Meet Bruce (The Fit) Boss Drogo, Trainer and Fitness Business Consultant

Bruce (The Fit) Boss Drogo is a high performance trainer who specializes in fitness business consulting. Bruce was featured in a previous interview on With Five Questions, and now he returns to answer more questions, sharing his insider's perspective on how to start and operate a successful fitness business.

1. What are some aspects of the fitness industry that entrepreneurs might not be aware of and which you can help them to handle as they launch their fitness businesses?  

Launching a fitness business takes a magnitude of organization. The fitness industry is both demanding and competitive, two of the biggest aspects that should be focused on. To be successful in this business you need creativity. Opening a gym isn't as simple as it may seem. The key is having a flawless program. The MMAXOUT program is extremely successful because throughout the years I've created the program to be free of imperfection.

2. What do business owners gain by partnering with your team of experts?

As a business owner, you will gain a highly successful gym that has only growth and profitability in its future. Our team of experts was individually trained by me to present you with the same theory of success which I've instilled in them. We want nothing more than absolute perfection for your business. 

3. Would you tell us a little more about the diverse training methods you emphasize through MMAXOUT?

MMAXOUT was created with the theory of muscle confusion. My program is diverse and unique. The program is built on a structure that will ultimately supply you with the best physique that your body is capable of achieving. Each week is a versatile workout. Mmax interval is based on high intensity interval training. Mmax Rep is a magnitude of repetitions which increases endurance and strength. Mmax Lean is circuit training that will torch an insane amount of calories along with building cardio. Mmax Extreme is the theory of martial art based shadow boxing techniques where you will gain knowledge and the ability to execute proper form.

4. What inspired you to expand your own efforts from being a personal trainer to supporting the efforts of other people who are opening and operating gyms and other fitness-related businesses?

My inspiration came from the rewarding experiences I've had in the past. My personal training has definitely been successful; however, I enjoy the repercussions of helping others succeed in opening gyms the way I've succeeded. I've studied the fitness industry so intently that I now know the key to a successful and profitable facility; why not share that with others?

5. For people who are already working in the fitness industry and want to expand their professional opportunities, what might you suggest, based on your own experience?

   Based on my personal experiences, I have found that expanding more into the consulting aspect has been extremely beneficial for me. I have gyms all over the world seeking expert advice from me about how to go beyond just basic personal training and gym ownership.  

Thanks, Bruce!

Meet Bruce Boss, CEO at MMAXOUT Fitness

Bruce (The FIT) Boss has trained over 100,000 students in his career teaching MMA, fitness, and nutrition. He is known as an encyclopedia in the MMA fitness world. Students ranging from US military, big-city SWAT cops, and private security have trained with Bruce. He helps produce amazing results in his clients physique while showing them a healthy way of living.

The CEO at MMAXOUT Fitness, Bruce describes MMAXOUT as the largest, most cultivated group of trainers with a positive mindset for your business, from the moment you start looking for a facility through the lease negotiation process or rebuilding your current business center and beyond. MMAXOUT trainers are well-educated on all aspects of the fitness industry. Each and every one of their personally selected trainers strives for positives changes in all of their clients.

1. For individuals who want to alter their workouts, how will adding martial arts components be beneficial to a fitness program?

Adding martial arts to a fitness program will positively change a fitness structure. It will give clients more versatility to their workout. It will increase coordination, and make you stronger and more flexible. Martial arts not only improves cardiovascular health, but you will attain weight loss, and increase muscle tone, reflexes, and mood. Adding martial arts to a fitness program will create such muscle confusion that the results will be striking.

2. For personal trainers and instructors of aerobics and other specific areas, what will MMAXOUT Fitness training add to their repertoire while working with clients/students?

Mmaxout Fitness training brings diversity to the board. In order to work with a various group of individuals with an array of goals, a trainer must be diverse. Knowledge of all types of fitness should be premeditated in order to help clients achieve maximum results. Adding Mmaxout training to one's current knowledge will allow trainers to help their clients attain guaranteed results.

3. How many MMAXOUT locations are currently in operation, and do have plans to expand to other cities?

With 68 locations and over 480 certified trainers worldwide, yes, our goal is to have over 500 locations by 2015.

4. What services do you offer in terms of training and consulting?

Our Starter Method for Success... All of us, at Mmaxout Fitness, are revamping fitness gyms to a modern, state of the art, business level. Besides our fitness expertise, we supply you with all the next plus more:

* Improved monthly earnings
* Ways to systematize treatments
* Increased customer maintenance
* Redesigned exercise routines
* Maximization of your time
* Overall bottom line achievement
* High Caliber Referral Site Generator
* Much more

We'll collaborate with you and your team to examine approaches to increase your location. We supply a skilled perspective of what health and fitness customers absolutely expect to have from your center.

5. What advice do you have for someone who is considering opening or expanding a fitness franchise?

Advice we would voice is that in order to become the best you need to experience the best. Adding Mmaxout training creates positive changes for business.

Thanks, Bruce!

Meet Julia Buckley, Fitness Writer and Trainer

Julia Buckley is a fitness writer and trainer based in London, England. She writes for many top health and fitness magazines, and her first book, The Fat Burn Revolution, will be available in January 2014. For more about Julia and her work visit www.juliabuckley.co.uk. Julia also shares advice, tips and news on her fitness blog.

Photo credit: Ciaran Hanway

1. When did you first become interested in fitness training?

I hated sports at school, but when I was 16, I tried a Jane Fonda exercise video and loved it! I exercised fairly regularly after that with various at-home programs and then later in gyms. My passion for fitness gradually snowballed over the years until it became inevitable that I would dedicate my career to it.

2. Why did you decide to offer online fitness programs, and what do you think are the benefits of the online format?

I’ve been offering a 12 week fat loss fitness program online since October 2012 and am currently coaching the third group to do it. The internet allows me to share my passion for fitness and to help people all over the world get the bodies they want. It means I can reach them in their own homes (and anywhere they have internet access) and be available to them whenever they need me. For many people this works much better than only seeing their training for a few hours per week: it's a lot more affordable, and more convenient for people who can't get to gyms. Plus I can give them more detail on what I'm asking them to and why than you might be able to get with in-person PT sessions. I'm able to constantly support and encourage and remind them of what they need to do to reach their goals.

3. What has the response been to your programs from participants and from the media?

Oh gosh, it's hard to know where to start with this one. I don't want to sound boastful, but my program has transformed lots of people's bodies and lives and that's something I'm very proud of. Every single person who has completed my 12 week fat loss fitness program finished with fantastic reductions in excess body fat, outstanding levels of fitness, and heaps of healthy habits and training know-how that will help them continue to make progress with their fat loss and/or fitness training. I've been in tears many times while reading their "thank you" messages. It is immensely rewarding.

The program has received some excellent coverage in the media, locally, nationally, and internationally. Probably the article that got the most attention was this piece on the Daily Mail website.

4. How did your online programs and your fitness blog lead you to write a book?

I'd actually got the contract to write the book before I started offering the online program. I'd been researching and recommending the techniques and type of training for a long time, but it was getting the book deal that spurred me to create a structured program aimed specifically at people wanting to shed fat. The first online program I ran was a pilot project so I could test out and refine the regime based on the feedback and results of real people, but it was so successful that I've carried on offering it as an online course. The online program offers a rather different experience to what readers of the book will get because they have regular contact with me and I'm able to personalize the exercise a little more to suit their needs. Plus there's group support and they keep a journal on their training and diet which I check regularly, so there's that sense of "accountability" to keep them on track, too. But readers will be able to follow the same fitness program from the book, and obviously, it will be a much cheaper option for those that are not able to invest in personal coaching.

5. What would be your top three suggestions to someone who would like to burn more fat on a regular basis?

Lift heavy weights. A lot of people think that the best way to shed fat is by doing lots of steady cardio. You can lose fat that way, but it's not the optimal type of training for fat loss. By adding muscle to your body you will burn more fat all of the time as well as improving your shape.

Keep processed carbohydrates to a minimum. Sugary foods are the worst type of foods you can eat when fat loss is your aim. They are not only fattening, but also addictive and energy-sapping. Most people know that, but a lot don't realize how things like bread and pasta can inhibit fat loss. They are just "meal-bulkers" which offer very little in the way of nutrition (or taste) and act in a very similar way to sugar in the body. I recommend replacing them with lots of vegetables.

Exercise because you love your body, not because you hate it. Some people try to find motivation by beating themselves up about the condition of their bodies. This is usually actually demotivating and only makes them feel like crap! Once people get past this and start to feel good about the positive steps they're making towards their goals, they start getting fantastic results. The better they feel about their bodies, the more they want to train and the better eating choices they make. The more they train and the better eating choices they make, the better they feel about their bodies. And so it goes on. It's a wonderful thing!

Thanks, Julia!

Note: Julia also dispenses daily tips and advice on Twitter, follow her at: www.twitter.com/Julia_B.

Spinner Bikes from Mad Dogg Athletics

I think one of the reasons a lot of people are giving away their old bikes on craigslist is that they're looking for a stationary bike that allows them to do spinning.

Describing their business as a "equipment-based education company," the folks at Mad Dogg Athletics not only sell spinner bikes, but they also offer a range of biking accessories as well as training products such as DVDs. They create and sell indoor cycling bikes meant to meet the needs of consumers who want to train at home. The company's founders first started making spinner bikes in their garage back in 1991, and the fitness trend has exploded from there.

The compact "FIT" model and the beginner's "Sport" model are each available for under $500. As prices increase, different models offer more customizable features for individualizing the ride experience.

I used to think of spinning as a strictly gym-based activity, but no more!