Pro-Fitness Member FAQ’s
Do I have to follow the pre-consultation instructions?
In order for your assessment results to be accurate it is essential that you pay close attention to the instructions in your consultation journal or on the back of your temporary membership card. For instance the level of water in your system will affect the accuracy of your body composition reading. Caffeine will elevate your resting heart rate and will negatively effect your cardiovascular assessment and recovery score. In addition, if you exercise or are fatigued prior to your consultation, you will certainly not fair as well in terms of your strength and endurance results.
How can I ensure the best experience for my Fitness Consultation?
The first step is to ensure that your consultation journal is completed honestly and thoroughly. This will enable your Consultant to identify health risks, physical limitations as well as the key goals and areas you wish to focus on. Secondly, arriving at your appointment at least 15 – 20 minutes early, with your journal, so that you have time to change into your workout gear and be in the waiting area prior the arrival of your Consultant. Your Consultant will need the full hour and a half to go over your journal, complete the assessments, take you out onto the workout floor and then prepare your prescription. Keep an open mind and ask your Consultant to explain anything that you don’t understand or are unsure of. Make sure you receive the best possible recommendation to achieve your results and please take the time request and fill out our Consultation Review Form so we can better improve our services.
What happens if I miss my consultation appointment?
If you provide 24 hours notice you will not be charged for the service but you will have to rebook another appointment. Remember that you completed a waiver form when you registered with the club outlining this policy. Our Consultants make themselves available for the session and the club must pay them for their availability if you do not cancel with sufficient notice. The next time you visit the club your temporary membership card will be filled out by the club receptionist and a new expiry date will be entered to coincide with the new appointment. Remember you receive your permanent membership card once you’ve completed the consultation.
What if I’m not comfortable with a particular assessment?
Please let your Consultant know if there is any part of the assessment that you are unsure of or that makes you uncomfortable. You can opt out but in most cases our Consultant will explain the procedure and reason for the process to put you at ease. For instance, most of our facilities use a bio-impedance device (electrodes hooked up to your hands and feet or a step on unit) to measure body composition if you are uncomfortable with using calipers. In some cases clients are unable to complete a step test for their cardiovascular assessment so a bike or treadmill will be used to accommodate the client’s needs.
Why are so many members using Personal Trainers, isn’t a program card good enough?
In many of our Pro-Fitness facilities close to 50% of the membership base has hired a Trainer for educational purposes or to train with them for life. Whether it’s for motivation, education, technique, safety, nutrition, or intensity, a Trainer can offer the best path to real long lasting results. Many or our members are tired of paying for a membership every year and not using it or getting results. They feel they need to invest in education to maximize the benefits of their membership. Fitness is constantly evolving and Trainers are required to stay on the cutting edge in terms of upgrading their certifications and knowledge base. We use other professionals like accountants, lawyers, doctors and mechanics in other areas of our life, so when it comes to fitness it makes sense to work with a pro.
Why is it necessary to do four consultations isn’t one enough?
Although one consultation is good start to find out where you stand in terms of your level of fitness and your exercise knowledge, it is only a starting point. There is no pass or fail but simply a benchmark to see where you are starting from and where you should be going. Having one assessment without anything to compare it to takes away from the total value of the service. Isn’t it nice to know that your training efforts and the program you are using are actually getting you to your goals? And if they’re not, wouldn’t you want to have someone readjust your program or at least put you back on track. It’s easy to plateau and your scale at home is not usually the best way to indicate how you are doing.
I’ve been working out for years, why do I have to do this?
We appreciate the fact that clients are at different levels when it comes to exercise experience and knowledge. At the same time, it is impossible for us to know what your level of fitness is or exercise ability given the fact that you have never trained at our facility on our equipment. We feel an ethical responsibility as fitness professionals to have thorough records on all of our members to ensure that we have done everything on our part to assess and educate our clients. Waivers on a membership contract or a Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire (PAR Q) are the minimal standards and requirements and we are just not satisfied with that. In the past, there have been reported cases of club members who claimed to know what they were doing get injured or lose their life because there were no standards in place to reveal a potential problem. So not only is this a must, from an insurance and membership safety standpoint, it is the only way we feel that we can truly provide the best possible member experience. Remember that professional athletes have ongoing assessments to measure their progress and performance even though they are well versed in training methods. Our Fitness Consultants and Trainers are always upgrading their education, and equipment and training procedures are constantly evolving. We know you will walk out of our consultation learning something new about how to better improve your health and make your exercise experience more challenging and rewarding.
Will I get an exercise program?
The better question should be, will I get the best possible fitness prescription to ensure results? And the answer to that question is a resounding yes! The problem with many fitness facilities is that they will provide members with a generic work out program with their membership. Because fitness needs are so different, the majority of these programs will get some basic results for a very short time, not get any results, create further problems or potential imbalances or injuries, and lead to frustration and monotony. Exercise programs are available on a myriad of web sites and in numerous fitness and health magazines. If that’s all it took to get results, there would be no need for you to register with a fitness facility and meet with a Fitness Consultant. The truth is that most members require far more than a program and that the real cause of their lack of results is more to do with knowledge, technique, support and motivation and accountability. Your Consultant will do their very best to work on the causes of any obstacles standing in the way of your results, and will listen closely to your concerns and needs. Rest assured, you will be provided with the best possible solution to get you on track allowing you to maximize your membership experience. Don’t settle for anything less!
Can I use the club before my consultation?
First of all we will do everything possible to ensure that you get an appointment for your consultation within 5 days of your registration. You will be given a temporary membership card to allow you to access our facilities in the meantime. We are also aware that many of you have trained at facilities in the past. If not, we highly recommend that you have a staff member demonstrate how to use some of the cardio equipment and that you refrain from any resistance training (exercise machines or free weights) until after your assessment. For those who have trained in the past, we ask that you use caution and common sense and please ensure that all questions on the PAR Q are answered honestly and completely during your membership registration.
