I’m Sick of the Fitness Industry

Yeah, you read that right. I’m sick of the fitness industry.

It’s full of elitists who think their shit doesn’t stink…

…and that it’s okay to make fun of people who don’t know what they’re doing in the gym.

But, do you know what the ironic thing is? Some of these people they’re making fun of, are people they’re trying to market to and attract as clients and maybe even sell their ebooks to. If they only knew how trainers were thinking of them…

Take this picture for example:

squat bosu

It’s been shared all over Facebook as if the Share button was clicking itself.

To someone who’s not familiar with working out, this looks difficult and perhaps very risky.

To someone who’s familiar with working out, this looks stupid (which justifies trainers and trainees to make fun of him, right?).

Why don’t they let this guy worry about what he’s doing and leave him alone? Does he affect you in anyway? If he gets hurt, what’s it to you? And does it really matter what he’s doing? Why don’t you just worry about your form and let this guy worry about his?

And the examples don’t end there. There are tons of videos on Youtube from trainees and maybe even trainers secretly filming someone dancing on the treadmill or using a piece of exercise equipment different from its intended use.

Do you know what kind of message you’re giving to your social network? People are going to be too damn scared to workout because they fear getting filmed and made fun of on Youtube. And people will surely not hire you to train them because you come across as a pompous asshole who doesn’t have time or the patience to work with beginners. If that’s the kind of image you want to portray, keep hitting that Share button.

I could care less about trainees taking videos because they’re not trying to get clients, but if you’re a trainer, you should be ashamed of yourself.

Also, people love to make fun of others with different training philosophies, especially if it’s different from their own.

For example, people love to hate Crossfit because they think it’s stupid. Yeah some people get injured doing Crossfit and some things that Greg Glassman says doesn’t make much sense. But other athletes like hockey players, football players and MMA fighters get injured too. And I hate to break it to you, but the system of Crossfit, which is glorified circuit training, gets their clients and participants results. I’m not saying I’m a fan of kipping pull ups, but you get my drift.

Trainers seem to have an opinion on every aspect of training under the sun, saying curls are a waste of time, functional training is the only way to go, Olympic lifting is dangerous, bodybuilding is useless, cardio is stupid, fasted training is better than fed and blah, blah, blah…and don’t even get me started on Bro Science…

This industry is supposed to be about helping people reach and surpass their health and fitness goals. We should work as a team and help each other, while progressing this young industry. There’s no room for assholes or know-it-alls.

So the next time you see a picture or video of an exercise that doesn’t fit your exercise dogma and want to hit that Share button, take a sec to think about what that action says about you and your business. Also realize its repercussions on the people you’re trying to market to.

Stop being an elitist and only worry about yourself and your clients, period.

Bruce Dyke

Personal Strength Training by Jon-Erik Kawamoto

JKC is different from other gyms/fitness regimes I have tried in the past because of my level of comfort with the facility and other JKC clients and the amount of knowledge both Jon and Thomas demonstrate through personal attention to form, core development and overall strength is outstanding. JKC is by far the best training hands on attention that I’ve experienced period and I have experienced many over a lifetime of activity and playing various sports. The facility has everything you require plus, as you will learn there are many ways to use every piece of equipment and Jon and Thomas are very creative! There are many age groups and professions who attend this gym from elite athlete’s to the rest of us and the casual but focused atmosphere in the gym makes each visit interesting, friendly and challenging at all levels.

Erin Squarey

Personal Strength Training by Thomas King

I had signed up for other gyms in the past and never went or rarely went. Something always got in the way or I was just too tired and lacked motivation to go. This way I’ve made a commitment to Jon or Thomas and I try very hard to keep my sessions once I’ve booked in. JKC is different from other gyms that I’ve tried in the past because no one is there to be “seen”. We are all there to get a good workout in and go on with our lives. And it’s a small gym so you get to know everyone and it’s like a big family. When I joined JKC, I couldn’t do a chin up with an elastic band, but I’ve slowly worked up to 10 free hanging chin ups. That was big because I hate chin ups.

Tara Stuckless

I heard really good things about it from my sister, and I could see the positive results she was getting. I needed to do something. I was overweight, depressed, and recovering from a back injury. I had reached a point where simply getting up out of a chair was becoming difficult. I knew that if I didn’t do something about it my senior years would be very burdensome to the people close to me. I’m so glad I did! After just a few weeks my day-to-day pain was drastically reduced, and my mobility increased. I had the confidence to try sea kayaking, and I now play ice hockey twice a week!

The key difference is the expertise. The trainers know the gym equipment and the exercises, but they also have degrees in kinesiology, and can apply what they know to your workout. As someone who was in poor physical condition starting out, I was worried about hurting myself. Previously I tried an outdoor weekly bootcamp and injured my knee by pushing too hard. The trainers at JKC constructed a program that started at the right level for me, evolving it as I grew stronger and more fit. I feel well looked after.

Darlene Parrott-Manning

Have to thank both Jon and Thomas for their help with my conditioning this past year. After a major injury in 2020, I tried everything. My foot doctor (Dr. D. Sutton) said there was something missing and recommended Conditioning. I then found JKConditioning and it definitely worked for me. Today September 8, 2024 I completed a Half Marathon in 1 hour and 42 minutes and came First in my age group.
Thank you JKConditioning!!!

Lloyd Hussey

I started at JKC in January of 2014 and I’m 67 years old. When I had my Initial Assessment, I knew – almost immediately – that Jon knew what he was doing and what he was talking about. I was overweight, out of shape, and in serious need of someone, like Jon, who could get me back on a fitness/conditioning routine that suited me, my age, my less than acceptable physical condition, my sometimes intermittent RA, and my need for a structured, consistent and yet flexible training and conditioning program that would work for me.

Fundamentally, if I made a choice at all with respect to JKC – it was to continue to come back each week. I have not been in a lot of gyms. To be honest, they used to intimidate me. What makes JKC different is their approach to each and every one of their clients. Jon and Thomas – and now Craig – tailor each training regime to the particular needs of each client. That ensures that the training regime will suit each client upon the start of training and changes as the client improves. It adjusts for any physical setbacks such as injuries and it adjusts for success. It is just that simple.

It is also the consistent encouragement that comes from Jon, Thomas and Craig. That voice that comes to you while you are in the middle of a particularly difficult set – rear-foot elevated split squats comes to mind immediately – that says “good job” or “keep it up” or “just a couple more reps.” To know, in that moment, that you are not alone and the trainer is paying attention to what you are doing. That is priceless for me.

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