Work Out April 2010

April 2010

The UK’s No 1 fitness industry magazine

Members reveal the naked truth

Gym boss attacked by armed gang

By Mary Ferguson A GYM manager has spoken of his ordeal after being ambushed at knifepoint by masked robbers.

It is believed they thought Paul Crabbe had been on his way to bank the weekly takings from his Altered Images gym in Pudsey, West Yorkshire – when in fact he was just going to the shop.

When he told his attackers – one of them armed with a machete – that he was not carrying any cash, he was hit on the leg with an iron bar. The robbers fled empty-handed before Paul managed to stagger back into the gym to raise the alarm Paul – who believes the attack had been planned by someone who knew his weekly routine – told Workout: “Someone has obviously been watching me but it’s strange it happened at that time as I usually take the cash later in the day – I only left the gym at 9am because I needed to pop to the shops. And I didn’t have any money on me, so I had nothing to give them.

“They were lurking behind a big

AN independent gym encouraged its members to get cheeky by posing naked for a poster campaign.

Well-Fit, based in Bromsgrove and owned by Francesca Palama, plastered images around the town of staff and members with the strapline ‘fitness stripped bare’, to promote the gym’s no-frills approach to getting fit.

Francesca said the adverts, which protected people’s modesty with clever camera angles, generated business as well as complaints. Full story, Page 4

wheelie bin and jumped in front of me as soon as I stepped out of the door.

“Luckily I’ve only got a big bruise on my leg and I know it wasn’t a personal attack because if it was, they would have come for me late at night.”

There were a handful of members using the gym when the incident happened, but no-one witnessed the ambush.

Food for fitness

Since the attack, CCTV has been installed outside the back entrance, to add to the cameras at the front and inside the gym, which is owned by Ken Brook.

Paul claimed none of the gym members have been shaken by the incident, as most are large men serious about bodybuilding – and not easily intimidated.

“It was all over the local papers and radio when it happened so the news spread like wildfire.

“I’ve had quite a bit of teasing from members actually, although I’m sure it would be different if I had been seriously injured.”

No 199 £3

Gym owner Andy Bourne has revealed how he makes a success of Xpect Health and Fitness.

After six years of operation, business at the Essex-based club is strong and Andy told Workout that being an independent gym with the professionalism of a chain helps them stand out from the crowd. Full feature, Page 20

A WOMEN'S gym in Gloucester city centre waived its joining fee in exchange for a shopping bag full of food.

Throughout March, Curves Gym asked people to donate a bag of non-perishable food items, which they then donated to the city’s Food Bank, a charity which offers immediate support to people in crisis in the area. The usual joining fee at the club is £119.

Owner Penny Foster said: “It's a win-win situation for everyone and we were very proud to participate."

UK FITNESS SCENE

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How Andrew has changed his business to survive the recession

By Mary Ferguson A PERSONAL trainer whose clients include Beyonce and Russell Brand has adapted his business to fit the modern market.

Andrew Jeffries opened Manchester-based Probalance ten years ago and has made a number of additions for 2010.

As well as changing his team to bring fresh blood to the company, he has introduced vibration training membership options and now offers a direct debit scheme to save people paying for personal training blocks upfront.

‘Body MOTs’ are proving popular and free weekly running clinics are held to help athletes training for the upcoming Manchester 10k race.

Andy told Workout: “With the current climate the business has changed to survive the recession and we are now so much more than just a personal training business.

“Introducing the direct debit option has helped us attract a whole new market – even though our clientele tend to be high earners, many people still prefer to pay for things monthly. And the VibroGym memberships have really taken off, so much so that I’m looking at getting another machine.”

Connections at two of the city’s most exclusive hotels mean Andy is

Andrew (right with a client) often the trainer of choice when celebrities come to town. And although he often trains the stars in their rooms, Justin Timberlake has worked out in the studio – prompting a press frenzy outside.

All the new trainers in Andy’s team have sports specific backgrounds and a partnership with a physiotherapist has brought in extra business.

Andy added: “When I set up the studio in 1999 we were the only personal trainers in Manchester city centre but now there are lots.

“And although demand for PT slowed during the recession we are increasing revenue from other sides of the business – so trying different things is really paying off.”

Beyonce

www.workout-uk.co.uk

Advertising Sales and marketing

director: Tony Barry Sales manager: Lucy Hill Tel: 01226 734615 Sales executives: Daniel Lloyd Tel: 01226 734699 Danielle Hornby Tel: 01226 734707

Editorial

Gym manager Paul Crabbe is recovering after armed robbers ambushed him outside Altered Images in Leeds. Paul, pictured with gym owner Ken Brook to his left, was attacked with a metal bar when he refused to give the masked men money.

Group Editor: Andrew Harrod Tel: 01226 734639 Fax: 01226 734705 Email: ah@whpl.net

Reporters: Mary Ferguson Tel: 01226 734712 Email: mf@whpl.net Louise Cordell Tel: 01226 734694 Email: lcordell@whpl.net

Production Group Deputy Editor: Judith Halkerston Tel: 01226 734458 Email: jhalkerston@whpl.net Wharncliffe Publishing Ltd. 47 Church Street, Barnsley, South Yorkshire S70 2AS.

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UK FITNESS SCENE

Fitness fanatics highlight gym’s naked truth

By Dominic Musgrave CHEEKY fitness fanatics have bared all to highlight their gym’s philosophy of a no-frills approach to fitness.

Bromsgrove-based Well-Fit staff and members posed naked to create the eye-catching advert, which appears on a billboard in the town centre with the tagline ‘fitness stripped bare’.

Director Francesca Palama said the gym has been inundated with calls and queries about the services on offer – as well as receiving many compliments about the picture itself.

She added: “Because we are out of the town centre it is difficult to get marketing, but I noticed the

billboard and wanted to advertise on it.

“We are competing against a lot of the large corporate brands here, so I wanted to do something more edgy with it to get our point of view across that we deliver results.

“We don’t have gimmicks or coffee shops here because I don’t believe in them, and most of the customers we spoke to were more than happy to get involved.”

The gym, which also offers fitness classes, bootcamps, personal training and injury treatment, opened 18 months ago, and has proved so successful that they are now looking to move to bigger premises.

Francesca added: “We have had complaints about the advert from people saying it lowers the tone of the town, which I find laughable, but we wanted to create controversy and I have challenged the customers to come up with new ideas for the next one because we have the billboard for the year.”

“In many ways it was the worst time to open for us because we were in the middle of a recession, and the first year was a real struggle.

“But in some ways it was also good because a lot of my previous customers came to us for personal training because we are a pay-asyou-go gym.

“We are now looking to move to a bigger site because I want a bigger gym and have some really big plans for it.”

UK FITNESS SCENE

Price slash pays off for Watford gym

By Dominic Musgrave THE fortunes of a Watford gym have been transformed since it slashed its membership prices in half.

The team behind Charters Health Club at the town’s YMCA Charter House took the decision to reduce the cost from £30 to £14.99 a month, and are now reaping the benefits.

Head of sports, health and fitness Sue Lynch said 400 new members signed up to the gym in the first two months of the year.

“We have a couple of local authority centres nearby, as well as several privately owned gyms who, along with ourselves are offering pretty much the same thing.

“I have been looking at the budget club concept for a while, and after looking at a few that are around I convinced myself that it is something we can offer here.

“We are now an affordable option, without the loss of any of the classes equipment or facilities. The only difference is that there is a slight reduction in the number of staff on duty, but unlike some other budget gyms we will have a qualified fitness instructor available at all times.”

The new price, which was also given to the 550 existing members, sees everybody pay a £25 joining fee and sign up for a rolling contract with a minimum of three months.

A variety of classes are also included in the price, with some extras available at a reduced price.

Sue added: “We have had a real mixture of people joining us. Some are old members who have come back, some have come from local authority centres and some have come from more exclusive gyms where they were paying a lot more each month.

“The club was in need of refurbishing, but before the change it was losing money so it seemed crazy to reinvest when we weren’t convinced there was enough in the market.

“But with the response we have had we have been able to refresh the gym and replace and add a few pieces of equipment, and we plan to do more in the coming months. We are not plush or fancy but have good equipment and facilities.”

Charters is also looking to offer a discounted personal trainer service for members, and is considering extending the gym in future to meet demand.

First Spinning-style class launched for wheelchair users THE UK’s first Spinning style class for wheelchair users has been launched

by Aspire.

The fully inclusive Kranking classes – developed by the founder of Spinning Johnny G – include Krankcycles, which focus on the upper-body only to build cardio fitness, aerobic capacity and core stability. The bikes sit alongside traditional Spinning-style bikes and give disabled and non-disabled people the chance to push their fitness levels together.

Centre manager Rosie Williams said:

“We introduced indoor cycling in 2009 and it’s been hugely popular as a fun, high-energy workout. We were extremely excited when we heard that Kranking was coming to the UK as we aim to make exercise as inclusive as we can for our members.

“We hope many more leisure facilities will follow our lead in helping people of all abilities train together by establishing similar classes of their own.”

The classes are available at the Aspire National Training Centre in Stanmore.

Lisa during a modelling shoot

Trainer Lisa reverts to her first love ...

A BUSINESS-SAVVY fitness professional from Potters Bar is combining personal training and sports massage to create a solid client base and increased profits.

Lisa Fowler runs LJF Personal Training and Sports Massage around Hertfordshire and North London. She has turned her front room into a studio for private clients and works from premises at energie in St. Albans, after approaching them to offer her services. She also works for a local rugby team.

“I qualified as a personal trainer and massage therapist at the same time and although business was slow at first it’s really built up – mainly through word of mouth, but getting involved with the gym has really got things going.”

Lisa’s clients range from marathon runners to office workers and although some come to her to fix a problem, many attend regular sessions to aid their general well-being. And the two sides of the business cross refer, generating extra income.

She added: “It’s very easy to promote the massage to my PT clients and being able to offer both services gives me the edge over other trainers, as it’s very competitive in this area.”

In 2008, Workout featured Lisa following her appearance on Britain’s Next Top Model. But after a few magazine shoots, she decided the camera wasn’t for her and went back to her first love of fitness.

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New clubs provide group workout space SIX new DW Sports clubs have opened around the country – complete with a new training space on the gym floor designed for group workouts.

The clubs – situated in Tunstall, Milton Keynes, Bangor, Canterbury, Carlisle and Poole – have all incorporated a multi-purpose area based on the Move It! space concept.

The space, which has been developed in conjunction with Escape Fitness, can be used for different training methods including speed and agility, strength, balance and boxing and equipment installed includes kettlebells, boxing stations and core boards.

Training sessions run throughout the day and members can turn up and get involved without having to book.

Group fitness manager Elaine Coulthard said: “Over the course of the last year, we have introduced more and more group work on to the gym floor. We know from the popularity of group exercise classes in the studio that our members enjoy the camaraderie and find it very motivating and we are now replicating that environment in the gym.

“The functional training area creates a real buzz in the gym. Members see it and want to have a go. It’s not intimidating and very inclusive, so it’s being used by members of all ages and abilities.”

UK FITNESS SCENE

‘Timeshare’ gym opens in Norfolk

By Dominic Musgrave A NEW type of gym has opened in Norfolk which its owners believe is the first of its kind in the UK. Chris and Morag Burnard, who run Heywood Sports and Racquet Club in Diss, have developed the ‘timeshare’ concept at Heywood Fitness Lounge in the town.

Chris told Workout that clients can hire the exclusive venue for private fitness sessions.

He added: "We have researched it quite thoroughly and no one else does this in the country as far as we are aware. We have owned the building for years and previously rented it out as office space but, due to the recession, we have been unable to relet or sell the freehold recently.

“After a lot of thought we decided to do something a bit different, and have created a space with everything you would expect in a fitness gym in a comfortable and attractive environment.”

For a fee of £60 a month, clients get a set one-hour slot per week that they can either use for themselves or to share with up to four people.

Chris said the new facility has already attracted interest from local hotels and companies, with personal

trainers also booking sessions to enhance their own business.

He added: “Friends could get together to help motivate each other and create their own gym club, mothers with babies in buggies could meet up for a post natal tone up, or senior citizens could hold a group workout.

“Each client will have a health assessment and induction along with a personally designed program tailored to their fitness requirements by Rob Miller, a fully qualified Reps level three personal trainer who has graduated with a BSc Honours Degree in

Sports Therapy at the University of Central Lancashire.

“If ongoing support is required we can also provide a range of memberships that include the provision of a personal trainer, who will meet the client for an assessment to discuss their requirements and work with them to help get the most from their session.”

Chris says he wants to expand the concept, and is looking at potential sites in Norwich and Bury St Edmunds, with the view to opening another 10 in the next five years.

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UK FITNESS SCENE

Leisure centre teams up with weight loss brand

By Louise Cordell A LEISURE centre in Barrow has become the first in the UK to team up with Weightwatchers.

The Park Leisure Centre has joined forces with the company’s local weight loss leader to host the weekly sessions, followed by a free half hour fun exercise session.

Ian Jones, health and fitness manager said: “It is an idea we have been wanting to put into practice for some years. So we discussed the idea with local leader Irene Troughton who has had great personal success with weight loss and, as she incorporates time in the gym with her diet, she was all for it.”

Irene approached her area supervisor to get approval for the plan, and it has now been agreed that the weekly class can be run on a trial basis, with the optional exercise class held at the end of each meeting.

The main aim is to introduce the clients to exercise and show them that it can be fun as well as beneficial, and this has been done using the club’s dance mats.

This activity was chosen as the mats are easy to operate, the intensity level can be adjusted to suit anyone and it helps attract those people who do not want to train in a traditional gym environment.

Ian added: “We have had great feedback from the first two weeks with members saying they can’t believe how much fun it is and how hard they have worked without realising it.

“During the first session one lady wore a pedometer and in 30 minutes of dance mat dancing she accrued one and a half points – the equivalent of 15,000 steps!

“In my opinion the real big plus is that all the clients will be able to exercise together with others in the same position – removing any anxiety they may have about using a gym if this is something they have never done before.”

The club is planning to introduce other forms of exercise in future sessions, including chair aerobics and simple stretching and toning. It is also hoping to attract more Weightwatchers clients and the fitness sessions have been scheduled to ensure they don’t clash with any existing local meetings.

Ian added: “We want to offer this opportunity to as many people as possible. We are not trying to compete with existing classes – what we want to do is offer something different.

“We hope eventually that these introductions to activity will lead to a real ‘change for life’ attitude.”

Gym gets Rod back on track AN 84-year-old gym member has told how a South Yorkshire gym helped him get back on track after a health scare.

Veteran athlete Rod Clark thought his running days were over after a battle with cancer – but just six months after a life saving operation, he has achieved his target of walking a mile on the treadmill at Don Valley’s Fitness Unlimited gym.

Rod joined the gym 10 years

ago and is now one of its oldest members – training three times a week.

He said: “I really get a buzz from training at Don Valley and I enjoy acting as a role model for the young athletes, even though most of them beat me now.

“Winning isn't quite as important to me these days though. I just feel incredibly happy and privileged to still be here and staying active after all these years.”

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UK FITNESS SCENE

Market research pays off for Sue

By Mary Ferguson THE owner of a recently opened gym in Warrington credits painstaking market research for a successful start to business.

Sue Williams, who launched Fit-In above a Tesco store last October, spent hours outside the shop asking passers-by what they would want from a new health club.

After personally polling 2000 people, she visited every potential rival in the area before planning a gym she knew people would want to join.

And her 16 year old daughter took dance classes in every venue she could think of in order to identify the best teacher, who agreed to transfer to Fit-In. Sue, who used to work in the hotel industry, said: “From talking to so many people, I was able to identify that the main things they think about when joining a gym are flexibility, cost and time.

“So I make sure we offer pay as you go options, keep our prices low and introduced a 30 minute circuit system so people can exercise quickly. The research worked, because the first few months of opening have been really good.”

Another major concern that many of Sue’s subjects had was that they didn’t feel they fitted in at any of

the nearby gyms. and that’s when she came up with the name, hoping to attract those who felt they didn’t belong in a health club environment.

To help motivate people upon joining, everyone is asked to identify a goal, which are then written up and displayed around the gym.

These range from an 11 year old boy who wants to lose weight to get a girlfriend, to a racing car driver who wants to be fit enough to get back on the race track.

Another woman, who had piled on weight following an operation, wants to slim down so she can wear her Jimmy Choo heels again.

“We really do have a huge variety of people that come here, all with different motivations. I know the 30-minute circuit system is most often used by women-only clubs but it works well for all our members and the most important thing is that they feel like they belong.”

Sue also works hard to cater for youngsters and when an ex-boxer signed up as a member, she decided to employ him to take boxing for fitness classes for teenagers.

A programme of dance classes for children and adults run throughout the week and on a Saturday morning, kids often stay for three classes in a row, paying a total of £12 each.

There are at least 50 in each class.

and Sue said in one morning alone,

she can make £100 from the coffee

machine.

Left: Sue with her receptionist and, below, the circuit

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UK FITNESS SCENE

International recognition for Crawley A CRAWLEY gym has received international recognition for its high environmental standards.

K2 Crawley, managed by Freedom Leisure, was assessed for its total environmental impact including carbon emission targets, waste reduction, management of energy and water and its impact on customers and staff.

The evaluation also took into account asbestos management, emergency procedures and sustainable development to control pollution in air, on land and in water.

Freedom Leisure has an ongoing strategy to reduce its CO emissions and has achieved a five per cent reduction of the utilities for 2010 through investments in technology, good practice and partnership with its local authorities.

Steve Parker, who is responsible for environment management standards at Freedom Leisure, said: “Freedom Leisure is keen to have minimum impact on the environment by ensuring best practice within our centres.

“2010 looks to be an exciting year as we roll out the accreditation to ensure all centres are functioning in the most environmentally efficient way possible.”

Success is breeding success for a Swansea health club

By Mary Ferguson TELLING the world about its members’ success stories is helping a health club in Swansea boost business.

Life Health and Fitness employs part-time marketing officer Jackie Balboni to generate local media coverage and promote the gym in-house.

Her job is to discover the achievements of members – from weight loss to competition success – and turn them into case studies and press releases that are sent to newspapers and magazines in the area.

She is also responsible for producing a huge notice board inside the gym, where members can gain inspiration and prospects can be persuaded to join.

Jackie, a self-employed marketing consultant, told Workout: “People stop and read the case studies on the notice board intensely and its a great way to grab the attention of prospective members looking around. It’s also an effective motivational tool for existing users.”

Jackie is taking the publicity one

step further by combining all the case studies into a booklet, which is given out in welcome packs and to sales prospects. The success stories are also featured on the club’s website, and included in monthly newsletters.

“We maximise all our communication channels and its easy to find out our members’ achievements because we are a small gym and very close to our users. And they all want to talk about what they have achieved – it’s everyone’s aim to get up there on the notice board.”

Success stories range from massive weight loss to people who have beaten illness through exercise. The latest case study features a local man diagnosed with cancer, who has managed to get his fitness levels back up.

Jackie spends a day and a half a week at the club and said more gyms should consider similar working arrangements.

She added: “Marketing is a specific expertise so it’s not always practical to incorporate it into the job of a fitness professional. And I know that many clubs can’t afford and don’t need to employ someone full time, so

Jackie Balboni getting someone in a few hours a week is a good compromise. And shouting about what members have achieved can only benefit business.”

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UK FITNESS SCENE In the penultimate interview with top level politicians, Andree Deane speaks to outgoing Conservative MP Julie Kirkbride – Shadow Culture, Media and Sport Secretary in 2003/4 – about her views on a new government’s role in the promotion of exercise. Next month, Penny Mordaunt, Conservative Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Portsmouth North, will answer the same questions.

More positive messages needed on behaviour change How important are government led campaigns like Change4Life in getting people more active and using health clubs and leisure centres?

I think that government does have a role in shaping people’s behaviour but I caution as to the extent of that role. We know that advertising works to a degree, for example in the drink driving campaigns. However, the consequences of not exercising are not as dramatic as drink driving and more positive messages need to be used to bring about a behaviour change with regard to exercise and diet. The food industry can play a role and it is the responsibility of the soaps and the media to focus on healthy lifestyles. However, there is no ‘one size fits all’ solution and a variety of messages and mediums need to be used.

What realistically can be done to get more people to engage in fitness activities?

Clearly this is harder for some people than others. People who understand the importance of physical activity are halfway there and many of the positive messages are preaching to the people who are ready to embark on an exercise programme anyway.

Others may need to be encouraged by their GP. GPs are ideally placed to recommend exercise to their existing

patients who may have physical and mental health problems and who would never normally consider exercising.

The messages may not work as effectively for those with poorer health and a multiple approach is needed here. Walking groups are great as an introduction into exercise and are very sociable – my council has been extremely effective with several types of community working groups.

Will offering financial incentives ever really work and do you think that tax incentives should be applied to health club memberships?

I don’t feel that it is fair to give financial incentives to those who have become obese and not to others. Any system of financial incentive to exercise should be offered to all, and not just specialist groups. In terms of the VAT situation where private health clubs have to charge VAT on their memberships and the public sector do not, the unfairness of this is clear to see.

However, the economic climate is such that, although the system cannot be defended, it will be difficult to change in the mid term as councils struggle to meet their budgets. Also, removing VAT would not be acceptable but applying it equally across the sector would be fairer but now,

economically, is not the time.

A great deal has been made of the 2012 legacy and its impact of the levels of participation in sport and physical activity. How realistic is it that the Games will have a positive effect on participation levels?

Julie Kirkbride I am very optimistic about the impact of the Games. As a result of 2012 we will be left with first class facilities all over the country and not just in London as money for training camps has been invested all over the UK. There has been significant tax payer investment in terms of facilities and the development of elite sport as the last thing we want is to perform badly.

What is the government doing right to encourage people to exercise?

Change4Life is being successful to a degree but more needs to be done to get an integrated approach with the media and food industry becoming more involved both at a national and local level.

The polls are indicating a ‘hung par-

Andree Deane liament’. In such a situation how can we ensure that a focus on physical activity continues?

Exercise shouldn’t be a party political issue although the emphasis on how it is tackled may vary. Under a Conservative government there will be less bureaucracy and we would use the money in the schools system to invest in local clubs therefore providing a community benefit. The club would then attract more members including those who didn’t like sport in schools.

All the political parties have a desire for a healthier population, as ill health costs the NHS a fortune, and therefore whatever the political landscape after the election, physical activity promotion must continue.

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Training concept is launched PHYSICAL Company has launched the FLOWIN Friction Training concept in the UK, Ireland and Channel Islands.

The concept came to life among a group of elite decathletes with an extensive history and competence within the fields of medicine, top level athlete training and healthcare.

The basic principles are based on vertically constricted movements over a larger plate, while friction is offloaded by smaller pads sliding horizontally across the plate.

The pad and plate friction has been carefully optimised for a safe yet effective motion, which the exerciser is able to fully master by simply altering the amount of applied pressure on the pads.

The FLOWIN products are being used for top level athletes and for rehabilitation purposes within healthcare programs, as well as within the fitness industry with group training, circuit training and personal training programmes.

The portability of the plate is a proven success. The plate guides the individual with points of references, which are essential to the person working out, not to mention the instructor. The plate also facilitates easy orientation in group training formats.

UK FITNESS SCENE

Online gym creator defends his product

By Mary Ferguson THE creator of an online gym has defended its position in the market, claiming it doesn’t target users of traditional health clubs.

Richard Davis, director of VirtualGym TV, told Workout the product is aimed at people who would never use a real gym because they are too self-conscious, can’t afford it or don’t have transport.

VirtualGym TV was set up two years ago and although the majority of its business comes from the corporate sector, they are trying to get more members of the public involved.

Users pay £5 a month to download unlimited video workouts via the internet. Presented by fitness experts including Pierre Pozzuto, Elise Lindsay and Lisa Johnson, new videos are uploaded daily and a pay as you go option allows people to download individual workouts without subscription for less than £1.

Richard said: “Most of our retail users come form the 85 per cent of the population that either can’t or won’t use gyms. And our appeal is that we overcome those barriers, whether that’s confidence, cost, geography or time.

“We are certainly not appealing to a typical gym user, who use them for either the equipment, social aspects or to show off. We would never even try to change that.”

Before they launched, Richard approached Duncan Bannatyne for investment, but failed to convince him the product wasn’t a threat to his health club chain.

“He told us it would never work, because others had tried to do the same and failed. He was also convinced that we would be targeting the same people his sales staff sign up to his gyms but this isn’t the case and I think we have definitely proved him wrong.”

Richard said that although the product wasn’t an instant success, they have now built up audiences around the world and at 130,000 claim to have more users in the UK than Fitness First.

He added: “Even though I don’t like the product, I think the success of the Nintendo Wii Fit proves there is a huge market for exercise outside of the gym and we are providing that service.”

Richard Davis

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UK FITNESS SCENE

Members turn officers to raise cash

By Dominic Musgrave TEN members of a Castleford gym are swapping their usual attire for policeman’s outfits to raise money for charity.

The men from Potential are to do a ‘Full Monty’ style strip at a fundraising ladies’ night event for Breast Cancer Care and Cancer Research.

The routine has been put together by local dance studio owner Jo Riddell, who told Workout they are

doing surprisingly well.

“We are doing a couple of hours each Friday evening, and I have put together a routine for them to music from the Will Smith film ‘Bad Boys’. Some of them are also doing their own individual performances as well.

“Some of the boys didn’t have any issues, but I think a few of the guys were a bit nervous at first about getting involved.

“But to say they are all amateurs who have done nothing like this

before they have all done remarkably well, and I have been really surprised.”

The event was the brainchild of Claire Turner, a gym member whose mum died of cancer last year, who wanted to do something special to raise money.

Jo added: “Claire has done things like Race for Life but wanted to hold an event to do something more for the charities.

“As well as the strip we will also have a disco and Elvis tribute act,

and everybody has given up their time and effort for free, event the army boots the guys will be wearing were donated by a local second-hand store.

“We are also holding a raffle, with prizes including tickets to rugby matches and spa weekends, which have also been donated.”

Jo ran her own gym in nearby Normanton for four years, but now runs a dance and fitness studios, which this year celebrates its 10th anniversary.

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CLEANING

Operating a swimming pool can generate more problems for gym owners than just safety in the water. Here Chris Sowden, team manager at the National Chemical Emergency Centre, discusses the costs of chemical clean-ups.

Counting the cost of chemical clean-ups WE receive thousands of emergency calls a year and 20 per cent of these relate to incidents where first-aid or clean-up advice is required following chemical spillage or exposure, with a growing proportion of calls coming from the staff of swimming pools.

For example, we were recently called by the fire service asking advice on an incident at a gym and leisure centre complex in the Midlands. Two substances used to clean the swimming pool, hydrochloric acid and sodium hypochlorite, had been accidentally mixed, resulting in the pro-

duction of chlorine gas.

Chlorine gas presents hazards that are quite different from the substances from which it is produced.

The gas is corrosive to human skin and eyes, is toxic via inhalation and can cause delayed pulmonary oedema anything up to 48 hours after exposure by attacking the walls of the lungs. It is also a powerful oxidising agent, making surrounding combustible materials more susceptible to ignition.

The fire and ambulance crews had to treat the scene with extreme cau-

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Programmes grouped together specifically to meet the needs of fitness outlets, health spas and salons include towel settings that will ensure

towels are hygienically clean as well as a ‘capes’ setting to deal with lightly soiled capes made from synthetic fibre. Octoplus machines are Miele’s most economical commercial laundry machines to date, featuring fast programmes and innovations such as the PerfectDry moisture-sensing technology.

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tion, with some 50 people being affected by the gas, of which 32 required hospitalisation.

Additionally, the area around the leisure centre had to be evacuated during the incident and the pool itself remained closed for several days.

Although owners and managers of independent gym and leisure facilities may irregularly use small quantities of potentially hazardous substances, and may have assessed the risk posed by chemicals in isolation, the case above demonstrates how easy it can be for errors to occur, with potentially damaging consequences to revenues and reputation.

The best way to reduce the risk of chemical accidents is to establish effective control measures, so that the risks from all chemical substances used on the premises are assessed and understood. This approach is well known and not only makes good business sense, but also is a requirement of legislation such as the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH).

Unfortunately, many small-scale users of chemicals incorrectly consider the Safety Data Sheet (SDS) provided by suppliers as being sufficient to satisfy their duties under COSHH. Although an SDS is an important tool for understanding chemical properties, it needs to be used in conjunction with data from other sources

Chris Sowden such as those published by the EU and the HSE, to ensure that the potential risks are fully understood in the context of your business activities.

Once the risks have been clearly identified they can more easily be controlled, with dedicated procedures being put in place for documenting, handling and storage of chemicals, and for dealing with an incident should one occur.

Software tools such as those available from the NCEC can help with this process; using the services of an independent specialist to carry out a chemical safety audit can be achieved at relatively low costs and could even help to save money through reduced insurance premiums.

20

INDUSTRY SPOTLIGHT

After six years of operation, Xpect Health and Fitness is working hard to keep its members and move with the times. Mary Ferguson paid a visit.

‘Chameleon’ club escapes the quiet times ...

EXECUTIVE director Andy Bourne launched the site with partners Malcolm Chamberlain and Mike Page, who were all directors at Cannons Health Clubs during the nineties.

Successful pre-sales meant the club opened with 2,000 members and business has been going strong ever since. Sitting on the edge of an industrial estate in Essex, the club is busy all day, escaping the afternoon lulls experienced by so many.

A 20m pool is a big selling point, but despite 80 per cent saying they joined because of it, only 20 per cent use it. A creche runs six days a week, priced at £5.50 for two hours, and the space doubles up as a spinning studio. Andy said: “It helps us attract mothers during the day but it doesn’t make us any profit because we have so many staff. It’s the same with the beauty therapy facilities we have – it doesn’t make us a huge amount of money but it’s part of the overall offering of the club and it’s important

that people see we have these things here.”

A ladies-only gym is based opposite the group exercise studio and many women begin their membership life here, progressing to the main fitness area when their confidence has been raised.

This gym underwent a major refurbishment last year and features Life Fitness equipment, with 90 per cent of members using the FitLinxx system. The club has a large coffee lounge and also sells sports clothing, but Andy claimed it’s more about offering a service than generating profit through secondary spend.

Memberships cost £61 a month contract-free or £51 if people sign up for a year. And unlike many clubs, a joining fee is always added.

“We are great believers in charging this, but we brand it as a ‘get active’ fee. We are honest with people and this year we are adopting a more transparent approach to our pricing, adding our rates to the website.

“In the past, we haven’t told prospects about the joining fee until they get into the club but now we give it out over the phone. Customers are a lot more savvy these days and if people come down knowing all the facts, they are more likely to convert into a sale.”

The majority of Xpect’s members are aged between 30 and 40 and 57 per cent are women. Andy said they have tried to mould themselves to the market, instead of being prescriptive about who they want to attract.

“The club has to be a chameleon and offer different things to suit different people at different times of the day. But our ultimate aim is to promote credibility, and we do that with our branding. We are an independent club but there is always a hint that we are part of a chain, which gives people confidence in us, and I think that really helped with our pre-sales.”

Andy employs a club manager, but spends most days at the club and uses the gym every day, helping him

Andy Bourne keep an eye on how the members are feeling.

“We have a system for receiving feedback but I prefer the informal approach so try to chat with members when I can, as well as keeping an ear out during my workouts.”

21

INDUSTRY SPOTLIGHT

Andy working hard to hold onto members ONE of the biggest challenges faced

by Xpect Health and Fitness is retention, and Andy is working hard to address the issue.

He said: “Our attrition rate is four per cent a month so we lose 50 per cent of our members a year, which is a big hole in the bucket. But we are making in-roads and have invested in new software to identify inactive members who are at risk of leaving.

“In the last 12 months we have been working really hard to stay in

contact with members, especially those at risk.”

As well as using the FitLinxx system, staff also use the software provided by The Retention People to flag up those that are not using the facilities very often.

Regular workshops are held to help staff interact with customers effectively and two hour inductions have been introduced, to help new members get off to a positive start.

“I give my staff a target of speaking

to 80 per cent of the high risk members that enter the club each day and every hour the manager will write down how many have been spoken to. Retention is something that everyone in the industry has to get to grips with.”

their money.

Andy said that while the recession has made it harder to find new prospects, the club has used the conditions to tackle attrition. And they have found that instead of cancelling, members have been increasing their visits to get the most from

He added: “Access to capital is very tricky and we invested £3.5m into this venture so raising that amount again would be tough. And there is no point having ten clubs ticking over when you can have one that’s always in profit.”

And although Andy isn’t ruling out opening more clubs, he said the aim for the moment is to concentrate on increasing value for their shareholders.

22 www.workout-uk.co.uk

COMBAT SPORTS

Gym targets lovers keen to shape up

By Mary Ferguson A CROYDON boxing and PT gym is cashing in by launching a fitness plan for lovebirds keen to shape up for their wedding.

Martin Dilworth, owner of Dynamo Boxing, developed the Wedding Fitness Plan after years of training couples.

He said: “When people embark on a training regime it’s imperative they have goals and looking good at the altar is a very strong goal to have.

“I work with a lot of couples together and often the women want to lose weight while the men want to get muscles – so for both it’s mainly about stripping fat.”

The programme combines a bespoke fitness training programme, nutrition advice and an eating plan.

Sessions are charged at £25 an hour and Martin uses many disciplines including boxing and military style training, skills he learned from his days in the Parachute Regiment and Royal Navy.

He said he is always invited to the wedding, and the couples often keep training with him after they are married.

“I do get some people who come to me three weeks before the big day saying they want to lose three stone, but because most weddings are a year or two in the planning I usually have realistic time frames to work with.

“Clients delegate their fitness and health to me and I do all I can to accommodate them, as I appreciate that many people struggle for time.”

As well as working from the studio, Martin also runs two fitness camps a year, held in France and Florida, and

Martin Dilworth said many couples choose to attend these just before their big day.

He added: “It’s great to be able to deliver them to the altar tanned, relaxed and feeling fitter than they ever have. It’s incredibly gratifying to see my clients looking and feeling beautiful on their wedding day.”

How NRGFUEL helps me win

By Neale Cranwell, Mr Universe 2009 I AM a big fan of the new NRGFUEL NO2 product. I used to use the mainstream no-xplode products pre workout but for over a year but haven’t been able to stomach their taste as they now make me very nauseous.

I was keen to try this product as the rest of the range taste great. This past week I have not trained without it.

The pumps and vascularity I get from each serve is insane – it’s really noticeable and really instant.

The taste is great, really smooth with no aftertaste or sickening taste associated with other brands. I will continue to use NRGFUEL NO2 pre workout and NRGFUEL TTP post

Neale Cranwell with Joel Stubbs training as I now prepare for my upcoming competitions. I am also looking forward to using NRGFUEL NO2 during pump-up backstage prior to stepping on competition stage as I know the vascularity and pumps will make a big difference to my contest condition come May. I’ve tried the rest – now I use the best.

24

UK FITNESS SCENE A new gym that offers confidentiality agreements and a concierge service has been so successful, two more London sites are set to open. Mary Ferguson spoke to owner Gavin Sunshine.

Gavin weighs in with classy gym ACTOR Ed Norton, Olympic athletes and wheelchair users are amongst the customers at The Gym Clinic, which opened in January with a third of the target membership secured.

A former athlete, Gavin lived in the UK but worked in LA most winters for warm weather training. He retired through injury and joined the Metropolitan Police, before deciding to set up business with his wife Sarin.

He said: “We wanted to run our own business and the fitness industry is ideal for that. We opened up a big commercial gym in London but it wasn’t for us – it was impersonal, oversized and governed by numbers.

We needed thousands of members and even though we wanted to be on the gym floor we ended up in the back doing paperwork instead.”

When developing The Gym Clinic, the pair tried to take the most effective elements from different facilities and use them to be build a top class training centre.

“We have combined the ease of a commercial gym with the prestige of personal training clinics, essentially taking the best from both. We have chosen the equipment best suited to the end user and employed three trainers who are all ex international sportsmen.

“I think our approach is pretty revolutionary. There will be no more than 300 members and every single one will have personal training.”

Ed Norton Gavin claims the 2,300 sq. ft studio gives people three times the room an average gym would consider. And its website attracts users by highlighting the privacy of the facilities, featuring claims including ‘We won’t bombard you with Facebook, follow you on Twitter or anything else. It’s nothing personal, we just respect you and your personal space.’

Although personal training is what the business has been built on, members are allowed to use the facilities at other times as part of their membership. But Gavin is strict that all

users must also take PT. “If someone comes to the door and says they want to join to use it fully independently I tell them sorry, but you will have to join a different club.”

Members pay £100 a month plus personal training and Gavin makes sure they get a good service.

“It’s important that if they are paying that much, they are getting the full attention of their trainer. I don’t want them standing there texting a girl they met the night before and in one club I’ve even seen a PT fall asleep whilst working with someone.

It was funny at the time, but stuff like that gives the industry a bad name.”

The studio’s equipment includes brands Precor, Hammer Strength and Jordan and Life Fitness and there is also a V Plate. A lot of work has gone into the changing areas, which consist of individual rooms with double power showers.

As part of its focus on service, receptionists at the gym also take care of personal things for members, like booking flights and cinema tickets, even reminding them of a spouse’s birthday.

“Things like that keep the customers here and that’s really important to me. Some of the members are having three personal training sessions a week – paying £150 a week plus their membership fee – so it’s important that they keep coming back.”

Success brings plans for more THE gym has been such a success that a new site will open in Baker Street by May with another in Knightsbridge hot on its heels.

When the current premises opened in January, successful pre-sales meant £10,000 was coming in immediately.

Gavin said: “Our running costs are not very high and though we are not breaking even yet, to open with a third of our target membership is pretty amazing. A few other facilities have now popped up in Chiswick and they all send their staff to see what we do here.”

Personal trainers pay £1,000 a month to work from the facilities and Gavin said members are paying for a total of 100 training sessions a month, something he claims isn’t even achieved at gyms with 3,000 members. One of the clinic’s users is Olympic swimmer Charlie Turner and Gavin offered to train him for free when he told him he couldn’t get funding. And his generosity paid off, as he has now been asked to coach the GB swim team.

Out of 300 members at the gym, six are wheelchair users who take advantage of the ground level facilities, wide walkways and adaptable equipment.

Because the building came with two car parks, one has been converted into an outside training zone, complete with rugby tackling mat.

An onsite physiotherapist and osteopath rent a room from Gavin and because they have a good client base, the three are able to feed business from each other.

25

UK FITNESS SCENE

Using social media to drive people to your gym or club

By Dave Wright, Creative Fitness Marketing SOCIAL media is the ‘new kid on the block’ in the marketing world, but is also producing some incredible results for health clubs around the globe. Some clubs are already cashing in on the enormous opportunity while others don't seem to understand that social media can be used for any club in any niche.

But first, it’s important to actually understand the purpose of social media. And to put it simply, the main aim of the game is to create conversation with anybody and everybody at the same time. On a marketing deeper level, you’re ultimately trying to build that element of trust with your potential clientele and create a stronger bond with your existing members.

So how can you use sites like

MySpace, Linkedin, Facebook and Twitter for your local offline business?

Well, the first thing you need to realise is that with social media, your main goal is to create an engaging conversation and build trust. You can do this in the form of polls, surveys, or simply posting a fascinating article or blog post and letting your followers know about it.

This in turn helps cement the fact that you're an expert and will make ‘followers’ trust you even more. So your followers get to see the real you, they get to see your personality, your interests, what you're doing throughout the day, and they get to see whether or not you truly care about them.

So when computer geeks talk about the new ‘Web 2.0’ on a macro level with the internet it is because they

Personal trainer David feels the love ...

DAVID Long from ‘The Key to a Better Life’ in Cirencester has been named the most loved personal trainer in the UK in a nationwide competition.

During a two-week campaign, over 100 people got in touch with TheBestOf campaign and recommended David for his ability to inspire well-being and improve fitness.

He has ten years’ experience as a personal trainer and beat off stiff competition with nominations from his customers at RAC Gym.

Nigel Botterill, TheBestOf CEO, said: “David is running a superb business and should be rightly proud to be the most loved personal trainer in the UK. “But what has also been underscored in this campaign is how many fantastic personal trainers there are in the UK today and how keen people are to praise them.”

Fitnesstrain.me in Solihull and Align Pilates in Henley on Thames made up the rest of the top three favourite trainers.

Providing integrated and managed solutions WITH nearly 20 years’ experience in providing solutions to the health and fitness market, ClubWise is the only UK business solution to provide a seamless and integrated club management solution from a single supplier.

As a BACS approved bureau, ClubWise provides integrated and managed solutions for the collection of your direct debit memberships.

Our interactive CRM service communicates with your prospects and members via automated text and email messages and fully integrates with a comprehensive diary and member/prospect management capability.

The ClubWise interactive DD Referral scheme delivers monetary

rewards to those people who introduce new members to your club.

A KPI dashboard provides you with real time figures on the performance of your club in key operating areas.

By implementing our integrated online joining and booking features, you can sell more memberships and reduce administration costs.

Enquiries: 0800 072 6411 Email: sales@clubwise.com

are saying that the computer/ internet world is changing to that two way conversation – which is what social media is all about.

Rather than the conventional ‘interruptive’ marketing world, social media- offers solutions for you to engage with the world – sending messages out to the universe and hoping your local market will listen.

So whether it’s through a blog or a tweet, you get to prove your professional know-how with no cost whatsoever.

And that brings us to the fantastic point for independent health clubs – finally, you can be on the same playing field when it comes to the marketing world as the bigger chains with huge budgets Why? Because to get involved with social media, it’s just a matter of jumping on the computer and starting that conversation

Dave Wright – something that independent health clubs do every single day.

I Workout is now on Twitter – follow

KIDS’ FITNESS

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Sponsored by:

Fitness First is now offering its Strictly Fit group exercise class to 11 to 18 year olds as part of the government’s new ‘Let’s Dance with Change4Life’ campaign.

Britain’s Got Talent winners, dance group Diversity, are fronting the scheme which aims to get more young people active through the power of dance.

The classes use a combination of dance routines with moves from the quickstep, salsa and jive to create a low impact aerobic workout.

Derek Crawford, Fitness First UK national fitness mananger, said: “This campaign is a great way to make dance available to young people and Diversity are a great inspiration.

“Our classes are based on the BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing don’t require any previous dancing experience, just the enthusiasm to get active and have a great time.”

Call on media to take greater responsibility

By Louise Cordell PSYCHIATRISTS are calling on the media to stop promoting unhealthy body images to young people.

The Royal College of Psychiatrists is asking for a new editorial code to be drawn up to end the ‘thin body ideal’ and encourage the use of more diverse body shapes.

Members of the College’s Eating Disorders Section have claimed that they are becoming increasingly concerned about the harmful influence of the media on young people’s self esteem and want the government to tackle the issue.

Dr Adrienne Key, consultant psychiatrist, said: “We are asking the government to create a forum with the aim of collaboratively developing an ethical editorial code that realistically addresses the damaging portrayal of eating disorders and raises awareness of unrealistic visual imagery created through airbrushing and digital enhancement.

“There is a growing body of research that shows the media plays a part in the development of eating disorder symptoms – particularly in adolescents and young people.

“That’s why we are calling on the media to take greater responsibility for the messages it sends out.”

The College has outlined three main areas of concern: I The use of pre-teen or underweight models to promote a thin body ideal, and the use of airbrush-

ing to portray physical perfection that is unattainable in real life.

I The fact that many magazine articles give advice on dieting without giving information about the long-term effectiveness of diets and the dangers of extreme dieting.

I The inaccurate portrayal of eating disorders, with many articles ‘glamorising’ It’s claimed that the media promotes weight loss and portraying unhealthy body images to young people eating disorders as mild disorders or personal weaknesses, rather than serious mental illnesses requiring specialist treatment.

Jinga cash gives fitness boost to young people DISADVANTAGED young people in Truro and Falmouth are being given the chance to improve their fitness and confidence with an unusual new sport, thanks to a local social enterprise.

Jinga Communities has been awarded £12,000 to help it deliver free courses in capoeira, a Brazilian martial arts/dance discipline.

The six week courses are targeted at unemployed 16 to 25 year olds and aim to boost their health and self esteem, helping them to return to training and work.

Craig Blackburn, Jinga director and instructor, said: “Capoeira is an excellent tool for rebuilding confidence in individuals.

“In order to take part, participants have to develop relationships with others, not just verbally but also through movement and rhythm.

“The blend of partner-based movement and percussive music builds self esteem, motivation, communication skills and fitness.”

The Jinga 16-25 course consists of acrobatics, martial arts, breakdance steps, percussion instruments and singing in Brazilian Portuguese and participants will also learn about the culture of Brazil and the country’s Afro-European roots.

Later this year the course will also be rolled out in up to four other locations in Cornwall including Newquay, St Austell and the Camborne/Pool/Redruth area.

28

GROUP EXERCISE

A new boxing class that incorporates vibration training has launched at a department store in London. Power Plate Boxing takes place in the Power Plate studio in Harrods and is designed to combine the strength and muscle toning benefits of vibration training with cardiovascular activity. The classes take 25 minutes and switching between the role of trainer (pad holder) and trainee (boxer), participants perform a series of exercises both on and off the plate to improve core stability and increase stamina.

New BTS instructor Stacey Powell

Energetic new classes boost Dome attendance ATTENDANCE at group exercise sessions at Doncaster Dome has increased by 100 per cent thanks to the introduction of new classes.

The energetic Military Circuit class and branded fitness to music Body Training System courses (BTS) were brought in with three new staff to teach them.

Kraig Kelly, operations manager at

the Fitness Village, said: “We are thrilled to be able to offer these new classes to both members and non members. They have gone like a dream and are something we have wanted to introduce for a long time.

“Numbers seem to be rising and we hope that the people of Doncaster continue to enjoy keeping healthy and active at the groups.”

EXF seminar draws specialists EXF Fitness brought some of the country's top fitness and sports training specialists to Ipswich for a daylong seminar.

Held at Suffolk UCS, the event kicked off a national series of ‘Learn

By Doing Seminars’, taking in London, Leeds, Birmingham, Manchester and Oxford.

Leading names including Nick Grantham, Brendan Chaplin, Duncan French and Matt Lovell discussed the latest science, thinking and techniques as well as sharing invaluable practical knowledge and experience.

Delegates were able to take part in physical sessions with the experts and nutrition and food preparation was also covered during the seminar.

29

GROUP EXERCISE

‘Exercise in disguise’ is key to success – Zumba expert

By Christina Eccles THE key to running successful group exercise classes is to offer ‘exercise in disguise’, according to an expert.

Yorkshire-based company Foxy Fitness specialises in the dance inspired fitness class Zumba, which is taught in several venues in the local area.

And owner Nikki Swindle told Workout the classes have become popular because they offer something different to the traditional dance or aerobics offered in most gyms.

She said: "Zumba appeals to a wide audience. People find it fun, easy and there's no pressure. There is a relaxed atmosphere and everyone is enjoying the music and having a good time."

To strengthen the group dynamic, Nikki is also very pro-active when it comes to marketing and has a big online presence - with both her own website and Facebook page.

A monthly newsletter is also handed out to class members and everyone gets a pass for a free class during their birthday month.

She added: "Having the website and newsletter helps massively. People get that bit more and feel part of something. It is also nice for them to know they have someone they can

come to for advice on health and fitness. The social side of coming to the classes is really important – I have seen groups of friends forming – and it is also easier to push yourself when you are in a group than when exercising alone."

Nikki's advice for gym owners thinking of offering Zumba in their gyms is once they have found a licenced instructor, go that extra mile

to make sure classes stand out from the rest of the timetable.

"Don't look at it as just another exercise class. Make it different and more of a community thing.

"I have done themed classes and encouraged people to vote for their favourite workouts – get them involved and feeling like it's their class."

She also urged smaller operators

Providing new ways of getting fit GROUP activity training is a popular way for people to get fit and as spin classes have proved a profitable source of income.

Fitness Options is now able to offer three brand new pieces of equipment that take these types of classes to another level.

The first is the Helix H901 Lateral Trainer. Unlike other aerobic machines the Helix also works the inner and outer thighs. Because of the variety of movements it is ideal for group exercise classes.

With Helix classes featuring moves like surfing, inner and outer thigh pumps, rolling squats, sprinting, grinding and ball riding, its not

only great fun but less monotonous than other classes.

Next is the Nessfit Fitwalker. A high quality, smooth motion manual treadmill built for commercial environments.

Treadmill group classes are very popular in Europe because it’s so simple to perform by people of all ages and abilities. With the Fitwalker there are no motors to break down or circuit boards to burn out and once the class is over it folds to take up less space then an exercise bike.

Finally there is the Nessfit SMS (Standing Movement Solutions) strength circuit equipment. It fea-

tures 10 individual strength stations were all the exercises are performed from the standing position.

This means there are no adjustments to be made to the equipment as the class moves from one exercise to the other and no time wasted in the process. It is suitable for all participants from athletes to the elderly. Each machine is compact and easy to move thanks to their transport wheels. All the equipment is exclusive to Fitness Options.

Enquiries: call Karl Viner, commercial director on 0115 9463085 Website: www.fitnessoptions.co.uk

not to be put off by a lack of space or facilities.

"Lack or mirrors is actually a bonus – get rid of them. I teach in a health club with mirrors and the class is much quieter. Small operators can still run the classes with limited space as long as they have a good sound system. The music is the most important thing."

30 www.workout-uk.co.uk

TRAINING AND RECRUITMENT A fitness fanatic will be using her passion for sport to encourage more people to get active at a Sheffield gym.

Lynsey Carveth has been appointed as a senior sales consultant at Concord Sports Centre to work in its Fitness Unlimited gym.

Lynsey said: “Having already worked at two other facilities operated by Sheffield International Venues, I am delighted to be taking on this full time role at Concord. I’m hoping my passion for sports is contagious so all the Fitness Unlimited members at Concord can get the most out of their membership.”

Bannatyne’s Health Club in Luton has a new general manager, Neil Austin.

With almost 16 years of industry experience, Neil joins Bannatyne’s from a health club chain where he was responsible for several sites in the London area.

He said: “Bannatyne’s has established a popular health club in Luton and I am really keen to help take it forward for the benefit of our members and the local community. I have enjoyed a successful career in the leisure and hospitality sectors and I will bring my experience and a strong focus on customer service to Bannatyne’s.”

TRAINING AND RECRUITMENT

www.workout-uk.co.uk

Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) can help staff sell memberships and personal training, cope with complaints and develop relationships with gym users. Nick Hill explains how.

NLP: giving the competitive edge IN the current climate, what will give your business the edge is having a greater understanding of your members and prospects and it’s good to know that there are tools out there that do dramatically enhance your customer relationships.

NLP is a tool that allows people to quickly develop their key interpersonal skills giving them the confidence to enter challenging situations like making sales calls, training or presenting to groups, up-selling services face to face and dealing with complaints in a way that creates the right customer perception of you and your business.

It’s not uncommon for owners, trainers or employees with business development responsibility to avoid or be reluctant to carry out tasks such as make sales calls to prospective customers.

Why? Typically fear of rejection, lack of belief in their services and their prices, even being ‘programmed’ from an early age ‘not to talk to strangers’ are some of the more common responses as to why activity levels in this area sometimes look a bit ‘thin’.

This is down to how you feel when

you think about doing these tasks and some people describe these feelings as nervous or apprehensive. This results in minimal activity, lack of new members and missed opportunities for the business.

NLP contains tools to use that take you through a series of steps that change the feelings associated to challenging tasks. Nervousness can be substituted for calm, a person can change from feeling nervous about training a group of people to being confident about doing that, a person can make changes to how they ‘behave’ when dealing with a challenging situation like customer complaints as a result of using these techniques. What’s great is the results are immediate which means that employees start tackling tasks that were once challenging and different results ensue.

The tools also enable employees with customer service responsibilities to approach difficult complaints in a manner that satisfies the needs of the customer, a prerequisite to successful conflict resolution.

Human behaviour, and the ‘values and beliefs’ from customer to customer are very different and what is

minor for one is often very major’ for another.

Some members flare up at the slightest misdemeanour and the ability to diffuse, empathise and provide value is a key skill. NLP communication ‘tools’ focus on the language style a person uses during communication and by educating people to recognise customer behaviour employees can build instant rapport even with challenging customers. An effective handling of a complaint could mean retaining a valuable customer.

Inside the gym, the relationship building process between customer and trainer/employee extends further. Customers are savvy and know when they are being sold to.

Having a strategy to find out who attends when, their goals, needs and drivers results in you having the confidence to approach those customers and build relationships quickly and easily. Not only is this fantastic when meeting prospects to agree membership terms, a personal trainer can identify how the customer prefers to be spoken to so they can achieve ‘states’ of motivation and meet their fitness objectives for the session.

Nick Hill The customer then feels motivated and achieves personal objectives, isn’t this gym nirvana?

With customer experience high on the agenda of gym owners, trainers and service providers, it’s tools like NLP that can and do give the modern business of today the competitive edge. The mix of personal change patterns and communication tools allow employees to dramatically enhance a customer’s perception of you and in doing that you can look forward to working with a bunch of happy, loyal customers.

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32

SUPPLEMENTATION AND NUTRITION

Ten minutes with Michael Todd ‘Monster’ Michael Todd is the poster boy for arm wrestling and holds the title of Heavyweight World Champion. He owns a personal training studio in America and will compete at London’s Show of Strength in May.

‘You wouldn’t buy a £100k sports car and not put premium fuel in it’ What is your biggest accomplishment?

Being considered among my peers as one of the best arm wrestlers in the world. My ultimate achievement would be to be recognised as the overall champion of the world.

How do you set your goals?

At the end of each year, I sit down and decide what would make the upcoming year a successful one. I consider all aspects and through-

out the year, I assess my training and make necessary adjustments to achieve my goals.

What is your biggest challenge and how do you manage this?

In January I fractured my arm during a competition so my biggest challenge is to continue to be successful while dealing with my injuries.

The best way to become a good arm wrestler is to arm wrestle but because of my injuries, practice

hurts my elbows. So I have found ways to strengthen my arm wrestling specific muscles through weight training.

What diet do you follow?

I eat six to eight small meals a day and try to eat every two hours. My diet consists of high protein, moderate carbohydrates and low fat food.

You wouldn’t buy a £100,000 sports car and not put premium fuel in it and you can’t be a highly condi-

tioned athlete without the right fuel either.

What makes you different from your competitors?

I believe my professional approach to the sport of arm wrestling is what sets me apart. By following strict nutrition, a dedicated weightlifting regime and getting adequate sleep, I give myself the best opportunity to succeed and fulfill my potential.

36

PRODUCT NEWS

Strength in numbers More on offer at 25th anniversary FIBO MORE space, more exhibitors, more service for visitors and an even wider range of products and innovations – for its 25th anniversary, FIBO aims to cement its position as the number one international meeting point in the fitness world.

The international trade show for fitness, wellness and health is expecting more than 530 exhibitors from 38 countries and more than 50.000 visitors from 60 countries.

Taking place in Essen, Germany, 12 halls will showcase a unique variety of equipment and services for the fit-

ness sector as well as stage shows full of action, conventions and conferences.

FIBO ambassadors will include Spain’s fitness star Jessica Exposito and Witold Szmanda, Poland’s celebrity personal trainer. Another innovation for national and international visitors arriving by air is a shuttle service from Düsseldorf airport to the exhibition centre and back.

The leading industry trade show is also active online, with news about FIBO continuously posted on Facebook and Twitter.

WHY are the best armies those which fight together but still celebrate the heroism of individuals?

Probably because nature and mankind realises the strengths of going it alone and advancing together. That is why the Fitness Industry Association and Independent Operators Unite have developed a new proposition which celebrates the entrepreneurship and dynamism of independents, but still allows them to act collectively.

This means they share a whole host of benefits from almost £60,000 of savings from dealing with suppliers, to accessing free legal support collectively – something which could easily cost up to a five figure sum.

Dave Stalker, executive director at the FIA, said: “Having been an independent operator, I know how exciting it is to be totally autonomous and be able to walk your own path, making decisions you alone can stand by.

“But I also know that terrible feeling in the pit of my stomach when I have

‘That’s why I have been so keen that we (the FIA) develop a tailored package which plugs those ‘professional’ gaps and gives independents access to the same resources that the major multiples do.’ to create a new employee contract, or develop a risk assessment strategy; and the occasional yearn just to pick up the phone and share a problem with someone who’s been through what I’m going through or could throw new light on a problem.

“That’s why I have been so keen that we (the FIA) develop a tailored package which plugs those ‘professional’ gaps and gives independents access to the same resources that the major multiples do.”

Amazon service team doubles AMAZON Leisure has doubled its team of service engineers to cope with growing demand.

The Norfolk-based company – established for 20 years – has also strengthened its sales team as it prepares for a bumper 2010.

Simon Coleman, senior sales manager, said: “People are now looking at quality and value rather than just the cost, and we can tailor our service packages to suits customer needs.

“We have been in the industry for 20 years and many of our technicians and engineers have been on board for a decade. That experience gives us the edge, and business is growing as a result.”

Amazon recently completed a £100,000 installation at a gym in Slough, providing new and refurbished Life Fitness equipment.

Simon added: “The gym owner came to us because of the quality of

our equipment, servicing and after sales support.

There are a lot of people doing what we do, but not doing it as well. 2010 is looking good for Amazon, and we are looking forward to even more growth.”

The new énergie Fit4less in Canterbury was officially opened by the city’s Lord Mayor, marking the fourth addition to the ‘no frills’ club portfolio. Following a £250,000 refurbishment, the site offers memberships for £16.99 a month and will be managed by Andy Ingham. He said: “We’re delighted to open a good quality but reasonably priced fitness club that people can use to keep in shape without having to worry about contracts or large monthly bills.”

Medicine balls from Jordan

Why kettlebells work

MEDICINE ball workouts are being rediscovered by athletes and fitness experts everywhere. It is one of the oldest forms of strength and conditioning training methods.

JORDAN medicine balls are commercial quality with a premium textured rubber surface for excellent grip. They have rubber weighted centres for good balance and are colour coded for ease of weight identification, perfect for circuits and functional training. Prices start at £10.22 plus vat for a 1kg ball.

JORDAN are offering the following set of medicine balls at a special offer price of £420.00 plus vat. The set comprises of three each of 2kg, 3kg, 4kg, 5kg, 6kg, and 7kg medicine balls

KETTLEBELLS are a fantastic tool for anyone who doesn’t have a lot of time and wants to get maximum results in the form of fat loss and stamina in minimum time. There is no better way to get fit and burn fat than with 24 minutes of high rep kettlebell swings, cleans and snatches.

Kettlebells are one of the oldest types of conditioning equipment there is. Weights with handles like kettlebells were used over 2,000 years ago by athletes in Greece.

A kettlebell basically looks like a cannonball with a

and a horizontal storage rack with an attractive silver frame and lockable wheels. This offer is for a limited period only.

For the full range of JORDAN functional fitness equipment visit www.jordanfitness.co.uk.

handle and the advantage of training with a kettlebell over traditional weights lies not only in the versatility but also in the dynamic nature of its movements, the two hands swing being the most basic. This involves squatting down holding the kettlebell and using the legs and hips to drive the kettlebell up and in front of the body. During this functional drill every muscle is integrated and activated from legs to core to arms.

For information on kettlebell training call Kettlebell Seminars on 01282 698698 Website: www.rkps.org

Guy Noble

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After decades of battling with her body, exercise professional Joyce Nunu used the Thomson diet to get her to the stage. Mary Ferguson reports.

Joyce finds key to best shape of her life AT 42 Joyce entered – and won – her first body fitness competition, claiming she has discovered the secret to sculpting her body.

Using the Thomson diet, a bespoke fat loss programme designed to work with toning exercise, she said she is now in the best shape of her life, and hasn’t sweated through hours of cardio to get there.

“I had always imagined myself growing up as an athlete of some sort, but the only thing stopping me was my weight. My sister’s nickname for me was Fatty, and although I was fit, I emotionally ate throughout my childhood and into my late thirties and was always overweight.”

Joyce’s love of sport led to a career in the fitness industry and she has spent 15 years in the sector, including roles as a gym instructor and five years as a membership consultant for the FIA. She has recently joined REPS as a member services officer.

“After years of aerobics, step, football, boxing, spinning and doing lots of running my body still looked unconditioned, but I was now carrying injuries too. I remember simply wearing high heels would aggravate my knees. I had clearly been over training and was burning away any muscle I tried to build.”

Joyce turned to trainer John Thomson, creator of the Thomson diet, for help in sculpting her body and he encouraged her to eat for health and not weight loss.

“Body sculpting requires consistent attention to ones nutrition, with little wear and tear on the joints, so this was the perfect sport for me. When I started to see results, I decided to compete and had no idea of the commitment that was required, both mentally and physically. It was the hardest challenge I have done to date.”

Joyce said the training system allowed her to do less exercise than she had ever done before, but generated faster results.

“I did weight training for no more than 50 minutes, four times a week under John's supervision. It was so effective that I did no additional ‘fat burning ‘exercises and have ended up in the best shape of my life.

“Before I trained with John, I used to train twice a day six days a week for less results.”

John adjusted Joyce’s nutrition to perfect her contest preparation on a daily basis and she said she now realises how complex the subject is.

Her diet consisted of three or four main meals and up to two portions of fruit a day, and typical food included egg whites, ryvita and tomatoes, chicken breast, rice and broccoli, cottage cheese and salad.

She restricted her carbohydrate intake, drank four litres of water a day and kept a daily food diary.

Joyce claimed it has been easier to sculpt her body after turning 40 and is looking forward to achieving great things.

She added: “I started training with John at age 40, won my first competition at 41 and I'll be competing at the British Finals October aged 42.

“Age holds no barrier for me, I am more self-disciplined now than I was in my twenties and thirties and I feel and and I am in better shape than any other time in my training career.

“My emotional and physical health now complement one another through the right emotional, nutritional and exercise support. This holistic combination was truly missing from my lifestyle during my earlier active days.”

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SUPPLEMENTATION AND NUTRITION

Jeni Pearce

Jeni’s new role with EIS THE English Institute of Sport (EIS) has announced the appointment of Jeni Pearce as its Head of Performance Nutrition.

Jeni, who has been part of the Performance Nutrition team at the EIS for the past three years, is experienced working within elite sport.

She said: “I am delighted to be offered this opportunity at such an exciting time for sport in this country leading into London 2012 “With the spotlight on us, I have no illusions as to how much is at stake for the sports we work with and how much hard work lies ahead, but I hope we can build on the strong foundations of our Performance Nutrition team here, maintain our high standards and deliver the best possible service to our sports so that we maximise the opportunities for nutrition to have an impact on performance.”

An author of ten books on nutrition, Pearce has experience working with a diverse range of elite, developing and emerging athletes from boxers through to snowboarders in both her native New Zealand and Great Britain.

She was also the British Olympic Association (BOA) HQ Nutritionist at the Olympic holding camp in Macau ahead of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

New energy gel BRITISH Cycling has worked with Manchester-based sports nutrition company CNP Professional to develop a new energy gel.

Called Pro Energy Max, the colaflavoured gel is designed to give an energy boost and maintain energy levels and heighten mental alertness. It will be used by both Team GB Cycling and the Sky Pro Cycling taking part in the Tour de France.

A key member of the gel's development group was Matt Parker, who heads up the British Cycling's 'marginal gains' team.

A nutritionist in training, Dena Ryness lost six stones after overhauling her diet and falling in love with exercise. She told Workout what she learned along the way.

Dena Ryness ... before

and after

How falling in love with exercise changed Dena’s life

By Mary Ferguson DENA describes herself as a thirtysomething macrobiotic, vitaminpopping exercise fanatic.

Currently studying for a qualification, she plans to open a clinic in Manchester where she will specialise in weight loss and sports nutrition.

She said: “I was very unhealthy and always overweight until a few years ago. I became a vegetarian at 11 and although I didn’t have bad eating habits as a child I had no awareness of what I was putting in my mouth.

“I was always about size 16 and had no idea how to get the nutrients I was missing by not eating meat or fish.

“I was very big when I was 18 and joined a gym and started drinking meal replacement shakes.

“I lost two stone but put it all back on again when I gave up the shakes because I still had no idea about nutrition.”

In 2003, after seeing an article on

a new kickboxing gym in her area, Dena went along and struggled up the steps.

But she fell in love with the sport, started running to increase her fitness and was inspired by discussions at the club to address her diet.

“Gillian McKeith was everywhere around that time and there was plenty of information in books and magazines so I did some research and ended up losing five and a half stone.

“I’ve since put a stone of that back on because I realised I had gone too far but I’m now a size eight and very happy.”

Dena’s old diet was very heavy in refined carbohydrates and she ate a lot of cheese, mistakenly thinking that as long as it wasn’t meat it was healthy.

“These days I largely follow a macrobiotic diet, although I know that word means different things to different people.

“I now eat fish because I need it for protein and fats – especially as

I’m allergic to most nuts and seeds – and I basically try to eat as close to nature as possible.

“I cut out all dairy for a long time but I’ve recently begun eating low fat cottage cheese and skimmed milk as I realised I was missing out on nutrients.”

It took Dena four years to lose the weight because although she was doing a large amount of endurance exercise she said she was always hungry so despite eating healthy food, was still taking on too many calories.

A former marketing director in London, Dena is now living in Manchester and hopes to get a nutrition clinic up and running by the summer. She currently runs a website, beautifulactivenourished.com, where she posts blogs and opens up debates on healthy living.

She added: “I knew I wanted my own business and it had to be something I was really passionate about – so the obvious choice was nutrition.”

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Leanne’s weight-loss group makes pounds for gym

By Mary Ferguson A GYM worker in Liverpool is using her counselling skills to help overweight people shed pounds – generating valuable business for the club.

Leanne Wall, a customer service advisor at Lifestyles Millennium in Liverpool, volunteers as a counsellor for disadvantaged children and said she had been thinking of ways to combine her skills for years.

A few months ago, she set up a holistic weight loss group and has opened it up to non-members, who pay to use the gym facilities as part of the programme. Many then become full-paying members once the course has finished.

‘Shape’ combines weekly group talking sessions with thrice weekly circuit sessions on the gym floor and many people lose up to two stone on the 12 week course.

Leanne said the groups have proved extremely popular, with the last course generating a waiting list of 56.

She said: “They attract a real mix of people, many who have tried other

methods of weight loss with no success. A couple of the ladies in the last group had never even stepped through the door of a gym before so to see them using our facilities regularly is actually quite moving.”

The course costs £40 for the 12 weeks, and non-members pay £5 for each gym session, with members receiving a discounted rate.

The group talking sessions involve weekly topics including positive affirmations, relaxation techniques and discussions about food and portion sizes. No diet is prescribed, because the programme is focused on changing people’s relationships with food.

Leanne added: “I have a one-to-one session with everyone at the start to find out their reasons for signing up and I’ve found the biggest things people struggle with are portion size, bad habits and overeating caused by stress.

“I’m delighted the groups have been so popular and am thinking about training other staff at the gym up to take some of the sessions – so move over Weight Watchers.”

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Fresh from relaunching his supplements and announcing a licensing deal for the gym, Mary Ferguson met Dorian Yates to discover the man behind the muscle.

Why Dorian’s gym is still a Temple to passion not profit BELOW an expensive street in central Birmingham, bodybuilders pump iron to a soundtrack of sweat.

Temple Gym is a world away from the Louis Vuitton store and Italian restaurant that sit yards away and Dorian is the man at the helm, a celebrity on the circuit and in his own right in America. Sipping green tea, he told Workout why it’s important to him that the gym doesn’t change.

“I took over Temple in 1987 when I was 25, when there were about six clubs in Birmingham.

“Now there are hundreds but mine is still the same as it has always been. It’s a serious training gym, a specialist gym, and that’s how I like it.”

Like many single site operators, he is critical of how the industry has evolved, berating the chains that monopolise the market.

“The guys running those places are business people, most have no real knowledge about training and no interest in members. But my gym is about passion. It’s not particularly profitable but I want to keep it the way it is.”

Temple pays no lip service to design and the custom-made machines may not look pretty, but they test even the hardest muscles.

Ripped seats on tatty stools surround the counter, paintwork peels from the walls and a frayed cable hangs in the toilet.

But dumbbells go up to 220lb and for the members, this means more than pot plants and potpourri.

Strength enthusiasts visit the gym from all over the world. And a video showing Chris Cormier crawling on the pavement and throwing up outside after training has generated over 80,000 hits on

YouTube.

It all started for Dorian back in 1985, when he made his name during his first competition.

“I got on stage and the whole place just freaked out, everyone wanted to know who I was. I had no idea how good I was at the time but that day made me think I could really be someone in bodybuilding.”

Since that day Dorian, who is getting married this year, has been named Mr. Universe six times. He said he enjoys being anonymous on the streets of Birmingham, but equally loves the attention he gets in America.

“In the sport I’m a huge name worldwide but once I get on to the pavement outside my gym, no-one knows who I am. In the States I get recognised all the time because the sport is huge there and they respect bodybuilders as athletes.

“They respect success, but in this country it seems that it’s in our nature to resent it and I would like to see that change.

“Sometimes people criticise me for not working with the media enough to promote the sport but I know how they operate.”

Dorian said he was once interviewed by a tabloid paper who printed the opposite of everything he said and he has also been put off television work.

“I’ve had enquiries from breakfast TV but told them I want to come on in my clothes, not in my underpants like a performing monkey. I’m not interested in promoting myself, I want to raise awareness of the sport and I’m lucky that people will listen to me.

“On Facebook I have over 11,000 fans and that means all those people want to hear what I have to say.”

Dorian with a cut-out of himself

Aiming to provide keen prices Dorian relaunches brand and excellent customer service PhD Wholesale are the UK’s premier sports supplement provider selling brands such as Maximuscle, Sci-Mx, PhD, USN, Reflex and Gaspari along with 50 other leading supplement brands.

They aim to provide not only the keenest prices possible but also offer excellent customer service and delivery options.

Order before 12noon and receive your delivery ‘next day’.

Call now to challenge them on their pricing and delivery service.

A spokesman said: “We aim to be the best in sports supplement wholesale distribution, so what are you waiting for? Pick up the phone.”

Enquiries: 01482 609850 Website: www.phd-wholesale.co.uk

DORIAN has relaunched his DY brand of supplements, distributed exclusively in the UK by Ultra-Body, and is hoping they make a big impact.

The products are now manufactured in America and even though it’s been a year since they were last available, he said he has had a huge amount of interest. And he is keen to emphasise that the products are all his own.

“I’m not just putting a face to a brand, I’m involved in every aspect of the products, using my own experience as well as consulting with nutritionists and doctors. It’s not about making a quick buck from people, I genuinely believe in what I’ve developed.”

As well as penetrating the supple-

ments market, Dorian has now decided to license DY gyms.

“There are a lot of gym brands that were originally what we like to call ‘hardcore’, for example Golds, which has ended up now becoming pretty mainstream. There is definitely a market for these but there are a lot of small clubs who can’t afford to take much on so we have kept the package simple. You pay for the DY brand and the discounts on equipment, but we are not going to tell people how to run their clubs and they get to keep all of the profit.”

Dorian is hoping to franchise worldwide and already has enquiries from countries including India, where he claims bodybuilding gyms are growing at a huge rate.

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With summer around the corner, thoughts may be turning towards hot weather training and fluid replacement. Andrew Hamilton looks at hydration drinks and how they can help.

How hydration drinks can help in hot weather GB Canoeing and Canoe England has announced Science in Sport (SiS) as a new bronze tier sponsor on a four-year agreement.

SiS will provide its range of energy, hydration and recovery products to assist athletes such as Olympic canoe slalom silver medallists David Florence and Campbell Walsh, and sprint racing athletes such as

Rachel Cawthorn, who finished fourth at the world championships.

Performance director John Anderson MBE said: “GB Canoeing shares the same ‘leave no stone unturned’ philosophy and commitment to excellence as Science in Sport, and we look forward to developing this relationship and sharing our future success with them.”

THE goal of a hydration drink is to supply fluid to hard working bodies – both to prevent dehydration and to help the process of fluid replenishment once dehydration has occurred.

The main ingredient of hydration drinks is of course water, but manufacturers also add other substances such as minerals and carbohydrate, which when added in the right concentrations, can increase the rate of water absorption from the gut into the body.

Profuse sweating can rapidly dehydrate the body and fluid losses of just two per cent of body weight can cause a significant drop in performance. However, there are three main reasons why drinking pure water is not the most effective strategy to stay hydrated, especially if you’re exercising for prolonged periods in hot or humid conditions.

1.When you sweat, you lose significant amounts of the electrolyte minerals (calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium and chloride), which are needed to help maintain nervous activity and muscle contractions.

However, pure water alone is not a good source of these minerals.

2.Hydration drinks containing electrolyte minerals on the other hand are a good source of these minerals and studies have shown that when properly formulated, they can stimulate thirst and increase the urge to drink.

3.When the electrolyte minerals are present at the appropriate concentrations (as in a good hydration drink), the rate of fluid absorption from that drink is enhanced, especially if it also contains small amounts of glucose.

Anybody that exercises vigorously for over an hour in warm or humid conditions can definitely benefit from hydration drinks. Conversely, if you’re exercising at more moderate intensities in cooler conditions, it’s unlikely that you’ll gain much from hydration drink use.

Furthermore, provided you start your workout properly hydrated, if your training session is less than one hour’s duration, there’s little evidence that you’ll benefit from a hydration drink no matter how intensely you train. This is because even in the hottest conditions, there’s simply not enough time to lose performancesapping quantities of sweat.

Andrew Hamilton What to look for in a hydration drink: Isotonicity – Fluid is most rapidly emptied from the stomach when it contains roughly the same concentration of dissolved substances as that found in your bloodstream. At this concentration, a drink is said to be ‘isotonic’ or at the same concentration as your body fluids, and this is definitely desirable in a hydration drink.

Carbohydrate content – Research has shown that drinks containing added carbohydrate at higher than isotonic concentrations (up to five per cent) can be emptied from the stomach just as rapidly, and can therefore replace lost energy more rapidly than an isotonic drink.

Although not strictly isotonic, these ‘added carbohydrate’ drinks offer all the fluid replacement benefits of isotonic drinks and are often marketed as such.

Electrolyte minerals – all hydration drinks should contain added sodium, chloride, magnesium and potassium.

Sodium is particularly important – not only does it replace lost sodium in sweat, it’s also is very effective at stimulating the urge to drink.

Taste – as usual, highly personal but absolutely crucial. One of the main purposes of hydration drinks is to stimulate you to drink – something that won’t happen unless you really enjoy the taste.

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SUPPLEMENTATION AND NUTRITION A detox can be the best way to kickstart a new training regime, according to expert nutritionist Ilona Wesle.

Louise Cordell found out more.

Detox can kickstart new training regime ILONA Wesle opened BeautifulBreak Detox in Notting Hill last month with the aim of introducing a brand new type of detox treatment to the UK. It specialises in flushing out toxins from the body and involves clients following a special diet, committing to daily body thermal wraps and keeping to alternating dry/fluid and exercise/rest days.

Ilona said: “The plan has been such a success in Germany over the last few years, we decided now was the time to bring it to the UK. “It’s a simple concept; over the years our bodies endure endless abuse from drink, caffeine, alcohol and junk food that puts enormous stress on the digestive system - but a detox provides a thorough cleanse and a fresh start.”

The programme is tailored to suit each client depending on their age, sex, career and the results they are aiming to achieve.

Clients can sign up for one, two or three weeks in order to reach their goals and then often return once or twice a year in order to maintain progress.

Ilona added: “We always insist clients have a medical check up first, because for most people it will mean a significant change to their eating and drinking patterns.

“The diet is low calorie, salt free, animal protein free and almost fat free, but in contrast to a lot of detox programmes we serve a lot of healthy carbohydrates.

“Everything is also steamed to give

the digestive system a real rest.”

She points out that the programme has helped clients with a range of problems from those wanting to stop smoking to those suffering from migraines and high blood pressure.

The clinic is also keen to stress that, although people do lose weight during the detox, this is a positive side effect rather than the main motivator.

Ilona added: “Some people are sceptical of detoxes – saying that the body is capable of ridding itself of toxins.

“This is true if you live an extremely healthy lifestyle in an area with no pollution - but that is not the case for most people, and certainly not people living in London, so a detox like this can help them.”

Clients are also provided with advice for making lifestyle and dietary changes after the programme to help them maintain the improvements they have made.

The fact that they finish with weight loss and high energy levels makes it an ideal time for them to start a new training regime because they are extremely motivated.

Ilona added: ““It is a very intensive detox, it is not for the faint hearted we tell clients they have to be committed but they will feel the benefits for a long time afterwards.

“When they have finished people are ready for anything and they really want to keep off the weight they have lost and make the switch to a healthier lifestyle.”

www.workout-uk.co.uk

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Using supplements to achieve weight loss

By Sue Burnett, personal trainer

TODAY obesity is a global problem affecting people of all ages.

One in five people are now clinically obese according to statistics. In order to combat this problem diet is always the main focus of any nutritional programme however, supplements may be recommended for various reasons.

This could be to compensate for dietary gaps left by today’s modern living, weakened digestion or absorption capacity.

To help restore balance of good bacteria or to meet increased needs due to certain medical conditions.

In order to meet dietary gaps a lifestyle analysis is important to establish where those gaps might lay and what supplemental recommendations need to be made to the individual for successful weight loss to be permanent and healthy by design.

All supplement programmes are designed with the client’s cooperation and often various options are available in order to meet any

budgetary constraints the client may have.

The most common error that people make when trying to lose weight is to restrict calorific intake and as a result the body is starved of vital nutrients necessary for good health.

Detox: A healthy detoxification is an ideal start for anyone trying to lose weight, as it reduces toxic waste stored in the colon and toxic emotions too.

This makes the clients tummy feel flatter and improves a positive mindset to continue with a healthy weight loss programme.

Good fats and bad fats: By reducing the bad fats such as saturated fats and hydrogenated fats and increasing unsaturated fats from foods like oily fish, nuts, avocados and seeds can have many health benefits.

Essential Fatty Acids (EFA’s)

increase good cholesterol and lower bad cholesterol.

A deficiency in dietary EFA’s can create fat cravings, by supplementing with Omega 3 will help to reduce fat cravings.

Sugar and carbohydrate cravings: Typically breakfast will consist of carbohydrate, for example cereals, toast and fruit.

This can lead to a ‘roller coaster’ ride with your blood sugar, it shoots up filling the blood stream with sugar, followed by a crash as it leaves leaving excess which stores as fat.

Many dieters experience a midmorning low or afternoon lull, leaving them craving more carbohydrates or sugar to start the ‘roller coaster’ again.

The solution is to have a high quality protein source first before breakfast within one hour of waking, this stabilises the blood sugar and reduces sugar/carbohydrate cravings and energy levels are sustained as a result.

Designer weight loss programmes: Healthy lifestyle and regular exercise are important factors for maintaining an ideal weight. Using a high quality protein and an Omega 3 are part of a healthy lifestyle. A food diary can highlight whether additional supplements are necessary to create a successful personal weight management programme.

For example, to reduce fat content of a restaurant meal where you are uncertain of fat content can be combated with a ‘fat grabber’ supplement. On the other hand, for clients trying to cut down the negative impact of carbohydrates, they can use ‘carbo grabbers’ which can combat dietary starches.

Supplements in some circumstances can form part of a healthy weight loss programme as long as they are organic, natural and quality assured and recommended by individual design.

I Sue’s article also appears on www.bookapt.com, the website that allows personal trainers to share their knowledge and experience.

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New energy shot without the ‘crash’ A NEW product that claims to keep people going all day has been launched into the fast-growing energy shot market. iShot, developed by All Day Energy Ltd, claims its unique selling point is that it contains no sugar or sodium so it does not give the crash that’s associated with drinks with a high sugar content.

It has been developed with a combination of B Vitamins, Amino Acids, antioxidants and herbs and iShot Decaff is the first zero caffeine energy shot in the UK with Acai Berry.

Kursat Uysal, managing director of All Day Energy Ltd, said: “iShot has been carefully blended to provide a natural energy kick when people need it most. Some energy drinks contain up to 15 teaspoons of sugar, however iShot contains zero sugar, zero sodium and is low in calories, so it delivers the boost without the crash.”

Sports nutritional company USN had a challenge on their hands to find a car for brand ambassador Dave Titterton.

With his vital statistics measuring 58”chest, 21” biceps and 32” quads – and mammoth food trips a regular part of his routine – a small vehicle just wouldn’t cut

it. So Dave was recently presented with a three tonne Navara, emblazoned with his titles and USN logos.

The car – sourced from Chamber Leasing in Droitwich – will transport him to bodybuilding competitions across Europe and the UK.

Exhibition to showcase best in strength sports and extreme fitness LONDON’S Show of Strength is a must for anyone interested in power sports.

The exhibition will showcase the very best in strength sports and extreme fitness by combining the greatest of all strength sports brands with some of the most exclusive and fantastic spectacles to hit the UK. Headlining the first event is the world’s leading and most renowned strength sports brand The World Strongest Man. An international television favourite, the live World’s Strongest Man experience will give people the opportunity to interact with the giants of the

sport as they take part in a brand new head to head concept that matches competitors one on one.

Two handpicked celebrity teams packed with the leading names from rugby, wrestling, boxing, MMA, TV and film will do battle in Celebrity Show of Strength, a series of strength tests that will test them to the limits for your entertainment.

In addition, the UK’s very own Strongman Mark Felix will attempt to break a world lifting record at the show on the Show of Strength stage. Show of Strength is part of The Combat Sports Show.

Search for right ‘carbohydrate cocktail’ SCIENTISTS at the University of Birmingham are trying to find out how the right ‘carbohydrate cocktail’ mixture of fructose and glucose can help athletes perform better.

Previously researchers uncovered that a carbohydrate cocktail, devised by the University of Birmingham, can improve performance because it allows the body to burn more carbohydrate and generate more energy than traditional glucose based drinks.

However, this can also cause gastro intestinal distress and now the team wants to discover how to find the right balance and how to ingest the carbohydrates, through gels, bars or drinks. Lead researcher Professor Asker Jeukendrup, a sports nutrition-

ist from the University’s School of Sport and Exercise Sciences, has spent more than a decade looking to find ways to increase energy delivery to the muscle. In 2007 he found that consuming multiple sources of carbohydrate, such as glucose and fructose can burn up to 75 percent more calories of carbohydrate a year than existing mixtures, demonstrating clear performance benefits for athletes. He said: “Certain combinations of carbohydrates have beneficial effects and this has changed the advice we give to athletes. We are addressing some of the more practical questions and translate some of the scientific findings into applications and guidelines for athletes.”

Fitness professionals given support on five a day ACCORDING to a new study, over 96 per cent of us admit to knowing that we should be eating five portions of fruit and vegetables every day. So why are only 11 per cent of Brits achieving their daily target?

Innocent has commissioned a new report called ‘Are you getting enough?’ to find out why there is such a difference between what people know and what they do. According to the research, the main barriers to achieving 5-a-day are a lack of convenience, confusion around the target, cost and psychological barriers. To make achieving 5-a-day easier for everyone, the report also gives lots of helpful advice on easy ways to include more fruit and veg in the diet – find out more and download the study at www.innocentdrinksforhcps.com.

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DIRECT DEBIT COLLECTION

54

CLASSIFIED FLOORING

SOFTWARE

CLOTHING & MERCHANDISE

SOUND & VISION

LOCKERS

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