Chapter 6 - Middletown Beginnings

 

Knockout Middletown

So I started the planning phase for Middletown Knockout. I figured I would just replicate what I had that was working here in Newark and go from there. Got a business plan put together and started on the road to what I was hoping to be a huge, successful operation. 

I linked up with the leasing agent that helped me and held my hand in Newark when I took over from Ted and moved it to the small spot on Kirkwood Highway. Alicia Fox is her name, works for DSM Commercial. Great agent and a great person, I cant recommend her enough. Anyways, we start poking around down in Middletown, and at the time, the place was exploding in population. A ton of money was being put into town by the major landlords in Delaware (Stellas, Capanos, Pettinaros etc.) and she sent me over a listing for a future site called Hedgelawn Plaza. Things were progressing until the Landlord requested that my father also guarantee the lease (in the 11th hour by the way) due to lack of leasing history (even though I had been a great tenet for 2 years at that point). Now that place that was 2 years out from completion so ultimately pulled out of the deal. She then sent me over another spot called Summerton Place (owned by Bob Stella, great guy and great landlord) that was under construction and about 1 year out.  So we go back and forth over the next few months and end up coming to terms on the lease. First things first, lets go over a list of fuck ups I did with this lease.

1. No formal business entity had been formed at that point, so, the lease was placed in the Name of the Newark gym.
2. No business partners yet, so, again I am guaranteeing the lease. 
3. I did not understand tenet fit out requirements
4. Legal red tape was not accounted for with the town and with the state.

Now, 1,2 and 3, would be handled in due time. The landlord and I agreed to switch the name over once the entity had been created. So that was in the pipeline (or so I thought). I planned on recruiting business partners from people currently at Knockout Newark. In concept, great Idea. I knew them, and training them on how to run it would be easy since they would already be there. Low buy in amounts etc. and I would gradually reward them with more ownership % as revenue increased and as I reduced my ownership % I would come off the lease (or so I thought).

Item number 4 really put me through it though. The largest thing being the requirement of actual Architectual drawings showing our layout of the space. I did a little bit of CAD engineering in college before switching majors to Business, so I knew it wasn't going to cheap, but I didn't exactly know how much it would be. The town required that the Drawings be submitted for approval prior to them granting a business license to me. I insisted that, if I got in there, and didn't like the layout then I would change it because I knew what would work best. They didn't give a fuck so, I hired Fredrick Ward and Associates to map out my 2900/sq/ft gym....to the tune of.....a hair over $5,000 fucking dollars. For drawings....of bag racks and where I would put the treadmills.  All for a piece of paper. 

But I've skipped ahead a bit. After signing the lease, the property owner ran into issues with the general contractor. Now, I don't know all the details, however, generally speaking its not normal for anyone to switch contractors halfway through the process of any building, let alone a luxury building with high end condos and first floor retail. But 12 or so months after signing, there suddenly was zero progress being made. At that point I had recruited the first of my two partners, they had bought into the business, and we were getting anxious. Time dragged on, which was fine as I was allotting funds to different things, recouping costs as I went. Eventually we got to the project being a year behind schedule. A slew of issues had popped up, including the water main line into the building being placed in the wrong area...all 600 feet of it which was preventing electric etc. from reaching the building. I don't even want to know the financial damage all the delays caused.  Way more than I could afford. At this point, with the opening of the building not in the foreseeable future, and everything which I could do, already done...what do you think I went and did? 

A personal friend of mine approached me about starting his own facility...in Bel Air, MD....

Chapter 5 - Expansion part one

 How do I do make more money?

    So things were going well 1450. I had some help here and there from Zach for cardio classes and the odd PT I couldn't handle. I was steadily increasing the bank account  month over month, having fun playing with different types of advertising, and more importantly, never feeling like I was actually working. Most people, and I tell my clientele now, all hate their jobs or don't really get satisfaction out of what they do. I'm fortunately not in the group, I live a life of freedom, fitness, and I cant imagine doing a 9-5 clocking in and working for the man. Fuck every bit of that. Hats off to people that workout before or after working at a place that doesn't really move the needle for them. I truly don't know how you all do it.

Anyways, I was getting the hang of it all is what I'm getting at. Now, if you know me, nothing is ever enough and I was already starting to think about how I could increase the revenue of the business. Of course you see the Orange theory finesses, the 9 rounds and other franchise style gyms and I thought that expansion to additional locations was the best way to add to my bottom line (how naive of me). So I set to work on plans to expand. I quickly realized that the legal leg work of setting up a franchise was way north of what was possible for me. Several estimates had it at between $50,000-100,000 so that was out of the question. I talked to Ted, and he mentioned something about a licensing structure. Looking into that, It was indeed far less legally taxing and pretty straight forward;

1. Find people that want to own/run a gym 
2. Train them on the business model for 6 months
3. Secure a location and fit out
4. Execute opening and Go

Looking back now, apart from my ignorance that the process and progress was going to be a linearly upwards, a couple mistakes were made. The individuals that ultimately ended up signing on for the Middletown location and the latter, Bel Air location were all friends of mine. I believe that they all signed on with me because of one thing, and it wasn't because their dream was to own and operate their own gym. It was because they were attracted to the idea of me and that they saw it as a way to make easy side money. Ill be the first to admit, I haven't been the best judge of character and their was a steep learning curve on this that I didn't see then. I went through the process like a checklist and looking back, I should have vetted them differently. 

The next mistake was how I structured the licensing agreement. Now, I assumed that if someone said they were going to do something, that they would do it to the same level and quality that I would, and that as long as that happened, the businesses would make it and it would be great for everyone. Ill foreshadow a bit....people fucking suck. So, if you ever find yourself in a position similar to this, just know, that NO ONE EVER CARES ABOUT SOMETHING AS MUCH THE OWNER. The most you can get out of someone is about 80%. You'll never get 100%. My dumb-ass went and structured the ownership of these new ventures with ME being the majority owner. Let me explain, the model had it so that my 4 new partners (2 at each new place) would be on the ground and putting in sweat equity to get the business to profitability and to keep expenses as low as possible on the payroll side, all things that make sense and are what a business owner should do. What I should have done, was make THEM majority owner and keep me off the business OR at most, as a minority interest.  This is because;

1. Risk - When you are the majority owner, you shoulder the majority of the risk. Risk is fine when you are able to be in the facility day in and day out. Not fine when you cant be in three places at once making sure your partners/employees are doing what they should.
2. Lease exposure - When you are over 20% owner you must go on any commercial lease as a personal guarantor. If you don't know what a personal guarantor is, it basically means that if the business fails, you are on the hook for the lease. If you don't have the funds to do that, then the lessor is legally allowed to take your possessions until the debt is met.  

 The people on the ground floor should have been the individuals on the lease, and the majority owners that  would take in the majority of net revenue. I should have been there in a support role through only advertising, admin and consult work. Now, if the business goes off without a hitch, and it makes money then ok. I had set up an agreement that as revenue increased, my partners ownership would increase, which in some ways makes sense BUT even when ownership would eventually change from majority to minority ownership for me, MY NAME WAS STILL ON THE FUCKING LEASES. In Delaware, businesses are run and governed by the operating agreements, and I did set them up as Delaware LLCs so the ownership shares could change on there but as far as the lease goes, it wouldn't change without a lot of legwork (during the best of times). In Middletown, it was just me on the lease. In Bel Air, my partner Brandon and his wife were 25% owners so, they were legally required to be on there. Thankfully, and unbeknownst to me, if you are on a lease as a guarantor, it doesn't matter if you are 25% or 100%, you guarantee that whole motherfucker, and landlords like having guarantors. More people to go after in case the business fails...

Middletown was first, and I started planning that in 2017...Ill get into how that went in the next installment. Heads up...not smooth.

Chapter 4 - 1450 and Getting my feet wet with actual ownership

 Chapter 4 - Actual Ownership    

So, I pick this up after the departure from 1908. The new landlord for the 1908 Building, Redds Ferris decided that he wasn't going to return the security deposit over some ticky tack bullshit. I realize now that he realized he could keep it because, I wouldn't know how to fight it. To this day I still think he's a shitbag. 

I opened 1450 the first week of January 2017. I remember checking the income from the final month at 1908 and only grossing $10,500 for the month...I had just signed a lease that was a total of $5500 per month, no other expenses included, with a Personal Guarantee (which I also didn't fully understand) and that was all before I had signed up anyone. My ignorance was definitely bliss but I fully believed in myself so failure was never something that could have happened. On the first day, the first thing that happened was, someone came in and cancelled...It didn't rattle me, but I was so young and dumb that I felt like each client was a friend so, when someone quit, I always took it so personal when I had no right to do so. After the person quit...things improved, and they improved very quickly. The end of the first week I had signed up 7 new members. And by the end of the first month, I had raised revenue from $10,500 to $13,900. I didn't dare pay myself. Not that week, not the week after that.... I didn't pay myself until roughly June of 2017. By that time the gym was consistently grossing between $18,000 - 21,000 with an all-in budget of $9,500 per month. A healthy margin by any standard and in any business that's for sure. I was doing everything...the classes and 90% of the private sessions. Tim was still with me, but I knew he would be leaving at some point in the near future and, he did. It was time for him to move on, he had found himself a woman up in Jersey and the day that he left was the last day I ever saw him (to my knowledge he's doing well enough, but I don't maintain contact. I'm terrible at maintaining relationships). 

I rotated between trainers that would help out but, as I said earlier, it was 90% me. On top of the training duties, I was also trying to navigate the blossoming world of social media and google ad words advertising. The different types of advertising campaigns, strategies to use etc. would eat up a sizeable amount of time. I can't tell you if any of what I did was effective or not. I knew that what I was doing, was getting people in the doors and that's all that mattered to me at that moment. 

Skipping over some of the hilarious training stories from back then, the guerilla marketing stuff I tried, I was having a blast. I was doing what I loved to do, never feeling like I was working, and I was making/building something I could be proud of. Halfway through my lease there at 1450, I had a trial personal training client that came through. Her name was Lauren, she was the Executive Director for DSADE.  I didn't really care; all I knew was she was this little white girl that wanted to "box". I was used to the college sorority crowd coming through so, I figured she would be no different. I started training her, and after a few months she and I were talking one day and she asked me, "would you be willing to do a class for individuals with Down syndrome?" If you know me, I never back down so I said of course. We worked on start date and Lauren put it out to her families and we ended up having our very first boxing class for the DSADE. Needless to say, the feedback was stellar, and we decided to extend it from a single one-time class to 3 months of 1x per week. The class grew and grew, up to 30-40 people at its peak all in a 2800 sq/ft space. But everyone loved it. The parents loved it, the participants loved it. 

The end of the class came, and we announced that it was the final class for a while, to a tidal wave of tears and dismay. Lauren and I talked and decided that rolling it into an official program offered by Knockout would be beneficial for everyone. This decision along with some help from pleading parents and participants, is what spawned one of my greatest creations, Down to Box Inc. 

I was pulling daily 6 am to 8pm workdays Monday - Friday and then 7 am - 12pm on Saturday...And you know what, it never once felt like work to me. I loved every second of it. The freedom, the ownership of something that was mine, and every single day, I was able to help people. Regardless of not paying myself and pulling 70-90 hr weeks I was having the time of my life. Times were good, and the gym just continued to grow. 

Chapter 3 - Ownership and 1450 Capitol Trail

 

    So as I said last week, ole Zach came back into the picture looking for a job while we were at the 1908 Capitol Trail Location. He was a decent enough coach, although he was a lying sack of shit (I didn't know it then). Zach had never competed in a an actual sanctioned fight. He trained around, and according to him, did lots of training and fighting at other gyms. He had a strong LAX background, which I find myself questioning now but, whatever. He had history with Ted, Tim and myself so it appeared to be a good fit. He hopped in and started teaching the cardio classes without a hitch. He could fill a room and was charismatic two of the most important things as a trainer. While he was working there, Brandon (from the failed Nottingham experiment) was also still training. He hadnt screwed us over yet and there was some overlap there between the two of them. A year or so later, we did the Nottingham venture and Brandon was out of the picture. I ended up stepping up and filling the void of skilled instructor while still managing my own personal training schedule (15-20 clients) the advertising, and I was slowly cutting my teeth on the back side of the business. There was a guy named Tim, a real good dude who I learned a lot about exercise science, even though he was a bit strange. He was reliable and never called out. He was very religious and that would sometimes cross over into work which we had to shut down a few times. There are 3 rules in the work place, no politics, no religion, and don't fuck your clientele. He unfortunately had issues with the second one. Cant be leading prayer circles as a Christian before workouts when you have no idea what beliefs other people have. That was a headache. 

The business flourished at the 1908 location. I was making more money then before (still not a lot but, again, I loved what I was doing). But I had ambitions, I wanted more and I figured that more should come in the form of more gyms. Ted agreed however, as a far wiser man then I was at the time, he saw the risk and smartly kept me on track building Newark up. By the time we were nearing our end of lease (3 years after initially moving), Ted told me he was done with Knockout and I needed to buy it. I had no idea how anything of that worked, but I started going around trying to get a bank to give me 100,000. No surprise, no one would even entertain me. I had to dig back into what I learned at school, and put together an actual business plan. So armed with my new "plan" I went back to the banks...and I failed again. This time, strength of credit....I had a good score, 740+ but no real history. All this time, we are inching closer and closer to the end of the lease. I'm frantically searching for new spaces, none of which were in my price range (4-5k/month) that also offered what I was looking for. I finally connected with Alicia Fox from DSM and she opened my eyes, started taking me to some spots to show and advising on how best to approach this. 

Now this entire time Id been driving by this tiny little retail space in "The shoppes of Redmill" center. I knew it was there but there was no way it would work. Too small, too low of ceilings. But as Alicia and I continued to strike out I was left with that tiny little retail space as my final option. Alicia reached out to the opposing agent and talks started...and continued and...finally...someone took a chance on me. They didn't want to lock me into a long term lease (5+) and that was fine, but they gave me a 3 plus 1 year option to renew. I agreed, and worked with Alicia on how a lease actually worked. She knew that I was after the lowest monthly rate possible. She was great, I got 3 months of rent abatement on top of a limited responsibility for HVAC issues ($500 deductible) and we had a good strategy for securing the lowest rate possible. At this point I had 90 days to get out of the 1908 spot. Redds Ferris had bought the spot and made it very clear that he had no interest in having us there. He even screwed Ted and I out of the security deposit once I had vacated the spot claiming that It wasn't left as I had found it (it was. It was just your typical big guy shitting on the smaller guy thing, he's an asshole, whatever).

The final 60 days of the 1908 gym and transition to the 1450 location were, up to that point, the busiest and hardest I had ever worked. I was spending 6am - 9 am at 1450 building the space which included demo of all the walls, removal of tile flooring, installation of 2800/sq/ft of LVP flooring, installation of a shower, new equipment, signage (which is very expensive). Then I'd spend all day at 1908 training my clientele and when we finished for the night I'd go back to 1450 to continue working. My GF (now wife) was there, with her father and family members helping me get that place together in time. The support I got from our families enabled me to get it all done in time and come 1/1/2017, I had managed to pull it off. Ted had realized I wasn't going to be able to secure the $100,000 he was asking for so, he ended up just handing the keys over, we came to a gentlemen's agreement for future endeavors and then I was off on my own. A new business owner, a fledgling entrepreneur...full of ideas and motivation. I finally owned something, I had something to talk about. It was a proud moment indeed...And I had no idea what I was in for. 

Chapter 2 - 1908 Capitol Trail and Expansion Try Number 1

 

        So we moved the whole gym down from McKennans Church Road to 1908 Capitol Trail. The space as a whole was much better. Higher ceiling with an open concept so we could pretty much set it up however wed like. Teds construction crew, who I used to work with did most of the work moving everything over, and I did most of the set up. We had some turnover with the move as it was no longer convenient for everyone but, we replaced those with new faces. I started working on expanding our online presence, back when google ad words and Facebook targeted advertising was actually worth a damn. I messed around with radio ads, Mall advertising, and even billboards. I worked on refining the business model as we started gaining some traction and eventually made the decision to higher my previous striking instructor. His name was Brandon and this was someone that taught me everything I knew as far as fighting and coaching. Its one thing to be a personal trainer, it's another to become a coach. Brandon was the latter, and he was great. He was a personality, charismatic, fun but effective and he could fill a room. It was easy to nail sign ups when he was teaching. We (Ted and I) paid him well for his time and his expertise and personality and the skilled boxing programs grew monthly to numbers we hadn't seen before despite raising our prices (originally $39/month up to $59-79/month for classes).

    I had also raised our private training memberships from $150/month up to $199/month to start going up as high as $299/month. People didnt seem to mind the prices, and I saw our clientele quality significantly improve. We started seeing more higher net worth individuals and families. This was my first experience with the notion of "the more you charge, the better the customer". Up to that point, discounts and cheap services were the way to attract more people. Make our programs so cheap that it was almost a no brainer to sign up. Looking back now, I laugh at how much we charged back then. Cheap people are just that...cheap. And 9 times out of 10 they also expect the most. Often times, far more then people that were paying 2-3x the monthly rate. 

    As I spent more time in the business, I made tweaks here and there, learned the seasonality of the business and when it was worth it to spend more or less on advertising. I learned that word of mouth beats paid advertising 9 out of 10 times. I developed a community within the business, where I knew everyone's name, the name of their kids and the struggles they were experiencing with work. I always joke with clientele that as a trainer/coach, I'm actually more of a therapist then a trainer. I was too young to really understand why people would vent to me but I did realize that it helped create a core group of members that were very loyal to the brand. I started these gym outings that were held 1x per month called Knockout Nights. I would pick a local bar/restaurant and the members would come out for a evening. It was as much of a social gathering as it was a networking event. I would hand out membership cards and garments to patrons of that weren't already members. It was a win win all the way around. Every time I held one, I had 20-40 clients coming and hanging out. It was some of the most effective advertising I did not to mention some of the most fun. I have people still members of my Newark spot that signed up after Knockout Nights and that was over 10 years ago. 

It was around this time that Brandon, having seen the success I was enjoying, started talking about partnering with Ted and I for a gym in Nottingham/Oxford PA. He had a his original fight gym that I had attended, and a core group of females (15-20) that had followed him around for a few years as he moved his operation around looking for the secret of success. To his credit, he realized that he didnt have the business savy to have an operation like Knockout. Eventually these short conversations and little comments led to Ted and I pulling the trigger and partnering with brandon on a new gym venture up in Nottingham, PA. The first ever Expansion of Knockout. Brandon sourced a spot that was adequate and I set up the infrastructure to get all of Brandons existing clientele on a new membership platform. We invested in about $10,000 into new equipment and I copied and pasted our existing google adwords and facebook advertising. 

When we started, brandon told ted and I that he had no problem with not getting paid for however long it took to get this venture off the ground. He was the primary instructor but this was mostly his deal so Ted and I agreed. I would do a little instructing here and there but mostly it was just member management and advertising. We starting picking up new people here and there. My follow up strategy was solid and the business was growing slowly but steadily. Until one day...

After roughly 5-6 months, Brandon had done a complete 180 on what he was willing to do for the new venture. I remember checking our billing system one day and all the members had turned their cards off. All of them simultaneously. I hadn't seen anything like that before, so I notified Brandon and Ted. After a bit of time, Brandon texted or called, I don't remember which, but he let us know that he no longer was going to be working with us, and that he was going to go back to doing what he was doing before leaving Ted and I out the fit-out money etc. Sure, Ted and I could have sued his face off, enforced all the contracts with the members but Ted thought it better to cut our losses and get out. I didn't understand the move, as there was a ton of money Brandon had screwed us out of, not to mention the fact that he said one thing and turned around and screwed his partners over within 6 months of a new venture. I was obviously pissed and extremely upset at the betrayal. This was my friend and coach, how could he do this to me? I would never do that to someone I was close with. Turned out to be for the best as Brandon was discovered to be fucking every single one of the female cardio members in his classes, even as his own wife (whom I liked very much and treated me like one of her own sons) attended those very classes. Can you imagine her, when she discovered that all the women in the class that she would consistently train with (15-20 people 2-3x per week) had all banged her husband. Needless to say, things didn't improve for old Brandon, and his prized son ended up getting hit with a criminal charge (that was later dropped) of the variety that...gives defendant a certain nasty public image. To this day, I don't know what ever happened to him. I know he tried to copy Knockout but do it up in Kennet Square which of course failed but the irony was that....the business was taken from him...by someone he trusted...just like our own shit-uation. 

Little did I know, this was the first of many, many....many lessons. I understood sweat equity, as did Ted. But it turned out that, most people don't get what that means. It took a long time for me to understand why and I even still to this day, cant completely wrap my head around it all. 

I looked for the silver linings in the whole experience, and tried to put it behind me. I worked and refined the process and the model day in and day out....For 3 years I worked at. Eventually, The guy from my very first day at Knockout, Zach, came looking for a job...

More next week...

Chapter 1: My Beginning at Knockout

 The Beginning

    Ill start with how I got involved with Knockout and that would be Ted.  He was the original owner and I was working for his Marine Construction Company back then. He eventually got wind that I was an active MMA athlete and I also had a personal training cert for side work. He convinced me to come up and try is gym out, and Ill never forget the first night I stepped in. The place was packed. I was kind of shocked that there was so many people but at the time he had a judo/jiujitsu program in addition to his boxing and cardio classes. I came to the jiu jitsu class and there were probably 25 people there. They were broken up into groups of 4-5 and there was 4 groups. Now, I'm not saying I'm the worlds greatest athlete but I was talented on the ground and I showed up in a white t-shirt and gym shorts and didn't let on anything to anyone (apart from Ted) that I had any background or was even an active fighter. I remember sitting on the mat with this group of people that had no idea what was about to happen to them. The instructor, this guy David, had a 4 min round timer going and each person would go with another in the group. These poor souls had no idea what happened to them.  Within the first minute I had submitted this guy so many times, that at one point he yelled out for someone to help him. I wasn't hurting the guy, or anyone for that matter, as I was controlled but by the time, I was done with him, no one in that group was going to "roll" with me. David had been watching, as was Ted (who was cracking up) watching this from off the mat with his telltale coffee in hand. David moved me to another group, presumably one that was "better". They were not better, or at least I didn't notice as it was a repeat of the first group. This went on until David moved me to the final group with his "Best "student, a guy named Zach (who plays a role later on in this whole story). Zach gets in front of me, with his rash-guard on and his MMA shorts and he asks me, "do you have much experience", to which my response was, "a little". He then tells me that he's going to take it easy on me...."ok" I said.

The next 4 minutes was probably the most humbling time in Zachs life up to that point. He was submitted 4 times within the first minute and it didn't improve from there, as the harder he went and the more he tried, the more errors and opportunities for me were presented. At the conclusion of the round, Zach called me a "fucking lying piece of shit", and I know I had some fun with him but I couldn't help it. He was asking for it. The coach, David, having seen his prized student get romplestomped into the mat, politely declined my offer to roll as class was almost over. He never rolled with me. 

 That was all that Ted needed to see. He moved me over from his Construction company and I started commuting 45 mins to the gym in Delaware. I also took a big pay cut, taking in only $250-300 bi weekly. But I was finishing up my 2 year Business management degree from Cecil College and I had zero expenses so I said fuck it, I'm getting paid to do something I like doing. Training and Coaching and I was ok with that.

Over the next year or so, I helped bring the business out of the dark ages and into the 21st century. I created a social media presence, established a google AdWords campaign and did away with the previous advertising method of putting post cards on peoples cars in parking lots. I eventually uncovered the theft that was happening with his employees Nolan, John and even Coach David. The business was still losing vast amounts of money and Ted, who wasn't on site as much as I, didn't see it. I told him that, after watching John more closely, that he would be keeping cash paid by clientele (john was actually managing the gym so naturally I wasn't questioning what he was doing because, Afterall, why would someone steal??). David, would log his hours as one thing, but would go back to his house and just hang out while not doing anything at all, and Nolan actually left right when he saw what I was doing, which we later found out he was processing people he would sign up, under a different merchant account that would deposit directly into his own fake business account. 

It was a mess, all these people in the gym and Ted still was losing money. Once we figured out how they were robbing him, the business was immediately in the black but not by much however Teds mood was greatly improved. I was still only making around $450/bi weekly but the gym was progressing in the right direction. Then the first move came from where we were (Mckennan's church road) to the bigger spot on Kirkwood highway that now owned and occupied by Ferris Construction. Back then it was owned by someone that lived in Florida. Anyways Ted came to me and said, point blank,  "Jon, are you in or are you out? If you are in, then I will move this gym but if you plan on leaving, Ill help you get a job down at APG and Ill shut this down and move on". I stood there, I had graduated at that point and didn't plan on going back for a Bachelors. I had my out, right there.....I could just walk away and hopefully get a higher paying job elsewhere. 

I thought, my whole life up to this point, I've just bounced from one job to the next and nothing ever really clicked. But now, I'm here doing something I like doing I love. Sure I'm making shit money, but...I personally believed I could expand the business. So I said I was in. I didn't sign anything, I just said yes I'm in lets do this. Ted trusted me so we moved the space to the new spot down on Kirkwood highway, where the Ferris Contruction and Pike Creek Mortage businesses are located....

Next week Ill start in on the renaissance of Knockout under my management

How to Get Fuc*ed. Lessons in business and people

 Some things to know before we get started

This blog is going to be a culmination of weekly publications recounting my experiences starting way back in 2015 all the way up to the present day. Its going to cover aspects of business, covid and "friends" More then likely, you don't know me and this is probably something you wont finish reading through but getting my story out there for others to read, and learn from or read and make fun of is the goal. A brief summary in no specific order is;

• I took over a gym and made it successful
• Business lessons
• More business lessons
• And even more lessons
• Scaling
• COVID
• Loss of business partners
• Loss of friends
• Alienation
• Lawsuits
• Crippling Financial stress
• Relationship stress
• Brief respite
• More business stresses
• Coming up with a way out
• Closure and reflection

By and Large, this entire scaling project has cost me hundreds of thousands of dollars, and sure there has been some regret. But it didn't kill me or break me. It came close but the knowledge I have gained is more then any professor and any book could have ever taught me. So if there's a silver lining, then its the wisdom I've gained, the way I can handle any situation and not lose my head, and boy do I have some stories to tell everyone now. 

Training styles: 80/20 and why you should do it

 It’s been a long while since my last post. A lot has changed. In business and in my life. I’ve learned so much more. I used to think I knew a lot but now I know, that I didn’t know shit. 

In terms of training progress, and expanding my own knowledge, I stumbled into triathlon. Quite polarizing from boxing and yet, I think that boxing could learn a lot from the science that goes into endurance training. 

Boxing its self is very anerobic in nature. Quick bursts of extreme energy exertion, with 1 to 3 minute rounds and short rest periods between rounds. Triathlon is much longer, less intense and typically far more aerobic in nature. 

As different as they seem on the surface, I believe that the antiquated and archaic training habits of traditional boxing training share more then meets the eye. You’ll need a solid understanding of the two energy systems to see some similarities however, if you spend enough time around boxers, you’ll start to see the similarities. 

 Some of you may be familiar with the  80/20 training methodology. It is also known as polarized training. This method dictates that 80 percent of an athletes training is conducted at an easy pace, or rate or perceived exertion. The remaining training, the 20 % is executed at a very high level of exertion. This training method is used by the worlds best endurance athletes and teams across all sports, including but not limited too, cycling, triathlon, running, cross country skiing, rowing, and many other sports. However, sports and especially American sports, aren’t typically associated with this style of training. But could they? I think it’s something to consider. 

Take football for example. Pick any given team and look at the injuries. Acl and other knee problems plague even the best teams, costing millions in surgery, and rehabilitation, not to mention lost revenue from ticket sales and overall team performance suffering. Injuries like this, are sure fire signs of overtraining and/or poor emphasis on recovery methods. 

Being in the boxing industry, I am seeing some progress towards smarter training methods. But it’s slow. The “can’t teach an old dog new tricks” is a hard one to kick. I’m beginning to see athletes using the tools, readily adopted by endurance athletes, like heart rate monitors and other data collection items. However, at the same time I still see the usage of sauna suits and other, non scientific based items being used for no reason other then, it’s what has always been used.

Through my amateur program, I’m introducing fighters to a more effective training methodology. Utilizing the 80/20 style of training to keep them in shape, developing their base fitness levels while pushing them further then they’ve ever been able to go. My hope is that this introduction, into scientific based training, instead of just doing what everyone else has done, is something that they can take with them. The change doesn’t start at the very top, I think the change has to happen at the very beginning. Make the training change a generational adaptation instead of an adoption treand in training. Many times, these fitness trends you see may have good structure, but  the structure is lost in social media and peoples lack of patience.

I’ve kind started rambling a bit here but, the point of this post is to show individuals that an 80/20 training style will give athletes AND those on weight loss journeys, the biggest gains, keeping your body healthy and ready for more. Yes you’ll lose weight, yes your tone up, yes you’ll execute better. Even if you don’t feel like you’re pushing hard enough, if you stick to your zones, (which’s I can help you set up) then the progress will come.

Stay busy, stay training.

Jon

How to become a better you!

The Process of becoming a better you...

People say time and time again that the best form of investment is in yourself. That's why colleges, certifications and continuing education exist. The same holds true for your health. Your body is your temple, and in order to succeed in the cruel world you need to be prepared for it. No, I'm not talking about being able to dead lift 4 times your body weight, or last 15, 3 minute rounds in the ring. I'm talking about making strides to improve the  way you feel overall. Everything comes from within. Emotion, energy, intelligence....everything that can or could power you to come from within. By improving the way you feel, you pave the way for more lofty goals (like what I stated above)

Step 1) Get in the Gym

I see all types of people, in all walks of life walk through my doors looking to take step one of improving themselves.  They want to drop weight, they want to eliminate join pain, they want to learn how to box, they want to relieve stress. This is the first step.

Step 2) Change your mindset

Accept that there will be days you don't want to do jack shit. You'll have that text message to your trainer typed out "hey man, rough day at work, I wont make it in tonight". But that mindset, that lack of self discipline (in regards to your health) is what got you here in the first place. Quitting is easy. Excuses are easy.  Staying the course to your goals is not. You must change your mindset from "I want to get in shape" to "I have to get in shape".

Step 3) Consistency

Following Step 2 will open the door to step 3. Consistency. As with anything in life, you have to stay consistent at something to achieve anything. Graduate college? Gotta go to class. Get that promotion at work? Gotta give 110%. Want that new Car? Get that promotion....Your health is no different. Maybe you dont need to lose weight, maybe you just need to relieve stress, maybe you want to net work with new people. If you're flaky with your training schedule then you will get flaky results. You can hire the best personal trainer in the world but if you cancel 50% of the time, you're just wasting money, and time (of both parties)

Step 4) Reevaluate yourself

This is time for reflection. Look back to see where you were and where you are at now. If you lost 20 lbs, go pick up a 20 pound weight and just feel it. It gives you a visualization of how much you've lost. I have a couple clients that are in the 30-40 lb total weight loss range and when I stop them and ask them to squat the weight they lost, it really puts things into perspective. If your goal wasn't to lose weight, perhaps it was to increase strength look back at the workouts you use to do vs what you can do CONSISTENTLY now.

What about boxing? Ring time is the time when you put your new skills, your quicker reaction speeds all to work. I've been training this guy Ben for a few years now and just recently he was able to land the hardest punch hes ever landed on me. He was more aggressive and had better defense then the last time we moved around. Yeah the punch stung a bit, but it made me happy as trainer and a coach.

Point is, take time to pat yourself on the back. The mind needs reinforcement as does the body. Even if you aren't quite at the goal you set, the road itself has many rewards be sure to enjoy them.

Step 5) Set New goals

Your training should never stop. You reach a goal, its just time to set a higher one. Embrace that grind. Celebrate your victory over yourself, regroup and set out on the next road. A couple of my cardio clients have decided to try out my skilled Boxing program after participating in the cardio program for years. They are in great shape, but learning to actually box is something completely different then smacking the bag around. Its difficult, and frustrating and can sting a bit at times. However, they now have a new goal and a new purpose behind their training.

Forming the proper fitness routine. Should It stay or should it go?

Greetings from Knockout! It's been quite a while but we are back and ready to address one of the more complicated issues of fitness. At Knockout,  our cardio kickboxing program is of course cardio based. So a majority of our clientele will drop body fat, and will tone as a result of the body weight strength movements incorporated into the class. So all that seems fine and dandy however....this will often lead to a "flatter" look if you will. So to address that, we added in our WOSS suspension training program. The results...our clientele love they way they look, and its an added breath of fresh air for all them.

Point being is, there will be a time in your fitness journey that you'll plateau, not be happy with your appearance blah blah whatever. You need to make changes and supplement your routine to keep things fresh and interesting.

Lifters, Fighters, Crossfitters, you name it we all diversify our training. The methodology and the structure of the program is up to your or your trainer (see advantages of having a personal trainer). If you find yourself not progressing, chances are you need to make some changes. Boxing and Kickboxing provide an excellent compliment to traditional strength training routines so, dont be afraid to stop by your local boxing or kickboxing gym and try a class or two....your body will thank you for it.



-Knockout Boxing.

Benefits of Personal Training Vs Class based training or DIY fitness
by Jonathan Gainey and Timothy Basich

"Why do I need personal training? I can do stuff on my own and I get a lot out of the classes I already take..." - Beginning

"I feel like I'm not getting anything out of my workouts! I'm not losing weight like I was even though I'm doing double the workouts! This doesn't make sense! - 4 Months into training

Fitness professionals see it every day. The client or clients struggling to make progress on their own or in a group class. As trainers, we know and understand the benefits of personalized workouts and programs.  There's a reason why the top athletes, teams, and clubs all encourage the usage of personal trainers to help accentuate what that person already does. The teams understand this, as do the individuals. It is a necessary piece of the training/fitness puzzle. In a perfect world with no restrictions, everyone would have their own personal coach...

....But when you get into more main stream fitness, the reasons often become overshadowed by real world problems that face many individuals. These include, tighter budgets, time restraints, physical limitations, family obligations amongst other things.

So why do Personal training? How can it help you get to your goals?

1.) The biggest reason to do one on one training is to reduce the risk of injury. If you've ever wandered onto the internet wasteland of exercise fail videos, then I'm sure you've see someone trying to change up their routine or incorporate some new creative movement they saw on the internet....Listen, do yourself a favor and pay for a few sessions with your gyms personal trainer.  They can help you master the movements that always "hurt your back for some reason" or "destroy your knees". Like most people, you have to work the next day so injuring yourself on an improper dead-lift doesn't make you look like a gym warrior....you're just hurt and cant go to work now.

Verdict - Go hire a trainer to show you how to lift properly. Estimated cost - $199-$499 depending on how many sessions/months you choose to do.

2.) If you walk into a gym or a class and feel lost...like...why the hell am I here doing this and that then you're experiencing the second reason why hiring a personal trainer should be on your too do list. A trainer is an educated (well most times)  individual with whom you place your trust into guiding you on your fitness career. They are the ones making the workout and can envision the end goal. Its also their job to explain to you why you are doing these movements/programs. If you don't understand why you're in the gym in the first place you need a trainer or you may need a new trainer

Verdict - Personal Trainers (good ones) can help you understand why this movement over that movement. Estimated cost - $199 - $350/monthly  range just because you are most likely going to be enrolled in a long term program

3.) The beginning is always the easiest. If you are disciplined with your eating, the pounds are dropping and you are happy. Then comes the slow grind. Its right here where many individuals lose sight of their goals and fall off the tracks. A trainer is also a coach. A personal motivator that often times makes the difference between getting that last rep, or last evolution done and calling it quits early.

Verdict - Get a trainer that also forms a connection with you as a client. You will be more inclined to stay disciplined and consistent with your program.  Cost - Motivation is priceless. It can get you everything if you have it and will result in nothing if you don't.

4.) Our 4th reason is goes hand in hand with #2. Lack of structure in your workouts.  Many individuals will add things into their own routines because, "I saw this really in shape person doing it" or "it looked cool" or I'm bored with this so lets try this. Getting to your fitness goals isn't just about doing random shit to burn calories. You need structure!! A good trainer will bring to the table,  a structured program catered to you and evolve it as you progress.  It involved many aspects not just limited to your goals but also your physical activity level during the day, your type of job, age etc etc. Bottom line is if their is no structure it can be like walking into college when you skipped out on Middle School because it didn't look to interesting. There are necessary things that need to be done before you progress. You cant just go and do what you please....then you'll end up at our first reason...you'll be hurt

Verdict - Trainers can get you a structured program. Cost - You get what you pay for. Don't let the initial costs of a well thought out program that can help you achieve anything scare you off. It is well worth it in the long run and will save you lots of time and headache in down the road.

5.) Dysfunctional Bio-mechanics. You need to have a good, solid foundation to build off of. No, I'm not talking about 15% body fat starting off and able to deadlift 300lbs. I'm talking about decent posture, quality range of motion, a strong enough core and legs that are stable enough to support what you will be doing. Common misconceptions lead weekend warriors to believe that more is better, faster is better. Thats not true. You must address bio-mechanical flaws before you look to build anything. Dont build a sky scraper over a sink hole....Proper assessments can be done by your trainer that will expose this flaws. A structured program will help fix these flaws, all the while progressing at a safe rate you can live with.

Verdict - You have to learn to crawl before you can walk.  The same mentality must be taken when addressing bio-mechanical flaws. Get these things taken care of first so you can be the fitness animal you want to be later! Cost - Depends on how much your trainer charges or how much time you feel like missing from work if you get hurt because you elect to not go with a trainer that can recognize underlying issues. I dont know about you but if I have instability in my knee, I'd rather address is early on...then tear my acl/mcl/pcl later.

Holiday strategy for staying in shape and still eating what you want.

It happens every year. The inevitable holiday season rolls around and undoubtedly throws a wrench into your fitness....everything. You end up getting caught between the pumpkin pie and a 5 mile run. The turkey leftovers and your HIIT workout. Here are some tips to help you get thru this season


Here is your holiday strategy guide for staying fit and still eating what you want.


1.) Know what the holidays have in store for you. You will understandably be busier this time of year, the key is still sticking to your regime.


2.) Modify your workouts and implement more cardio/cardio strength training. Keep up with the lifting, you don't want to slip at all in your strength but you need to be burning the extra calories you will be taking in.


3.) Eliminate late night face stuffing. Eating two pieces of pie with whipped cream at 1130pm then passing out will stick with you. Get all your eating in earlier in the evening. Maybe a light jog afterwards.


4.) Get a workout partner, or get involved with a class based program. Its a scheduled program that you can devote time to and get in a routine. Better yet, if classes aren't your thing, higher a trainer that specializes in something new and interesting too you. Stimulate your brain as well as your body. You'll be less inclined to replace the workout days with lazy days.


5.) For me, fall and winter are the best times I can devote to getting stronger. Figure out where you want to be at strength wise by march and design your workout to get there. If you have no clue what to do, again, hire a trainer. You'll be much safer learning new exercises and packing on the muscle with the movements your trainer can teach you. Once March rolls around, check back to your goals you made now and measure yourself to then. Doing it in march will allow ample time to strip the fat youll acquire over the holidays just in time for shirtless season!




Remember, if you are going out to put size on, trust in a trainer. They can keep you safe, and give you the structure you need. There are pre-requisites involved with doing a proper Clean, Deadlift, Front Squat. A trained eye can spot any problem areas with a good prelim assessment, and correct them so that when you finally do get to your Power Cleans you wont be throwing your back out and slipping a disc.


Happy Holidays from Knockout Boxing and Fitness!


-J

Women are weak........YEAH RIGHT!

Catchy title for this post eh? I wonder how many ladies came in here all pissed off like, "I am not weak! What does this guy know!?"


No women are most certainly not weak, however the general consensus  is that women aren't overly strong either. This is also wrong. We've seen people come in with all types of limitations. From bad knees, slipped discs, hernias, week ankles all the way up to amputees, but by far the worst limitations a person can put on themselves is the notion that they cant do this or they cant do that. It's painful sometimes how people will sell themselves short. As a trainer, I'm pushing someone to be better then when they came thru my door. For women, lifting...and lifting heavy is something that can be down right terrifying and next to impossible.


 "No thanks, I have my pink 5 pound weights that I curl 26 reps at a time"


....Please put the toy weights down madam and trust yourself some.


Women, not all women, but most want to look neat and toned. Not overly muscular, not rail thin, but somewhere in the middle. Lets keep the feminine figure. First off, ladies need to understand that high rep, low weight lifting is not the way to get toned. Its 100% a myth. On the flip side of things don't be trying to deadlift 600lbs...even I would not be walking away from that.


"There are two types of muscle tone ; myogenic and neurogenic. Don't get thrown off by the sciency words; the first simply refers to your muscle tone at rest. It is affected by the density of your muscles; the greater the density of your muscles, the harder and firmer you will appear. Heavy training increases your myogenic tone through the hypertrophy (growth) of the contractile proteins myosin and actin (myosin and actin are by far the most dense components of skeletal muscle).


 The second aspect of a muscles' tone is neurogenic tone, or the tone that is expressed when movements or contractions occur. Again, lower rep training comes out on top as training with heavy loads will increase the sensitivity of alpha and gamma motor neurons, thus increasing neurogenic tone when conducting even the simplest of movements (i.e. walking, extending your arm to point, etc). " - Body Building.com


You don't need the 30 day squat challenge, Butt Burner workouts with so and so personal trainer you found in a bin at Wal Mart. You need compound movements like the deadlift and  front/back squats. If you are a novice at lifting, and you're intimidated by the weights hands down the best way to learn is a hiring a personal trainer. You will learn the lifts, develop your technique as well as your strength and with the strength comes the confidence. Confidence that you CAN do it after-all.


So ladies, in closing. Lose the pink weights, the knee pushups and your squat challenges paper you got from a friend at work and put some time in with the Barbells and Dumbbells. Don't be afraid of putting another plate on each end, don't be afraid to progress. You CAN do it. You ARE strong.


-Keep calm, Punch Harder


Knockout Boxing and Fitness.

Bored? Diversify your workouts.

I think everyone can agree that at some point in our fitness endeavors, we have gotten outright bored with our routine and then we start slacking off. Three weeks of that and your abs or your ass don't look quite as good. But you cant help it you tell yourself, youre bored of what youre doing and you need a change. But to what? What is going to stimulate you mentally and physically?


Realizing you are bored or you are stagnating with your current workout is key, and you can mix up what you are doing. But you need to be smart with it. Know your goals and design a program based off of that. You can diversify your workouts and still keep the same goals. Its just a different road to the same place. What does that "different road" do for you if it takes you to the same place? It creates neurological stimulation for you that will translate, if executed through the right program, to some significant physical gains.


 A simple example would be toning for women. The go to thing for women to tone up is.........RUNNING! WooooooOOOOOO. That's awesome, for about 2 months then that gets boring....but youll keep doing it because, yes you will lose some weight and tighten up. And eventually reach the plateau everyone encounters. Typically, people will add miles and miles onto their routine, putting their joints through hell even longer just to try to see more gains. Eventually you just end up running your muscle off so theres nothing left to tone. That's if you don't develop shin splints, knee/back problems from improper running technique. But I digress.


Instead, what you can do is change up how you do your cardio. Boxing/Kickboxing for example is a great alternative AND....neurologically stimulates your brain so you are generally interested and...enjoy your new workout. You can keep your running, but limit what you do with it. Don't over train. As anyone that comes to Knockout and has enrolled in our Cardio Program, they will tell you we have thousands of ways to wear you out cardio wise...none of which will throw away the muscle you need to be healthy and look your best. Variations even from workout to workout keep your body and mind stimulated and keeps our clients in great shape.


Don't be afraid to change stuff up, you'll be glad you did!


Knockout Night, July 25th @ Schaefers Canal House in Chesapeake City, MD. Jonathan will be there around 730-8pm ish.


Outty 5000 take it Easy.

Summa Time

Curious things happen at a gym throughout the year. Different things set off reactions and trends. Holidays, weather, and season changes are the biggest. I've been in the fitness industry for close to 8 years now and every year I see the same trend that happens right around this time of year....And that is gym attendance.


Right about now is when the people who enrolled in, or started working out in January and February start flaking out of their routines. You see it in every gym, albeit not as much at Knockout as say, Planet Fitness or something. Even still though, it pains me to see people lose motivation and drive right when they can really start making some significant progress with themselves. We've all heard the random fitness facts about how working out or being active increases such and such things, and for the most part I've found that most of these things hold true, but they don't happen overnight...Maybe, if you're lucky they can start manifesting in around a month (typically happens only to athletes that are active but trying a different approach) but...if you are a 1-2 times per week gym goer, these results wont appear for at least 2-4 months. Significant weight loss, significant or, rather, noticeable strength gains, etc take much longer to break into and if you started your journey in the beginning of the year, then start slacking now...you are effectively throwing away everything you've worked for over the past couple months. From experience, the 4-6 month time span since you've consistently began working out are the most crucial times for progression. Don't stop now! Now is when you should be progressing from the basics to the intermediate level movements and weights and overall difficulty. Now is when you really start seeing differences in yourself, and so will others. Whether its fitness, or fighting, you cant stop now.


#cantstopwontstop


Knockout Boxing FTW! Have a great weekend!

Gyms as a whole

Going to a gym. Its the socially acceptable thing to do for just about everyone. Its a place where personalities, backgrounds, ethnicities, and ages all clash. And can really lead to some interesting situations, both good...and unfortunately sometimes not  so good. 


Going to the gym, belonging to a gym...or even just working out are all things that society as a whole deems acceptable...almost expected. From Meatheads, to fighters, to weekend warriors, fitness freaks, and cross fit junkies....whatever stereotype you fall under, more then likely there is at least one example in any gym you might walk into with thoughts about joining.


Important things to think about when joining a gym. You need to have goals of what you want to achieve and expectations of the gym in question. Can this facility get to me my dream body? Will I effectively learn how to box? Are there sufficient amounts of equipment for crowded days? How much does it cost? Are contracts involved? How are the trainers? How is the atmosphere? All these things need to be taken into consideration. Some people know exactly what they want. Others might have an idea of what they want. And still others might only be there because "its the right thing to do". A lot of these questions go hand in hand with each other. For example, the cost of a gym membership and the type of experience you get. If you take a chain gym franchise that sells basic memberships for 10 bucks a month, don't be expecting to get advice from any trainers on how to shape up your ass. Don't expect anything more then just using the equipment. Now, on the complete opposite side of things, you walk into a fitness studio where all training is supervised, and results are guaranteed...don't be expecting to have a 10 dollar membership option available to you. Know your goals, know your expectations, then pick a gym accordingly. Yes, Personal training studios, Specialized Training gyms etc. are going to cost  more money, but you should know that walking into it. You get what you pay for. These smaller facilities will give you a much better, much safer, and much more fulfilling fitness experience. After all, you gotta pay to play!


Here's to all the clients that I've signed up for Knockout, who knew what they wanted and found their perfect gym!

The Fitness Journey: Why we do it

The Fitness Journey


When most people set out to better themselves through fitness, they don't necessarily know what it means to be fit. To me, and the other trainers at Knockout Boxing, we believe being fit encompasses more then how fast you run a mile, how much you bench, or how ripped your abs are. Everyone starts from a different place as far as their bodies are concerned, but we all want to be "fit"...or do we?


What is fit??? What should an individual do to be fit? How about looking at it a different way. What about, "I'm going to start working out so I can feel better." Isnt that something we can all agree on?


Put it this way, take one body builder and one MMA athlete and ask them what their definition of fit is. Then take two people who don't workout, one whose way overweight and the other whose skin and bones, and ask them the same question. I bet you they are all going to answer differently. But, if you ask them if they would all like to feel better, they would answer the same.... "YES".

Whether its someone that's been sedentary for 10 years at a desk job, or a girl that isn't happy with what her ass looks like, we all work out for the same reasons. We may not know it, but we all do it to feel better. Personal Satisfaction. To feel better.

Do it to feel better.