For many small gym owners, the idea of taking a vacation is a luxury that just doesn’t feel realistic at the moment.
- And, even if they can afford to take a week-long vacation, owners often feel like they shouldn’t abandon their gyms, especially over the holidays.
They feel obligated to be there for their members, many of whom are off work and see Thanksgiving weekend or Christmas break as a perfect time to work out.
Meet four gym owners who have found a solution to the dilemma.
- The solution?: “Unattended access.”
Unattended access allows these gym owners to continue to accommodate their members while getting some much-needed time away from the grind.
With unattended access, members can use a key fob to enter the gym at any time, even on Christmas morning, while the gym owner sips coffee in their pajamas and watches their kids open their gifts.
Here’s what four gym owners are saying.
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Scott Panchik — CrossFit Mentality in Mentor, OH
Nine-time CrossFit Games athlete Scott Panchik has been offering unattended access at his gym, CrossFit Mentality, for years and said it is particularly useful over the holidays.
- “Gym owners work really hard all year long, just like our members do, and around the holidays it can get really challenging because people want to come in and do their holiday workouts, but the coaching staff and owners deserve that time to recharge. We have to fill our own cups up before we can give the community everything we have,” Panchik told the Morning Chalk Up in an interview.
Panchik’s gym has an area designated specifically for 24/7 access via the HybridAF app, which includes a space to train, as well as a sauna and cold plunge.
He estimates that around 25% of his clientele takes advantage of unattended access each Christmas break.
- “We have a workout written down and people can do it, or they can do their own workout, or they can meet some friends and workout,” said Panchik, who usually takes off to Buffalo, NY, for a week each Christmas.
For owners who are scared to open their gyms to members when they’re not there, Panchik is adamant it comes down to creating the culture and community you want.
- “We believe we have given our members the tools they need to go in on their own…We groom our members to know how to warm up and to know what they’re capable of,” he said.
Further, the HybridAF app lets him know whenever someone enters his gym, and he has a camera set up so he can check in on the gym whenever he wants.
- “In all the years [we have offered unattended access], we have never had any issues or abuse,” he added.
Andrea Nisler — Timberwolf Fitness (Roseville, MN)
Andrea Nisler, the two-time CrossFit Games team champion with Mayhem Freedom, said being able to offer 24-hour access to her members at Timberwolf Fitness is especially helpful during the holiday season, as she offers limited hours only.
Over the week of Christmas, Nisler estimates that “at least 60%” of her members utilize the gym during off-hours when the gym is otherwise closed.
- “Without the HybridAF app, it would be so tough trying to balance the guilt I feel as a gym owner not letting clients use the gym they pay for and trying to balance my own busy holiday schedule,” she added.
Dan Messinger — CrossFit Breckenridge (Breckenridge, CO)
For Dan Messinger, the owner of CrossFit Breckenridge, unattended access is especially useful during the holidays. Since most of his coaches aren’t from Breckenridge, they tend to leave town to visit their families over the holidays. This would mean the class workload would fall 100 percent on Messinger.
- But with unattended access, he said, “It’s much easier to cancel classes and have our members utilize open gym during the holidays.”
Messinger typically cancels classes for three days during Thanksgiving, as well as on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, so he can take a much-needed break.
- “I can’t imagine just closing the gym to everyone. [So] this gives the staff a chance to enjoy the holidays and gives the members a chance to still get their workouts in as their schedules are all over the place,” he said.
Justin Mazzullo — Tarheel CrossFit (Spring Lake, NC)
Finally, Justin Mazzullo, the owner of Tarheel CrossFit, is another gym owner who said offering unattended access to his members has made a world of difference over the holiday season.
- “The holidays can be a difficult time for many [gym owners]. Having the option of unaccompanied access gives athletes at our gym the opportunity to train during the holidays if they choose to do so,” he said.
Last year, though, feeling the itch to “get back to our tribe,” he decided to show up on Christmas. “To our surprise,” he said, “there were almost 20 athletes throwing down on Christmas. We, of course, had to jump in on the fun, too,” he said.
- He added: “It’s a no-brainer as a gym owner. It affords you and your team the opportunity to take time off, and provides opportunities for those who would rather not stay in an empty house on the holidays.”
Some Holiday Data
We reached out to HybridAF owners Phil Tabor and Albert Steed to find out just how many people are using their app and accessing facilities over Thanksgiving and Christmas.
- Last year, during Thanksgiving weekend, there were more than 20,000 check-ins by members at 502 HybridAF gyms in eight different countries, with several gyms accommodating more than 100 members over the course of those three days.
- Meanwhile, last December 24th and 25th saw more than 8,000 check-ins, with the top gym logging 370 gym check-ins from their members during these two days alone.
The Big Picture
Rest days are as important as training days.
It’s a message gym owners preach to their clients, but sometimes, the message falls on deaf ears when it comes to gym owners prioritizing time away from the gym, especially over the holidays.
So if the guilt of closing your doors for two days, three days, or five days in December is eating you up, it might be worth considering unattended access. Gym owners who offer it say their members love them for it (and their families probably do, too).
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- CrossFit’s New Athlete Council – Learning Lessons From the Past
Featured image: @cfmentality / Instagram
