FAQs: Would heartrate training be good for my studio?

by Angela Reed-Fox

Studio Manager questions: FAQs: Would heartrate training be good for my indoor cycling studio?

There are huge benefits to be had with installing a heartrate training system in your gym or studio. If you shop around, you'll find that not only can you set up for a reasonable price, but you'll be able to generate a decent secondary income stream as well.
 
The benefits are:

• If you’re running it as a ‘facility’ there’s usually a one-off sign up fee (to get the receiver etc – you would need to provide whatever screens/hardware you’ll be using) and then a monthly fee, but if you select the right package and provider this should be more than covered by heartrate belt sales.
• There are still lots of studios who have not installed this yet (although this is the way things are going), and so you could quite easily be the first in your area, setting yourself apart as the expert.
• Your personal trainers and instructors will love it as they can use it with their own clients to track change. Most personal trainers STILL don’t use heartrate training, and so those of yours who do set themselves apart. (And can probably charge more as a result.)
• It's likely therefore that your instructors and trainers will be an excellent source of sales.
• It brings your cycling classes and other classes together members can see what they’re doing across all their classes.
• It’s safer - this is a vital point. Riders need to be in control – and with MyZone or other systems, they can see what’s happening as it happens. They know when they’re working too hard etc. You can’t tell outwardly. This also means you can get more people interested. There are riders we have whom we wouldn’t want riding with us without a heartrate strap. We, and they, like to know they’re safe. It also means you can work with a consultant if someone’s coming back after surgery. You can monitor it. We recently had one of those, and his surgeon allowed him to increase his effort by 2% each week afterwards. Without the tech, you just can’t offer that.
• You can set challenges and personal goals for riders within the app.
• You can design profiles with the MyZone system if you sign up as a facility. This gives riders something to watch as they work out. Similar to what we use in the studio.
• Heartrate training provides a more tailored workout for all participants at the same time, meaning they're more likely to get quicker, better results - and therefore more likely to stay with you. Heartrate training is great for member retention.
• This of course means you widen your appeal – perhaps the local hockey or netball team are interested in off-season training to improve their cardio fitness? We’ve found MyZone has been great for sports training. We’ve had hockey and football teams and even the GB gymnasts train with us for this reason. Obviously this then gives you something else to brag about on social media which then gets other people interested!
• If you’re not going to run it on big screens in the studio, you’re more than welcome to get your straps from us.
• Different systems are of course different. We recommend the MyZone system because it requires a very low initial investment, it provides a decent income stream from belt sales, and also, it can be used away from the studio as well.
• Users can keep a track of their activity, and it's gamified so it encourages and motivates to do a little bit more than they otherwise would.

Can’t stress enough, heartrate training is a GREAT way to upgrade your studio without the huge investment of new bikes. And because a lot of places still don’t have heartrate training yet, you're ahead of the curve on something really good.

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