Steve Matthews is the Owner/Operator and a TPI-Certified Personal Trainer at wellBEING in Fairport, New York.
While managing a local fitness center, a personal training client of mine helped me earn a position at Oak Hill Country Club more than a decade ago. Soon after, my wife and I would open our own business, wellBEING, and were fortunate to remain involved in personal training at Oak Hill. We were eventually contracted to manage the Oak Hill fitness facility while operating our own private studio, leading golf fitness seminars in the area, and also serving the members at nearby Monroe Golf Club on an appointment basis.
With more golf-related fitness filling our calendar, we attained TPI certification, and I developed my own philosophy that transcends golf, and can be applied to everyday life – If I can help my clients move better, I know they will feel better. If they feel better, I know they will do more, which leads to the results they desire. At this point, I started running TPI-style programming at Oak Hill and was increasingly addressing the specific needs of golfers at all of my locations.
Today, with a growing business of our own (having relocated our studio to Fairport, New York last summer), and five kids at home, I have relinquished operational duties at Oak Hill. I still work with clients at both golf facilities, blocking times off for them to make appointments, but I now spend most of the day at my own studio. Having a presence at multiple locations has aided in not only growing my business, but in my own personal growth as a trainer and fitness professional.
When working with clients at my studio, it is a very individualized and private session. Ours is not a fitness center where clients come to work out, but simply to see me at their scheduled appointment times. We focus on their needs directly, gearing our programming to meet their goals and help them move better from the start.
The studio is equipped with a cable crossover unit, treadmills, stationary bike, rower, barbells, kettlebells, bumper plates, medicine balls and various mobility tools. This space serves us well, and many clients prefer to come to me. However, maintaining the relationships with Oak Hill and Monroe allows us to offer the convenience of meeting members in their club’s fitness center. They might have a meeting or are playing golf before or after our session. These facilities have stellar fitness centers that also serve our purposes well.
In addition, serving members at their golf clubs has led to me working with several local golf professionals, valuable relationships that help spread my message throughout the local golf community.
With winter upon us, we have seen an uptick in client contact and engagement. Some of these individuals are returning clients, whereas others are new. These new client relationships start with a TPI screen and a general fitness assessment. Through this analysis, I am able to see where they are mobility-wise.
In the Northeast, winter-spring feels like “fitness season.” We use this time to set some serious goals and implement our plan, so when golf season comes, my clients are more mobile, stronger and better-prepared to get off the tee.
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