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Local gym shifts to remote training program
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. » One local business is aiming to redefine fitness in the COVID-19 era.
KettlebellWorks, formerly known as Evolution Strength & Performance, recently rebranded, expanded, and changed its business model - all during a global pandemic when area gyms are not allowed to open their doors.
The Spa City fitness studio, located at 9 Hampstead Pl. in Saratoga Springs, is making these efforts to help its members thrive in the face of adversity brought on by COVID-19.
KettlebellWorks owner and operator Chris Abbott wants people to know that they don’t have to put health and fitness goals on hold.
In recent months, the studio has restructured its operations to focus on where the fitness industry is headed, not where it is now.
This means creating fitness solutions such as Hybrid, KettlebellWorks’ new fully remote home training program that gives members their own personal coach and program centered around strength, nutrition, or both.
Through this and other alternative training programs, the KettlebellWorks coaches report that some members are seeing better results than when they were going to the gym.
“The people who hopped on our online program were actually getting far better results than when they were coming into the gym, so that was almost a no brainer for us,” said Abbott, who originally opened the business in 2017.
After working as a trainer in California for eight years, Abbott moved to New York to open a studio that focuses exclusively on kettlebell workouts.
Before now, the studio offered small group training classes and as the business began to grow, Abbott decided to expand the studio space from 1,000 to 3,000 square feet by taking over an adjacent unit in the building.
“We mulled expanding for a year and a half and finally pulled the trigger back in December of 2019,” Abbott shared. “Talk about the wrong time to double your overhead.”
Nevertheless, construction began in February and ended in April, with some delays due to the pandemic.
Abbott got the keys to the newly expanded studio in the spring but has not yet been able to invite visitors to come check out the space.
Rebranding from Evolution Strength & Performance to KettlebellWorks was planned to be announced along with the expansion.
Many, including Abbott, thought they’d have the chance to use the revamped studio with the start of Phase 4 in the Capital Region until the state announced that gyms would still not be permitted to open yet.
“Without question, it’s been a tough time for gym owners as we anxiously awaited Phase 4 of reopening only to see it taken away from us a week before it was supposed to happen,” Abbott said.
Fortunately for the business, Abbott and the KettlebellWorks team have been proactive since the start of the pandemic.
As mid-March approached and Abbott heard about gyms being ordered to close in California, the KettlebellWorks team began recording some of their workouts just in case gyms in New York saw the same situation, though they only imagined at the time could be a two or three-week temporary closure.
“When the pandemic hit we joked that we’d be closed for all of Q2 and should plan accordingly,” Abbott shared in a press release.”While I encouraged our team members to think that could happen, I didn’t actually feel that was going to be the case.”
Now four months later, not a single class has been held at the studio, which is now triple its original size.
However, adopting the mindset that the studio would be closed long term allowed Abbott and his team to focus on what they could do without inviting members into the space.
This led to getting a new website that could host lots of videos, developing a livestream training schedule, and recording dozens of tutorial videos.
Then in May, KettlebellWorks made the tough decision to switch all of its members to a cheaper online membership.
“We knew we were going to be losing a ton of money, but we just felt it was the right thing to do,” Abbott said. “We felt like it would put us in a position where we could really be proactive.”
Pivoting to a remote training concept was a seamless transition for the business, which was already delivering an online nutrition program.
By offering Hybrid, the team at KettlebellWorks feels confident they can help anyone who wants to stay on top of their health and fitness.
Since making these changes, KettlebellWorks has not only retained many of its existing members but has even attracted and welcomed some new members into its fitness community.
“Ultimately, focusing on what we could do rather than what we couldn’t do is what has helped us survive, and now even see growth, during this crazy time in people’s lives,” Abbott said in the release.
When the studio can eventually reopen its doors to the public, it won’t be the same as it was before.
“We’re going to focus on the online business, and use the in-person business whenever we’re allowed to use it, for kind of a la carte work, knowing that we’re still going to have people who probably want to come in for some in-person coaching, but not getting away from what has been working,” Abbott said, noting that the schedule will be very minimal.
Looking ahead to the future of KettlebellWorks, Abbott said the plan is to just keep operating how it has been doing for the past three months because this new norm has proven to work for both the team and members, Abbott said.
“I think we can all agree that this is not an ideal situation for everyone, However, from what we’ve seen, it actually has been a better quality of life for us coaches, and for the people we’re working with as well.”
Despite uncertainty surrounding the future of the health and fitness industry at large, Abbott believes KettlebellWorks can grow this new online portion of the business to where the studio was prior to the pandemic, he said, and likely even beyond.
“People are going to realize if you’re following the proper type of program you actually get the same if not even better results than you had when you were going to the gym - and do it on your time.”
More information about KettlebellWorks and its programs is available online at www.kettlebell. works or by calling 518350-7037.