I’ve worked in the fitness industry since I was 18.
I’ve worked in commercial gyms for minimum wage where the company took 60% of the revenue I generated for it.
I’ve worked in start up CrossFit gyms for FREE hoping that my dedication would be rewarded at some point…
I’ve also worked for CrossFit companies with multiple locations around the world with a full time wage, car and apartment provided.
And in 2017 I decided to give it all up to start my own thing, and now I’m going to tell you why.
In my experience of the fitness industry I found some common themes no matter the company or sector of the industry I worked in.
- Coaches couldn’t make a full time wage (that’s why trainers are usually under the age of 30, they give up and get a ‘Real Job.’)
- Access doesn’t get you success (more bodies = more revenue = less results = higher turnover of staff = higher turnover of clients)
- The data on obesity & chronic illness is only rising despite consumers increasing spend on health and fitness. (It’s all linked.)
So I set up Solv to combat these three things.
I believe that;
- Professional Coaches can make a professional wage, period.
- Consumers can get results that last a lifetime because they are now supported by a true professional.
- Obesity and Chronic disease statistics should start to decline because consumers are passing on their knowledge others.
So I set out the following mission ;
We want to help 1000 busy adults over the age of 30 reach their health & fitness goals so that they can become more successful in their home life be it for work or for family. We believe that adults that are happier, more confident and more capable are more valuable to the people around them. This is what it means to be a great human being in our opinion. To have the competence and confidence to positively impact the lives of those closest to you.
Why 1000?
When we opened in Worcester, the population at the time was estimated to be 100,000. We know that 1 person has the ability to impact the lives of around 9 others. So in theory if we can change the life of 1 they could impact the lives of 9 others meaning if every one of our 1000 target clients over the next 30 years was to impact 9 others, Worcester could be one of the healthiest cities in the UK reducing the load on the NHS but more importantly allowing busy adults, children, spouses, grandparents, cousins etc, etc to live with better health, more meaningful and richer lives through fitness.
We will never be a gym that has more than 150 clients at one time, we aim to service 1000 adults over 30 years. The average length of time somebody trains with us at Solv is 26.3 months, sure we have clients that have been with us for over 4 years and some will even be with us for 30 years but did you know in the commercial world the average length of a member is only 7 months!? This is why we and other independent gyms set up. We realised that with professional coaching, higher value services and less gimmicks or offerings like a coffee shop or pool inside the gym, we could get consumers better results that last a life time. Because those who do leave us after 2 years don’t stop exercising, they simply move on to their next venture. Some go to other gyms and carry on exercising, some play more sports and get outdoors. The point is that we help to learn to enjoy exercising, we fix mum’s diet and suddenly the whole family is eating better quality foods. Kids grow up with health being an integral part of their culture passed down through generations helping us to leave a long term print of the local population of Worcester for the better.
I’m Mike, the owner of Solv CrossFit. I set Solv up because I strongly believe that coaching is a full time fitness profession and that CrossFit is one of the most effective ways of driving results for clients. Because of my belief in fitness coaching as a profession, Solv is absent of the fitness like culture experienced in most if not all gyms. We are for the busy adults that have struggled in the past. We are for those who need life changing results and for those who value what we value ; Hard work, empathy, a growth mindset, humility and honesty.
