THE STORY
Half way into my workout, covered in sweat and exhausted, I found myself quickly losing motivation and struggling to get through the workout. I turned to the music to lift my spirits…only to be greeted with the disappointment of a 5th straight Ke$ha song. I thought to myself, “The coach must really like Ke$ha. I could really use a Skrillex song right about now to pump me up.” As I was contemplating why Ke$ha has a dollar sign in her name and whether or not I really wanted to do this next set of pull ups, the light bulb lit up in my head. It became clear to me that there is a problem with how gyms go about their music selection.
THE PROBLEM
1. One speaker system and a lot of different people.
Gyms have one central speaker system that has to cater to a diverse population of members, ranging in age, culture, race, gender, and MUSIC PREFERENCES. What may be the greatest work out song to one gym member may be atrocious to another. So how do we personalize and accommodate the music selection to each individual, while keeping all the other members in consideration as well?
2. Coaches are Coaches….not DJs
Coaches have enough on their plates as it is. On top of running the classes, programming the workouts, teaching the proper form for the movements, motivating the members and ensuring the members safety during the workout, coaches are also asked to be the class DJ and regulate the music that plays throughout the workout.
However, just because the coach is the expert when it comes to the movements, does not necessarily mean they are the experts when it comes to the musical taste of the class. Alluding back to the previous issue; people have different tastes in music. Just because Metallica may be the coach’s go to work out music doesn’t necessarily mean it is what the class wants to listen to as a whole. So how do we help coaches focus more on coaching and less on being a DJ?
3. Music is often overlooked
Music does not make a good gym. Programming, coaching, and community do. However, that is not to say that music doesn’t have an impact! While often overlooked, music is one of the first things people notice when they walk into a gym. Music sets the tone, personality, and attitude of the Gym and its members. In short, music is a large part of the gym experience. So how can we help gyms leverage the power of music to improve their members’ experience?
The root of this music selection problem is the lack of member input.
ENTER AMP UP
At Amp Up, we look to address these issues by focusing on an online/mobile member-centric solution that promotes the collaborative creation of gym playlist. In this approach, we believe we can provide four key benefits to both the gym and its members.
1. Let the Members Decide!
Music is not only a huge part of the gym experience, but also a great means to help motivate the members through a tough workout. If the members are the end-users, why not let them choose the music they want to hear? Amp Up looks to do this by allowing each member to select up to 5 different songs to add to the gyms’ music selection.
2. Make Their Preference Count!
What good is a choice if it doesn’t make a difference? Amp Up looks to highlight the members’ preferences by combining their music selections with their preferred class time to better ensure they hear the right songs during the right times. The end result is a separate and unique playlist for each class.
Based on work, family, friends, and other commitments, we all have our own unique schedules and preferences when it comes to gym class times. Whether it’s the 6am class, the noon class, or the 5pm class, we all have that class time that we associate with and consider to be “our class.” By allowing members to select two class times that they “associate” with, it ensures that their song selections are being added to the right class playlist.
3. Turn a Distraction into a Tool!
We want to help the coaches by turning music selection from a distraction into an intuitive and simple tool. Rather than worrying about what songs the class wants to hear, coaches should be focused on the safety and performances of the class during work outs.
Amp Up looks to not only allows the members to select the songs they want to hear during the work out, but also provides the dual function as an all-in-one timer. By simply choosing the appropriate class time and inputting the duration and type of work out (AMRAP, For Time, EMOM, etc), Amp Up will generate a class playlist based the class’s song selections and match it with the type of work out; making it literally as simple as pressing the “play” button for the coaches.
4. Leverage Music to Elevate Your Gym from Good to Great!
As I previously mentioned, music doesn’t make a good gym. Proper programming, coaching, and community do. However, we believe that music can help elevate a good gym to a great gym. The simple act of allowing members to select the music they want to hear during workouts can help strengthen your gym’s community and help members get better results.
Amp Up allows members to go from being participants to contributors to the gym. By allowing members to select the songs they want to hear, Amp Up helps members develop an increased sense of equity and attachment to the gym and build a stronger sense of community.
Music can be a powerful source of motivation. Hearing the right song can be the difference between simply going through the motions to truly giving it your all. We believe in the logic that:
better music → more motivation → work harder → faster results.
Results mean a lot; they are a validation of your hard work, a confirmation that the programming is effective, and a motivation to keep trying.
IN CLOSING
Music selection has been an enduring issue for many gyms. Though commercial gyms can place the onus of music selection on the individual through their iPod and headphones, class oriented gyms (CrossFit, Zumba, Spin Class, etc) require a more innovative approach. At Amp Up we look to provide that solution through a member-centric solution that creates shared value for both the gym and its’ members.
We are still in the development process, but if you would like to keep in touch with us and hear about our progress, you can stay up to date on our mailing list at AmpUp.me or follow us on twitter @AmpUpMe
If you are interested in being a part of the Amp Up team or want your gym to help test out this service, please contact us at AmpUp.Me@gmail.com.
We are excited to work with the fitness community to develop a practical and innovative solution to the dilemma of gym music selection.
-amp up
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