amanda vogelWhen I was doing research for 19 Tips for the Aspiring Fitness Writer, my first message was sent to the lady to your right, Amanda Vogel.

Amanda is who I have to give credit to when it comes to my fitness writing career.

On a summer Saturday afternoon (about 4 years ago), in a hot studio gym in Vancouver, BC, Amanda presented a short 2-hour seminar on how to write an effective pitch letter (I didn’t even know what a pitch letter was!). After the 2-hour presentation (which was awesome), I knew this small afternoon seminar was all I needed to get my writing career started.

Amanda definitely presented the goods that afternoon and the rest is history.

I applied what I learned and waited patiently. I landed my first article with Canadian Running Magazine in the spring of 2009. Since then, I’ve contributed to 32 magazine issues (published 30 times and quoted twice) and to several websites (8 articles for Men’s Fitness and 2 for T-Nation). Oddly enough, English was my worst subject in school – go figure.

For a complete list of my published articles, click HERE.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t connect with Amanda when writing my tips for aspiring fitness writers blog post – that’s why I only have 19 tips instead of 20. BUT, I decided Amanda was worth a blog post to herself, so here we are. Before we get to the meat and potatoes, I just want to thank Amanda for taking the time out of her busy schedule to do this interview with me.

Okay, let’s get started!

JK: For those who don’t know you, can you please tell us about yourself? Who have you written for?

AV: I’ve been a fitness professional since 1994, and I specialize in writing articles about health and fitness. Everything I write, basically, comes back to the fitness industry in some way, whether it’s an article on new ab-training research or a piece about how fitness pros can make the most of their time on Facebook. In addition to teaching fitness classes, I present at fitness conferences.

My articles have appeared in dozens of fitness and women’s magazines, including Oxygen, Best Health, Chatelaine, Clean Eating, Prevention, SELF, Women’s Health and IDEA Fitness Journal. I’ve also written a couple of books – one I co-authored for Baby Boot Camp, and the other I ghostwrote for a yoga expert.

JK: How did you get into fitness writing?

AV: After I finished my Master’s thesis from the University of British Columbia, I wanted to share the results of my thesis work, which was on body image and the role of the fitness instructor. I wrote a few articles on this subject for small fitness trade magazines and liked it so much I wanted to write more – and make some money doing it! I took out a lot of books from the library on freelance writing – I wish I’d had resources specifically for fitness writing like the ones I eventually created. Many of those library books said freelance writing was very hard to break into, but I ignored that outlook and forged ahead anyway.

My first paid article appeared in Fitness Management magazine. Shortly after that, I got my big break writing for Chatelaine. It was a short piece on working out in the snow. After that, I kept working on sending out queries (i.e, article pitches) and garnering more assignments. Even though my business has branched out since then to include social media consulting, I still write articles on a regular basis and am very passionate about it.

JK: What is a common mistake you see performed by aspiring fitness writers?

AV: Simple: They don’t know the professional and expected approach to getting their articles published. Once you understand what editors expect and how to break into magazines and websites, a whole world opens up to you. It’s all about how you present your article idea through what’s called a “query letter.”

JK: What would be your best advice for hopeful fitness writers?

AV: When you’re coming up with story ideas, consider the relevance to the reader. You should be able to answer the question: Why now? Why does this article need to be written right now, and what’s in it for the reader? How will the article educate, inspire, entertain and/or help readers? Also, consider if the article you have in mind is appropriate for the magazine or website you’re targeting.

JK: What services do you offer and how can people get a hold of you?

AV:

Winning Queries 091) Fitness writing, editing and consulting: In addition to writing articles, I help other fitness pros and aspiring writers get published. My services include consulting on how to be successful with freelance writing. I offer two products on this subject: “How to Write Winning Queries” is an online workshop that includes my one-on-one consultation on how to sell your article ideas for profit and promotion. And “Anatomy of an Article” is a step-by-step guide for writing compelling health/fitness articles that get the results they want.

2) Social media support: I manage Facebook and Twitter accounts for fitness brands and public figures, including The Official BOSU Fan Page.

3) Fitness presenting: I love to present at conferences and connect with other fitness pros there. Some of the recent conferences I’ve presented at include ACSM Health and Fitness Summit, IDEA World, BCRPA BC’Fit and Can-Fit-Pro.

You can find me through my website www.ActiveVoice.ca, Twitter (@AmandaVogel), Facebook (www.facebook.com/fitnesswriter) or one of my blogs, www.FitnessTestDrive.com.

Thank you very much again Amanda – this was amazing. I know my readers will truly benefit from reading this.

I strongly encourage all of you to inquire about Amanda’s services if you’re interested in fitness writing. It worked for me!

Thanks for reading.

Please LIKE and SHARE if you found this information helpful.

-JK

I came to JKC through recommendations from my peers from lululemon. As a current ambassador, I’ve been introduced to legacy ambassadors, like Jon, and I knew a bunch of other people from the store were working out here so I wanted to give it a go. I often dread lower body workouts so I started coming here to do legs. I’ve had such great progress that I now come twice a week— and, I no longer hate leg day!

I’ve never experienced this sort of hybrid between group workouts and personalized service. Many group strength training services offer a sort of one-size-fits-all workout for the general population, which has never been of interest to me, because I want my workout tailored to my needs! I LOVE that you can be in a group setting while doing your own personal program; I love the camaraderie and community at JKC, and, I’ve seen incredible results thus far! Jon is always so attuned to what I need.

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I had always wanted to start lifting weights and get stronger, but didn’t know where to start. I was looking not just for a gym, but for training on proper technique to prevent injury and a program designed for my specific goals. I also wanted a fun and supportive atmosphere to keep me coming back. JKC delivered on all of this and more.

Jon and Thomas have a wealth of knowledge that help their clients get the most out of their time in the gym. Programs are continuously modified to keep the workouts challenging. Even through everyone’s program is unique, you always have the coaches and other clients cheering you on and pushing you to achieve new bests.

I’m 43 and started at JKC just over a year ago. I started at JKC because of multiple recommendations from existing clients. There are 2 main elements that distinguish JKC for me. Firstly the sense of community. I’ve been to multiple gyms in multiple cities/countries, you just  can not manufacture the sense of community and support you get from other gym goers and the team. It’s very motivating and happy to say I’ve made some friends at JKC.

The other major distinguishing factor for JKC is the expertise and passion of the team. Jon, Thomas and Craig craft highly personalized programs based on my fitness goals and know how to push me best without being pushy. They pay close attention to ensuring my form is solid before encouraging me to take on more weight for the exercise. Plain and simple they love what they do and it shows.

I saw an article in Men’s Journal that quoted Jon in about 2018 while traveling and was impressed that someone in St. John’s made that international magazine.  Jon spoke about an exercise called the Farmer’s Walk and I started working that into my routine at the YMCA. I tore that article out of the magazine and kept it, meaning to make contact, but got busy. Then I had lunch with an old friend Bruce Dyke. I hadn’t seen Bruce for a while and I remarked that he looked super healthy and fit. He told me about his, and his son Cas’, experience at JKC and then I remembered the Men’s Journal article! No coincidences!

The experience is unique on many levels – great people, camaraderie, passion, purpose, and dedication. Jon and Thomas are attentive, precise and understanding.  Their teaching has unlocked a new perspective for me with what our bodies are capable of. I still appreciate the YMCA, wonderful place, but I can’t imagine working out without Jon and Thomas now.

I’m 34 and started at JKC in 2015. My wife joined while I was working away in 2015 and started making amazing progress while also completing exercises I’d never perform on my own. I felt I was missing out so I signed up. JKC helps in establishing goals while also having clear direction of what to do, and how, in each session. They also measure your progress which is another means of motivation! At other gyms I wouldn’t have a clear plan and would just use whatever equipment was free, it was hard to see any results. Between setting some personal bests and making good friends its hard to identify a favorite memory.  One that does come to mind was when I hit my target goal/PB in both bench and squats in the same session, big day.

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