Do you often find your housing community gym dark and empty? It may be time to mix things up to re-establish interest in your multi-housing fitness center. And one of the best ways to do that is by incorporating small group training classes into your mix of local activities.

In this guide, we’ll talk about a few of the benefits and types of this unique style that can be used for everything from strength training to basic cardio. Learn more about just how engaging it can be for your tenants.

Two Benefits of Small Group Training

1. More Personal Instruction

Although it’s a class setting, small group training provides the opportunity for teachers to instruct students on movement types and correct them on any mistakes they may be making. The more people in a class, the more difficult it can be for an instructor to monitor how everyone is doing. In a more focused group of individuals, attendees are more likely to get a quality workout experience that is more catered to their needs.

2. Establish a Friendly & Motivating Atmosphere

Smaller classes offer the chance for people to make new friends and develop relationships. As those friendships grow, members of the class will begin to motivate one another to work harder, attend every session, and reach their fitness goals.

Some Types of Small Group Training

CrossFit

This type of workout has a cult-like following of people who strive to complete a number of various movements or workouts within a specified amount of time. It is usually a high-intensity strength training exercise that includes everything from pull-ups and push-ups to squats and weightlifting. Due to its rotating nature, CrossFit can be done with everything from used fitness equipment to brand new exercise machines.

Indoor Cycling

Also known as “spin class”, this is one of the most popular types of small group training. An instructor leads individuals on stationary bicycles changing up the pace, incline, and intensity every few minutes. They can be highly motivating and stand as a great form of cardio for people of all skill levels.

Treadmill

While walking or running on a treadmill may seem like something you would do on your own, there is new commercial gym equipment available like the T5xGT Group Training Treadmill which has multiple features designed for a group setting. Class members can set their own goals and take part in challenges via the innovative LED console. Users can log in to the machine, complete their workout, and share the accomplish straight to their social media feed.

Need Help Boosting Your Community Gym?

If you’re struggling to get people into your multi-housing fitness center, offering a few small group training classes can be a great way to increase engagement and interest. Along with these fun sessions, consider adding new commercial gym equipment to upgrade any of your outdated or broken down equipment.

For more information about the benefits of a functional community gym or for details about our great products, be sure to check out our blog!

According to the US Census Bureau, apartment rentals are at a 50 year high with young adults doing a majority of the renting. To attract the highest quality tenants, multi-family properties need to offer amenities that people will pay up for. Here are the top five amenities for 2019 that have the best return on investment (ROI).

Fitness

Fitness remains the top apartment amenity. Since it is one of the most popular amenities out there, it also has one of the largest ROIs. The National Apartment Association has reported that 46% of tenants are willing to pay more to live in a building that includes fitness facilities.

The rent premium on a fitness center averages between $67 and $11; with a median cost of $28,000 to install. These numbers are going to be affected by the size of the property, where the property is located, and the type of equipment purchased.

That aside, CEOs of large apartment developments have reported installing whole Pelton bike rooms to bare bones cross fit studios. A popular and inexpensive add-on to a fitness area is a chill-out area, like meditation rooms or yoga studios. If that was not enough one CEO claims to be testing dog treadmills in one building.

Pets, Pets, Pets!

People love their pets, and they are looking for pet-focused amenities. These amenities include dog parks, grooming areas, walking trails, daycare, pet spas, and training services. The median cost to install a pet-friendly area is $7,000.

Installing highly sought after pet-friendly areas will allow you to increase your pet fees and charge additional pet rent. Some buildings charge up to a $500 nonrefundable fee for pets in addition to a $50 per month pet rent.

Work Space

The 2017 Virtual Vocations Year-End Report says that approximately 25% of the US telecommutes at least some of the time. People in these positions desire Multi-family properties that offer working space to telecommuters. Many people find working outside of their home to be distraction free whether that be at the office or a temporary office.

There are no reliable figures for ROI, but with the increase in shared work spaces such as WeWork the return on the median cost of $13,500 to install an office space should be worth the effort. Something like this could even be put into a basement since no windows are required.

Logistics

Package delivery lockers are a big thing that new tenants are asking for. People love their Amazon deliveries. A package locker can cost between $10,000 and $20,000 to have installed.

There is very little upkeep and comes with a rent premium between $10 and $40. Some locker services offer free lockers for a monthly fee.

Outdoor Community Living

A recent aprtments.com survey listed this as one of the top new amenities for multi-family residences. There is some dispute on the overall ROI when compared to the increase in insurance rates and the cost to install. Your ROI for a project like this will depend on the size of your property and where you are installing the amenity.

People are looking for areas to share gardens, BBQs, gaze at the city lights, or have a fire with neighbors. Something like this can be as simple or luxurious as you want to make it.

If you are looking to beef up your amenity spaces to attract more high-quality tenants start with your number one amenity space, your gym. Opti-fit can help you determine what new equipment to bring in, the possibility of creating more outdoor exercise space for people and their pets, and work within your budget and timeframe. Check out the Opti-fit website or email us at sales@opti-fit.com to find out more.

Star Trac has come out with a new line of cutting edge high-quality equipment for your gym. One improvement includes an all-new suspension system on the 10 TRX Freerunner treadmill. The other update for 2019 is the new 19-inch touch console called, 2019 Star Trac 19 Inch Capacitive Touch Openhub Console.

Star Trac machines are well known in the fitness industry for use in light commercial and commercial gyms. Centers and hotels that have them will advertise that as a selling point to customers.

People love Star Trac machines because they always use the latest technology in the mechanics of the machine. They make sure that users have a comfortable; as comfortable as you can be while sweating, experience. And they are always updating their engagement and entertainment consoles.

The new 10 TRX Freerunner uses HexDeck technology, patented by Star Trac. The treadmill has an aluminum deck with a hexagonal polymer suspension system. Users love the feel of the new deck, they have said that it feels like “butter,” and that it substantially decreases joint pain from running.

The treadmill also has the Star Trac HotBar, for controlling speed and elevation with the touch of a finger. It has a maximum 20% incline and 15 mph speed.

The 10TRX Freerunner treadmill also comes equipped with the new 19-inch touch screen HubSpot. The 19-inch removes the need to have a PVS (personal viewing system) attached to your workout units. This is a significant cost savings for gym owners.

The 19-inch touchscreen is firmly attached to the equipment as the console. There are no extraneous pieces or exposed wiring that a customer could potentially injure themselves with or damage somehow. The console is set up like a smart TV with Bluetooth, and there is a place to charge phones as well.

Why not keep your gym on top of the trends at reasonable prices with Opti-Fit? Opti-Fit is a full-service health club distributor; services include equipment choices, club design, and equipment procurement. Opti-Fit wants to make sure your gym is a big success visit our website, or give us a call at 888-601-4350 to see what we can do for you today!

Are you tired of doing endless squats, lunges, and deadlifts in an attempt to literally get your butt in shape? Enter the Glute Trainer. This plate-loaded machine is specifically designed to help you get the firm, toned glutes you’ve always wanted.

Created by the fitness equipment powerhouse, Matrix, you can rest assured that it’s made with high-quality materials. Opti-Fit has added this effective machine to their supply of commercial fitness equipment for businesses across California and the Las Vegas area.

Read on to learn about the benefits of this Matrix fitness machine and see how it would make a great addition to your gym or fitness center.

Comfortable Design

This glute trainer was made to mimic the movement of a hip thrust while taking out the annoyance of free weights. Instead of trying to balance a heavy barbell across your pelvis, you can simply add your desired weight, step into the adjustable hip pad, and get to work.

The raised foot platform is angled and layered with a non-slip material to provide a steady foundation to keep your glutes fully engaged. Users will be able to get off the machine just as easily as they get in thanks to the open-sided entry and exit point.

Made for Everyone

Just about anyone who goes to the gym can use the Matrix Trainer thanks to its limited restrictions. Users up to 350 pounds are able to operate it effectively due to the build and strong components.

With a starting resistance weight as low as 50 pounds, added weight plates can bring this number up to 225 pounds. While additional bands can also be used, making the weight reach a maximum resistance of up to 500 pounds.

A combination of both weights and resistance bands make this an explosive workout with a range of movement options. Anyone looking to tone up their glutes is sure to see results with this powerful piece of commercial fitness equipment.

Add One to Your Gym Today!

Want to add a Matrix Glute trainer to your fitness center in California or Las Vegas? Opti-Fit has this and a range of a variety of other fitness products to fit your needs.

Get in touch with us today to learn more about our cardio equipment, strength training machines, and more!

Setting up a health and fitness plan around your office can pay big dividends for both you as a company and for your employees. Whether you decide to set up a fitness center somewhere around the office building or put together a corporate wellness program, there’s no limit to the benefits both parties can experience.

To give you a few ideas, we’ve put together a list of three impacts you’ll see by focusing on promoting health and happiness within your company.

1. Decreased Absenteeism & Healthcare Costs

Have you been looking for a way to improve work attendance? Employees who follow a wellness plan tend to be more healthy, leading to reduced tardiness and call-outs over the course of each year. They also require less healthcare compensation from their employer since they don’t visit the hospital or doctor as much.

Numerous studies have been completed to test the ROI of a corporate wellness program when compared with healthcare costs. On average, companies ranging from small businesses to large corporations see a return of about 3.3%.

2. Increased Productivity

Corporate wellness initiatives have so many benefits that go beyond physical health. They also have major mental and emotional impacts that end up having positive effects on work performance. When employees are given the proper tools and motivation, there are a variety of ways you can help improve their productivity.

It is easier for people who are following a regimented workout and diet plan to focus on their work and maintain a high energy level over the course of their shift. This productivity will, in turn, lead to projects being completed more quickly and efficiently.

3. Happier Employees

There is a remarkable correlation between health and happiness that can be recognized from either direction. Happier people tend to be more healthy, and healthier people tend to be more happy.

Using important concepts like positive psychology as part of your wellness program can play a crucial role in how effective it will be. As your employees find more joy in their good health, the overall atmosphere around the office will improve, leading more and more people to take part.

Thinking About Starting a Corporate Wellness Program?

These few benefits are just the beginning of the positive impacts you’ll see from promoting an active lifestyle and other healthy habits around your business.

If you’re thinking about setting up a corporate fitness center at your office, be sure to contact us today! Our team will help you find the best equipment to compliment your corporate wellness plan.

Newer trends in athletic training revolve around advancements in science and the ethics of the business. No longer are the days where it is acceptable for a coach to yell at their team to make them better. New methods of athletic training are allowing coaches to build on the work of scientists and other coaches to create more competitive teams and better overall athletes.

Evidence-Based Practice

Coaches learning from science and other coaches experience is called evidence-based practice. As parents demand that coaches do better for their children and fans continue to cheer for their favorite teams; coaches are looking to up their game by looking to other professionals in the industry.

The best evidence-based practices are most commonly found by reading peer-reviewed industry journals, as well as reading about the experiences other coaches have. Taking advantage of professional strength and workout equipment dealers can be of service as well.

Companies that offer consulting services can get your training program up to par by exposing you to new uses of equipment you already have, or helping you to choose appropriate new equipment. If you are already in the process of looking for additional equipment, plan to extract the knowledge your sales representative will have on new training trends for athletes.

Specialized Training

Specialized training means that coaches need to focus on each individual being coached. Each athlete needs to be guided to perform corrective and preventative exercises that fit them, their position on the team, and any injuries they may have endured.

Specialized training can be associated with building the strengths of each warrior on your Final Fantasy squad. This is also applied to athletes in solo sports like running or swimming. These exercises are meant to enhance a players strengths and to help them overcome anything that may be getting in the way of further developing those strengths.

Injury Management

Coaches are more proactive about injuries. More and more coaches are instructing athletes to get massages, do yoga, see chiropractors, or engage in physical therapy. This is a big change from sending children home and telling them to “ice it; we’ll see when we can get you back on the field.”

Having coaches more engaged in the injury healing process generally ensures that children will get the best care, and have the best season they can. Evidence has shown, that doing so is better than leaving it to the parents.

Active Concussion treatment

This one falls under injury management, but deserves a category to its own. Concussions, especially in school children are being taken much more seriously. Coaches, pediatricians, and parents are becoming aware that a full protocol really needs to be followed when it comes to handling concussion injuries. Concussions can be dangerous for anyone, especially children with developing brains.

There are many online protocols for cases where a child has sustained a concussion injury. The most important piece to injury management is understanding where you may be lacking knowledge and looking to reputable resources to fill those gaps.

Conclusion

The major developing trends in athletic training are to use evidence-based practices, specialized training, and to learn injury management techniques. Networking with other coaches is a great way to learn how better follow these trends. Look for meetup groups in your area, or talk with other coaches online.

A professional equipment retailer can help you to set up your gym to emulate some of the best training gyms around the world. You may not even need new equipment, just realize a new way to use it. Contact Opti-Fit today for a free consultation about the gym you are using to train your athletes. The more knowledgeable we are about new trends, the more competitive and healthy our teams and kids will be.

You have a fitness center and some of the best gym equipment around. The electrician has come to install everything correctly, and you think you are all set to go. Have you thought about the fitness center design and the concern of people injuring themselves?

Major fitness industry trends are starting to creep into multi-family properties as well. In 2019 apartment and other multi-family complexes will be looked upon to continue offering bigger and better amenities. Residents will be looking for yoga classes, group workouts, new technology, and more.

A late 2018 fitness trends survey issued by the Coalition for the Registration of Exercise Professionals (CREP) shows the following as significant fitness trends all over the world. The image below shows what fitness center users around the world are looking for these days.

Image from: The Worldwide Survey of Fitness Trends for 2018

The Building and Construction Network noted in a post that high paying residents are no longer seeking the traditional fitness center any longer. Residents are willing to pay up to have the whole boutique fitness experience of their choice at their place of residence.

This means that property owners want to get a good handle on the demographics of the residents they attract in order to supply them with the experiences that they are looking for at home. Major fitness trends for multi-family properties in 2019 are:

• Group Classes Run by Trained Professionals
• Outdoor Activities
• New Technology That Will Integrate into Residents’ Lives
• Wellness Spaces (Steam Room, Meditation Room, Gardens, and Specific Fitness Areas like a Yoga or Kickboxing Room)

2019 is going to be all about specializing your fitness and wellness amenities. One easy way to start getting a handle on this new trend is to create a community around the fitness center, get people involved in group activities and even meal planning.

If you do not have the space or extra budget to build whole new rooms and hire staff, you can use commercial applications that are available, look to marketing companies to help you reestablish your fitness center vision, or you can enlist help from personal trainers looking for clients. There are many ways to go about updating and following the new trends.

A first great step is to create your community through social media. If you do not have anything like this in place, seek out professional guidance. Hiring someone to help build an online community will help you to create the experience that new, higher paying tenants are looking for.

Opti-Fit’s outstanding customer service ensures that fitness equipment installation and setup exceed customers’ expectations.

Gold River, CA, December 17, 2018 – Opti-Fit Fitness Solutions, a consulting service that helps its clients optimize fitness amenity spaces through planning, designing, supplying, and maintaining fitness equipment, publishes a testimonial from Los Gatos Swim and Racquet Club in regards to its outstanding customer service.

“The Opti-Fit team listened to my wants and went out of their way to make sure our needs were met. Being a family-owned single club, we never get the deals or the attention that big corporate gyms do when we work with other suppliers. But that wasn’t the case with Opti-Fit. They got us the best pricing and provided exceptional customer service even with our comparatively modest order,” said Brian Schweitzerhof, MS, NASM-CPT, CES, PES, Fitness Director at the Los Gatos Swim & Racquet Club.

“Steve and his Opti-Fit crew personally supervised the installation and stayed until I was satisfied with the job. The outcome went above and beyond everyone’s expectations. Even to this day, Steve follows up with me to ensure that all of our equipment and gym setup is functioning properly. I can’t recommend Steve and Opti-Fit enough for any gym or fitness amenity.”

With over 20 years of experience in the fitness industry, Opti-Fit offers consulting service that focuses on understanding the needs of its clients and recommending custom solutions that help fitness facilities cater to their clientele.

It applies the evolving science in health and fitness to devise full turnkey solutions that take into account the ease of use, aesthetics, functionality, durability, safety, and current fitness trends to create the most cost-effective solution for its clients.

Opti-Fit supplies a full spectrum of fitness equipment, including cardio machines, group training equipment, weightlifting bars and plates, strength training equipment, storage solutions, and a variety of accessories.

By partnering with top fitness professionals, brands, and service partners, Opti-Fit offers a complete range of services including planning, design,  supply, service, and ongoing support to all its clients.

To learn more about Opti-Fit and its fitness solutions, visit opti-fit.com or call 888-601-4350.

Opti-Fit Fitness Solutions only provides the best fitness equipment available to its customers. Giving customers durable equipment from trustworthy vendors is best. This equipment will last longer, require fewer repairs, and has innovations that mainstream equipment does not.

These attributes will lead to cost savings and aid in resident retention. Residents will love the equipment and factor in the gym as a reason to remain or become a part of your multi-family housing complex.

Opti-Fit offers several fitness manufactures from Matrix Fitness, Atlantis Fitness, Dynamic Fitness & Strength, and more. Here is a quick overview of a few of the brands and how they will help your residential fitness center to shine.

Matrix Fitness is known for its innovation and durability. This is because Matrix uses high-quality machinery and parts for all of their equipment. Belts are known to last longer, and motors run quieter and smoother than other leading brands.

Matrix Fitness combines fair prices with a commitment to quality and integrity. Matrix Fitness has designed their equipment for heavy use. Their treadmill decks will not need maintenance for 25,000 miles and are self-lubricating.

Matrix Fitness also offers warranties on all parts, machines, and labor for up to seven years. Visit this link to see all the Matrix Fitness we carry.

This Atlantis is known for its strength or bodybuilding equipment. The company was started by the bodybuilder, Raymond Sansoucy; he wanted stronger and more ergonomic equipment than he was able to find on the market. He built his first piece of equipment in 1982 and bodybuilders loved it.

Each piece of equipment is designed with the specific customer base in mind. Atlantis Fitness equipment is known for being able to take a lot of punishment. This makes it perfect for a multi-family housing development, where you will have a range of users on each piece of equipment.

Each piece of equipment comes with a warranty on all parts for up to 10 years. Their commitment to quality and durability will save you money and keep residents coming back to the gym. Visit this link to see all the  Atlantis Fitness products we offer.

Dynamic Fitness & Strength products are all made in the USA, and their mission statement is to “Build a Better Athlete.” Dynamic Fitness & Strength is another fitness company that is well known for equipment durability and longevity. They service gyms of all types, including personalized equipment for institutions such as universities.

Dynamic offers a range of strength equipment specially made for your gym. They offer warranties and give you the freedom to design the gym that you want. See all the Dynamic Fitness & Strength products here for more information.

When you use Opti-Fit, you are getting the best solutions for your gym design. Opti-Fit wants you to have the right equipment at the right price, that will serve your residents well and keep them coming back to the gym.

Because of our outstanding design, service, attention to detail, and the fact we carry the best fitness manufactures,  we are the top fitness distributor in both Nevada and Californis.  Opti-Fit will help you to fill your customer’s expectations for safety and design while saving you money. Visit the Opti-Fit Fitness Solutions website for more information today!