as time gets closer to me being cleared to lift again.  I have been giving some serious thought to relocating to get coaching full time and go at training full bore.  Once I start getting my strength back I am going to raise the money to go train with John for a few weeks.  Then make my final decision about relocating after that.  It is a BIG step obviously so I have to make sure I can afford/survive a move financally.  But I feel a big pull to just go for it.

[John Way]

you could use the copyrighted John Way's "LiftFitz", or "olympfitz"  programs as a franchise lol