Success Story:
The Perfect Workout

The Opportunity

With her weight training background, Debra Fishman of The Perfect Workout was initially unsure that Pilates could do everything she had heard – increase core strength and flexibility, and completely tone the body, without the stress that weights produced. However, she took some Pilates classes and was hooked.

“At first I was skeptical, but as soon as I started taking the classes, I knew it was the real deal. I liked the way Pilates felt and how you got results without having to use weights”
Fishman said. Realizing that her clientele was growing older – most of her members were over 40 – Fishman saw an opportunity to offer them a new, less stressful way to get in shape. She became a certified Pilates instructor, and in 2002 The Perfect Workout began its first private Pilates sessions.

The Results

The Pilates programming designed collaboratively by the Fishmans and Balanced Body has now doubled The Perfect Workout’s total revenue. “We still have personal training sessions, but the Pilates programming has just exploded. It has been a wonderful investment opportunity.”

By the Numbers:

• Paid off initial equipment investment in a few weeks
• 85% of total revenue comes from Pilates classes
• 60 personal sessions & 20 group classes offered weekly
• Facility expanded from 900 to over 2200 square feet

The Balanced Body Advantage

The Fishmans initially purchased a Balanced Body Allegro® Reformer on advice from Debra’s Pilates certification instructor. The response from her membership was immediate. “They loved it and it just took off from there,” Debra recalls. Within two weeks the Perfect Workout had recouped its initial equipment investment. In September of2004 she started her first group Allegro class.

Less than a year later, The Perfect Workout offers 20 group classes a week with five certified instructors, along with 60 private Pilates sessions. In addition, the facility now features five Allegros (two with attached Towers of Power), three trapeze tables and a host of other equipment and accessories. “I pretty much have everything in the Balanced Body catalog,” says Fishman, laughing.

But Balanced Body did more than provide equipment. “The equipment is the best in the industry and their customer service is excellent, but Balanced Body is much more than just a vendor they are a partner,” says Fishman. “When we first began we really didn’t know what we were getting into. Balanced Body helped us tremendously in getting started and becoming successful.” Fishman points out that Balanced Body representatives consulted with The Perfect Workout on proper lighting techniques (crucial to a mind-body exercise like Pilates), proper floor space management and tips on how to promote the program to new and existing members. “Balanced Body gave us all we needed to be successful”, says Fishman.

About The Perfect Workout

Located in Incline Village, Nevada, The Perfect Workout is a husband and wife owned gymnasium and personal training facility catering to both locals and tourists in the Lake Tahoe resort area. Debra and Stu Fishman opened The Perfect Workout in 1995 and for seven years generated revenue exclusively from weight training and personal training sessions. In 2002, Debra Fishman discovered Balanced Body and found a new and very profitable revenue generator for her club – Pilates.