Transcript-Students open wallets for trainers at J.B. O’Keefe

The J.B. O’Keefe Fitness Centre at St. Thomas University is now offering trainers, but the fees aren’t cheap. For students, a consultation and training session is $50; $75 dollars for regular gym members.

Athletic Coordinator Jen Burry says that the lower price for students is meant to make it easier to use the service when you don’t have a great disposable income.

Jen Burry:

Our member rate is actually less than anywhere else in the city. So when we did our research we’re still offering everybody else a great deal, but students, where they may have a bit of a break there, because they may not use a personal trainer regularly because they couldn’t afford it, they can now. Which we think is a benefit, I mean, whether they’re just starting at the gym, whether they’ve got a fitness regime and they’ve hit a plateau, whatever they’re looking for, even one session with a personal trainer can mix it up. Or even to talk to somebody experienced, I mean, a lot of people are trying fad diets and things like that, which they can steer them in the right direction.

Sessions with the trainers can be sport-specific, help clients to reach a weight loss goal, or introduce new members to gym equipment.

Some students on campus are worried that the new service will be catered only to the athletes, but Chris Beaudoin says that, while he has experience with athletes, his services are mostly used by beginners.

Chris Beaudoin:

During the summer up at Kingswood I trained a 70-year-old woman in one hour and the next I’ll train an elite athlete. And that’s what I like to do, I like to have a mix of all kinds of different people. It’s obviously, like, the workouts are catered to the person, you know? If you’re not … there’s things that I’d get athletes to do that I could never do with a normal person, you know?

Kayla Blackmore is a member of the women’s hockey team at St. Thomas. As an injured athlete, she says she’s happy to pay for the sessions.

Kayla Blackmore:

I can come on my own, but I don’t push myself half as hard as when he’s here, not yelling in your face, but pushing you to do two more or three more. And I’ve really seen outstanding results with him, so I’m definitely going to continue.

While the rates for personal trainers may be steep, the feedback from gym members has been positive. The trainers are booked solid for the 12 hours they’re available each week and Jennifer Burry says that there’s always the option to add more trainers to the gym staff is the interest remains high. For STU Journalism, Im’ Jayne Erickson at the J.B. O’Keefe Fitness Center.

Short URL: http://www.newbrunswickbeacon.ca/?p=3286

Posted by Jayne Erickson on Nov 21, 2009. Filed under Transcripts. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.