Autumn may be a crisp, colorful, spice-scented time of year but it also begins a dangerous cycle. The weather shifts in ways far less adorable than poet Carl Sandburg’s “the fog comes on little cat feet” into the doldrums of Seasonal Affective Disorder and lethargy. Without the push of a New Year’s Resolution on the horizon, holiday parties and hearty fall meals can pack on pounds and increase the likelihood of long-term health problems.
No matter what your level of fitness, age or desired outcome, from individuals to corporations, the skilled trainers at Lacey’s Rock Fitness will make it happen. Master Trainer David London built his 16,000 square foot studio with “no commercialized processes or applications to eliminate every excuse you have.” As an industry leader for 25 years, he knows what it takes—and what to avoid—to insure success.
The following statistics, disturbing and unsettling as they are, are one of the primary reasons Rock Fitness was created. Since his career origins, London has witnessed a steady decline in health of Americans.
According to London and various reports:
- 35.1 % of adults Nationally age 20 years and over are obese: (2011-2012)
- 69.0% of adults Nationally age 20 years and over are overweight, including obesity. (2011-2012)
- Moreover, childhood obesity is now the number one health concern among parents in the United States, topping drug abuse and smoking. 18% of children ages 6 – 11 are obese and 21% of children between the ages of 12 and 19 are in this category. (2012)
- In Washington State alone, 62.5% of the population are overweight and 25% of are obese. These numbers are some of the highest in the US according to a 2012 Gallup-Healthways Poll.
- These numbers illuminate an even more disturbing image – $120 million in annual production loss which equates to $5.6 billion in gross revenue loss annually. (WSDOH)
Ironically, 55.7% of adults report exercising three or more days per week for at least 30 minutes. Clearly, there is an informational and specific programming issue here. This is why Rock Fitness was created!
In every way possible, London’s business is unique. His goal is to be member-centric, because “my life mission is creating opportunities for transformation which for me is personal training.” His facility has no mirrors, clocks, televisions, salespeople, or restrictions. As he says, “we built this whole place to focus on the needs of the people, not the needs of us.” Their goal is to have potential clients walk in and say “this does not look or feel like a normal gym.”
The studio’s mission is showcased on the wall as you enter, directly underneath the word ‘Vision’: “To introduce health and fitness to the community in a simple, successful and validating way that ensures their journey, regardless of their goal or age, is what they intended it to be.”
Instead of new members arriving with a ‘What do you offer?’ inquiry, London and his team begin with ‘What do you need?’ They don’t offer feature tours to spotlight the facility which he calls a ‘museum tour’ but rather provide results tours to illustrate an individualized perspective of health and fitness. In addition to more than 40 classes per week and brand new top of the line machines, the team offers nutritional counseling, video conferencing, and online personal training to help you achieve your specific goals. For willing guests, on their inaugural visit to Rock Fitness, a complimentary full body composition analysis using the InBody 570 is done to assess their immediate needs, goals are clarified and the member leaves knowing exactly what they need to do, and how long it will take, to achieve their life long goals.
London’s personal journey began as a fitness trainer for the U.S. Marine Corps. Though an injury ended his military service, he will celebrate 25 years as a professional personal trainer on December 28; “now having performed over 100,000 workouts with members and clients, personally trained 10,000+ clients and walked as a trainer over 75,000 floor hours, I have been blessed to be a part of so many life altering transformations in addition to supporting my beautiful wife and three awesome children. I couldn’t think of a better career!” Their Lacey location opened in June 2013 and business has more than quadrupled. As he’s proud to say “you don’t get referrals if you don’t do your job” and the Rock’s cutting edge approach does just that.
Aside from their vast array of equipment, class offerings and true Corporate Wellness Plans, the Rock offers access to two fully integrated fitness apps. MyWellness records calories, movements, and uses a cloud-based dashboard to manage all manner of exercise and lifestyle activities. The Rock’s equipment generates QR codes which can be scanned via your smart phone so users can monitor and compare duration, frequency, and results. Driven clients can also compare their statistics to other users of that machine, other gym members, and MyWellness users worldwide. The Rock Fitness app allows you to sign up for classes, schedule personal training, participate in trainer consultations, pay dues, view account, attendance, share Facebook and Twitter invites for gym events, contact gym staff, and keep abreast of studio news and even hosts your membership card. With this app, losing touch with members is, according to London, “not an option.”
Above all, Rock Fitness wants to “eliminate every excuse you have” says London. He knows that simply showing up at the gym is an acknowledgement that you want to be healthy, may need help and are ready to begin. The staff will never push you into activities or goals you don’t want or aren’t ready for-it’s not a competition, it’s an elevation of life. Their chief aim is a “supportive, positive environment with no pass or fail” because it’s about performance and longevity, not simply physical appearance. With an attrition rate of less than 2%, this philosophy is definitely working.
London’s key philosophies also extend to his role as a local small business owner. He and his team commit to participating in at least one fitness-related community event each month having recently completed the Rampage at the RAC, Puddle Jump and the GORUCK-Challenge and he strives to be physically involved within the region. As he says, “I’m not in the fitness business, I’m in the fitness industry. It’s imperative you are a product of your product; I’m not in this to make money but to serve and help people get the lives they want. If you make money from a community you need to give back and be involved.”
Rock Fitness is located at 5001 Pacific Avenue SE in Lacey. The gym is open 6 days a week and additional details can be found on their website at www.rockfitness.biz. A new, expanded site should be unveiled in time for New Year’s Resolutions. Call David and his team with any questions: 360-359-4470, what have you got to lose?
