Finding an experienced personal trainer at a large health club can be a challenge, according to Alan Katz.
That was his experience when he moved to Arizona from Manhattan in 1995. The larger health clubs couldn’t afford to pay their trainers well, so many of the more experienced ones would leave to find somewhere they could really make a living.
That’s what caused Katz to come up with his model for his own personal training studio, Edufit.
“I thought, ‘How can I develop a concept to where we can expose our clients to very talented and experienced trainers but still at a very reasonably priced service?’” Katz said. “I came up with the formula to schedule one trainer at a time to supervise more than one client at a time. It allows me to bring the price point way down for our clients but still compensate the trainers with a more lucrative package than they would get if they were just training one-on-one.”
While a client may not be completely alone with a trainer, their exercise plan is still very personalized. Edufit does not have group classes and it’s not circuit training. They rely on very talented employees to juggle multiple clients with completely different goals.
Because of the model, Edufit is able to give their trainers vacation pay and even health benefits, something that is rare in the personal training industry. Those benefits attract the best trainers, Katz said.
“A lot of trainers are frustrated because they can never make a living,” he said. “They’re always just living on the cusp. Because of the formula I use we are able to compensate the trainers with a living and they are able to do what they like to do and be compensated for their work.”
The studio is not set up to be a social scene but it is meant to pair clients with the best training possible.
“The trainers I hire are not just great at their craft, but something that is really important to us is that we’ve never lost sight that this is a service-based business,” Katz said. “We’re here to do something for our clients. We bend over backwards to not only get our clients rewards, but also do it with care and empathy.”
Edufit has four locations in the Valley with the newest one estimated to open April 23 in Ahwatukee Foothills at 4910 E. Ray Road, Suite G-17. For more information, visit edufit.com or call (480) 753-1155.
• Contact writer: (480) 898-7914 or ahurtado@ahwatukee.com
