Benjamin Franklin, one of America’s great founding fathers and cardio kickboxing enthusiast (okay, maybe not, but he would have been if not for the time gap and gout) once said, “Failing to plan is planning to fail.” Seeing other amazing kickboxing and boxing fitness classes starting up in nearby gyms, it’s tempting to immediately launch one of your own – but hold on just a minute! Without a plan in place, you won’t have a program that’s successful and stable long-term – just another trendy flash in the pan.
So, how do you plan for a kickboxing class that’s going to keep participants coming back year after year? Good news! It’s really easy. There are just three incredibly simple things you have to have first.
1. A VETTED PROGRAM
People will only remain interested in your class as long as they’re learning something new and actively improving. If every session looks the same, people will soon drop out. If every class looks different – but only because it’s a different form of flailing each time – people will realize that they aren’t actually building a valuable skill set, and will drop.
In order to deliver complete, consistent lessons, it helps to have instructors who have gone through a certification program. Especially if the program comes with extra resources that the trainers can use after their course has ended.
2. BAGS
No.
Yes. Just as you’d never see an NBA athlete practicing free throws by pretending to shoot a ball at the basket, you should never see a boxing or kickboxing class with participants only pretending to strike a bag. Of course, those classes do exist – we’ve all seen those rooms of people punching the air – but they will never rival a heavy bag-using class in terms of member interest or longevity.
A class that has heavy bags also offers a much better workout, both in terms of cardio and strength training. It’s also just so, so rewarding to get to hit and kick something in the name of fitness.
3. GLOVES
These go hand-in-hand with the bags (and with your hands!). If your clients are going to be striking bags, for their own comfort and safely, they need gloves. You can establish a “No Gloves, No Class” rule in your gym and leave it at that. But don’t be lazy – take the next step and start carrying boxing gloves and wrist wraps in your gym’s pro shop. This has many benefits, including:
• Position you as an authority figure
• Ensuring your patrons have access to quality gear
• Helping member who have forgotten their gloves
• Providing an extra line of revenue
And just like that, you’ve got everything you need in place for a successful class! Your members will show up to an organized program, get the gear they need, and take part in a fun, effective class. It’s literally as easy as 1, 2, 3! But you don’t have to go it alone. Century Kickboxing can help you with every step of the plan! Check out our partner programs to get a sense of the amazing variety of fitness programs out there. Sign up for a wholesale membership and get discounts on bags and gloves – and even get them customized with your gym’s name or logo.
