Once a week in the mornings, I usually go to downtown Bethesda, Maryland, to work out with my personal trainer, Nick Irons, at his gym. That hasn’t happened in almost three weeks, because his gym — Irons Fitness — is closed, along with many other businesses in the area.
Luckily, the closing of the gym didn’t mean the coached workouts had to end.
“We just decided to find a way to use our skills and our knowledge to put people through the same workouts when they’re not with us, but they’re with us in a different way,” Irons said.
Irons and his trainers have turned to platforms such as Zoom and FaceTime to connect with their clients for sessions. He said close to half of his clients are doing it.
According to Irons, part of the process is getting to know what clients have or don’t have. Even if they have no equipment, he said a plan which uses body weight exercises can be developed.
In my basement, I have a modest setup: A pair of dumbbells which can be set to different weights, and a TRX suspension trainer. With those items, Irons came up with a workout regimen that I can do in my home.
The only other trick is finding a place to put the phone, computer or tablet, which gives him a good view of what I am doing. For me, a shelf and an iPad did the trick.
In my home, I have done two virtual sessions, both feeling as intense as the ones we did at the gym. Along the way I couldn’t slip into sloppy form either, because — whether it was to straighten my arm more for overhead presses or bring hands closer together for push ups — a voice from the iPad would correct me.
He said for many of the people he works with, the workout sessions are important because it gives them the same level of accountability they have when they come into the gym.
“It’s amazing how quickly you can lose fitness, within a week and a half to two weeks you start to lose strength and endurance, so the work that you’ve already put in you start to lose,” Irons said.
Irons said the virtual sessions also provide some normalcy during uncertain times.
“It’s also incredible that we have the ability to do something like this, where it’s not just we’re losing 100% of our revenue,” Irons said.
Even with the virtual session, his business has taken a substantial hit — he expects revenue to be down at least 50% this month. He said he plans to apply for assistance being offered to small businesses, by the state of Maryland, Montgomery County and the Federal Government.
“Otherwise, I’m not sure that we will be able to keep our doors open,” Irons said.
