At a glance

With the development of COVID lasting much longer than many initially anticipated, athletes are now falling into one of two camps. Either they are more committed than ever to getting into the gym regularly to maintain something that resembles their normal consistent schedule, or they are struggling with commitment to get into the gym due to the huge changes in structure and routine that we’ve all faced in daily life over the past year. 

Now is a great time to create and run a fitness challenge to help athletes re-commit to their fitness goals and promote consistency as the main driver for change. As with any goal, consistency is everything. Being consistent in the gym means that athletes reach their goals faster, develop new skills, and provide themselves with a way to relieve stress (something we all need).

Fitness Challenge Ideas to Re-Dedicate Your Members

Running a commitment challenge can be easy, affordable, and most of all benefit your athletes who are looking for accountability to stay on track through these challenging times.  

Provide Flexible Workout Options

All athletes have different goals, and providing them with different options for commitment can help meet them where they’re at currently and set them up for success. Encourage athletes to be realistic about what they can commit to, knowing that they can always change their level of commitment in the future.  

A tiered structure system will be best for most athletes to have the flexibility to choose a routine that works for their schedule. Members can commit to 3, 4 or 5 workouts per week depending on their goals and availability. They’ll commit to this many workouts per week in the gym on any day for the course of an entire month.

Offer an Incentive

Encourage athletes to not only improve their consistency and overall fitness, but also to win prizes. For instance, you could declare a winner based on who is able to hit their commitment goal in each tier, or draw a winner from everyone who hits the goal for the month. 

Prizes for fitness challenges should include products and services that encourage athletes to keep moving towards their goals, and might include things such as:

Supplements 

Protein Powder Shaker or Water Bottle  (we do those too!)

Nutrition Coaching Session  

Gym T-shirt

Encourage Members to Track Their Progress

Encourage members to use an in-person tracking system such as a spare whiteboard or large sheet of paper with their name and check off their workouts each week with a marker or sticker to compete against other athletes in the same tier. This simple visual can help athletes invoke the competitive nature that we love to see in group workouts.  

You could do the same thing virtually using a public spreadsheet or tracking app for those who are not yet comfortable in the gym but would still benefit from tracking, accountability and a little good natured competition.

Engage With Your Members

Remember that the purpose of these commitment fitness challenges is to reconnect with athletes and keep them as members, and your coaches are your direct way in - making them the ultimate business partners. If they notice anyone struggling to hit their commitment goal, urge them to reach out to and see how they can help!

Many members fell in love with group classes because they know someone is expecting to see them regularly and the group atmosphere. Remind them of why they fell in love with your gym in the first place by providing high-touch customer service to let them know they’re missed in your community.

Run your Own Commitment Challenge Today!

As we've discussed, fitness challenges are great ways to re-align your athletes with their goals. Plus they are great ways to keep the dialogue going with your members and fostering that coveted sense of community. And now that you've got our best tips and tricks, you can move forward and implement it into your own program! Your members will thank you.