Training Website

[Cburylax]

Guys, I'm exploring the idea of building a site for information and on Strength and Conditioning with photos and streaming video for all the exercises. This would be a summer project and I need to iron out some details and I need some feedback. If you guys wouldn't mind answerings some questions it would help me decide if it is a worthwhile project.


Site Outline

1. This site would explain all the areas of Strength and Conditioning and their importance
-Core Stabilization
-Functional Training
-Flexibility and Stretching
-Strength Training
-Power Training
-Plyometrics

2. Have Training Programs available for download based on exercises on the site.

3. All exercises would have photos and streaming video showing the correct way to do them. For example, a tranverse box step with curl and press, or a dumbell push press. This would be similar to photos I've posted on this site in the past.


Questions

A. Would this site be useful for you and would you visit it for information on training?

B. Would you pay a nomimal fee to become a member? How much per month? $10, $20, $30 considering a personal trainer can cost $40 - $150 per hour?

If you guys wouldn't mind letting me know I can begin the preliminary planning stages and start to work on it. Please be honest, especially about the monthly fee, the amount of bandwidth for this site would be huge and expensive.

...and just so you know that I'm serious, here are a few sites that I've designed:

EDIT BY ADMIN *** ADVERTISING NOT PERMITTED

Thanks,

C

[the wister]

One site I have always wanted to see was one with a quality strength exercise list, so I think this site would be great. One attribute that would be a must would have to be a way for members to submit exercises, that way there would be more variety. One the other hand, there are a few websites like this already, so you will have to take that into account, some that have been up for years. I think they only charge a yearly fee, so I don't know if this site would be able to attract enough customers. It's a good idea though, I don't know if I've seen any sites with video demonstrations for each exercise.

[stegmakk]

If ya wanna make some coin...I wouldnt post everything on the site for people to download and print and just use that. Maybe do 1 photo and a description on the basic/medium excercises...
Then for those that pay, you let them have all the pics/vids and access to all...
The tricky part is paying...if you continuously update, then yes there could be a monthly fee...I only wonder how much you can update with new material...
Other option is $25 flat fee for 12 month access to the vids/etc...
For personal training...at the gyms I go to it is ridiculously expensive 1 on 1 training like $75-$100/hour and they devise the routine and work out with you encourage you blah blah...if you do it via the web Ive seen some offer monthly packages where they do a routine for a month for $X and if you add in nutrition planning too, its another $X. I cant remember the pricing as I havent been to those sites recently...
Just my 2 cents

[Longest]

A. Yes the information would be useful to me and I would visit and use it.

B. I would consider paying for it. It would depend directly on how useful I was finding it on a month to month basis. I can accumulate a lot of the information right away and not have to subscribe monthly. It would depend on variety of updates and ongoing information being dissembled. I have never subscribed to an online service, I'm not against the idea however.

I think videos is something interseting that would set it apart. Sometimes pictures don't always do a particular lift justice. Nutrtion or supplement advice would be a good inclusion and easy on the bandwidth. If you want me to give you a monetary amount, I can't see paying more than $20 a month for it, and I would consider that a lot of money.

$.02

Dan

[Cburylax]

Great feedback. I also don't like the idea of a monthly fee, I would prefer a 1 time yearly membership fee. The site would be based on a program designed by the NASM (National Academy of Sports Medicine) which has 3 levels (Stabilization, Strength, and Power) and 7 different progressions within them. The program would just be a guideline with members actually designing their own program based on the recommendations of the program. Then there would be video and instruction on all the exercises so a member could see how to do a certain exercise, ie snatch, RDL with Scaption, etc.

Of course if the site actually made any money I could hire someone to answer questions, give advice etc.

If it went this way, how much would you pay for a 1 year membership? $20, $50, $75...more, knowing you could create unlimited exercise programs with over 80 exercises and explanations?

[Longest]

For unlimited usage for an entire year with information as you have listed, I think I would pay between $50 and $75, tending toward the high end as you have described it. Now that is sight unseen, mind you. If I found it very very useful, I would go higher than that. $100 might be about my ceiling and that seems somewhat high but again, sight unseen, it's hard to make a guess.

Dan

[stegmakk]

I would have said $50, since it is a yearly thing.

[1/2man1/2amazin]

I wouldnt pay, there are sites out there with all of that information, and lots of kowledgable people in every gym.
I think you should add a basic nutrition section, describe like basically what protein does for you, or what creatine does (or doesnt do). But don't get too indepth and alienate people.
It's a good idea and i do tink you can get money from ads and aponsors and stuff.

[lyonsvt]

did you code .com as well as design it? i like the coding on it, the design leaves something to be desired

[Cburylax]

thats cold.....yes I designed it....

[senor_k]

They all look very nice, well put together, not outrageous in color scheme or layout. About the new site:
A. Sorry, no. I don't really work out, besides running and hitting the wall. But I could see that sort of site being very popular with the medium to hardcore "workout" types.
B. I don't think the monthly fee is such a good idea. Honestly, I wouldnt pay for it (but maybe because I'm not that into working out). Make it a free site, with ads to pay for the bandwidth/servers. Forums are a must, too.

[digger]

I would not pay for it. There are enough free alternatives and I doubt the extra content is worth the money, because there are many training sites and boards which are free.

[AXL]

CBurylax, you certainly know your stuff when it comes to lifting and conditioning, but they are all your own techniques and views. Charging someone for them is the same thing as beeing an online personal trainer, which would certainly make you more money as it seems not many would pay for a website that just lists and describes things. I would just pay $3 and get a fitness magazine and talk to people at the gym. If you do stick with the website idea, it might be helpful to have a theme to the advice, like it could be dedicated to every aspect of training for lacrosse, or something.
Maybe you could just make it, keep it free, and then whenevr people have questions on here or other forums you could link to your site and direct them to the answer. then eventually get money for advertisements.

[Cburylax]

AXL, you certainly are entitled to your opinion but a fitness magazine....gimme a break...I take offense to being compared to a fitness magazine.... :nahya:

....also sounds like the payment option could go either way...thanks for the feedback.

[imipono]

cbury - I would do some research and check out other pay websites for how they work their pay schedules. I know sportspecific.com is pay site and so is ptonthenet.com. Those seem to do well for other trainers as a resource and I don't see why they wouldn't be models for what it looks like you're doing. There is very little in the way of actual sport specific training and conditioning for lax on the web and the stuff you do find isn't much different than basic old-school body building stuff. I think the biggest challenge is getting people to see the new paradigm and break out of that bodybuilding type of training. My motto is function over fashion, performance over aesthetic. Keep lookin and doin your homework I think you're on to something...

[RYU]

A. Would this site be useful for you and would you visit it for information on training?Yes. You've proven in your posts your knowledge is sound and in-depth.

B. Would you pay a nomimal fee to become a member? How much per month? $10, $20, $30 considering a personal trainer can cost $40 - $150 per hour?Personally, I probably would not. I'm pretty much in the same boat as Longest/Dan. I could see myself paying/using the site for a month or so to get what I want out of it. For one month unlimited access, I might pay $5-10. For one year, I'd say $20-30. I gauge the market value against the average exercise/fitness book or one-year mag subscription that runs around $20-30.

I don't think comparing your prospective website to a one-on-one personal trainer is a good comparison. Most trainers don't teach their clients anything that isn't already available in hundreds of other media (books, mags, websites, etc). I think the most valuble things personal trainers offer are getting into the nitty-gritty and finer points of technique and the personal chemistry, encouragement, and attention they give to their clients.

Cbury, you much more-so than most, should know that there is a lot more than meets the eye to doing something as simple looking as a dumbbell benchpress or deadlift. No matter how many descriptions, photos, and videos you post on a website, that will never come close to the detailed attention a personal trainer can provide.

Who is your target market? To paraphrase senor_k, I think what you have to offer would appeal most to the "hardcore workout" types. And I wholeheartedly agree w/ imipono when he(?) says one of your biggest hurdles will be getting people to "break out of that bodybuilding type of training".

[Cburylax]

I guess my real purpose for this site is to introduce the other less common but newer areas of training that I've been trying to get across in all my other posts. It is rather hard to explain the importance of core stabilization and functional training with a multi-planar emphasis on a message board, even with photos. The response has been mixed and since this is a huge project and could be expensive to maintain I really need more feedback....


There are only a few that can really appreciate the direction athletic training is taking, everyone else on this board is pure bodybuilding. RYU, to answer your question about my target market....everyone on this board, High School aged athletes, and their parents.

Cbury, you much more-so than most, should know that there is a lot more than meets the eye to doing something as simple looking as a dumbbell benchpress or deadlift. No matter how many descriptions, photos, and videos you post on a website, that will never come close to the detailed attention a personal trainer can provide.

I'm really not trying to emphasize a bench press, squat, or dumbell curl in this potential site with photos, decription, and a video. I guess I would have to just to have complete information, but everyone knows how to do these exercises, just ask wister, AXL, or 1/2man1/2amazin. I want to show someone how to do a squat, curl, press while standing on dyna discs, or a tranverse box jump, and their importance to athletic training.

Not everyone has access to a personal trainer and I know not every trainer has a good grasp on the concepts I would like to base this site on. Its the high school athletes that are so impressionable and the ones that need the most information. When I was in high school, I read every fitness magazine I could get and that is how I learned my way around a gym, I'm sure AXL could support this judging by his fitness magazine comment. Now I will be the first to tell a young athlete that bodybuilding is good for bodybuilding and not good for athletic training. And sooner or later, this ideal is going to be commonplace, its the athletes that will keep an open mind and learn how this can help that are going to get that edge in the immediate future......

[busdriver44]

i would without a doubt join. However, It would have to be free

[imipono]

What if you did something like a newsletter with advice to see what kind of interest you could get. A friend of mine does that for his personal training business and it works out pretty well for him. here's a sample: http://www.integratedevolution.org/Evolutionary/2005%20Newsletter/Jan2005BFR.htm#IV.%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%2 0The%20PR%20Board

of course you wouldn't have to do the exact same thing but it might be a less expensive way to garner interest and get the word out on the basic concepts you're trying to get out there to kids...?
You could have an exercise of the month and lay foundation down to build on the working principles of functional training. Then if that get's overwhelming you could set up a pay site for those on the newsletter who want to learn more and get more in depth info...just a thought.

[AXL]

yo my b for comparing you to a fitness magazine, i wasnt trying to offend you. I brought up the fitness magazine because of the fact that you can learn how to do a few excersizes in them, learn the benefits from many excerscizes as well as some training tips. but i completely agree with you on the fact that every single routine in them is built for a professional bodybuilder, not a begginer. its all isolation movements!!!!

either way, i hope your idea works out. I recently learned the importance of core strength towards powerlifting/stregnth gaining, but i've never heard of the term core stabilization. Im quite interested actually, because i know that getting big and bulky (though im neither as of now :p) doesnt do jack squat for lacrosse.

[imipono]

Axl,
I've posted recommendations on a book that I consider to be head and shoulders above most other books out there It's called Core performance by Mark Verstegen. Great book and easy to understand. He also has a cd-rom companion to the book that is a little better because it shows videos of the exercises.
You're right when you talk about size not being as major a factor in lax as other sports. That's one reason I think lacrosse is such a great sport.
The interesting thing about lacrosse that poses challenges for strength & conditioning is that you need strength training, conditioning, agility, endurance/stamina and skill. Incorporating all these aspects into 1 training regimen is very difficult. Core stabilization and the Optimum Performance Training model as prescribed by the certification that Cbury and I both have is perfect for lacrosse players with the right guidance and education in how the body works.
We could start a new thread on recommended strength and conditioning resources...I didn't really read a whole lot back in the day when I was in high school but if anybody wants to start that...?

[AXL]

Thanks for the description, im going to see if i can get my hands on that book asap. I do a ton of reading because i know i can use the knowledge for the rest of my life. unlike social studies for example :nahya:

[bigDman]

i would maybe pay liek 5-10 dollars a for unlimted acsess for a mounth and then get everything i need

[LeeBob802]

I'm not sure the web site will bring you satisfaction in your career. If you love to expound on the ideas, then do so for free. If you get mega hits, which you will if the info is top-notch, then advertisers will pay you back, but you may never make coin doing this. It sounds more like a labor of love. To make coin, you need to be highly sought after, which comes from word of mouth referrals, which comes from being very good at what you do. What is your angle? Is it that these exercises will improve your performance physically, mentally and/or spiritually? Does it increase the speed of your shot, or quicken your foot speed, or give you endurance if you play first line miidie and man-up and man-down? Does it decrease the risk of injury, and if so, what types of injuries does it help prevent?

[liveforlax19]

not sure if this site is what you are looking for...

but visit www.exrx.net

it shows u stretches, workouts, etc... for almost every muscle in the body... diets and all... and its free

check it out

[Irish_Keep]

your idea is very good and i personally like it the only thing i disagree with is the fee, you can find all the things your offering on bodybuilding.com, its a website not just for bodybuilding but strength and conditioning. also you can make money off the site by having it sponsered

[Cburylax]

Thanks again for the feedback. Just to clarify, I'm not looking to make "coin" on this site and none of the sites or references that have been posted thus far are on the same track as far as the type of training I want to base this site on. Keep it coming though.....

[laxmonk55]

www.freetrainers.com is a good site to start with.

[pkatc]

This site sounds like a great idea. It will be much more specific for lacrosse and will NOT be just a list of exercises. There are many free sites out there that just give exercise lists. Being a legit strength coach requires the art of adjusting acute exercise variables and performing certain exercises at the optimal point in the work out. If you charge a membership fee, you know only those serious about training will join. And isn't that the type of athlete you want to work with in the first place?

[AXL]

I think this is a great idea and reccomend it to anyone interested in getting in shape for lacrosse. I guess I've changed my views quite a bit after spending 5 weeks following the core performance workout regime reccomended by imipono. If i remember correctly, your training methods are similar to what i have been doing, and thats why i really think this site will be a great idea!!!

[lyonsvt]

thinking about this again, would it not only have physical training tips, but also playing tips, etc? if it was a complete lacrosse resource, i would absolutely pay $50/yr or so in order to access it