Mr J East

by Jerry East
(Essex UK)

This story is one of success and dedication to the cause!

I was 19 years old when I became a Personal Trainer. I was lucky enough to have my tuition paid for by my family, which was probably the best gift I ever received. I was always motivated by fitness - training to me was a way of life, be it for sport or in the gym - I loved keeping fit, and it helped pave out my future career. I got the job I really wanted - a fitness and lifestyle advisor in a corporate gym working in the HSBC tower in Canary Wharf. The perks were great - free training, personal training off shift and a respected, high-profile position. For the first time in my life, I felt I was a somebody. I was constantly asked for training and nutritional advice, and soon realised I owed it to myself to be the best I can be in this industry, so I started pushing toward my own PT business. At this time, there was a conflict. I was playing a good standard of rugby for my local team and wanted to push for the semi-pro team. We had just been promoted and it meant I could be playing national rugby - my childhood dream. I had to make a decision, and so I left the job I loved in the City and looked for a freelance position in my home town, allowing me to dedicate more time to rugby training and sports specific work.

I applied for a position at a well known commercial chain gym and got the job. I was very naive at this point and believed that personal training was an easy life, but I couldn’t have been any further from the truth. Getting people to part with hard earned cash for a PT session sometimes seemed impossible. I took time to work out what my product was, coming up with hundreds of gimmicks, 'bogofs', price plans - and it all boiled down to one underlying truth. Listen to the people, break down the goal, put it into bite-sized programmes and help teach your clients about what they are achieving. Maintaining a professional attitude towards people and self discipline will not only better you generally, but gives you a positive image in the public eye.

My rugby game at this point was heading to a peak. I was fitter than ever, faster than ever and there was talk of me going from my usual position to wing because of my new-found speed. All was going well and I was looking forward to a promising season of higher level rugby. My dreams were slowly coming true and life was going well, until a simple tackling drill went wrong. A misplacement of my left hand caused a bad knock and, when I went to the hospital, I got the all clear and thought in my own mind that I was being 'soft'. Due to a high injury rate at the club, we had low numbers for that week's game, so I put my name down to play. I had to play on the right wing as I couldn’t use the left hand or even move it, I took two high strength painkillers and lasted 60 minutes. During the second half, I took a crash ball and smashed my hand, causing it to swell up with the strapping cutting into me. I received a call on the Monday from the hospital telling me they had missed a fracture running under the bone of my thumb and with that, I knew I was out for at least a season..... This was the end of my dream.

I took a position in a plush gym but had to pay out £900 a month before earning a wage - this was more than I was willing to pay. So I did my homework - I needed a place to service my clients for as little outlay as possible. I approached my rugby club with a business plan and they loved the idea. I equipped the gym at the club with a mix of cardio and weight apparatus - it had everything I needed and my clients loved it as it had a 1:1 feel about it. I had come to realise that people want the best service available at the fairest price. I had a great client base, great product and a great reputation, but I still had ambition. For a year, I saved more or less ever penny I could and put together a new business plan. The concept was a gym that had everything you needed without the full fat cappuccino and steam room to distract you from the real reason you are there!

I opened Spit and Sawdust, my new venture, on the 1st of April 2009. I currently have 135 members and run a 'pay as you go' service alongside the more conventional membership scheme, and Spit and Sawdust is by far the cheapest non contract gym in town.

I am looking to double the membership but, even though my insurance allows me up to 1500 members, I would not want to lose sight of the orginal concept - the personal touch and loyalty factor. After all, my members are friends and family, not numbers.

I am opening gym number 2 in early 2011.

See more of me at: www.jerryeast.moonfruit.com